BMW M Neue Klasse electric M3 arrives in 2027

Do not alter your display: it is not a misprint. BMW M is getting ready to introduce an all-electric take on its most prized models: the M3, alongside the M4 coupé and cabriolet, and hopefully an M3 Touring before too long. Whether it adopts the iX3-style naming convention and becomes the iM3 remains to be seen. At present, BMW calls the programme the BMW M Neue Klasse. These fresh images show the heavily disguised four-door saloon sliding around in the snow.

BMW has been quietly developing the car for some time, but a first batch of official information has suddenly made the project feel very tangible. The key points are these: it is due in 2027, and that word ‘due’ matters because BMW has confirmed four electric motors, with one driving each wheel. If the rumours prove accurate, it will have more than 1,000bhp. In an M3.

BMW M Neue Klasse: electric M3 details

BMW M loyalists may be despairing at their displays by now, yet the real stroke of genius is that BMW will introduce a straight-six petrol M3 range at the same time. It may use electric turbochargers, although that is still to be confirmed, and buyers will therefore have a choice. They can embrace M’s electric future, with its huge performance and electronic sophistication, or remain with the familiar option. Want to know what performance-car fans genuinely make of the EV-versus-petrol argument? Check the sales figures: we are about to find out.

Returning to the BMW M Neue Klasse, its name indicates that it will draw heavily on the new modular collection of components forming the basis of BMW’s Neue Klasse line-up. Top Gear’s current car of the year, the iX3, is the first model to use this entirely new platform, with 40 (yes 40!) further models set to arrive between now and 2027. The M version, however, upgrades every component that counts.

Four motors and BMW M eDrive

BMW’s so-called BMW M eDrive uses two drive units, positioned one on each axle, and each unit contains two motors. Mounted in parallel, the motors send their output through individual gearboxes to their respective wheels. This is the EV ideal: four-wheel drive can maximise traction, while the front axle can be disconnected when desired for traditional rear-wheel-drive responses – and sizeable smoky slides – as well as greater motorway efficiency. It also provides immediate, highly accurate control at every corner, opening up endless torque-vectoring options for calibrating the chassis, establishing specific driving modes and, in general, disguising the car’s weight.

It sounds impressively complicated, but what about the emotion of taking an engine to the redline and hammering home a full-throttle upshift? Without revealing the finer details, BMW refers to ‘emulated gearshifts’ – which suggests a software-controlled paddle-shift arrangement similar to that of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – plus an ‘exclusive soundscape’. A preview can be heard by moving to 7m 45s in this film.

Battery, Superbrains and chassis technology

The battery will now be known to exceed 100kWh in capacity, although no range figure has yet been provided. Revised cell chemistry allows a greater peak-power discharge, raises the regeneration limit for energy recuperation and enables quicker charging than in regular Neue Klasse models. It is also a structural element, linking both the front and rear axles and increasing stiffness across the chassis.

As in other Neue Klasse vehicles, four high-performance computers – which BMW calls ‘Superbrains’ – manage this complexity. They handle driving dynamics, automated driving, infotainment and comfort functions through one continuous flow of processing capability. Further developments include natural-fibre composites, a material with properties comparable to carbon fibre but producing 40 per cent less CO2 during manufacture.

“The next generation of models are set to establish a new benchmark in the high-performance vehicle segment,” said BMW M boss Frank van Meel. “With the latest generation of Neue Klasse technology, we are taking the BMW M driving experience to a new level and will inspire our customers with outstanding, racetrack-ready driving dynamics for everyday use.”

Wherever you stand in the performance-EV debate, one point is certain: BMW M fully understands the reputational danger attached to going entirely electric… and it will not be treating this effort casually.