A few weeks ago a first ‘bomb’ was dropped: the first electric vehicle created by BMW‘s M sports division could be the M3. Now, the head of product development of the Bavarian brand has finally confirmed it in a round table with journalists: “The next BMW M3 will be electric, totally electric.”
This is a step that was expected at BMW and that would happen sooner or later. The Munich brand intends for 50% of its sales in the world to be made up of electric cars, while by 2028 they intend to sell more pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles than combustion vehicles.
Although some brands, such as Porsche with the 911, have an ace up their sleeve in the future with their most emblematic models, BMW will ‘give in’ to the push of electric cars with one of its myths: the M3. This will be the first ‘pure strain’ BMW M to switch to electric technology.
Yes, the BMW M3 will be electric, but also gasoline
For the first time in its history, the BMW M3 supercar will be available in electrified versions. No intermediate leaps with hybrid technology: the new generation M3 will be pure electric.
Frank Weber, the brand’s head of product development who launched the latest ‘bomb’ in this regard, also assured that the BMW M3 will be available with a modified version of its current gasoline mechanics. Thus, the M3 will also continue to rely on the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, which will adapt to the Euro 7 regulations.
“We will not have two different classes: there will be coexistence of technologies in the market, which is necessary,” says Weber, who already set a date for the arrival of the first electric BMW M3 in history: 2027. What has not been confirmed yet, although everything points to it, is that the next installment of the 3 Series (and therefore the future M3) will be based on BMW’s new Neue Klasse platform for electric cars.
The Vision Neue Klasse concept unveiled just a few days ago showed us BMW’s most immediate intentions of creating 100% electric sedans and coupes. Regarding this, Frank Weber did mention that this platform has been designed with four electric motors in mind, which opens the possibility that the brand’s future electric sports cars can ‘play’ with the power between both axles and be able to operate. both as 4×4 and rear-wheel drive.
This technology has been tested for several months now with a prototype of the modified BMW i4 M50 and we have already seen it in other cars of its future competition. For example, the Rivian R1T and R1S have an electric motor in each wheel, which allows an “infinitely variable, extremely precise and, at the same time, very fast” distribution of engine torque, says the North American firm.
BMW M, for its part, recognizes the great possibilities of this four-motor propulsion, which provides ” an unprecedented level of performance and experience .” Will the future BMW M3 respect this scheme?
