'I promise: what we make will be special'
As BMW begins to stir the pot, Dirk Häcker reckons the four-motor electric M3 will be worth the wait
Any PHer suffering from an obsessive interest in everything that emerges from BMW M (which, let’s face it, is most of us) will likely recall that the maker of many wonderful things started touting its investigation of a four-motor EV some years ago. Well, evidently the manufacturer has been hard at it ever since, and with the launch of the next generation of M3 now dimly visible on the horizon, it has decided now is the time to talk a little more about it - specifically with a new YouTube series called, appropriately enough, BMW M Electrified.
The first episode deals with the development of its new all-wheel-drive system, powered by a motor assigned to each wheel, but also the centralised control system that BMW has christened the ‘Heart of Joy’ (to distinguish it from the ‘Hand of God’). Unsurprisingly, it is this combination that has been proposed to ‘implement the driver’s wishes more precisely, faster, and more independently than ever before’.
“Something like this is simply not possible with conventional drive technology,” reckons Dirk Häcker, Head of Development at BMW M. “To exploit this huge performance advantage, the integrated control algorithm we have developed is a key success factor for the concept, alongside the four engines. We use this driving coordinator as a central point to calculate the ideal power transmission for each individual e-motor and thus for each individual wheel in each driving situation.
“Of course, this also means that the battery technology has to be able to cope with instantaneous energy absorption in addition to the rapid energy release under full acceleration – because the recuperation performance of the four motors will be significantly higher than that of current e-vehicles. We are convinced that such a concept will open up a whole new dimension of performance. It may even be the ultimate expansion stage in this area.”
In official remarks accompanying the new video, Häcker also confirmed that the current prototypes were essentially now in their second generation, and had taken three years to get to their current status - partly due to ‘bottlenecks’ with suppliers and logistics. He conceded that by using exclusively new technology the firm knew it would be taking ‘a big step’ but the installation of a unique powertrain was a fundamental part of the future model’s DNA.
While the prototypes are based on the existing i4 M50, the model has been substantially modified and strengthened. Häcker was also at pains to stress that even at this early stage, the car was being engineered with fast lap times in mind. “Yes, the model will perform just as confidently on racetracks and withstand higher loads like our previous M automobiles do,” he said. “That's also our very personal aspiration in the team, and let's be honest: Without a racetrack capability, the model wouldn't be an authentic BMW M either.”
It'll be a niche product, there is no need for a faster version of a car that's already too fast but without any of the sound and fury of the ICE version, they are all going to struggle to sell EV M, RS and AMGs, Porsche for a brief moment managed it with the Taycan but that's flopped now.
The fact these kind of cars make a noise is a very important part of the buying decision (I've had 6 new M cars) and every owner I've ever spoken to will talk about the noise their car makes, without that you're left with a road going version of Formula E...
The fact these kind of cars make a noise is a very important part of the buying decision (I've had 6 new M cars) and every owner I've ever spoken to will talk about the noise their car makes, without that you're left with a road going version of Formula E...
Of course they've already been watered down with "m sport" and "amg line" editions of cars anyway.
The knock on effect will be that car culture will slowly die away. and slowly racing with it but by bit. Both will become the domain of historic/retro stuff.
I would add its not only noise but the dynamics of an ICE car.
I'm sure some won't agree, but thats fine, up to Mr Häcker to persuade me I'm wrong...
There's plenty of people that would love to have a super fast daily that they can get cheaper than they ought to through a tax-efficient lease deal. This will be priced similar to a Taycan, I can see plenty of those types getting the M3e instead.
The classic petrolhead won't want one, sure - but they're being priced out of the market anyway.
Let's just pray that this car doesn't weight 3 tonnes and look as attractive as a rhinoceros' backside.
The fact these kind of cars make a noise is a very important part of the buying decision (I've had 6 new M cars) and every owner I've ever spoken to will talk about the noise their car makes, without that you're left with a road going version of Formula E...
As a road cyclist I feel like I've seen the movie once already.
In isolation I don't like hydraulic disc brakes; they add a lot of weight (proportionally) and (unless it's very wet) the braking advantage they offer over rim brakes isn't required. But hydraulic disc brakes has opened a whole new world of wider rims and tires (more aero, more comfortable) and integrated cabling (more aero and more, ahem, captive service work for the suppliers and dealers). I resisted but now I'm a convert. Made it a lot more expensive though...
The world moves on, what was important to one generation is less important to another. As cars become more complicated and expensive they are less likely to be regarded as toys and something to be tinkered with at the weekend. People increasingly want no fuss, reliable cars to get them from A-B.
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