The Electric BMW M3 Previewed With Photos & First Technical Details

The BMW M3 is a name that has taken on mythical status for many of us. It’s synonymous with precision, balance and above all else performance. But there’s a seismic shift coming for the M3 that will make it quieter, cleaner, and substantially faster. And today we have our first look at the first ever electric BMW M3.
Slated to debut in 2027, the electric M3—codenamed ZA0—represents the first all-electric offering from BMW M GmbH. No we’re not counting the confusingly named and marked M Performance products. The ZA0 M3 will be a full M car. Built on the cutting-edge Neue Klasse platform, this electric M3 isn’t merely a retrofit of the existing G80 chassis. It’s a ground-up rethink of what an M car can be in a world of growing emissions regulations.
We want to remain among the biggest fans of our vehicles in the future.
Dirk Häcker, Head of Development at BMW M GmbH
However if the purists are worried, BMW seems unbothered. In our conversations with M engineers, they’re working on performance capabilities that simply seem possible a decade ago.
Under the hood—or rather, under the floor—you’ll find a collection of next-generation high-performance batteries designed for maximum output. The base version of this electric M3 is expected to deliver around 670 horsepower, blowing away the current M3 Competition xDrive. But that’s just the appetizer. Future variants could push the envelope beyond 1,000 horsepower, drawing on experimental quad-motor setups that BMW has teased for years. Yes, you read that correctly: four motors, one at each wheel, unlocking torque-vectoring capabilities that no combustion M3 could dream of.
The electric M3 will leverage BMW’s Neue Klasse architecture, a modular platform that’s as flexible as it is forward-thinking. By 2026, BMW will introduce the Neue Klasse i3 sedan, and it’s this car’s underpinnings that the M3 EV will share. Think of it as the foundation, but don’t confuse it with mere scaffolding. The Neue Klasse is where BMW is funneling its most advanced technologies, from lightweight battery packs to a “Heart of Joy” supercomputer designed to handle the immense computational demands of modern electric drivetrains.
This supercomputer—perhaps the most exciting piece of tech in the Neue Klasse—manages the car’s integrated all-wheel-drive system and sophisticated driving dynamics controls just to name two. The result? BMW promises power delivery and performance that is both brutally efficient and mind-bendingly precise. You’ll feel it in the instant torque off the line, but also in the way the car dances through corners, mimicking—or maybe even surpassing—the balance of its internal combustion ancestors.
Of course, no M3 is complete without the visual drama to match its performance. Early prototypes of the electric M3 hint at a body that is heavily based the Neue Klasse Vision Concept, first revealed to stunned crowds in 2023. The design blends BMW’s future-facing “phygital” aesthetic (think illuminated kidney grilles and sleek, laser lighting) with traditional M flourishes like flared fenders, wide wheel arches, and an unapologetically aggressive stance.
The result is a car that looks as futuristic as it drives, but one that remains unmistakably M. Forget Tesla’s minimalist swoops or Porsche Taycan’s sleek subtleties. While it’s still early, the M3 EV looks bold, muscular, and full of character that feels uniquely BMW.
Inside, the cabin is expected to feature BMW’s all new iDrive X operating system along with its panoramic vision projected onto the windshield. Expect a driver-centric layout with an advanced augmented reality HUD display and a highly customizable UI.
The electric M3 isn’t just about raw numbers—it’s a chance for M to rethink what performance means in the electric age. As you can see in the video above, BMW M engineers have spent countless hours refining the chassis balance and steering feel to ensure this car doesn’t lose the essence of what makes an M3 an M3. They’ve also been experimenting with advanced regenerative braking systems, allowing for aggressive energy recovery without sacrificing the natural brake pedal feel that drivers demand.
But the real trick up the M3 EV’s sleeve is its adaptive drivetrain modes. In one configuration, it can mimic the rear-wheel-drive antics of a classic M3, offering the oversteer-heavy thrills that enthusiasts crave. Switch to another mode, and the all-wheel-drive system comes alive, delivering maximum grip and mind-blowing acceleration. It’s a car that can shapeshift, adapting to whatever road—or mood—you throw at it.
The BMW M3 ZA0 will debut likely in late 2026 or early 2027 with a production starting sometime that year. Eventually we expect BMW to release a touring version of the new M3 EV along with X3M and X4M EVs.
But the combustion M3 isn’t dead. In fact it’s getting one more generation with the G84. Due to be a heavily refreshed G80 with a look taken directly from the ZA0.