In March, BMW revealed the first fully-electric 3 Series. The 2027 BMW i3 is the first car in the Neue Klasse line, and as the first electric 3er, it is absolutely going to be controversial. But not half as controversial as the model the CarBuzz spy photographers have just snapped. That’s the iM3, the first M3 electric and the launch of a new era of BMW performance. It’s going to be more polarizing than the magnets in its four motors.
Electric M Looks Marvelous
BMW i3M Spy PhotoCarBuzz/Valnet
A few weeks ago, an image of the iM3 leaked, giving us a clear look at the front of the car. It has wide-set, angry-looking lights and a bumper that looks like a bird dropping on its prey. Or possibly a piece of pretzel dropped by an Octoberfester.
The latest spy shots don’t show that nose, but they do show the large hood vent. It’s likely there to help cool the power electronics for the four motors that this car, like all electric M cars, will have. It may also keep the BMW dynamics computer, called the Heart of Joy, from overheating.
If you’re a BMW M fan, you’ll recognize the wheels on this prototype. They’re the same cross-lace set you can get on gas-powered M3 and M4 models. BMW might use them on the iM3, but it’s more likely that they’re just for testing. When the car launches, it will probably have iM3-specific shoes.
BMW i3M Spy PhotoCarBuzz/Valnet
Behind those big wheels are massive brakes. The cross-drilled rotors and calipers the size of a loaf of bread will help make sure that it can stop like an M car should. Over and over again, even if the battery is full. After all, this car should have more than enough regen for all but the hardest stops.
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Keep going around the back, and it looks like the i3 but more aggressive. This car has massively flared rear fenders, almost Z3-like in its proportions. BMW should be able to fit some huge rear tires in there for maximum grip.
The Electric M Could Be The Most Powerful M Ever
BMW i3M Spy PhotoCarBuzz/Valnet
We can’t see inside the car very well, but what we can see matches the standard i3. That includes the new Panoramic iDrive center screen and dashboard projection. Expect the cabin of the M model to be mostly the same, but with extra details. Heavily bolstered seats and more Alcantara, for example.
BMW has been all-in on the electric M cars for years now, working to make them not just as good as the gas ones, but better. “With the latest generation of Neue Klasse technology, we are taking the BMW M driving experience to a new level and will inspire our customers with outstanding, racetrack-ready driving dynamics for everyday use,” Managing Director of BMW M Franciscus van Meel said earlier this year.
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The i3M, or iM3, or whatever it ends up being called, should arrive next year. The electric motor system is capable of making more than 1,300 horsepower, but we don’t expect that much for the launch model. More likely something in the 700 hp range. If you really need gas, BMW is working on a newer version of the standard M3 as well.
