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Originally Posted by Roundel The new M3 will debut at next September's Frankfurt auto show. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that BMW M boss Ulrich Bruhnke confirmed the date while at the launch of the M6 convertible in southern France last September. "The Frankfurt International Motor Show is so important [to BMW] we must show it there," he said. The fourth-generation M3, based on the E90 3 Series Coupe, will be powered by a four-liter V8 producing about 400 horsepower.

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Originally Posted by Roundel BMW is already working on a facelift for the new 3 Series. Our spy photographer bagged two prototypes in the thick of rush-hour traffic in Munich. We decided not to run the photos because it's difficult to spot the differences that include a deeper spoiler, slightly revised front bumper, and redefined kidney grilles. Obervers say the subtle changes are necssary to compete with the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, both of which will apparently debut at September's Frankfurt auto show. Typically, BMW introduces a design freshening of its models halfway through their life cycle, approximately four years after the original car is introduced. But the E90 3er has been out for just one year.