The BMW M3 first used a V8 engine in 2007, when the fourth-generation E90, E92 and E93 M3 arrived. This was a major change from the model’s long-running high-revving inline-six tradition.
The new engine was the S65, a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 producing 420 hp. It shared architectural ideas with the 5.0-liter S85 V10 used in the E60 M5, but BMW M removed two cylinders and developed the result specifically for the M3. Its 8,300-rpm redline gave the car a distinctive motorsport character.
The 2007 launch initially brought the E92 coupe, followed by the E90 sedan and E93 convertible in 2008. The V8 was not carried into the next generation: the F80 M3 returned to six cylinders with the turbocharged S55 inline-six. That makes the E90/E92/E93 generation both the first and, so far, only production M3 generation with a V8.