Frank van Meel made it clear.
No ‘i’. No iM3.
When the electric BMW M3 hits the road in 2027, it will wear the same badge as its petrol-hungry cousin. It will just be an M3.
Van Meel told the press at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed that the battery-electric version will sit alongside an internal combustion M3 in showrooms. Same name. Different heart.
It feels odd, really.
The standard sedan this thing is based on is the i3. Logically, the hot rod version should be the iM3. Speculation ran wild about it being the first. But BMW doesn’t care about logic here. They care about the brand equity of that single letter M.
Van Meel suggested the M4 will likely keep its name too. Maybe even the M5. The wagon and the sedan. No ‘i’ prefix for the performance line. Not anymore.
Why the electric BMW M3 skips the i3 naming convention
You saw the teaser already.
In June, BMW showed the M Concept Neue Klasse at the 24 Hours of Leopards. It was a preview. A hint of what’s coming to Australia in 2027 if they stick to schedule.
It’s built on the Neue Klasse platform. The same one as the iX3 SUV.
But the powertrain is different. Wildly so.
While the iX3 and the standard electric i3 use standard setups, the M3 is going for a quad-motor arrangement. Four electric motors. One for each wheel.
They haven’t given us firm numbers. Yet.
Rumors say it could pump out between 650hp and 1000hp+. That puts it behind the Mercedes-AMG GT four-door from May 2026, which pushes a massive 860kW.
Still.
Compared to the M3 you can buy right now in Australian showrooms? It’s a jump. The current model uses the S58 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six. It makes 353kW. It makes 550Nm of torque.
It’s strong.
But the EV aims higher.
“It’s not about the horsepower. That’s a part of the game… the preciseness of M cars… is what’s unique.”
That’s Christian Karg, the head of dynamics. He knows the trouble spots.
Electric cars get heavy. They have trouble sustaining peak power. Managing heat, managing weight, making the car feel light when it’s clearly not… that’s the challenge.
They test every one on the Nürburgring. It’s the only way to know if it actually drives like an M.
What the petrol M3 looks like in this new lineup
Here’s the tricky part.
BMW isn’t killing the petrol car. Not yet.
The ICE (internal combustion engine) M3 will stay on sale. It’s expected to go hybrid. Not a plug-in. Just a mild hybrid setup to squeeze out efficiency and meet emissions rules.
In fact, the current S58 engine is already compliant with upcoming Euro 7 emissions standards. So why rush to kill it?
The electric and petrol M3s will have completely different skeletons. Different underpinnings. Built from the ground up for their specific power sources.
And the price?
BMW says the EV won’t cost much more than the hybrid M3. Right now, the entry-level M3 in Australia starts at $169,600 before on-road costs. Keep an eye on that number for the EV launch.
There’s another piece of good news for purists.
Van Meel confirmed to CarExpert that manual transmissions are not going anywhere. Not on the petrol model, at least.
Sure, the current manual version has lower power figures. And there’s no upgraded replacement gear from BMW that makes its long-term survival certain.
But it’s still coming.
You can still drive it yourself. For now.
