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The first BMW M Neue Klasse EV won’t reach production until 2027, but BMW is working build anticipation with a series of videos chronicling the development of that first model, expected to be an M-enhanced version of the i3 sedan. BMW already detailed some of the bespoke engineering that will make this electric M3 more than just an i3 with a different software tune. Now it’s focusing on what this car will sound like.
Other automakers have already figured out that driving enthusiasts don’t want a silent EV; the Dodge Charger Daytona and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N create artificial soundtracks in their own ways. But BMW is specifically using its past M cars as a guide. Like legendary pop stars heading back into the recording studio, engineers brought an E63 M6, E92 M3 GTS, and F82 M4 GTS into a soundproof room to analyze their exhaust vocals.
BMW via YouTube
Combustion engines produce more sound in lower frequencies, as Carsten Wolf, a vehicle integration engineer for the electric M car, explains in the video. BMW M is looking to harness that to create a greater sense of power, but it won’t purely copy sounds from the old M cars’ V10, V8, and inline-six engines. Instead, remixed sounds from those engines will be combined with real sounds from the EV’s motors.
BMW already confirmed that the electric M3 will charge fast, thanks to an 800-volt architecture like the one used in non-M Neue Klasse models. It will also have a battery capacity “exceeding 100 kWh” using M-specific cells. The goal here is less about maximizing range, as BMW M’s battery development boss Axel Theiling explains, and more about ensuring the car can operate at peak power longer. M cars will use a cylindrical format like the rest of the Neue Klasse family, likely with some chemistry tweaks and more robust cooling.
BMW M Electrified – Episode 4. A new Era of Performance and Driving Dynamics.
Those cells will be housed in a structure more rigidly attached to the body shell and suspension than in standard Neue Klasse models, and provide juice to a quad-motor powertrain with one motor per wheel, allowing the Heart of Joy control unit to precisely modulate torque at all four corners. Front-axle decoupling also lets the car switch from surefooted all-wheel drive to tail-out rear-wheel drive.
BMW has been teasing this electric M car for some time, but the wait is almost over. The sedan on which it’s based is expected to start production in Munich this summer, with the M version likely to follow next year.
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
