BMW’s electric M3 will be sold alongside the ICE model
For many decades, the BMW M3 has been defined by one thing above all else: its engine. From the E30’s 4-cylinder to the iconic straight-sixes and later the brutal V8, the M3 badge has earned its reputation through sound, fun and a very mechanical kind of drama.
Then the world changed to what it is today. Emission regulations and electrification became a serious topic of discussion in Bavaria, and the folks at M found themselves at a crossroads. How do you electrify a badge that lives and dies by emotion? How do you replace revs, noise, and gearshifts with silence and software?
BMW’s answer wasn’t to rush, and it still isn’t. That said, the BMW M3 is taking the electric route, and by the look of things, it’s worth waiting for. From 2027, the BMW M Neue Klasse will bring a fully electric drivetrain to the high-performance sedan stable, which, BMW says, “will establish a new benchmark in the respective segment”.
According to BMW M, the electric M3, codenamed ‘ZA0’, will co-exist with the full-fat combustion-powered model when it finally arrives sometime in 2027. Despite featuring a fully electric powerplant, BMW promises to make it exciting to drive.
For me, the most interesting part of the electric M3 story starts with the hardware. Four electric motors, two on each axle, so xDrive will be standard, with the ability to dial it back to the rear wheels. What I like most is that this setup isn’t just about headline performance. Splitting the workload across four motors improves efficiency, too, which directly feeds from the usable range of the high-voltage battery, offering more than 100kWh of usable capacity.
Electric or not, there are some reasons to look forward to it. We can personally vouch for what BMW is capable of here. Our experience with the BMW i4 M50 back in 2022 was nothing short of eye-opening from a performance perspective. If that car was any indication, an electric M3, likely to be called iM3, won’t be short on pace. That in itself counts for something.
