BMW Previews What an Electric M Sedan Will Look Like

What Cars Shoppers Need to Know

• BMW is showing off a concept of the electric vehicle we expect will be the electric M3.
• The concept sports the brand’s Neue Klasse styling, which will eventually spread across BMW’s entire lineup.
• Electric M3 is rumored to be called iM3 and offer up to 1,000 horsepower

Automakers from around the world are currently gathered in France for the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Purpose-built racecars and prototypes will battle for a full trip around the clock, but fans onsite who need a break can check out some upcoming production cars from the brands participating in the on-track action.

One such distraction is the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse, which gives us an idea of not only what an EV from BMW’s M performance sub-brand will look like, but what all sedans from BMW’s M sub-brand will look like in the near future. BMW says the M Concept Neue Klasse  “showcases the new BMW M design language and sends a clear signal for the brand’s all-electric future.”

Related: 2027 BMW M2 Adds Optional AWD and Mandatory Neck-Snapping Launches

An Outrageous Wrapper for Outrageous Performance

Love it or hate it, the new look will be hard to ignore. With its proportions, tall side glass and flat roof, the M Concept Neue Classe is immediately recognizable as a relative of the Vision Neue

Klasse concept that gave us our first look at BMW’s next-generation styling in 2023. But its bulging rear fenders, integrated ducktail spoiler and gaping air intakes in the front bumper imbue the concept with more menace than any current M product.

BMW says the yellow signature lighting in the concept’s shark nose will be the M sub-brand’s new calling card, hearkening to those elements that distinguish cars of different classes racing at Le Mans. Other, more traditional M signatures are prominently displayed on the M Concept Neue Klasse. BMW’s blue/purple/red motorsport tricolor graphic spans the trailing edge of the roof, reaching the full width of the car. Inside, the four individual racing bucket seats are upholstered in unsubtle Bathurst Blue and Berry Red leather with five-point racing belts in all four seating positions.

iM3, iM Quick

That extreme seating configuration is unlikely to translate to production in part because the cross-car belt mount bridging the B-pillars behind the front seats would be hard to get past safety regulations in most countries. However, extreme power is almost a certainty. When the first M EV appears in the next couple of years, it is expected to look an awful lot like the M Concept Neue Klasse and will likely be called iM3. BMW says it will have four electric motors, one at each wheel, and an 800-volt electrical system with a battery pack storing more than 100 kilowatt-hours of juice. Authoritative sources estimate combined output of at least 600 horsepower and suggest that a maximum-performance CS model could top 1,000 hp. Maybe a five-point harness for every seat is a good idea after all.

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