BMW promises to release an M3 EV in 2027

BMW’s next M3-sized saloon (and probably wagon, too) will be all-electric and will reach the market in four years, Auto Express reports quoting the company R&D boss Frank Weber.

It will allegedly be based on the Neue Klasse platform, which is still in development and supports quad-motor setups rated up to 1,360 PS (1,341 hp / 1,000 kW). Another major feature will come in the form of a special ECU that the company calls ‘The Heart of Joy’. It will serve as a single hardware control center and will continually monitor the driving dynamics and the driver’s actions, precisely adjusting per-wheel torque and improving stability and handing on the go.

That said, BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel was quoted before saying that he wasn’t sure the M3 needed a whole megawatt of power. He argued that the 3-Series flagship needed to be agile and maneuverable above all.

For his own part, Frank Weber pointed out that the turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine of the current M3 generation was designed from the ground up to be Euro-7 compliant. This means that the gas-powered M3 will most likely not be going anywhere in four years – it will continue to sell alongside its fully electric counterpart.

The BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept (see video) debuted in early September.