The BMW M3 is going electric in its next generation

The current-generation G80 BMW M3 has become a benchmark for the fast saloon, and while it still has some life left, its maker is already looking towards its replacement. Word from BMW bosses earlier this year hinted at a transition towards all-electric power, but a recent trademark filing makes the marque’s intentions crystal clear.

Filed with both the European Union Intellectual Property Office and German Patent and Trade Mark Office, BMW has recently claimed the iM3 name, offering some insight into the direction the model will take. Whether the name will make it to a production car is another matter – manufacturers often file trademarks purely for legal purposes, with no plans to apply them to a product. Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management at BMW AG, did confirm to evo earlier this year that ‘the next M3 will be BEV,’ but we’ll have to wait some time to see exactly what form it will take.

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Weber told our sister title Auto Express that the all-electric M3 will utilise the firm’s upcoming Neue Klasse platform, previewed by the radical Vision Neue Klasse concept earlier this year. Specifics on its technical makeup are yet to be announced, but we do know that it’s set to feature next-generation motor technology with more advanced heat management and more energy dense battery cells for a boost in range and charging speeds. For the electric M3, this could enable repeatable performance on track – a feat achieved by very few EVs.

Intriguingly, BMW M CEO, Frank van Meel also confirmed that there will be a combustion-powered M3 (most likely a hybrid) to run alongside the all-electric car, but added ‘whether we offer both in all markets is undecided.’ Given that the G80’s S58 3-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six has been designed to comply with Euro 7 emissions standards, there's a good chance it will still be in use come 2027. Whether the UK will receive it is another matter.

A release date for the next-generation BMW M3 is still quite some way off, but Weber did reveal that it won’t come too far from the launch of the Neue Klasse platform in late 2025.