With the release of its all-electric M3, BMW’s M division will embark on a brave new future and try to convince gearheads it’s possible to have a fun and engaging EV. While it’ll be some time before anyone gets behind the wheel of this promising new model, recent spy photos offer a surprisingly detailed glimpse at what’s to come. So far, things are looking encouraging.

Read: This BMW M3 May Be The Heaviest Yet But Also The Quickest Ever

Visually, the electric M3 will mark one of the first entries in BMW’s Neue Klasse lineup, bringing with it a noticeably different design language compared to today’s M3. One of the biggest changes is at the front. The oversized and much criticized kidney grilles from the six-cylinder version appear to be on the way out.

A New Take on the Front End

Based on prototype sightings, these renderings from Kolesa suggest the electric M3, possibly named the iM3, will feature sharp headlights integrated cleanly into slim, illuminated kidney grilles. It looks excellent, which isn’t a word we’re used to using when it comes to modern BMW designs. The publication has also imagined the new sports sedan with a large secondary lower grille finished in black, adding to the aggressive looks.

The same testers also hint that the side profile of the new model will differ significantly from the G80 M3, drawing more from the design of the latest 5-Series. This will include door handles that sit flush with the bodywork and simpler lines. Then there’s the rear.

The taillights of the new model should be similar to those from the recent Vision Driving Experience demonstrator, but if these renders prove accurate, they’ll be slightly smaller and slimmer. A sculpted bumper with a pronounced diffuser gives the rear a more commanding and purposeful appearance.

Powertrain Possibilities

BMW hasn’t shared official specs for the iM3 just yet, but all signs point to a quad-motor layout. While the theoretical output of this setup could reach a staggering 1,341 horsepower, equivalent to one Megawatt, the Germans are expected to dial it back to somewhere in the range of 700 to 800 horsepower for production. Even at those numbers, it would make this the most powerful M3 to date, and possibly the quickest as well.

The electric era is coming for just about every corner of the car world, and BMW’s iconic M3 lineup is no exception. An all-electric version of the high-performance sedan is on its way, marking a significant step for BMW as it enters the Neue Klasse generation.

This new model will be sold alongside the familiar gas-powered M3, and while it may have a tough time delivering the same visceral thrills, BMW M seems like the right team to take on the challenge of making an EV that’s genuinely engaging to drive.

Read: BMW’s Electric Super Sedan Could Arrive Sooner Than You Think

Numerous electric M3 prototypes are currently making the rounds across Europe, and this particular one was recently spotted near BMW’s facility at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Seeing an M3 prototype charging is a little unsettling for purists – a bit like discovering your favorite bouncer knits in his spare time. Good for him, sure, but it does throw off the mental image.

This prototype, fully cloaked in camouflage, appears to lack the bulky body cladding seen on earlier test cars, giving us a much clearer look at the near-production-spec bodywork.

The shape of the nose is vastly different than the current M3 and reflective of BMW’s Neue Klasse design, something that’ll soon spread throughout the brand’s entire range of cars. There is a set of relatively small headlights connected seamlessly to blacked-out kidney grilles. This prototype also has a secondary grille lower down on the bumper for additional cooling.

SHProshots

It’s the fenders of the electric M3, or the i3M as BMW might end up naming it, that stand out the most. They’re impressively wide, giving the car a broad, aggressive stance. The rear arches are especially muscular, and paired with the shape of the temporary taillights, they bring to mind the current BMW M5 in both proportion and attitude.

The Juicy Details

This tester also has a set of wheels that should make the production model. These wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires and sit over a set of beefy, cross-drilled steel brakes. Spy shots from last month indicated that the electric M3 will likely weigh at least 465 kg (1,025 lbs) more than the current gas-powered model, so we wouldn’t be surprised if carbon ceramic brakes were available as an option, as they are on the current M3 and M4.

Powertrain details remain a bit of a mystery at this stage. The prevailing expectation is that the iM3 will feature four electric motors delivering a combined output of at least 700 hp. Interestingly, BMW has suggested that the setup could be pushed to over 1,300 hp, though it’s unclear whether that level of performance will make it to production.

Even at the lower estimate, the iM3 would be in the same league as the upcoming M5 and comfortably ahead of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, which produces 641 hp. In all likelihood, it will end up being the quickest production car ever to wear an M3 badge.

SHProshots

BMW M has confirmed that it’s developing a new halo supercar, one that could revive the spirit of the M1 from the late 1970s. Though the company hasn’t released any official details yet, the news has already sparked creative interpretations. Among them is a striking digital study by independent designer Sebastiano Ciarcia, who has envisioned his own version of a next-generation BMW exotic. He calls it the Ethos.

More: BMW Almost Launched An All-Electric Hypercar With 1,300 HP

This digital concept channels the same energy as the striking Nazca C2 prototype from the early 1990s, originally penned by Italdesign. There are also clear influences from the BMW i8 and the Vision M Next concept from 2019, both of which serve as recent milestones in BMW’s design evolution.

A Study in Surface and Stance

The BMW Ethos has a dramatic, low-slung stance with a wide footprint. A glass canopy covers the cabin, while partially exposed rear wheels recall the look of vintage Italian exotics. Up front, Ciarcia reimagines BMW’s signature kidney grille with a cleaner, body-colored design and a small, offset BMW badge. According to the designer, the grille pays tribute to BMW classics from the 1950s, like the 503 and 507.

Another highlight is the LED headlights which are integrated within the front intakes, slightly reminiscent of Peugeot‘s 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar. The sculpted fenders are protruding from the rest of the bodywork, contributing to the athletic profile. Ciarcia describes the surfacing as “a contrast of soft and hard volumes”.

Around back, the Ethos features a slim, full-width LED light bar, an active spoiler, and an aggressive diffuser to tie it all together.

Illustrations Sebastiano Ciarcia

Designed With Future Powertrains in Mind

Although the concept doesn’t display any obvious signs of an internal combustion engine, it isn’t imagined as fully electric either. Instead, Ciarcia envisions a hydrogen fuel-cell setup that could deliver performance on par with a modern hypercar, an approach that leaves the door open for alternative propulsion technologies.

To help bring the design to life, the Ethos has been rendered in a Champagne finish and placed in a setting that feels perfectly suited: the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy. It’s the same venue that BMW introduced the limited-production Speedtop shooting brake this year, following the Skytop from 2024 and 2023’s Z4-based Touring Coupe.

More: BMW Scrapped A 95% Finished Supercar For The XM SUV

When it comes to potential rivals for the Ethos, the designer points to a wide range of high-performance supercars and hypercars, including the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Aston Martin Valhalla, and Ferrari F80. Perhaps the closest match, though, would be the rumored all-electric supercar from Mercedes-AMG, previewed in 2023 by the Vision One-Eleven concept.

Ciarcia is an Italian automotive designer currently based in Gothenburg, Sweden. A graduate of IAAD, he has worked with several major automakers, including Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Rimac, and Volvo. CarScoops readers might recognize his name from a few years back, when he unveiled an impressive mid-engined reinterpretation of the Lancia Delta.

For more of his work, you can follow Sebastiano Ciarcia on Instagram.

Sebastiano Ciarcia

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