If the idea of the next-generation BMW M3 hitting the market with four electric motors delivering upwards of 1,341 hp wasn’t enough to get you excited about the M division’s EV future, then perhaps the idea of a rear-wheel drive-only electric M3 will do the trick. BMW has made no secret of the fact that the M3 will change dramatically in the EV era. The carmaker has shown it testing a quad-motor prototype on a handful of occasions and last month, BMW M chief executive Frank van Meel suggested that the new M3, based on the firm’s Neue Klasse platform, could deliver a 1,341 hp kick to the competition.
While speaking with Ars Technica in
Lisbon, Portugal recently, van Meel added that the carmaker is also pondering
the idea of a model with a rear-wheel drive layout and twin electric motors.
While the boss of BMW M divulged few other details about this potential
variant, such a version of the next-gen M3 could be ideal for customers focused
more on handling dynamics than the straight-line speed provided by a quad-motor
setup driving all four wheels.
Interestingly, BMW isn’t yet ready to turn
its back on the ICE-powered M3. While discussing the electric model that could
arrive as soon as 2027, van Meel said that the current car’s S58 3.0-liter
twin-turbocharged six-cylinder will be made Euro 7-compliant, ensuring that it
can still be used and sold alongside the electric alternative.
BMW is preparing to launch its first Neue
Klasse-based model in 2025. This new model will take the form of a
3-Series-sized sedan and be followed up by five further vehicles that BMW will
introduce by 2027.
