Article Summary
- Just like in the press shots, this 2027 BMW M350 xDrive wears Fire Red paint and 20-inch black wheels.
- The M Performance version is one of only four 3 Series variants available at launch, alongside the lesser 318, 320, and America's 330i.
- A plug-in hybrid 3 Series will join the lineup in 2027, followed by the next M3 a year later. A diesel, however, is shockingly no longer part of the plan.
The paint has barely dried on the M350 xDrive, and it’s already on display at the BMW Welt. The range-topping 3 Series makes an early appearance in Munich, a month before series production starts. And speaking of paint, it wears the same Fire Red as the car in the press shots. Not only that, but the 20-inch black wheels are identical as well.
The M350 xDrive is one of only four versions of the new 3 Series available at launch. European customers get the 318 and 320, while the United States gets the 330i. The M Performance model sits at the top of the initial lineup, and BMW isn’t done adding derivatives anytime soon. The plug-in hybrid won’t arrive until 2027, while the diesel engine is dead altogether. By extension, that also means there won’t be a successor to the M340d.
This M350 xDrive’s trip to BMW Welt was longer than it was for past generations of the 3 Series. For decades, BMW built the 3er in Munich and then sent it over to the adjacent Welt. Getting a 3 Series from the production line to the famous delivery/exhibition complex was hardly a logistical challenge. That won’t be the case for the G50, as production is moving from Munich to Dingolfing.
3 Series Production Moves To Dingolfing
While both plants are in Bavaria, Dingolfing is roughly 62 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Munich, meaning the next-generation 3 Series will have to make a proper journey before it can take its place under the lights at BMW Welt. Production gets underway next month, making this M350 xDrive a near-production prototype. And no, a rear-wheel-drive version isn’t happening, although a Drift Mode arriving in 2027 will turn the sports sedan into a RWD hooligan.
Even with the combustion-engined model’s exit from Munich, the 3 Series isn’t technically leaving the historic plant. BMW has already kicked off series production of the i3 at its oldest factory, where only EVs will roll off the assembly line from 2027. An i3 Touring will be built there from next year as well, so it’s safe to say the 3er tradition will continue even after the G20 sedan and G21 wagon are retired, along with their G80 and G81 M counterparts.
The Electric M3 Is Coming Soon
BMW is also eager to tease the electric M3, a quad-motor super sedan that will be built in Munich from 2027. Further down the line, it will likely assemble an M3 Touring ZA1 without the inline-six there as well. In fact, the luxury automaker has already said it will build more electric M models in Munich beyond next year’s ZA0.
But the first order of business is to roll out the gas-fueled 3 Series and the electric i3, with the latter already getting the M Performance treatment as the i3 M60. Even with the diesel gone, the “Power of Choice” slogan is still very much alive.
Video: paul_m8 / YouTube
