The BMW M3 is going electric – test mules spied ahead of launch

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 in 2023 hinted at a transition towards all-electric power, with a later trademark filing making its intentions crystal clear. Following an official teaser video late last year, photographers have now spotted mules undergoing cold weather tests.

Details are still under wraps for now, but last year's film following the model’s development offered more insight into what’s to come. Test mules seen in this film are based on the G26 i4 M50, only equipped with what is effectively the G80 M3’s front end and bespoke, swollen arches front and rear to cover a wider track – carbon ceramic brakes are also clear to see behind M-specific wheels.

> 2026 BMW 3-series spied, with exhaust pipes

BMW says that the model will feature a quad-motor powertrain setup, something that only thoroughbred hypercar such as the Rimac Nevera have made use of until now, with strengthening measures also taken to improve rigidity – custom subframes feature front and rear, employing engineering knowhow derived from the development of previous M3 and M5 models.

While BMW hasn’t confirmed that the model in this new material is the next-generation, all-electric M3, an i4 base, G80 M3 nose, and the use of M3-badged seats is a strong indicator. Also of note is the use of paddles on the steering column just like the combustion-powered M3, something that an ordinary EV would typically go without – whether these have merely been carried over from a donor car and have no functionality, or suggest the use of a virtual gearbox like in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is yet to be seen.

26

Filed with both the European Union Intellectual Property Office and German Patent and Trade Mark Office in 2023, BMW 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 last year that ‘the next M3 will be BEV,’ but we’ll have to wait some time to see exactly what form it will take.

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. 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.