Do not adjust your screen. No, that isn’t a typo. BMW M is preparing to launch an all-electric version of its crown jewels: the M3 (and M4 coupe and cabriolet, and hopefully an M3 Touring in time). Will it follow the nomenclature of the iX3 and be simply called the iM3? We shall see. For now, BMW is referring to the project as the BMW M Neue Klasse, and the new pics you see here show the four-door sedan under heavy camouflage, having a bit of a slide about in the snow.
We’ve known for a while that it's been beavering away on this in the background, but it’s suddenly become very real with the release of a set of first official details. Headlines? It’ll launch in 2027, and launch is the operative word because BMW has confirmed it has four electric motors, one for each wheel, and (if rumors are to be believed) over 1,000hp. In an M3.
At this point, BMW M diehards will be clawing at their screens in despair, but here’s the real masterstroke of this whole project. BMW will launch, in tandem, a straight-six petrol-powered M3 family, too (possibly with electric turbochargers, again that’s TBC), giving customers the choice. Embrace M’s EV future and all the power and electronic wizardry it brings to the table, or stick with old faithful. Want to know what fast car enthusiasts really think about the EV vs petrol debate? Fire up the sales figures, we’re about to find out.
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Back to the BMW M Neue Klasse. As the name suggests, it’ll be heavily based on the new modular box of bits that underpins BMW’s Neue Klasse family. Top Gear’s reigning car of the year, the iX3, is the first to emerge on this all-new platform, and 40 (yes, 40!) new models will follow between now and 2027. However, the M interpretation delivers enhancements to all the bits that matter.
The so-called BMW M eDrive consists of two drive units, one on each axle, with two motors per unit. The motors are arranged in parallel, each delivering power through its own gearbox to each wheel. This is the EV dream, allowing four-wheel drive for traction, optional decoupling of the front axle for traditional rear-wheel drive handling (and big smoky skids), and more efficient running on the motorway. It also enables precise and instantaneous control of each corner, unlocking infinite torque vectoring possibilities for tuning the handling, defining set driving modes, and generally masking the car’s mass.
Sounds brain-scramblingly clever, but where’s the emotion you get from ripping an engine to its redline and smashing a full-throttle upshift? Well, without going into detail, BMW talks about ‘emulated gearshifts’ (we’re imagining a software-defined paddle-shift system like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N) and an ‘exclusive soundscape’—which you can hear a preview of if you skip to th 7:45 mark in this film.
As for the battery, we now know it’ll be over 100kWh in capacity (no range figure yet), and thanks to tweaked cell chemistry, it can discharge a higher peak power, has a higher regen threshold for recuperating energy and can charge faster than standard Neue Klasse models. The battery is also a structural component—connected to both the front and rear axles—adding stiffness to the whole chassis.
As with other Neue Klasse models, controlling all this complexity are four high-performance computers BMW calls ‘Superbrains’ taking care of driving dynamics, automated driving, infotainment, and comfort functions in one seamless stream of processing power. Other innovations include the use of natural-fiber composites—a material with similar properties to carbon fiber, but with a 40% CO2 reduction in its production.
“The next generation of models are set to establish a new benchmark in the high-performance vehicle segment,” said BMW M boss Frank van Meel. “With the latest generation of Neue Klasse technology, we are taking the BMW M driving experience to a new level and will inspire our customers with outstanding, racetrack-ready driving dynamics for everyday use.”
Whichever side of the performance EV debate you sit on, you can be sure of one thing—BMW M is fully aware of the reputational risk going full-EV carries with it… and won’t be phoning this one in.
More photos of the fully electric BMW M3 or BMW M Neue Klasse:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
