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The E92 M3 Coupe (2008-2013) is the fourth-generation M3 and the first to trade BMW's traditional inline-six for a V8. The S65B40 is a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter unit with individual electronic throttle bodies per cylinder and an 8,400 rpm redline, related in basic architecture to the S85 V10 in the contemporary M5 and M6. It drives the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual, or from the 2009 model year, an optional 7-speed M DCT dual-clutch.
It replaced the E46 M3 Coupe and was itself replaced by the M4, the first time BMW split the M3 name across a four-door and a two-door line.
US NHTSA campaigns for this model. A listed campaign may not apply to a particular car, and may already have been remedied — check a specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Not automatically, but budget for it. It's a real, litigated pattern of premature connecting-rod and main-bearing wear on the S65 V8, driven by unusually tight factory bearing clearances rather than a random defect. It never became an NHTSA recall or a blanket BMW warranty extension, so repair cost has generally fallen on individual owners. A car with a documented, shortened oil-change interval and ideally already-serviced bearings is a much safer buy than one on BMW's stock 15,000-mile schedule.
Both were offered across the range from the 2009 model year (2008 launch cars were manual-only). The M DCT is marginally quicker in instrumented testing, while the manual remains the enthusiast favorite for this generation. Neither choice affects the rod-bearing risk, which is an engine-internals issue independent of the gearbox.
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