This 4-Series business...
 

Anyone else annoyed that 3-Series coupe models could soon be labeled as 4-Series? I'm really not feeling the M4 moniker! To me, it feels like BMW are erasing close to 30 years of heritage from the 3-Series coupe models. No more M3 coupes? How does that even sound right?

Your thoughts? Am I overreacting?

BMW is well known for changing things last minute, over promising new innovations as well as option packages.

I don't believe they will change the name to "4 series" they may however create an entirely new car and chassis (not just an evolution of the f30) and call it the 4 series as the 2 door.

It's all part of the marketing that they are doing to stay on top of Audi's sales. The trend seems to be the creation of new, more specific sub-categories to go scratch an itch that wasn't there before. The only thing I find idiotic in this is the renaming of the M3 coupe to M4, I think they shouldn't touch a name that bears so much history and success. The rest I think is just the kind of stuff that people will complain about on the internet but won't give two shits about when looking to buy a new car or when driving the car imo.

lol you guys are paranoid. These are just rumors.
BMW wouldnt do that, no company would.

Sounds like you haven't followed BMW's direction much lately, there's already the 2-series coming to the US in the next few years which will have an M performance model and also a replacement for the 1M (2M, M2?). 4-series will come as well in the way that TheYoungConnoisseur put it. Don't believe me? Wait and see. I don't really see the big fuss as I said in my first post, after all, when's the last time you talked to someone who complained to you about how their car is labeled? As long as the driving experience is there, the rest doesn't matter much.

They should call it the 4 series as it isn't a 3 series anymore. I remember when 3 series was small and light. I saw they make these big bloated ones the 4 series and bring back the good old 3 series.

I guess it really isn't the 3-Series moniker I care about as much, but to do away with the M3 name (on the coupe model) is just wrong. I don't care who they are competing with, it's practically sacrilege.

I'm sure that if it does happen, everyone will eventually get over it because the cars will still drive well and deliver what is expected from BMW. But truth is, I'm still feeling uneasy over this name change regardless...

Supposedly this is what the upcoming 2 series should be. Rumour has it that the the 1M replacement should have a turbocharged 4-banger.

Yeah the M2 (1M replacement) will probably have turbo-charged four banger. It is also rumored the next Boxster S will also have a turbo charged four banger.

I guess it would only make sense for BMW to decrease displacement, not to compete with the twin-turbo 6-cylinder unit used in the next-gen M3/M4.