BMW’s iconic M3 is going electric – and I hope battery packs and e-motors don’t destroy what makes it special
- The upcoming BMW M3 will use four electric motors
- The smart torque vectoring aims for driving dynamics
- A petrol engine version will still be offered
BMW has revealed teaser images and video footage of the upcoming M3 replacement during testing, which will feature a quad electric motor for the first time in its long and illustrious career.
Choosing to tell the development story through a Netflix-style miniseries on YouTube, the German automaker has revealed elements of what we can expect from the upcoming “M HP BEV” (high-powered battery electric vehicle), which will be based on a completely new platform from the Neue Klasse 3 series.
While there’s no word on battery capacity and the kind of performance we can expect when it arrives in 2028, BMW M boss Frank van Meel says the project was about “embracing new technology” and discovering “how we can being able to push the boundaries of what is possible’. is technically possible”.
This means a centralized ‘brain’ whose purpose is to bring the numerous control modules under the management of one very powerful computer unit.
There will also be advanced and highly precise torque vectoring at each wheel, which BMW hopes will deliver some of that ‘Ultimate Driving Experience’ the company is known for.
M3 fans are understandably concerned about the electrified future of such a beloved and respected sports car, with many worrying that the extra weight of the batteries will compromise performance – something Van Meel says is inescapable.
During an interview with CoachBMW CEO admitted that early performance EVs would need to be equipped with larger, heavier batteries to “avoid range anxiety in environments where charging infrastructure is not yet widespread.”
But he goes on to suggest that charging infrastructure will improve so quickly in the coming years that his company may not need to cram in such a large quantity of batteries because charging will become faster and easier.
Analysis: BMW is hedging its bets
According to BMW’s CEO, the electrified M3 is being developed alongside a combustion engine counterpart. The company has extensively revised the current generation 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine to comply with strict European emissions regulations.
That means a gasoline M car will be available for as long as customer demand exists, and according to some YouTube comments under BMW’s recent video, this could be much longer than the German automaker envisions.
BMW will have a tough job convincing the M-Performance car faithful that an electric car can deliver the raw, visceral thrills of some of its best V8 and V6-powered petrol cars, most of which have achieved legendary status in the automotive community. .
Former BMW M engineer Albert Biermann, the man behind some of the best M-Performance cars, proved that electric could be exciting when he joined Hyundai and helped the team develop the Ioniq 5 N.
But that car required so much computing power and engineering tricks to not only disguise its weight but also usher in the kind of handling many expect from an internal combustion sports car, like synthetic shifting and fake exhaust notes.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N remains a special car, but many speculate that for half the price you could enjoy much the same sensations with a used petrol counterpart, which doesn’t need the heavy and expensive extras to put a smile on to wake up.
Whichever way you look at it, BMW will have a hard time convincing anyone who has ever owned an internal combustion M3 that this electric version will be good enough to entice them to make the switch.
