BMW Might Offer Gas and EV Versions of M3, Report Says

by Carl Malek | March 8, 2024

BMW’s electrification plans continue to move forward but a new report suggests that the company will offer ICE and EV versions of M3 sedan.

ICE and EV-powered M3 models would help reach wider pool of customers.

The venerable BMW M3 has always been a benchmark in the sport sedan segment and its established pedigree has always allowed it to ward off any challengers to its throne.

However, tightening emission regulations over the past few years and BMW’s own plans for electrifying its entire lineup slowly became a threat to the M3’s survival.

However, a newly published report appears to suggest that BMW will not only continue to offer an ICE version of the model when it gets updated, but that it will be sold alongside an EV variant for the first time ever.

More Choice Means More Rewards for M3 Buyers

As reported by BMW Blog a new combustion-powered version of the M3 is in the pipeline and it will exist alongside an all-new electric model.

Next generation M4 is slated to be EV only according to the report.

The report states that while the two will not share the same platform, BMW’s rumored pivot on electrifying the M3 entirely is in response to the electric vehicle market as a whole facing cooling demand as well as some nations in Europe pushing back bans of ICE-powered vehicles in their respective markets.

The appearance of these models’ side-by-side would allow the German car company to target a wider dragnet of customers with the gasoline-powered M3 appealing to loyalists and buyers that want combustion power versus plugging in with an EV.

The gasoline model would also help offset the risk of slow sales by the EV model and is part of a broader trend that we have seen recently with the recently unveiled 2025 Dodge Charger featuring both EV and ICE variants to maximize its appeal among buyers.

M4 Will Not Follow M3’s Lead

In addition to the M3, the report also appears to suggest that the sedan’s two-door counterpart the M4 will not get a combustion-powered model with the coupe potentially being an electric model only moving forward based on the lack of plans for an ICE model.

Buyers will have to wait until after 2027 to get their hands on the next-gen models.

If that’s the case, BMW could potentially see an all-electric M4 as a halo model with the M3 sedan being the only avenue for performance buyers that want the best of both worlds. The report also says that the venerable S58 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six will continue to see service in the M3 albeit with tweaks to help improve its fuel economy and to make it compatible with current emissions standards.

BMW hasn’t officially commented on the report’s validity, but buyers will have to wait awhile to get their hands on the next generation M3/M4 with BMW Blog claiming that the models will not appear until after 2027.

In the meantime, the report states that the current generation M3 and M4 will get styling updates to help them stay fresh in the minds of consumers.