The new BMW M3 Competition, despite the huge lung grille, is a brutally fast version of the compact sedan. Caveats notwithstanding, it's a powerful machine and in the words of our Senior Editor in the M3 Competition's First Drive Review, it "absolutely hauls ass." And he was talking about the rear-wheel-drive version. Lest we forget, the M3 Competition xDrive is already available, rated to be a tad quicker than the tail-happy models.

But if you still aren't convinced about the M3 Competition, regardless if it's the RWD or the AWD, BMW might have something even more hardcore for you.

According to BMWblog's sources, the G80 BMW M3 is getting a Competition Sport version or what's commonly known as the CS. While that's good news and all, we're not really surprised, considering that BMW has already discussed before that there will be more nameplates to get the CS designation. That, and the fact that the F80 M3 has a CS version in 2018.

Details aren't generous in the report put out by the Bimmer-focused website, but the upcoming G80 BMW M3 CS is believed to get improved weight, which has always been the case with the CS models.

A few questions came out because of the report, though. Will the BMW M3 CS come with xDrive all-wheel-drive system for the first time? Or will it make do with the tail-happy configuration? And the most important question for enthusiasts – will it come with a manual transmission?

For now, these are questions that will be left unanswered, but BMWblog believes that both – stick shift and RWD – will be the case so the M3 CS will shave more weight. Let's just hope that Munich will remain faithful with its CS recipe in the G80 model.

The BMW 3 Series G20 is set to receive a facelift next year, which will be launched in the summer of 2022. Before that happens, we already have a good idea of how this LCI, or Life Cycle Impulse, will look for the 3 Series range.

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As you can observe in the leaked image posted on Instagram, the 3 Series will stick to small grilles, which should be a relief to those who are not satisfied with the look of BMW's recent styling ideas. Fortunately for those people, the German company does plan to keep a rather classical styling for the 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series, while the models with even numbers in their names will get more courage when design is concerned.

This facelift will bring revised headlights for the BMW 3 Series, which involve a new signature for the daytime running lights. The new elements look a bit like boomerangs or arrows. When compared to the ongoing version of the G20 generation, these daytime running lights sit on top of the main light beams instead of below.

The front bumper has also been revised, and it now comes with a broad intake flanked by two L-shaped vents in the corners of the bumpers. According to "wilcoblok", the Instagram user who posted this picture, the leaked car is supposed to be an M340i, but in the post he claimed that the source of the image is unknown, which can mean that this is just a 3 Series with the M Package for the exterior.

A close look at the side mirror caps reveals BMW's M Aerodynamic ones, which are meant to be a part of the M Performance Parts catalogue. They look nice if you ask us, so those who order a new 2023 3 Series should consider them.

On the inside, BMW will install the latest infotainment unit in its portfolio, which is the iDrive 8.0. The center display will be a 14.9-inch touchscreen unit, while the gauge cluster will be a 12.3-inch TFT unit, fully digital, of course.

Just like the ongoing 3 Series, the facelift of BMW's mid-sized bread-and-butter car will continue to be offered in China with a long-wheelbase version. The latter will be transformed into an all-electric model, and confusion might set in as it will use the i3 L nameplate. In other words, do not be surprised if you learn about the i3 L next spring, which is an entirely different creature from the i3. Also, you cannot buy it unless you live in China, so there's that.

One key question to answer about the new M3 Competition xDrive: driven back to back, can you tell any difference between it and the standard rear-drive M3? Handily we currently have a long-term regular rear-drive M3 being run by Rowan Horncastle. Time for a get together.

Firstly, a quick recap. Both use an identical 3.0-litre twin turbo straight six with over 500bhp, and team that with a standard fit 8spd automatic gearbox. There’s no twin clutch transmission or hybrid jazziness in there anywhere. If you want that, wait for the new Merc-AMG C63, due next year. Which will also, we believe, use a switchable 4WD system as standard. This is the first ever 4WD M3, the first time Audi’s RS4 has ever had a nose-on showroom rival.

Think of the BMWs xDrive 4WD system as an option you fit to the car rather than a separate model. It costs £2,765 to add to the £75,660 M3 saloon or £76,990 M4 coupe. And no, I still haven’t quite got over how expensive a new M3 is. The last one launched in 2015 costing £56,000. I can’t help thinking that the reason we’re not seeing many of these around at the moment has less to do with the nostrils and more to do with the hefty repayments.

I digress. It’s a clever bit of kit, rear-drive only until the rears run out of ideas and fire a bit of power forwards via a multi-plate clutch. It’s always been a smooth, well integrated system, BMW’s xDrive, and only adds 50kg to the car’s weight, albeit mostly over the nose (new driveshafts and centre diff etc). It obviously shares both tech and general demeanour with the current M5.

So we drove them back to back down and around Salisbury Plain (green is RWD, purple is 4WD). No difference in the jaunty everyday tuck ‘n’ grind. I thought there was a fraction more heft to the 4WD one turning into roundabouts, but probably only because I was looking for it. Both are pretty unforgiving in urban areas – the ride is solid and uninterested until it’s got something to get its teeth into. Flatten the throttle at a national speed limit sign and it’s highly unlikely the rear drive car will do anything other than squat and roar off.

As we’ve said before, the M3 does not lack traction or grip. The cornering speeds are dizzying before you’ve even got to the point you might be feeling what the 4WD is up to. The electronically controlled rear diff in this new M3 is, if you geek out on these things, perhaps the most impressive thing about it. The precision with which you can dole the power out, the sense you get of which wheel it’s going to and the smooth interventions of the stability control if you do over do it, I reckon give you more feedback than the slightly numb steering.

That’s all still there with the 4WD version. Because I don’t know at what point the rear axle decides it’s had enough, but it likes a challenge. There’s a reluctance to hand power forwards which really appeals to me. And that’s before you even start playing with the modes. Standard 4WD is very neutral. You might get a fraction of slip at the back, but before you notice the fronts are working seamlessly and you’re pointing exactly where you were hoping. This is the mode you’ll be in 99 per cent of the time.

Because to get to 4WD Sport you have to disable the DSC stability control. Which seems daft to me. This is very much rear-drive. You will get proper slip angles and sweaty palms, but a better chance of saving yourself because the fronts – you’ll discover mid-slide – are also doing some work.

Then there’s 2WD. Full brave pants. I don’t really know why you’d bother unless you’ve turned up at a ‘Learn To Drift’ event and decided you’d rather not use that ratty 180SX they had ear-marked for you. The thing is you can’t have the ‘purity’ of rear-drive with the security of stability control. Which you can with the standard car. However, the inverted commas were for a reason. As I said earlier the G80 M3 has so much grip and holds on to it so rigidly that this is not a feel and finesse machine.

4WD suits it. If it were me, I’d spec it. And it did feel notably different. I reckon this is probably down to the tyres and a bit of mechanical bedding in, but the 1000-miles-from-new 4WD car was snappier at the limit than Rowan’s 13,000-mile rear-drive car wearing half-worn Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss. The 2WD might have had a little less bite, but it flowed better, the diff was calmer, more progressive – which actually made it harder to get some slip angle into. So there you go, the new M3 xDrive is more oversteer-ready than the rear-drive version. You heard it here first.

And hopefully you realise how pointless it all is anyway. Have xDrive, not because it’s lairy but because it suits this new M3 better. Fit winter tyres – 4WD will manage the extra squidge better and on those solitary snow days that grace our winters perhaps once a year you’ll be ever so smug.

BMW is continuing to keep the 3 Series up to date with the luxury sedan's latest refresh. The 2023 3 Series has been given freshened styling as well as new screens for instruments and infotainment.

The front sees the majority of the redesign. The headlights have been simplified, losing the little extensions along the lower edges. The lighting elements have been changed, too. The front bumper and lower grilles are also new, as is the rear bumper. All the changes give the car crisper edges and flattened planes for a more geometric shape like the iX electric crossover. Now standard are black accents and trim on the outside, and there are some new colors and wheel designs. If you opt for the M340i, it will come with throwback BMW Motorsport roundels on the front, rear and wheels to celebrate the 50th anniversary of BMW's M division.

Also inspired by the iX are the instrument and infotainment screens. The instrument display is 12.3 inches, and the infotainment screen is 14.9 inches. They're both housed in a curved display panel that sits atop the dashboard. This has also resulted in redesigned center air vents. Furthermore, BMW has fitted a new shifter. A couple of new features are also included, such as three-zone automatic climate control and cloud-based navigation.

Otherwise, the 3 Series is pretty much all carryover. It's again available with a standard turbocharged four-cylinder, a turbo straight six or a plug-in hybrid turbo four. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available. Only an eight-speed automatic is available as a transmission. Pricing hasn't been set, but expect it to be announced close to the July on-sale date for the new 3 Series.