by On the Nurburgring in Germany, the electric sedan BMW M3 of 2028 was spotted.
The Neue Klasse platform may have four engines capable of developing 700 hp with potential for more.
BMW is not stopping the production of ICE M3; today’s car will be updated and sold alongside the electric version.
Automakers bring various prototypes to the track, including SUVs and minivans, as the 12.8 mile (20.6 km) distance allows to test both the endurance and handling of the car. However, there are cars that must be tested at the Nurburgring by reputation, and the 2028 BMW M3 EV is one of them.
The shift to electric power for M3 is a major event, the biggest since BMW replaced the original lightweight four-cylinder specialized E30 with a thicker six-cylinder E36 that seemed more like a GT car. M division executives know that the EV will be tested like no other M car, and M’s reputation is at stake.
It’s impossible to confidently judge about the quality of the electric M3 until next year, but the prospects look positive for now. Specifically, the EV is based on BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture, which debuts on the SUV iX3 this year and will be applied on the 3-Series in 2027 and on the M3 a year later.
The M3 may also receive four electric-powered engines up to 700 hp (710 hp), a power that is significantly less than the 1,341+ hp (1,360 hp / 1,000 kW) that BMW previously claimed could be extracted from a future high-performance electric car, not to mention 1,527 hp (1,547 hp / 1,138 kW) from Xiaomi’s record-breaking electric car.
However, it’s likely to suffice in almost all conditions except the long straight on Nurburgring, where there is never too much power. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has only 641 hp (650 hp / 478 kW), and I’ve never left it feeling cheated.
With torque vectoring capability and a new central control unit that keeps the engines and chassis in sync, the M3 might become one of the most exciting electric cars on the market, regardless of price and power. Note that in this aspect, it will face serious competition from the next A110 by Alpine and the upcoming Porsche Cayman EV.
Are you worried your path M3 is going electric? Don’t worry, the ICE M3 is not going away, at least for some time. Today’s CLAR automotive platform will be updated with Neues Klasse styling to bring it as close as possible to the EV, and its inline six-cylinder will get mild-hybrid assistance for boosting mpg and power beyond the 543 hp (550 hp) of the current classic M3, the CS. Both will have the simple M3 badges, despite BMW already officially patenting the name iM3.
