The Electric BMW M3 Just Leaked, And It Looks Nothing Like You Expect

However, the i3 being cooked up by BMW M as its first electric M car is the one performance fans are eagerly awaiting. It’s expected to debut later this year, but it appears we already have our first look courtesy of a leak.

Prototypes for this electric M3, which may go by the name iM3, have been spotted testing with camouflage gear for well over a year now. BMW has even released its own teaser photos of test vehicles, but some fresh photos posted to the Bimmerpost forum over the weekend by user DuXhasT reveal what has been lurking under the heavy camouflage gear – and it’s safe to say it isn’t what most of us had been expecting.

Meet The New Face Of The Electric M3

Assuming the photo isn’t some concoction of AI, it’s clear BMW is taking the design of the next M3, at least the electric version (there will be a gas-powered M3, too), in a very different direction to the current model, which also proved controversial initially with its huge nostrils. The leaked design for the electric M3 shows the widened fenders we’ve seen on prototypes, as well as the new visor with integrated LEDs to mimic kidney grilles that we saw on the standard BMW i3.

However, unique to the M3 version is a strip with a diamond-shaped indent running vertically down the center of the front fascia, forming a cross-like motif that also splits the lower intakes. Sitting at either side of the fascia are a pair of square-shaped daytime running lights, while the hood also sports a large vent. There’s no new photo of the rear, but from our own spy shots of prototypes it appears that the central cross-like motif will also feature in the rear fascia.

While the next M3 with an internal-combustion engine will carry an enhanced version of the current M3’s twin-turbocharged inline-6, possibly aided by some form of electrification, the electric M3 has been confirmed by BMW M to run a new quad-motor powertrain developed exclusively for M cars.

It’s capable of delivering over 1,340 horsepower, but in the M3 the output will be dialed down to somewhere around 700 hp. That's still plenty more than the current M3 CS flagship's 550 hp, though that extra power will almost certainly need to offset the added weight of the batteries.

Each motor is set to drive a single wheel, enabling highly precise, continuously adjustable torque distribution, according to BMW M. Drawing on data from multiple sensors, as well as inputs like steering angle and throttle position, the system can tailor torque delivery to the situation, whether that means adding traction on slick roads or sharpening stability through corners.

At the same time, the powertrain is being engineered for smooth, linear power delivery, something we’ve already experienced in the Rolls-Royce Spectre. A sound generator and something like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s simulated gear shifts are also expected to help enhance the driving experience in the electric M3.