BMW revealed the all-new, all-electric i3 just a few days ago, and the company has now achieved yet another major milestone. The millionth M car has just rolled off the assembly line at its Munich plant, an M3 draped in a special, one-off finish called Individual Fire Orange III. In an official ceremony at the production facility, plant director Peter Weber handed the keys over to M Division CEO Frank van Meel as a symbolic gesture.
Then it came time to look at what the future holds, and what better way to celebrate one million Ms than a preview of the brand’s next steps? The dust is yet to settle following the i3 NA0’s debut, but BMW wants to keep the party going with a nice little surprise for us all.
A Better Look At The Upcoming Electric M3
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We’ve already gotten a pretty decent look at the upcoming electric M3 testing at the Nürburgring in camo not long ago. However, BMW has just given us the best look we ever had at the i3’s M-badged sibling up until now. It’s still camouflaged, of course, but the M-themed pattern is a lot more revealing than what we’ve seen before.
The M3 ZA0 showcases plenty of similarities to the i3, while looking far more aggressive with things like a hood vent and that split diffuser. What’s even more intriguing is how closely it resembles the M Concept Neue Klasse, even retaining those pairs of bumper-mounted lighting elements that BMW refers to as Track Lights.
What Else Do We Know About The ZA0?
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BMW’s first electric M model is based on the Neue Klasse architecture just like the i3, and both of them will be assembled at its Munich plant. It will come with four motors and front-axle disconnect, essentially allowing you to switch between all-wheel-drive and RWD whenever you please. The setup serves an efficiency purpose, too, disengaging when it’s not needed in order to maximize range.
But, at this time, there’s no available information on the sedan’s power output or performance. Its battery pack is said to have a capacity north of 100 kWh, and the model is expected to arrive early on in 2027. What’s more, the German automaker will also introduce a gas-powered M3 variant codenamed G84 the following year.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
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Having been treated to such a clear look at the next M3, we assume BMW isn’t far from having it production-ready and potentially shedding light on more details soon. There’s no shortage of interesting rumors out there, but we’ll take those with a grain of salt until we have direct confirmation from the carmaker.
All this is unfolding against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in M Division history, with no fewer than one million performance vehicles to show for it. It will be very interesting to see how the world’s first electric M turns out, and we are simultaneously very grateful that BMW will keep offering a traditional gasoline version alongside it.
