The rise of electrification has taken the horsepower wars into a whole new dimension. Even a relatively small car such as the CLA now has nearly 700 hp in its new AMG version. Its bigger brother, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, makes more than 1,100 hp. Electric supercars and hypercars push even deeper into four-figure territory, with a few surpassing the 2,000-hp mark.

BMW explains it could also extract ludicrous amounts of power from the electric M3’s motors, but that’s not going to happen. In an interview with Bimmer Today, M boss Frank van Meel said it is technically possible to unlock a megawatt from the four motors. In fact, the proof of concept already exists, as the wild Vision Driving Experience (VDX) had somewhere in the region of 1,341 hp. However, there are drawbacks to putting this much power into a production EV.

'If I put over a megawatt of power into a car, then I can accelerate a few times, but the temperature will start to rise and become an issue. That means that everything collapses after that and you can’t install that much cooling. We have to consider the overall concept and realize it’s not just about reaching certain figures; it is not sustainable. You definitely don’t need 1,000 hp or more.'

Photo by: BMW

While BMW M’s head honcho didn’t go into detail about how much power the electric M3 will make, he did say it’ll outpunch the combustion-engine model. The most potent sports sedan the company has ever built on a 3 Series platform is the M3 CS with 543 hp. The fact that he ruled out 1,000 hp means the electric M3 is unlikely to get anywhere close to that figure, so we’d wager it will have less than 900 hp. Of course, subsequent derivatives, such as a CS, could kick things up a notch.

BMW has already announced that all of its electric M cars will have four motors providing all-wheel drive, with the ability to completely decouple the front axle for a pure RWD setup. Deactivating the front motors should also improve efficiency when you don’t need the full power. In the M3, the quad motors will draw their juice from a bespoke lithium-ion battery pack with a usable energy content of more than 100 kWh.

During the interview, the M CEO assured traditionalists the gas-fueled M3 will live on with a next-generation model. Frank van Meel didn’t say when the six-cylinder version will arrive, but we’re unlikely to see it before 2028 at the earliest. The S58 engine powering the current car has already been updated with new pre-chamber ignition technology to meet Euro 7 emissions, so its future is secure. It also means the M2 and M4 still have many years ahead of them since the two-door sports cars use the same engine.

2026 BMW M Concept Neue Klasse

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Motor1's Take: While headline-grabbing output figures might boost sales, BMW wants to make power more manageable and sustainable. The electric M3 won’t be a one-trick pony that prioritizes power above all else because that would compromise day-to-day usability. Instead, it’ll be an all-rounder like the gas-powered cars before it, but with a whole new recipe made possible by the quad-motor setup.

Since it won’t replace the six-cylinder model but instead stand alongside it, buyers will still have a choice. It’s the best way to please both sides, although I’m sure some people won’t like the idea of the electric M3 using the same name as the long-running combustion-engine model.

The Electric M3 Is Coming:

Source: Bimmer Today

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