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Next BMW M3 May Come In Both Electric And Petrol Engine Variant
While BMW has announced a future electric M3, it seems that the next generation of the model will continue to opt for a petrol engine variant at the same time.
With the forced march towards electric cars, historic car manufacturers are forced to think about converting their emblematic sports models into “zero emissions” mode (exhaust). But before the supposedly fateful date of 2035, there is no rush to move to 100% “watts.”. At Mercedes, for example, the C63 AMG, which built its reputation on its incredible V8, converted to a 4-cylinder engine aided by an electric motor to produce 680 hp. At BMW, the future M3 will not cut electrification, as confirmed by Franck Weber, head of development for the Bavarian firm, recently. But this next iM3 expected for 2027 and based on the Neue Klasse platform will perhaps not be synonymous with the disappearance of the 6-cylinder…
Two M3s side by side
It would indeed seem that alongside the iM3, which purists are certainly not impatiently awaiting, BMW has decided to continue to please them a little longer. And that a new generation of thermal M3 would see the light of day alongside it. In any case, this is what the BMW Blog says, which seems to know from a reliable source that the future G84, the code name of the next generation of M3, will continue to go a long way alongside the iM3, as a “slow” transition”.
This strategy is perhaps a little surprising, but in the context of a general slowdown in electricity and certain brands that are revising their ambitions downward, such as Mercedes, which is postponing all-electric from 2030 initially to 2035, it has more meaning than ever. As for the engine, it seems that the future four-door sports car would retain a 6-cylinder twin-turbo, the same 3-litre S58 that we already know. There will be updates to it, in particular, to comply with the new Euro 7 standards. We could also imagine hybridization.
The M4 will not survive
If the current thermal BMW M3 should remain in the catalogue until 2027, its descendant should arrive in 2027 or 2028 on the CLAR platform of the other 3 Series models. On the other hand, the fate of the BMW M4 is not so clear. In this case, it seems that, unlike the sports sedan, the coupe does not survive. At least not in its thermal variation. But there is no doubt that the Munich firm has plans to replace it with an electric model that will be at least as efficient!
