Petrol or electric? New BMW M3 super-saloon will let buyers choose

• Next-generation BMW M3 to get petrol and EV versions
• Electric M3 to use four electric motors
• Both due to arrive in 2027

BMW will cover its bases with the next-generation BMW M3 by offering it with both a petrol engine and a fully electric setup, Carbuyer can confirm. The two M3s are due to be revealed in 2027 and will be sold side-by-side in showrooms, letting buyers pick between classic combustion or cutting-edge electrification.

That’s pretty big news for fans of the iconic performance saloon. Up until now, the BMW M3 has always used a petrol engine, with the current model getting a 523bhp twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six. By offering an electric option, too, BMW can cater to more buyers while unlocking a new level of performance to rival today’s fastest EVs.

Both the petrol and electric M3 will be based on the new BMW 3 Series, sharing its ‘Neue Klasse’ design and cabin. Of course, we expect the M3 to get a suitably sporty makeover, with swollen wheelarches, chunkier bumpers and bigger wheels, as shown in our exclusive preview image.

What do we know about the electric BMW M3?

With cars like the BMW i4 M50 and i5 M60, BMW has proved that it knows how to make a rapid EV, but the next-generation M3 has the potential to take things much further.

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For starters, the electric M3 – possibly called the iM3 according to a recent trademark application – will use four electric motors, with one for each individual wheel. We can see M-coloured graphics around each wheel in these spy shots of the iM3 in testing, hinting at its four individually driven wheels. It’s a setup that will probably set the iM3 apart from the regular electric 3 Series, which is expected to use either a single or dual-motor configuration.

Of course, with a big battery and four electric motors, the iM3 is likely to be a lot heavier than its petrol-powered twin. A senior official within the M3 project suggested that it could weigh between 400kg to 500kg more than the petrol version, but that will be offset by a healthy increase in power. 

Head of BMW’s M division, Frank van Meel, confirmed that its Neue Klasse quad-motor platform has been designed to produce up to 1,341bhp at its peak, using a new “hand of god” ECU (engine control unit) that oversees the stability control, powertrain, battery and chassis software in one package.

“It means you can drive this car in a way you never have before,” he explained. 

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However, we expect the 1,341bhp figure to be reserved for BMW M’s heaviest models, like the XM SUV, with the iM3 getting a detuned version of the system. Van Meel went on to explain that BMW’s electric M cars won’t be just about outright power, saying the focus is still “all about vehicle dynamics, the overall vehicle concept”. He also didn’t reject the idea of a simulated gearshift system in the iM3, which we first saw in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

“If you have just one gear and you have no feedback at all, you don’t know how fast you are going and you cannot look down at the speed,” Weber explained. “You should always know how fast you are going, and that’s missing if you have no acoustic feedback and no haptic feedback. We are looking into different ways of giving you that.”

What about the petrol BMW M3?

While the electric M3 is grabbing headlines, BMW hasn’t forgotten about petrol power. We don’t have official confirmation of what engine will lie under the bonnet of the new M3, but BMW’s Head of Development, Frank Weber, explained that the current 3.0-litre straight-six has been designed to comply with upcoming Euro 7 emissions regulations when fitted with mild hybrid tech.

That would allow the engine to meet emissions standards beyond 2027, meaning it could be fitted to the new M3. There’s still no official word on whether BMW will go down this route, but we do know that it won’t be fitting the M3 with a smaller engine than before – like Mercedes did with the latest 2.0-litre AMG C 63.

The new M3 will also get a new cooling setup for the engine, which will help cut weight significantly. It’s been suggested that the overall weight figure for the new M3 could be as low as 1,500kg – a whole 350kg less than the current model. In terms of performance, the new M3 is unlikely to be as powerful as the latest BMW M5, which uses a plug-in hybrid system with a big electric motor. Instead, we expect the new M3 to use a less-substantial mild hybrid system with a total power output similar to the current car – perhaps around 550bhp.

When will the new BMW M3 arrive?

Both the electric iM3 and petrol M3 are scheduled to be fully revealed in 2027, following the debut of the Neue Klasse 3 Series in 2026. UK sales are likely to kick off a year later in 2028, with confirmation of UK specs and pricing before then.

Find out about the latest M models, including the BMW M2 and the BMW M4…