New BMW M3 teased: much-loved sports saloon goes electric with quad-motor setup
December 12, 2024 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
This is your first look at the all-new BMW M3, and it’ll be the first full-fat M car to go fully electric.
- New BMW M3 teased for the first time
- The first ever full-fat electric M car
- Petrol version will also remain available
- Could make over 1,000hp
- Four electric motors to aid handling
- On sale in 2028
Development of the next BMW 3 Series is well underway, and now you can get your first glimpse at the next M3 thanks to some camouflaged teasers released on social media.
It’s still pretty well-covered for now, but you can already see some of the sporty styling upgrades poking through the wrap. This will also be the first true M car to go fully electric, and it’s doing so with an all-new quad-motor setup.
New BMW M3 motors and performance
Lets start with what you all want to know: what is powering the new BMW M3? Well it’s not a twin-turbocharged straight six like the current car, this will be the first M3 to go fully electric.
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We can already sense all the diehard BMW fans reaching for your pitchforks, but before you start heading to BMW’s Munich headquarters there’s something you should know. The brand is also working on bringing the current car’s 3.0-litre engine up to the latest emissions standard, so the petrol version can stay on sale alongside the EV for a few more years.
BMW has been working on an all-electric performance model for some time now. You may have seen pictures of an i4-based prototype floating around on social media, well this is a test bed for the next M3’s technology.
Unlike most performance electric cars on the market, this one has four electric motors; one for each wheel. There’s no official power figures floating around yet, however it wouldn’t be surprising to see over 1,000hp from this car.
Having an electric motor on each corner also allows for some crazy torque vectoring. It’ll be able to brake, and send power to each wheel individually to make it feel as agile as possible, and with all-wheel drive traction you should have plenty of grip as well.
New BMW M3 design
This is your first look at a BMW M3 prototype with its production body; until now we’ve only seen an i4-based test mule.
It looks very similar to the 3 Series prototype which Carwow’s spy photographers snapped earlier in 2024, although it has much wider wheel arches than that car. There aren’t many other styling details on show yet, but expect to see a more aggressive-looking front bumper and plenty of skirts and vents.
New BMW M3: when can I buy one?
Not for a while yet unfortunately. The standard 3 Series is likely to be revealed in late 2025 with sales starting in 2026, so don’t expect to see the next M3 until around 2028. In the meantime though, the petrol-powered straight-six version will soldier on.
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