Get ready for the latest update on the much-awaited all-electric BMW M-car! We have gathered all the essential details about this futuristic vehicle that will surely blow your mind.
BMW has recently revealed the updated version of its Vision Neue Klasse EV concept car, giving a sneak peek into the upcoming all-electric 3 Series sedan. However, BMW insiders have also hinted at the development of an all-electric M-division performance variant. While no official photos have been released yet, here’s what we know about the highly-anticipated 2027 BMW M3 Neue Klasse EV. As we await further updates, let’s imagine this model as a sportier version of the Neue Klasse concept that we have seen so far.
Several sources including Straits Times, AutoEvolution, and BMW Blog have given us a glimpse of what we can anticipate for the highly-anticipated all-new, fully electric M3 from BMW’s M division. It is set to be the first-ever purely electric vehicle to be tuned by the M division. Reports suggest that the M3 EV will be based on the Neue Klasse platform and is currently under development with the codename “ZA0”. This platform will initially be released as the 3 Series EV and the iX3 EV SUV, both of which will share the same architecture and expected to be available by 2026, followed by the performance model in 2027.
The BMW Neue Klasse Architecture boasts 21-inch wheels and impressive improvements in range, charging speed, and efficiency. It is said to outperform the current BMW EV technology by 30 percent in each of these areas. Once the M division puts their touch on it, we can expect even more enhancements.
The platform architecture of BMW is created to cater for different sizes and configurations, including up to four electric motors installed, with each motor driving all four wheels for an all-wheel-drive experience. This design is suited for high-performance cars like the M3 EV. According to Frank Weber, a board member of BMW, all-wheel-drive performance has gained popularity since it was introduced on the 5 Series. Therefore, BMW is likely to produce more all-wheel-drive performance vehicles in the future.
According to reports, the Neue Klasse architecture has the potential to provide a whopping one megawatt of power, equivalent to 1,340 horsepower. However, it’s unlikely that the M3 will have access to this full capacity initially. Apparently, sources suggest that the new M3 EV will instead have a base power output of approximately 700 horsepower, thanks to an electric motor at each corner. Nonetheless, it’s expected that higher-performing versions of the vehicle will eventually become available, likely in Competition-spec form.
The “Heart of Joy” software is a part of the Neue Klasse architecture used by BMW to manage the powertrain processing of their vehicles. It is an integrated software stack that reduces latency and improves computing power onboard, resulting in quicker reaction times and improved vehicle performance. BMW claims that this unified software stack can reduce delays from the standard 10-20 milliseconds down to just one millisecond.
The upcoming 3 Series is expected to be an exclusively electric vehicle, including its high-performance M3 EV model. This is different from the launch of the new 5 Series, which had gas hybrid options in addition to the all-new fully-electric i5 version. It’s uncertain how long the current gas-powered M3 and M4 models will continue to be available, as they’ll face competition from the all-electric Neue Klasse until 2027.
