- BMW takes another step toward launching an electric M3.
- The concept has four motors, all-wheel drive, and a bespoke battery with over 100 kWh.
- The M Concept Neue Klasse also previews a new design language coming to future production M models.
BMW has been selling M-flavored electric cars since the i4 M50 arrived in 2021. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a variety of performance EVs, but a full-fledged M model without a combustion engine is still missing. However, it won’t be long before you find a true M-badged EV at a dealer near you.
Before the electric M3 arrives sometime next year, Munich is previewing the electric super sedan with a new concept car at Le Mans this weekend. The BMW M Concept Neue Klasse is essentially an electric M3 in all but name. It’s not as radical as the Vision Driving Experience (VDX) concept that came before it, largely because it has been toned down to bring it closer to the production model.
Based on the recently introduced 2027 i3 electric sedan, the M concept stands out with bulging wheel arches and clever aerodynamic trickery. V-shaped air vents on the hood are paired with a substantial front splitter, while the rear features a massive diffuser. All of these elements are made from natural-fiber composites, as BMW has signaled it is gradually moving away from carbon fiber.
Photo by: BMW
Electric BMW M3 Exterior: Shark Nose And Ducktail Spoiler
Although it looks futuristic, the M Concept Neue Klasse also draws inspiration from the past. BMW says it has given the front end a shark nose, while the rear pays tribute to the brand’s heritage with a ducktail spoiler. Newly designed wing mirrors protrude from the body, giving the car a race-inspired look.
Along the same lines, the electric sedan rides on center-lock wheels with Monza Red accents on the left side to match the body’s new color. The center caps feature blue rings on the right side, tying in with the M colors also found on the mirrors and the rear edge of the roof.
Elsewhere, the double-yellow lights will make their way onto production cars as a nod to the M Hybrid V8 endurance race car competing this weekend at the Circuit de La Sarthe. Contrasting the car’s smooth curves are stacked square lighting elements protruding from the front and rear bumpers.
The i3’s pop-out door handles have been replaced by winglets integrated into the beltline that open the front doors. BMW doesn’t say how rear passengers get in, but the Vision Driving Experience we mentioned earlier cleverly hid the rear door handle in the Hofmeister kink.
Electric BMW M3 Interior: Four Bucket Seats And A Roll Bar
Much like the exterior gives the impression of an i3 on M-prescribed steroids, the cabin is also familiar, albeit with a sportier atmosphere. There are even bucket seats in the rear, where space seems limited due to the roll bar wrapped in black nubuck leather. It’s the first time BMW has used this material in an M car, and it also appears on the door panels and steering wheel. The wheel itself is borrowed from the new i3 but gains additional M-specific red buttons.
BMW remains tight-lipped about the technical specifications, but it has confirmed that the M Concept Neue Klasse features four electric motors. Since there is one motor for each wheel, we can safely assume it has all-wheel drive, possibly with the ability to disengage the front motors for a pure rear-wheel-drive experience.
The new-generation battery pack uses cylindrical cells with a net capacity of more than 100 kWh and has been engineered specifically for M cars to sustain repeated power delivery. There’s an 800-volt architecture onboard, resulting in ultra-fast charging, hardly a surprise given how the new i3 can take as much as 400 kilowatts.
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Source: BMW
Motor1’s Take: The M Concept Neue Klasse brings the electric M3 one step closer to production. BMW will unveil the final version in 2027, and contrary to reports, we have it on good authority that it won’t be called the iM3. Instead, it may simply wear the M3 badge. That would signal the company’s confidence that the electric sedan can live up to the legacy the nameplate has built since the E30 M3 debuted in 1986.
In fact, some of these images even show the concept standing alongside the original M3. However, don’t go into this thinking BMW M is done building gasoline-powered M3s. A new generation with an inline-six engine is on the way and could arrive as early as 2028, roughly a year after its electric sibling.
But yes, electric M cars are coming. The M3 without a combustion engine will pave the way for other models, including an X3 M that could also arrive in 2027 and serve as a flagship version of the new iX3.
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