BMW’s latest infotainment tech, Operating System 8.5 (or iDrive 8.5), lands in the M3 for the 2025 model year, and other subtle updates will help keen observers distinguish the 2025 model from those that came before.
The new operating system means the brand’s Curved Display digital dashboard makes it into the M3; it melds a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with a 14.9-inch touchscreen under a single curved piece of glass that is angled toward the driver. Expanded voice commands now allow the driver hands-free control of secondary functions such as climate control.
Every 2025 M3 gets redesigned headlights, with fanglike vertically oriented daytime running lamps replacing the cupped horizontal units on previous models. A new flat-bottom steering wheel available wrapped in leather or simulated suede, optional brushed-aluminum trim and a newly available wheel design round out the updates for 2025.
The twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine in the all-wheel-drive M3 Competition xDrive now makes 20 more horsepower than before. BMW attributes the gain to “optimized configuration of the engine management system,” which not only boosts output to 523 hp but also delivers peak torque across a wider range, from 2,750 rpm to 5,730. Peak power is delivered at 6,250 rpm and slingshots the xDrive M3 to 60 mph in a claimed 3.4 seconds.
The twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six in the base M3 makes the same 473 hp as it did for 2024 and is available exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. BMW claims the base M3 needs 4.1 seconds to hit 60 mph. An eight-speed automatic backs the twin-turbo six in the rear-drive M3 Competition, which continues into 2025 with 503 hp and a 3.8-second 0-60 claim; the 523-hp M3 Competition xDrive, too, is available only with the eight-speed automatic.
