2020 BMW M340i Debuts With 382 HP

With 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, the 2020 BMW M340i and M340i xDrive are the most powerful 3 Series models (that aren’t M3s) ever.

That power emanates from BMW’s updated inline six. M Performance has also had its hands on the M340i, though, tuning the chassis and installing a standard M Sport rear differential.

Customers who opt for the xDrive model will also benefit from less weight and all customers, BMW alleges, will benefit from “enhanced steering feel.”

With all that power, BMW says that the M340i will be able to hit 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, though it’s unclear if that’s an AWD or a rear-drive figure.

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Both models come standard (and exclusively, unfortunately) with BMW’s 8-speed Sport Steptronic transmission. The transmission comes with launch control, though, so you should be able to impress your friends.

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BMW is also using its safety technology to predict when you’re on a curvy road. That way, it can assume that you’re engaged in some spirited driving and avoid shifting too much. A very involved solution to a problem manual transmissions solved simply, but a clever one all the same.

Back to the uncomplicatedly good news: The engine now comes with an aluminum crankcase and an aluminum cylinder head. The new turbo is also 25% lighter than the old one, and that has the added benefit of allowing the car to build boost faster.

To then get you around the corner, BMW has installed an electronic diff that is fully variable. As is becoming BMW tradition, the rear diff can be locked, for slidey fun, or varied for more pace out of the corner.

The car will make its auto show debut later this month in Los Angeles later this month. Given the similarity in power figures to Z4, it is tempting to assume that these figures (announced specifically by BMW USA) will be different, and indeed lower, in Europe.

From Bimmerfest.com