With its 2027 debut drawing closer, BMW has released new teaser images showing the ZA0 prototype with its most revealing disguise yet. Instead of the bulky camouflage we’ve seen on earlier test cars, this one wears a much thinner wrap in M colors, giving us a considerably better look at what’s underneath.

And if there was any lingering doubt about what BMW is calling this thing, the prototype has an answer plastered across its roof. An M3 graphic basically confirms the name, despite unfounded rumors that BMW could go with something along the lines of i3M, M3i, or another designation to separate the electric car from its six-cylinder sibling. In Munich’s vision, an M3 is still an M3, even with four electric motors replacing a six-cylinder engine.

The latest prototype also makes it increasingly obvious just how closely the production car will follow the M Concept Neue Klasse. BMW previously told us the production ZA0 would be cut from the same cloth. We can safely say these latest images make that promise pretty convincing. The overall proportions are familiar, with massively flared wheel arches giving the electric M3 a much wider stance than the i3 M60 revealed earlier this week.

The Electric BMW M3 Already Looks Familiar

The aggressive design is clear through the thinner camouflage, with squared-off lighting elements at the outer corners of the bumpers carrying over from the concept. Those are the Track Lights, a particularly distinctive feature of the M Concept Neue Klasse. The concept used stacked cube-like elements at the corners of both bumpers, and BMW is already showing them on this colorful prototype. These won’t be exclusive to the electric M3, as all future full-fat M cars will have them.

The concept’s dramatic design was never going to make the transition to production completely untouched. BMW has toned down the enormous diffuser and some of the more outrageous aerodynamic bits. Some would argue that’s for the better. But the fundamental shape appears remarkably faithful, right down to the central hood vent. That’s good news for anyone who thought the M Concept Neue Klasse was too wild to make it into showrooms. It wasn’t, minus some of the outlandish aero elements.

Although BMW remains tight-lipped on fresh details, it has already confirmed the electric super sedan will have four motors with a front-axle disconnect, enabling a pure RWD layout. The rear-wheel-drive mode isn’t just to make the car fun to drive, though. It also improves efficiency by disengaging the front axle when it isn’t needed. Each motor drives one wheel, allowing better torque control at each corner.

The BMW M3 ZA0 May Have Over 800 Horsepower

We don’t know how much power those quad motors will make, but insiders claim the combined output is around 800 hp or more. We do know that simulated gear changes are a necessity. BMW has dropped plans to integrate pre-recorded inline-six, V8, and V10 engine noises in favor of a different soundscape.

Those motors will draw their juice from a dedicated battery pack with a usable energy content of more than 100 kWh. Since the focus is on performance, don’t expect the M3 to match the i3’s impressive 567 miles (912 km) WLTP range.

The ZA0 will arrive in 2027 as the first full-fat M car without an engine. BMW is also planning a new combustion-powered M3 for 2028 with an inline-six as the G84. That gives buyers the freedom to choose between two radically different approaches as the M3 enters its next phase. The same goes for the Touring, with an electric ZA1 likely to be joined later this decade by a gas-powered G88.

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