- An electric BMW M3 variant is in production
- The boss of the BMW M division expects his electric sports car to “beat everyone”
- An electric M3 variant, possibly called the i3 M, may not appear until 2026 or 2027
Luxury car manufacturer BMW carfamous for creating sports car icons, has drawn up plans to work for next generation electric vehicle.
Work is being done on those vehicles, which will be based on Neue Klasse platform. BMW’s M performance division is devoting resources to creating M cars from these new cars. One of those means will be one M3 electricityThis is one of the most important and historic models this department offers.
Frank van Meel, head of BMW’s M division, told Motor Trend upcoming electric sports car based on the Neue Klasse platform “will beat anything you’ve ever seen.”
Expected to be part of the expanded 3-Series lineup, the sedan will likely revive the i3 nameplate to be badged i3M.
BMW begins testing one 4-motor performance powertrain in the i4 prototype in 2022. BMW never said how much power that prototype makes. Motor Trend says the upcoming performance model will have a capacity of about 1,000 kilowatts, or about 1,341 horsepower. That would make the sports sedan electric the most powerful production M car in history. It will also be more powerful than almost any production electric car on the market, including Lucid Air Sapphire And Plaid Tesla Model S.
BMW is developing its own next-generation electric motor with a focus on lightweight and compact design.
M cars have always focused more on driving dynamics than outright power. The electric era looks like it won’t be any different even though this electric car has a lot of power. Van Meel told the magazine that emphasis will be placed on “Neutral, linear and predictable” handling, limiting and chassis control.
Purists will be happy to hear van Meel confirm rear-wheel drive will be available in the electric vehicle era, although there’s obviously no four-motor powertrain.
The electric M3 variant is likely to arrive around 2026 or 2027.
