Le Mans debut for BMW M Concept Neue Klasse
Stunning preview of EV M car is now out there - expect an i3 M to look very similar...
If there’s one thing guaranteed about BMW concepts of all shapes and sizes, it’s that they tend to preview the upcoming production car pretty closely. See cars like the Concept 4 that became the current 4 Series, the 8 Series Concept that became the most recent 8, and Vision Neue Klasse X that made it almost unchanged into showrooms as the iX3. BMW doesn’t really do pie in the sky motor show filler; if it goes to the effort of making a concept car, it’s to give a meaningful preview of what’s coming. Not a tease.
So what you’re looking at there, the M Concept Neue Klasse, gives a very strong indication as to what’s coming for the i3 M. A new M car is always a pretty big deal, but the electric M3 must be one of the most significant debuts in decades. So while there aren’t any tech specs for the moment beyond a 100kWh-plus battery, there’s still plenty to discuss. It’s a new bit of BMW design, for one thing, and that never arrives without comment…
For what it’s worth, BMW suggests that this Neue Klasse ‘showcases the new BMW M design language and seats a clear signal for the brand’s all-electric future’. But they haven’t totally forgotten about tradition, either, with chunky arches and strong shoulders lending the old school M character, ensuring this won’t be mistaken for a mere Monza Red i3 (which is a new colour, fyi). As has become M’s wont in recent years, the wheels have too many spokes. And even the M3 mirrors that scallywags would put on a 325i have been reinvented for the Neue Klasse, now featuring the M tricolour as well. Ostensibly they’re for aero benefit, but we all know a nod to M3 history when we see one.
An M3 isn’t an M3 without a mean front end, and this Concept Neue Klasse assuredly ticks that box, with the yellow lights like the M Hybrid V8, the V-shaped bonnet with extra cooling and angry splitter with gaping intakes. Furthermore, while modern M might still take some getting used to for some, at least there shouldn’t be any complaints about the grilles this time around. Note as well the ‘Track Lights’ at the outdoor edges of the front apron, mirrored at the rear.
Also back there are a CSL-style ducktail, a diffuser made of BMW’s latest flax composite, and a hint at some wider tracks via the arches. As per, this doesn’t look a million miles from production spec, with a badge moved to the top right and the diffuser perhaps a tad less extreme. BMW put an XM into showrooms years ago, remember - this is positively tame by comparison. Just imagine it in black, and plugged into an Ionity…
Continuing the theme, much of the Concept’s interior is recognisable from the i3. Perhaps don’t expect M5 CS-style individual buckets (with a huge brace running in front and into the rear bench), but M buttons on the wheel, lots of red accents and some very aggressive front chairs - here with Bathurst Blue and Berry Red accents - seem guaranteed. Harnesses maybe not so much. But as far as setting the tone for a new M3 interior goes, we’d say it’s bob on from here.
As for what’s actually underneath, BMW isn’t saying much for now. Obviously the fundamentals are from the i3 - 800-volt architecture, Gen6 eDrive battery tech, the Heart of Joy and so on - but with a ‘BMW M-specific’ optimisation. Four electric motors means a level of performance beyond any M3 before; even that Stage 2 G80 your mate has. The incorporation of BMW M Dynamic Performance Control ‘elevates [the] driving experience and racetrack capability to a new level.’ Though purely electric will undoubtedly raise some concerns when it comes to the emotion and fun of an M car, BMW is doing quite a good job of fast cars right now. Both petrol and battery powered. So it could - could - be great.
Boss Franciscus van Meel is certainly optimistic for the future. “Even in the new all-electric era, we continue the M-typical tradition of transferring both technological innovations and defining design features directly from motorsport into series production.” So expect plenty more to be confirmed as we move closer from concept stage to the real electric M3. Don’t forget there’ll be a hybrid coming also; something that looks like this and gets the straight six would surely be a great rival for the Audi RS5. And if even that sounds a bit too new fangled, just look at the V8 M3 coming to PH Auctions this weekend…
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