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The Electric M3 Will Be Priced In the 'Same Ballpark' As The Gas One

BMW says its M3 EV should land in the same pricing ballpark as the combustion version, even though it will likely be quicker.

BMW M3 EV On The Nurburgring

Photo by: BMW

Andrei Nedelea Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

May 5, at 9:29am ET

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BMW will unveil a hot version of its i3 sedan—the electric M3—next year. We don’t know what it’s going to be called or all the specifics yet. But we do know it will have a motor powering each wheel and, as one BMW engineer told us, "performance levels you've never seen in a BMW M production car." And apparently it'll cost about the same as a gas-powered M3 too. 

Autocar spoke to Sylvia Neubauer, BMW M’s sales boss, who said the combustion M3 and the electric model “are in the same ballpark” in terms of pricing. She added that BMW M wants to give customers “the choice,” explaining that “there will be functional differences that lead to a different design in some areas of the car, but when you look at them, you will see that they are twins.”

But even if BMW wants to pitch these two models as alternatives, they won’t address the same buyers. Someone who is considering buying a gas-powered M3 likely isn’t interested in an EV, although BMW may still sway some people if the EV is as good as the combustion model, is faster, and has even more wayward handling thanks to four electric motors and reports of a nearly 1,000-horsepower output.

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The electric model will be heavier than the combustion M3, but with more power and instant torque, it will be quicker. And with one motor powering each wheel, it will do a lot with torque vectoring. It will also sound like a combustion-powered M car inside, so it should be able to do a pretty convincing impression of the internal combustion (ICE) model.

We've already seen other automakers trying to get their performance EVs to do sound and feel like gas cars with fake engine sounds and pretend gears. We liked it more than we should have in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, while experiencing the simulated V-8 in a prototype for AMG's upcoming Porsche Taycan rival was very convincing.

“When we talk about the BMW M3, it’s the M3 no matter the drivetrain. The driving experience must be true, and you decide if you want EV or ICE,” Neubauer added. “Obviously, we will not convince 100% out of the petrolhead target group to buy an all-electric BMW M3. But out of 100 people that try it, we will be able to convince some. And for everybody else, we will still provide combustion engines.”

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BMW M seems very confident in the electric M3 and its ability to enthrall enthusiast drivers. “It’s not only about acceleration and power, it’s about drivability, maneuverability, and that level of trust and connection between the driver, car, and road. With a high-performance BEV, you need to be able to trust it every millisecond, and the car is so convincing,” according to Neubauer.

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The current M3 Competition has 523 horsepower, standard all-wheel drive, and can accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in a claimed 3.4 seconds, although independent tests have shown it can be even quicker. The M3 EV will likely be a sub-3-second car. But how much will it cost?

The M3 Competition xDrive starts at $89,950 in the U.S. and €107,600 in Germany. Its replacement, which is not due for at least another two years, will likely cost a bit more. So it’s safe to assume that the electric M3 may cost $90,000-$100,000, depending on the version.

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