Article Summary
- BMW is definitely up to something, but stays tight-lipped about what's to come.
- We've seen the double yellow lights before, and all signs lead to an M-flavored i3.
- It's certainly not the production M3 ZA0 since BMW won't launch the electric sports sedan until later in 2027.
All eyes are on BMW to unveil the next-generation X5 this summer, but an entirely different car may take precedence. Although an official announcement has yet to be made, M could reveal something soon. The world premiere will likely take place this weekend on the sidelines of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Dutch magazine Autoblog.nl received an intriguing photo (see source link below) from one of its readers. It was taken at BMW M’s booth near Circuit de la Sarthe, where a mystery car hides in the shadows. From what we can tell, the slightly angled double yellow lights, along with the stacked square lighting elements, match a recent teaser image of the electric M3 (pictured above).
However, that’s not to say we’re only days away from witnessing the world premiere of the M3 ZA0. The production-ready car isn’t due until sometime next year. An educated guess suggests BMW plans to showcase a concept ahead of the final version’s 2027 debut. Although we’re looking at a shadowy silhouette, it’s clear the car has much wider fenders than the normal i3. It’s exactly what you would expect from an M product.
The side mirrors protrude from the body far more than they do on the regular 2027 i3. It’s reasonable to expect some details have been deliberately exaggerated to make a splash. This is likely a concept, after all. Since the production M3 ZA0 isn’t far away, it should be close to what customers will be able to buy.
Is BMW Teasing An Electric M Concept?
If BMW is showing an M at Le Mans, there’s bound to be a proper teaser in the coming days. In the meantime, all we can do is speculate about the car’s identity. All signs point to a conceptual electric M model. Possibly called the i3 M60, the M Performance version is expected to arrive before the full-fat M, but this car looks too aggressive to be merely an M Lite model.
Since BMW is displaying it at Le Mans, there are likely some ties to motorsport. A conceptual M race car with quad electric motors would be the M division’s way of showing that EVs have a place in racing as well. The subsequent production version will probably be toned down somewhat, but it’s safe to say it’ll look radically different from the outgoing M3 G80.
The concept’s design may very well also preview the next-generation M3 G84 with an inline-six engine. BMW has made it clear there will be only subtle differences between ICE and EV models in the Neue Klasse era. We can already imagine the gas-powered version with a longer front section to accommodate the 3.0-liter engine, along with a modified rear end featuring the signature quad exhaust system.
But we may be getting ahead of ourselves. The first order of business is finding out exactly what BMW is hiding in that box. For what it’s worth, the “Setting New Standards” tagline has been used for the electric M3’s teaser campaign, whose fifth episode was released over the weekend.
Photo: Autoblog.nl
