New BMW M3: M Concept Neue Klasse previews electric iM3 super-saloon
The M Concept Neue Klasse previews the next chapter for the performance division, which will begin with the electric M3
Any petrolheads still recovering from the controversial reveal of the Ferrari Luce EV may wish to avert their eyes, because this is the new M Concept Neue Klasse and it is our best look yet at the first-ever electric BMW M3, which is arriving next year.
Before anyone fetches their pitchforks, however, the next-generation M3 will be available with a six-cylinder petrol engine as well. Auto Express has even confirmed that, as with the current model, there’s going to be a Touring estate version too.
This isn’t the first time BMW has previewed the petrol-free future of its legendary super-saloon, either. It’s shown us quad-motor prototypes of an i4 countless times, and there was the insane Vision Driving Experience: a ‘rolling laboratory’, again with four motors that produced an ungodly amount of power, plus wheelarches so big they would make a Group B rally car blush. Not to mention fans that literally sucked the car into the tarmac for unparalleled levels of downforce.
Camouflaged prototypes of the electric BMW M3, which we suspect will wear the name iM3, haven’t been shying away from the cameras either. They've been spotted testing here, there and everywhere, from the Arctic Circle to the Green Hell of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
But the M Concept Neue Klasse finally gives us a peek under the covers, and shows us exactly what the next-generation M3 will look like, as well as introducing us to some styling elements that will feature on other future M cars.
What will the new BMW M3 look like?
Revealed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the design of the M Concept Neue Klasse was influenced by both the history of BMW M and its motorsport exploits. Oliver Heilmer, head of design for BMW’s new era ‘Neue Klasse’ and M division, explained: “At BMW M, form consistently follows function. Every detail serves performance.”
He added: “This project is truly special to me because it carries the BMW M character into a new era.” That character comes from bold proportions, precise lines and muscularity from wide, impeccably sculpted wheelarches, which as you can see are all present and correct, and indeed rather magnificent.
The double bubble carbon fibre roof we’ve become accustomed to seeing on modern BMW M cars has also been carried over, although oddly it looks like the special extra fin on the aero wing mirror hasn’t.
Anyway, the razor-sharp shark nose sports the striking new interpretation of the famous kidney grilles which we saw on the new 3 Series revealed earlier this year. It’s certainly a lot sleeker than the bucktooth arrangement on the current M3 and M4.
The M Concept Neue Klasse’s unique lighting signature includes bright yellow elements that are supposed to give a better view of the road in poor weather and are set to become a feature of future BMW M road cars. That will also be the case with the square 'track lights' at the front and rear, which are a nod to the BMW M Hybrid V8 hypercar that competes at Le Mans.
Elsewhere, the heavily sculpted V-shaped bonnet features a large air outlet that helps to cool the electric drivetrain, and the special ‘trimaran-style’ bumper, which was supposedly inspired by high-speed sailing boats, uses a three-part design to structural support for the massive front splitter.
But perhaps the piece de resistance of the M Concept Neue Klasse is its twin-fin ducktail spoiler that’s also been beautifully sculpted into the clean and rather simple design of the rear. Of course, it’s functional, too.
The aforementioned ‘carbon fibre’ roof is actually made of a natural-fibre composite, as is the front splitter, bonnet duct and the diffuser, which is supposed to be a more sustainable replacement that BMW will be using on its production cars.
What will the new BMW M3 be like inside?
The interior of the M Concept Neue Klasse is designed to be restrained, simple and fully focused on the driving experience. It uses the revolutionary Panoramic iDrive layout from the new 3 Series, which replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a customisable display stretching across the base of the windscreen.
It’s designed to keep the driver’s eyes on the road as much as possible while giving them all the vital information they need, which in an M3 will include lap times, temperatures and G-forces.
There’s no smattering of buttons on the centre console like the current M3, just the alluring red gear selector. The same bright hue is also used on the shift paddles – yes, the EV is set to feature a virtual gearbox like the new AMG GT 4-Door or Hyundai Ioniq 6 N – and M mode buttons on the steering wheel, alongside plenty others.
All of that should make it into the new M3, and so could the floating dashboard finished in black knit material with unique M backlighting graphics. However, the production car probably won’t be a four-seater like this concept, which gets proper bucket seats with five-point race belts in the front and back.
The seats won’t be the only detail that has to be changed for the next-generation M3, but we don’t expect there will be much difference between this concept and the road-going version. In fact, slap a number plate on it and we can see it hunting down the new Audi RS 5 tomorrow.
Auto Express confirmed last year that the next-generation M3, like the current model, will be available as a more practical Touring estate, which we hope won’t be too far behind the saloon.
What’s the latest on BMW M’s revolutionary new four-motor layout?
The iM3, or whatever it ends up being called, will use a lot of the same technology as the new iX3, i3 and forthcoming iX5, but they only get one or two e-motors. The super-saloon, on the other hand, will use four independent motors – one for each wheel – kept in check by the BMW M Dynamic Performance Control software in the car’s Heart of Joy supercomputer brain.
The motors in the ‘M eDrive’ set-up are supposed to be extremely power dense and in the past we’ve been told this quad-motor drivetrain can produce up to 1,341bhp, which is a megawatt of power. However, we don’t expect the electric M3 to have anywhere near that much.
Considering the Ferrari Luce and AMG GT 4-Door both produce more than 1,000bhp, we wouldn’t be surprised if this does too. But even with ‘just’ 650bhp it would be the most powerful M3 of all-time, and giving it 750bhp would make this zero-emissions saloon the most powerful road car the BMW M division has ever made.
Each axle will have an identical set-up: two motors mounted symmetrically with their own integrated gearboxes. These will be single-speed items, because a two-speed system – as used on the Porsche Taycan – was deemed not necessary, given the incredible scope of performance from the e-motors themselves.
As well as enormous grunt, a quad-motor drivetrain like BMW’s allows for incredibly precise control over power distribution to each wheel, for true torque-vectoring that will enhance the driving dynamics for both road and track. This should also help make the electric M3 feel lighter on its feet. But the front axle can also be decoupled to create a rear-wheel-drive tyre-blazer, or help boost efficiency on longer journeys, depending on what kind of mood you’re in.
No range estimates have been released yet but the electric M3 will feature a 100kWh-plus battery with a special version of BMW’s sixth-generation cylindrical cells that have been optimised for the high output of this car’s quad motors.
We've been for a ride in the electric BMW M3
We're going to wait a while to find out what the first electric M3 is like to drive, however, early last year we hitched a ride in the power-mad BMW’s Vision Driving Experience (VDX) at the brand’s Spartanburg test track in South Carolina to get a small taste of what's to come.
We were chauffeured by M Motorsport works driver Jens Klingmann. He began in Comfort, or "supermarket mode," as Klingmann joked, the four electric motors whined into life as he flowed the car through corners with remarkable flatness and smoothness. The braking, using only
Switching to Drift mode killed the traction control and sharpened throttle response, which Klingmann happily demonstrated with hard exits, drifts, and a tyre-smoking burnout.
Though the VDX was described at the time as a rolling laboratory built to push the limits of BMW's next-generation EV technology, it’s clearly influenced the new iM3; a car that will be a seminal moment in proving whether electric cars can ever compete with the internal combustion engine for enthusiasts. And if we had doubts about an electric M3, this thrilling preview of the Vision Driving Experience put many of them to rest.
What will the electric BMW M3 sound like?
Sound has long been a controversial element of high-performance EVs. Do these models need a sound at all, let alone one that mimics a petrol engine? This is a question that BMW M has just emphatically answered, previewing the virtual engine noise that’ll be used in future all-electric models including the iM3.
Revealed in a video that’s following the development of BMW’s future iM3, the company showed how it’s creating a unique engine note from some of its most iconic past models. The video showed an E92 M3 and an F82 M4 GTS – cars that respectively featured sonorous V8 and straight-six engines – but the main model being worked on to record and synthesise an engine noise was an E63-generation M6 convertible, with its iconic V10 engine.
Like lots of manufacturers, BMW will use the speakers to broadcast a fake engine noise inside the cabin, helping boost the sense of connection between the driver and the car's electric powertrain. The video even went so far as to reveal what the system could sound like in an early prototype, and the other cars in the room suggest drivers could be given different soundtrack options depending on their preferences.
Where does this leave the petrol-powered BMW M3?
Given the difference in the two cars’ powertrains, we can expect their performance to be noticeably different. However, a senior official told us that the EV and petrol models should have similar styling – based on the Neue Klasse Sedan concept that BMW brought along to the Munich Motor Show in 2023.
As previously stated, the next-generation BMW M3 will be available with a six-cylinder petrol engine, although we haven’t confirmed whether it’ll be the brand’s existing S58 or B58 unit, or an entirely new one.
It will certainly have some level of hybrid assistance, however, rather than a plug-in hybrid system as on the latest M5, as mild-hybrid tech will play a key part in meeting the M3’s emissions targets.
BMW has also recently introduced what it calls “BMW M Ignite” technology on its S58 six-cylinder to help it meet the latest emissions standards. It’s a new pre-chamber combustion process, patented by the Bavarian carmaker, that significantly reduces fuel consumption under high loads and will help its high-performance cars meet the incoming Euro 7 emissions standards.
The technology has come from BMW’s racing cars and is being added to all the straight-six engines in M cars this year. The company says customers who take their cars on track will be particularly appreciative, because it means they can do more laps with the same amount of fuel.
With no substantial electric assistance, we expect the petrol-powered M3 to be only slightly more potent than the current M3 Competition, which develops 523bhp and 650Nm of torque.
When will the new BMW M3 arrive?
Following the launch of the standard Neue Klasse 3 Series later this year, we’re expecting the petrol and electric versions of the next-generation BMW M3 to be revealed in 2027, before going on sale in 2028.
If you don’t want to wait that long for the new BMW M3, right now you can save nearly £20,000 on the current model with the help of the Auto Express Buy A Car service, with deals available on both the standard saloon and M3 Touring.
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