The first-ever all-electric take on the brilliant BMW M3 sports sedan is only due to arrive next year, but BMW has already been building anticipation by sharing tidbits on what to expect. BMW M boss Frank van Meel recently shared a post on Instagram showing that the electric M3 (which we'll call iM3 but has not been confirmed to carry that name) will share one design detail with the BMW M Hybrid V8 Le Mans endurance racer: yellow daytime running lights. Clearly, BMW is implying that the know-how gained in developing the racecar's electrification systems will benefit the iM3, and it's not the only way the high-performance EV has been linked with motorsport.
BMW M3 EV Will Be As Racy As the Gas One
The caption on the above image on Instagram says that yellow lights are part of BMW's racing DNA, and the company wants to "bring them to the streets." The yellow LEDs have previously been a signature of BMW's high-performance CS models, but it appears that they may be included on regular M cars going forward. It should also be noted that, while the electric M3 will appear first, just as the i3 sedan has already been launched and the gas 3 Series has not, the post does not specifically indicate that this is a teaser for the iM3, leading some to wonder if BMW is also hinting at V8 power for the next gas M3.
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This seems unlikely, but it's not impossible, especially since BMW is now employing pre-chamber ignition, a technology that originated in motorsport and helps produce a cleaner burn, with improvements in both power and efficiency. Still, we think this is all about the iM3, as BMW M also let a camouflaged M3 EV lead a pack of all six M3 generations onto the Nürburgring last weekend (clip embedded below), and this had yellow DRLs too. Spare a thought for all the poor CS buyers who thought the yellow lighting would remain exclusive to special editions.
What We Know About the First Electric M3
The M3 EV has also been spotted testing at the Nürburgring, and it looks quick doing it. The electric sports sedan is expected to produce between 800 and 900 horsepower from its quad-motor powertrain, though its architecture is capable of up to 1,341 hp, and although this is far more grunt than the next gas M3 is expected to deliver from its mild-hybrid powertrain, BMW will sell both combustion and electric variants at roughly the same price. The EV will also feature simulated gearshifts like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N to increase engagement, and when BMW M first began alluding to a high-performance EV, it shared a clip showing its M Quad-Motor Prototype burning rubber as it performed incredibly tight donuts, so expect torque vectoring and a drift mode to help make the experience as fun as possible. More information should be available before long, as these teasers mean BMW is making significant progress.
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