BMW has spent months teasing us with the electric side of its next BMW M3 story, most recently through the Concept M Neue Klasse. But here’s the thing people kept wondering about — is the regular, gas-burning M3 going away entirely? Turns out, no. Spy photographers just caught the next-generation M3 lapping the Nürburgring, and it’s very much running on a combustion engine, not a battery.
This is actually the first time we’re seeing the gas version of the next M3 out in the wild. Up until now, most of what’s leaked has been the electric prototype, which was originally rumored to be called the iM3 before word got around that it’ll probably just wear the M3 badge too, same as the gas car. So going forward, BMW seems happy to let both versions exist side by side, at least for a while.
Looks Different From the Electric One, But Related
One thing that jumps out right away — the gas M3 doesn’t look as stubby or compact as the electric prototype does. Its hood is noticeably longer, which makes sense given there’s an actual engine under there needing room, unlike the EV.
That said, it’s clearly part of the same design family. BMW’s whole lineup is shifting toward this new look that debuted with the i3, and now shows up on the iX3 and the upcoming 2027 X5 too. On the M3 test car, the headlights and kidney grille seem merged into these two horizontal shapes up front, split by a notch in the bodywork. The headlights taper to a point near the edges of the bumper, which is very much an i3 signature at this point.
Where things get more “M car” specific is lower down — there are two big L-shaped vents carved into the middle of the front bumper, with smaller triangular intakes tucked in on either side. That’s the kind of detail you don’t see on a regular 3-series.
Wide Stance, Big Brakes, Loud Exhaust
The car has that typical M3 attitude — flared wheel arches pushing outward, aggressive-looking wheels wrapped around what are clearly bigger brakes than a standard 3-series would need. At the back there’s a subtle lip spoiler, and four exhaust tips poking out, which is honestly one of the easiest ways to tell this apart from the electric version at a glance. The taillights sit a bit higher than you’d expect, again echoing the i3’s design.
So visually, a lot of the Neue Klasse language carries over. But under the skin, it’s a completely different animal.
Still Six Cylinders, Maybe No Manual
Word is the next M3 will keep its turbocharged inline-six, and unlike the M5, it probably won’t get a full hybrid system. Some mild-hybrid assistance isn’t out of the question, but nothing close to what the M5 is doing.
Most signs point to this being an evolved version of the current S58 twin-turbo 3.0-liter six that’s already in the M3 today, rather than an all-new engine. All-wheel drive is basically a given at this point, though there’s chatter that the base rear-wheel-drive variant might not make the cut this time around, which would be a shame for the purists. And unfortunately, the manual gearbox’s chances aren’t looking great either — nothing confirmed, but it’s not exactly optimistic.
We’re probably a good year or so away from getting solid confirmation on all this. The general expectation right now is that the electric M3 lands first, with the gas version following sometime in 2028.
