BMW M Boss Says Next-Gen M3 Won’t Have Hybrid Powertrain

BMW is getting ready to introduce the next M3. There won’t be a hybrid; only the combustion and electric versions will be available.

Frank Van Meel, the head of BMW M, stated in an interview with Piston Heads that the upcoming M3 “won’t be hybrid, as we’re continuing with the ideal combustion principle. This year, the current M3 and M4 models will introduce their upgraded S58 inline-six engine with M Ignite technology, which will also be incorporated into the next M vehicles.

The S58-powered variant will have some electrification, but the manufacturer does not intend to sell a hybrid model to sit between the combustion M3 and the battery-electric version.

Unlike the latest BMW M5, which has a heavy plug-in hybrid system, the car will probably use a 48-volt, mild hybrid system. According to Van Meel, BMW can “go to the extremities” because of this clear distinction in powertrains. Van Meel was candid about how the electric M3 enables the manufacturer “to move to the next level of vehicle dynamics”, even though fans will flock to the combustion-powered one for its pure driving experience.

BMW is able “to develop something pretty radical” because of the Neue Klasse platform, which promises that the electric M3 will be more than simply a fast car in a straight line—”It’ll be faster on a track, too.”

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