Historically, BMW has typically refrained from hyping up unreleased products. However, it’s taking a different approach with the electric M3. Although the sports sedan, codenamed “ZA0,” won’t debut anytime soon, the luxury brand is eager to discuss it. BMW has already previewed the high-performance EV with a radical prototype based on the i4 M50. We’ve also seen production-bodied prototypes undergoing testing at the Nürburgring.
In an interview with Top Gear magazine, BMW made a bold statement. Mike Reichelt, the man overseeing the reborn Neue Klasse lineup, claimed the purely electric M3 will be “the best M car ever dynamically.” But what exactly does “dynamic” mean in this context? After all, vehicle dynamics can be interpreted in various ways. According to Wikipedia, it refers to “the study of vehicle motion, e.g., how a vehicle’s forward movement changes in response to driver inputs, propulsion system outputs, ambient conditions, air/surface/water conditions, etc.”
In simpler terms, we should expect sharp handling and precise steering response. It’s an ambitious claim, especially considering the electric M3 will inevitably be a heavy car. Today’s G80 M3 Competition xDrive already weighs 1,780 kilograms (3,924 pounds). Consequently, it’s logical to assume the ZA0 will easily exceed two metric tons (4,409 pounds).
The electric M3 is rumored to arrive in 2027 with around 670 horsepower, with more powerful variants likely to follow. It remains unclear whether the launch version will be rear- or all-wheel drive. What is confirmed is that Neue Klasse models will feature one, two, three, or even four motors. BMW is mounting excited synchronous motors (EESM) at the rear and pairing them with asynchronous motors (ASM) at the front.
Despite lacking a combustion engine, the ZA0 could still sound like a traditional M car. A teaser video recently hinted at an artificial inline-six soundtrack. For purists who prefer the real thing, BMW is also developing a new internal combustion M3, likely featuring a mild-hybrid version of the S58 engine. Designed to meet emissions regulations with minimal weight gain and, hopefully, no compromise in power, this new gas-powered M3, codenamed “G84,” is expected to be automatic-only, skipping the manual transmission entirely.
The regular sports sedan will retain its “M3” name, but BMW has already ruled out the “iM3” moniker for the electric version. That leaves us wondering how the Munich-based automaker will differentiate the two cars in terms of marketing and positioning.
