It’s been five years since BMW started selling electric vehicles with an M badge, but the i4 M50 and the others that followed aren’t true M cars. That’ll change next year when an M3 EV goes on sale with full M credentials. While we’ve extensively covered the confirmed and rumored “ZA0” technical specifications, one simple question may still be unanswered: Why?
Our colleagues at Motor1 Deutschland asked BMW M boss Frank van Meel what prompted the company to give an electric M car the green light. Some have probably assumed it has to do with meeting stricter emissions regulations, but it’s not that. BMW can comfortably meet its fleet CO2 targets with the increasingly large quantities of regular EVs it sells, fueled by the Neue Klasse’s rollout.
Ok, then what was the deciding factor in approving a true M car with an electric drivetrain for production? The head honcho told the German publication that BMW wasn’t pressured to invest resources and time in the M3 ZA0. Instead, it believed an EV would be superior to previous ICE generations.
The Electric M3 Isn’t A Replacement, But An Addition“We’re not doing this because we have to, but because we’re convinced that it allows us to build a fast and even better car. The timing, however, has to be right. It will only work if we can do it 100 percent the way we want to.”
That’s not to say BMW is about to abandon the gas-fueled M3. Although the “G80” generation will bow out in 2027 when the electric super sedan arrives, the “ZA0” won’t be its replacement. Instead, a true successor is planned for 2028 as the “G84” with an inline-six engine. Munich has been coy on details, but our sources say it’ll use a mild-hybrid “S58” with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine, paired exclusively with an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
But yes, the first new M3 to come out won’t have an engine. Instead, it’ll swap the ICE for a quad-motor setup and an M-dedicated battery pack with more than 100 kWh of usable energy. It’ll have one electric motor per wheel, with the ability to decouple the front axle for a pure rear-wheel-drive experience, mirroring today’s 2WD mode in the gas-fed M3 Competition xDrive.
You’re not going to hear artificial engine noises pumped through the speakers, even though BMW has gone to great lengths to record the sounds made by its inline-six, V8, and V10 engines. It has since abandoned the idea of giving the electric M3 a nostalgia-infused soundtrack. However, simulated gear changes are still coming, as the M division deems them necessary rather than a gimmick.
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The M3 “ZA0” is just the start of the electric revolution at BMW M. The X3 M is coming back next year with the same quad-motor EV setup as the sedan. It would make sense for the upcoming i3 Touring and iX4 to get the M treatment as well, though nothing is official yet.
BMW will base these models on the Neue Klasse platform while also reworking its long-running CLAR architecture to support full-fat M models without combustion engines. Already spotted testing, the next X5 M should lead the way when it arrives in 2028 alongside a V8-powered version.
All told, BMW M wants to give buyers a choice between combustion engines and electric drivetrains. Although the X3 M and X4 M aren’t returning with an inline-six, most of the other high-performance models will cater to both sides:
“We don’t decide for our customers what they should drive. We want to build cars that we love ourselves, whether they’re electric or have internal combustion engines. Customers can choose whichever they prefer.”
Source: Motor1 Deutschland
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com