A new trademark filing revealed the name of the first BMW high-performance M electric car. The BMW M3 is going electric, likely under the name iM3.
The rumors can finally be put to rest: BMW’s M3 is going electric. According to a new trademark application filing with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, BMW’s first electric M car will likely be called the iM3.
The new trademark, unearthed by CarBuzz, was filed in March, but no other details were released.
Meanwhile, we knew the M3 was going electric after BMW’s product development chief, Frank Weber, confirmed the plans in September.
Weber told reporters at the BMW i5 launch event that the first electric M car, the M3, would arrive around 2027.
The high-performance EV is expected to ride on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform. BMW unveiled its Vision New Klasse in September, giving us a sneak peek into the brand’s future.
“We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we’re writing a whole new book,” Weber said during the event. He added that “Neue Klasse will certainly impact all model generations.”
The next-gen EVs, set to launch in 2025, will feature “30% more range, 30% faster charging, and a 25% improvement in overall vehicle efficiency,” according to BMW.
BMW to launch first electric M car, the iM3
Weber confirmed the new platform “was designed for four independently operating electric machines [motors] up to one megawatt.”
BMW M CEO Frank Van Meel highlighted the potential of a megawatt (1,000 kW) sports EV based on the platform. That would equal to around 1,340 horsepower.
“You can go crazy” with the new platform, according to Weber. He explained, “And then you have some settings where you can go deeper into something that is more and more rear-wheel drive biassed with the control possibilities that you have with electric machines.”
In April, BMW revealed its fastest EV, the i7 M70 xDrive, with up to 660 horsepower. It also teased a quad-motor i4.
However, BMW aims to top it with its first electric M car. Weber said the company wanted to create something to show its “Neue Klasse is already very ambitious.” He added, “This will come with M3 and will not be too far away from the initial launch of the Neue Klass.”
BMW’s Neue Klasse is due out in 2025. The iM3 is expected to go into production shortly after.
