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There are plans to establish a further range of M Performance models with the 3er Sedan and Touring , The X3 and forthcoming X4 with a diesel that mirrors the more high end 5er and X5 and X6.

They are looking at four cylinder diesel for these models in order to have one chapter after the other. In early 2013 the BMW 6er will receive the M650d ,
allowing BMW to have a full line of M Performance vehicles. The 4er will surely follow after the initial M340d , X3M40d and X4M40d.

The lower range cars to begin with will be the M135i , which will be followed with the M235i and X1M35i , the latter two being the only M Performance cars coming to the USA.

In regards to the M3 it is not a diesel.

In some reports they go on about the next M3 being CFRP intensive when it actually will not be. The M4 Coupe will get a CFRP roof but the M3 Sedan is too late to take advantage of the CFRP developments after BMWi - The first BMW car will of course be the next generation 7er.
The M3 has been in development for around two years with still some time to go before the car is to the engineers- perfect.

Subsequent variants of the next M3 might follow through with more CFRP features but the standard car will not. It will be lighter than before but not CFRP lighter with many of the body panels being aluminium and reinforced plastic. The key secret is an all new aluminium chassis that goes a long way to reduce the weight of the car this gets bonded to the steel-structure which will use BMW's press-hardened steel production process.

The M3 will follow previous M3 models by being a pre-production Concept car at the next Geneva Autoshow in March 2013.
As stated previously , the power ceiling for the standard car is 450BHP with Precision being a higher priority than just numbers.
The ceiling gives BMW M room to manouvere in regards to progression , later.

The engine is an extensively reworked and re-inforced N55 Six Cylinder with the option of a six-speed manual and seven speed DCT from the M5 but with altered ratios to suit the more lighter and faster M3.
The M4 inherits the same in genetics but the standard CFRP roof will provide the M4 with a lower centre of gravity.

The talking point of the next M3 wil of course being the adoption of electro-mechanical steering which BMW M say is a key benefactor in the all-new M3's precision. The steering which has been completely reworked to be compatable with an M car such as an M3 is said to be more direct to live up to its repuation as an M3 with the EMS being a top focus for M's engineers.

The overall apperance of the M3 and M4 conforms to the M understated look which takes its cues from the latest M6. With unique kidney grilles and functional aerodynamic styling.

The Geneva 2013 M3 Concept car wil be just that a concept car, no concrete details will be given until launch in the Summer, with the World Premiere taking place at the IAA , Frankfurt in September 2013. European customers will take delivery in November , Asia in January , UK in February and the US in the Spring of 2014. With the M4 Coupe and M4 Cabrio launching at the 2014 Paris autoshow.

Another benefactor will of course be BMW's upcoming X4 which is almost destined to become an M car given the popularity of the X6M and of course demand for a smaller performance concept especially in markets where the X6M is BMW M's best selling product. The X4M will be the only mid-sized M offering with All-Wheel-Drive.

Although The M3 is currently the priority at M. The M4 which will be seen for the first time later this summer in both Coupe and Cabrio are moving forward too. With both expected to hit the Ring and BMW's specialist test tracks in Germany and France.

Although work has commenced on the "Downsized" M, The M2 or the replacement for the most admired 1er M Coupe.
It is known as the "Downsized" M because BMW M are investigating the concept of a completely reworked N20 based four cylinder in terms of the successor to the 1M offering the same recipe as before but with lower weight but still offering the entry to M ownership with the key of precision rather than outright power.