BMW's next M3 will come in electric and petrol flavours
The inevitable is happening. BMW's next M3 will get a fully electric variant, slated for production in 2027.
Spy shots of the electric prototype, already dubbed iM3 in the media, reveal a car that is both a radical departure and a sign of things to come from Munich.
I can't post the spy photos here as I haven't paid for them, but you'll find them here on CarScoops.
Based on BMW's new 'Neue Klasse' platform (which you can read about in my old i3 and iX3 WhichCar story with Georg Kacher), the design thankfully moves on from the current car's... not universally beloved face.
Instead, we see a lower, wider stance with nicely pumped arches, giving it the aggressive presence an M car demands. Russian website Kolesa has posted some speculative renders based on everything we've seen so far.
As described below, don't expect the rear quarter to look as good as it does in these renders.
Annoyingly, the spy photos seem to confirm that BMW will continue cheaping out on the rear flaring, where all the 'roids have gone exclusively into the new rear-quarter metal and plastic bumper.
The standard i3 (or '3 Series') rear doors appear untouched, leaving us with an awkward hard crease where they meet the wheel arch.
You can see the same effect in the otherwise handsome new M5. This is probably why, in BMW's press photos, you can find a lot of tight crops from all around the car – but not for that part. So I cropped 'em myself. 👇
Cannot unsee? Or am I merely quibbling over minor details? It wouldn't be the first time...
Back to the iM3!
The biggest challenge, as with all performance EVs, will be its weight. The 'iM3' is expected to carry a massive 465kg penalty over the current petrol M3.
To offset this, BMW is understood to be planning a quad-motor setup, rumoured to produce at least 522kW. And it wouldn't take much to dial that up if needed.
While this would probably make it the quickest-accelerating M3 in history, the real test for the M division will be masking that mass. Sheer speed is one thing, but engineering the engaging, dynamic feel that defines the M3 into a two-tonne EV is another challenge entirely.
Back to the ...M3!
On the plus side, if this isn't filling you with Pure Driving Pleasure – a petrol version will be sold alongside the EV for as long as they're allowed to.
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