PHOTO BY BMW
I might have to join BMW’s designers in their witness protection program for this, but I like it. Could’ve been a whole Luce worse. Cover the badges and the M Concept Neue Klasse looks like a BMW. There’s a tasteful amount of historic nods without going retro or pastiche. And all the while, the haters can be pacified by the fact there’s still going to be a similar-looking version with a straight-six behind that shark snout.
Compared to some of the utter horrors perpetrated by the BMW design haus this decade (iX, XM, 2-Series Gran Coupe, M4, 7 Series, X7...) this is the right side of innovative. Handsome, even. And more interesting—more experimental—than the Taycans and the EQEs of the world. – Ollie Kew
“I can’t say I’m spying many links to the neat little E30.”PHOTO BY BMW
BMW’s M department has thrown the clean, Bauhaus-spec Neue Klasse design book in the bin and gone all in with, well...everything for its first electric M3. I’ve seen London buses narrower than that diffuser, and I can’t say I’m spying many links to the neat little E30. Still, at least the interior will appeal to those who used to wrap the slats of their kidney grilles in M Sport colors.
On that note, the combustion-engined car will presumably get a reworked front end for cooling purposes, and hopefully, BMW sees fit to stick on a normal set of wheels at the same time. It’s that version that everyone will buy too, even if the production EV does get 1,000hp. – Greg Potts
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.