2026 BMW iM3 previewed: new-generation performance car goes electric with 1000bhp

On sale late 2026 Price from £100,000 (est)

While looks can sometimes be deceiving, at other times you barely need to squint to see the truth. That’s certainly true here, where, if you narrow your gaze just a little, you’ll picture one of the most hotly anticipated cars of 2026: the BMW iM3

Previewed by this new BMW M Concept Neue Klasse, the iM3 will be the first generation of BMW’s high-performance saloon to go electric. And while some of the concept’s more overt styling features – such as the additional lights on its lower bumper and its wide body kit – are likely to be lost in the transition to production readiness, we can still see plenty of the new car’s shape here.

And while the car’s final name has yet to be confirmed, BMW applied to trademark the iM3 name in 2023, suggesting this moniker will be used – but some will regard it simply as the electric BMW M3. 

While technical details surrounding the BMW iM3 are thin on the ground, the car is expected to feature the same 108.7kWh (usable capacity) battery as the i3, which in that car offers an official range of 559 miles between charges. Even with some sacrifices to range in the name of added electrical performance, the electric iM3 should still be one of the longest-range electric cars on sale. It will likely out-last the 354-mile Tesla Model 3 Performance, and the 400-mile Porsche Taycan 4S by some distance.

Like the i3, the iM3 will be capable of replenishing its battery at a peak rate of 400kW, meaning that a 10-80% top-up could take as little as 21 minutes if you use the fastest public chargers.

While the i3 50 xDrive will use two motors to produce a combined 463bhp, the electric iM3 is expected to feature four motors producing in excess of 1000bhp – and also offering the benefits of four-wheel drive. BMW will be looking to beat the Model 3 Performance’s 0-60mph sprint time of 2.9sec, which itself is faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS.

Inside, the concept features four individual bucket seats. And while these will likely be swapped for a more conventional five-seat layout in the production car, buyers will still be able to opt for figure-hugging sports seats in the front from the options list.

In line with the i3, BMW is placing a renewed emphasis on interior quality, which is why the M3 concept uses fine nubuck leather on its steering wheel, door panels and roll bar.

Infotainment is provided by the same evolved iDrive setup as the i3, with most driving information presented on a slim display which runs across the width of the car. This is augmented by a 17.9in touchscreen which, in our experience so far, should offer crisp graphics and quick responses.

It will be a good while before we get behind the wheel of the BMW iM3, but we have already been driven around a high-speed circuit in one of the models used to develop the technology behind it. In 2025, What Car? Was strapped – thankfully tightly – into BMW’s Vision Driving Experience test car for a ride to showcase what the firm’s Neue Klasse technology was all about. And from that experience, we can safely say that our hopes are high for the iM3’s potential for driver engagement.

It’s safe to say that the BMW iM3 will cost a substantial premium over the regular i3, and with that car likely to start from around £50,000, we’d suggest a starting price of around £100,000 is about right for the iM3. At that price, the iM3 will cost more than both the current Porsche Taycan 4S and the Tesla Model 3 Performance.

If you don’t fancy electric power, the new BMW M3 will also be sold in petrol-engined form. That car will use an evolved version of the current M3’s underpinnings, and will receive new styling to bring it into line with its electric sibling.

And while it has yet to be confirmed, a successor to today’s M3 Touring – our reigning Performance Car of the Year – is likely to follow in both electric and petrol-engined forms

Read more: Best and worst performance cars

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