However good the 2028 M3 EV turns out to be, it will lose some of the current and next-generation gasoline model’s signature details, including its trademark quad exhaust outlets. Its ability to draw long, curling lines of rubber on corner exits, though, appears set to remain. Our spy photographers were in the perfect position to watch an electric M3 prototype push beyond its usual pace during a Nürburgring session. The yellow sedan rapidly closing from behind may have provided the motivation.
We still don’t know how much power the electric M3 will produce, but the entry version is unlikely to match the SU7 Ultra or the 1,341 hp (1,360 PS / 1,000 kW) claimed by the 2025 Vision Driving Experience concept. BMW M boss Frank van Meel has also told Evo that it “makes no sense to drive with 1000 horsepower…because it’s not controllable.”
Trading Brute Force For Agility
The regular M3 EV is therefore expected to produce considerably less power. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N delivers 641 hp (650 PS), and few drivers have finished a drive wishing it had more muscle. BMW will likely want to raise the bar, perhaps to around 790 hp (800 PS), while remaining well below the four-digit outputs of EVs such as the SU7 Ultra. That may sound surprising for a heavy electric vehicle, but BMW appears to be focusing on what made the original M3 so enjoyable while recognizing where many EVs fall short. The E30 M3 was not outrageously quick even in its day, but its agility made it feel fast in everyday driving. BMW’s M division wants the electric M3 to deliver that same character without a gasoline engine.
The car is expected to use four electric motors, enabling rear- or all-wheel drive, along with torque-vectoring systems designed to improve agility. So even if you need to move aside for one of those powerful Chinese EVs, you may still be the driver enjoying the bigger grin.
Buick’s Chinese lineup is about to gain a smaller Electra GS plug-in hybrid, highlighting the kind of electrified sedan GM lacks in America.
Kia honored Rafael Nadal with a full-size EV4 GT sculpture made using clay from the courts where the tennis legend earned his “King of Clay” nickname.
Toyota is preparing a specially equipped bZ electric crossover for Waymo’s driverless ride-hailing fleet, with operations planned to begin in Japan in 2027 before expanding to the UK and other supported markets.
Nissan’s SEMA lineup now totals six concepts, led by an especially radical open-top Armada built for extreme off-roading.
Nismo Nick is bringing two radically different ladder-frame Pathfinder projects—the Trackfinder and Trailfinder—to SEMA in celebration of the nameplate’s 40th anniversary.