M3 Sedan

Make
BMW
Segment
Sedan

Nothing gets the car nerd in us going like finding a hidden easter egg. Throwbacks to models past are becoming increasingly common these days. Recently, we found tons of easter eggs on the Bronco Raptor when we tested it back in June, like the different generations of the Bronco etched into the fuel door trim. Apparently, BMW has a bit of a thing for this move as well. With the introduction of iDrive 8 into some of its models, the BMW M3 gets a cool new easter egg in the shape of the iconic BMW M1.

You'll find it in the car's tire pressure screen on the new infotainment unit. There, you'd expect to see a top-down shot of a current BMW model. Perhaps a base 3 series, as this new system will be shared across the M3's lesser siblings. Instead, you're greeted with what appears to be a low-polygon version of a sports car. After all, that's basically what the M1's styling was at the time: a mid-engine sports car with an angular design. It was a great touch to see on BMW's current M model, and we're willing to bet it extends to at least the M4.

There are also some other M-specific updates for iDrive 8, at least in the M3. For starters, the home screen will display your drive mode. The widgets are also arranged diagonally, much like the "///M" logo. As you scroll through you'll find the M1 easter egg, as well as M-specific fonts throughout. Oddly enough, the font is the most noticeable aspect. We just spent a weekend with the BMW X7, and its iDrive 8 system uses a much more relaxed font and layout. It's an easy change for BMW to make on the software side, but it certainly presents a different vibe in each of the cars with the new system.

For now, this could well just be the start of the changes for the BMW M3. Rumor has it, BMW will be doing an "LCI" (life-cycle impulse) refresh on its prolific sports sedan. For now, we know zero details about that. Usually, the LCI includes some light updates to the car's styling, such as new front and rear fascias, and perhaps more interior updates. Seeing as the M3 has just gotten iDrive 8, we doubt this rumored update will include yet more technical changes on top of what BMW has already implemented.