Article Summary
- The man in charge of BMW M reveals the M3 G84 will follow the "perfect combustion principle."
- Frank van Meel suggested the manual gearbox could continue for a while, though not necessarily in the M3.
- The electric M3 comes out next year, while its gasoline-fueled counterpart could arrive in 2028.
The M Concept Neue Klasse made a splash over the weekend at Le Mans for all the right reasons. It’s a near-production preview of next year’s electric M3, the ZA0. But what about the combustion-engine model? BMW officials have already told us the G84 will look nearly identical when it arrives later this decade. We believe the inline-six model will hit the market in 2028, but it’s best to wait for an official announcement.
In the meantime, one major piece of the puzzle is falling into place. BMW has confirmed that the next-generation M3 with a gas engine won’t feature a plug-in hybrid setup. A moment of applause. It’s great to hear, considering the Munich-based automaker took a different route with its larger M sedan. The M5 combines a combustion engine with an electric motor integrated into the transmission housing, and a chunky battery pack. Speaking with British magazine Piston Heads, M CEO Frank van Meel shared the good news:
“It won’t be hybrid, as we’re sticking with the perfect combustion principle. Here [with the Neue Klasse M3] we will go to the extremes, not the in-between.”
The Next BMW With An Inline-Six Might Be xDrive And Automatic Only
Avoiding the plug-in-hybrid route means the six-cylinder M3 won’t gain significant weight compared with the G80. However, reports suggest BMW intends to offer the future sports sedan exclusively with all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission, which will inevitably increase the base model’s curb weight. Some form of electrification may still be in the cards, with all signs pointing to a mild-hybrid version of the S58 engine.
Engineers have already updated the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine ahead of the Euro 7 standard’s implementation later this year. A new pre-chamber ignition process helps the six-cylinder unit comply with stricter regulations without sacrificing power. Adding 48-volt technology would further reduce CO2 emissions and help secure the engine’s future amid Europe’s increasingly stringent rules. At the same time, a mild-hybrid setup wouldn’t add much weight, especially compared with a full hybrid, let alone a plug-in hybrid.
During the same interview, Frank van Meel also teased enthusiasts with the possibility of extending the manual gearbox’s lifespan: “We want to do it for the driving emotion.” But if the M3 G84 does indeed go xDrive-only, we can kiss the six-speed goodbye. That would leave the M2 and M4 as the only manual-equipped M cars, with both the G87 and G82 likely to retain the clutch pedal until the end of their life cycles. The coupes are rumored to remain in production until mid-2029.
Source: Piston Heads
