- BMW M boss defends using standard rear doors on M3 and M5.
- Flared wheel arches give both models a race-inspired stance.
- Van Meel says the doors used emphasize power and strength.
For as spectacular as the current BMW M3 and M5 are to drive, they’ve also stirred plenty of debate over their styling. The cars deliver phenomenal performance, but their designs have proven divisive. Beyond the controversial kidney grilles, one detail in particular draws attention: the rear doors.
They stop abruptly before the rear wheel arches, rather than flowing into them as many might expect. At first glance, that might seem like a missed opportunity or even a shortcut. But according to BMW M boss Frank van Meel, the decision was anything but arbitrary.
Read: The Next BMW M3 Could Be The Car That Divides A Generation
Like any proper M-branded car should, the G80 M3 and G90 M5 feature flared rear wheel arches, giving them an aggressive look and helping them stand out from lesser models.
Why Keep the Standard Doors?
However, BMW decided against fitting unique rear doors for these high-performance versions, choosing instead to widen only the rear quarter panels. Van Meel says this was a deliberate move to channel the look of a race car.
“If you look at the M3, what’s part of the thing that makes it so cool is that you have to pull out the rear arch,” van Meel told Auto Express. “[Our designers] would say we would like a new door, but I would say no. Our customers don’t, and I don’t.”
He went on to explain that the visual break between the door and the flared arch is part of the car’s appeal.
“The thing with keeping the rear doors is that if your body-in-white is 25mm wider, and you have such a difference with the door, that gives you this [look] like a race car,” he said. ” That’s what makes an M3 so cool. It’s not as smooth – you can see the power.”
While the current M4 shares most of its mechanical parts with the four-door M3 sedan, the lack of rear doors has allowed BMW to fit flared quarter panels that swell seamlessly from behind the doors. To our eyes, it looks better than what BMW did with the M3 and M5 sedan and Touring models.
More: The Next BMW M3 Could Be The Car That Divides A Generation
The rear doors of the previous-generation M3 were also retained from the standard 3-Series models, while the rear arches were also flared. Admittedly, its design was a little more congruent than the G82.
BMW’s Next M3
For those not taken by the current M3’s look, a new chapter isn’t far off. The next-generation version, reportedly called the G84, is expected to arrive in late 2027 or early 2028. It will adopt BMW’s Neue Klasse design language, a shift that could redefine how the brand approaches performance styling altogether.
Source: Auto Express
