BMW has officially unveiled the sixth-generation M3. It’s due to go on sale in March next year and, when it reaches the UK, it’ll face-off against an accomplished roster of compact performance executive cars, including the Mercedes AMG C 63, Audi RS 4 Avant and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrofoglio.

BMW’s latest iteration of its iconic sports saloon has undergone an extensive mechanical overhaul. There’s an arsenal of extra technology, a new straight-six engine and – following in the footsteps of the M5 – an all-new four-wheel-drive system on the flagship model.

There’s no word on pricing yet, but we expect the M3 will be competitive in its market, starting from around £70,000 when it goes on sale next year.

New 2021 BMW M3: engine and drivetrain

The BMW M3 is powered by the M-division’s latest twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. It’s the same unit found in the X3 M and X4 M performance SUV twins – and, like those cars, it’ll come in a choice of two power outputs.

BMW’s entry-level M3 will produce 473bhp, but like the rest of the company’s M range, UK customers won’t be offered this option. Instead, we’ll only get the Competition variant, which has an output of 503bhp and 650Nm of torque – enough, says BMW, for a 0–62mph time of 3.9 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

As standard, the engine will send drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. However, for the first time on an M3, buyers will have the option of speccing an adaptive four-wheel-drive system, which is similar in design to the system found on the latest BMW M5.