The video we’ve attached below shows how bright BMW’s future is. It’s a wonderful mélange of combustion-engine cars, plug-in hybrids, and full EVs, all of which are launching in the coming years. Some prototypes are more interesting than others, but all show how the “world’s most powerful letter” has something for everyone.
The 14-minute video kicks off with back-to-back footage of the next-generation M3 with a gas engine and its electric counterpart. However, the test car that caught our attention appears at the 3:09 mark. Judging by the ducktail spoiler, it’s an M2 CS in M Brooklyn Grey. For whatever reason, BMW camouflaged both the front and rear.
The M2 CS has been out for over a year, so its design is clearly no longer a secret. We would rule out a potential CSL since we can spot the rear-seat headrests. An M2 CSL would likely be a two-seater to shed even more weight, much like the M4 CSL from 2022.
One logical explanation is that BMW is testing the M2 with the new M Ignite technology, which is reserved for the European version of the S58 engine. Production of the updated M2 with its patented pre-chamber combustion process starts in August, so the timing seems right. Alternatively, the M division could be testing other hardware unrelated to the engine, such as suspension components.
The Pre-Facelift BMW M5 Sedan And M5 Touring LCI Share The Track
More BMWs appear back-to-back at the 6:15 mark. There’s a colorful M5 Sedan in what appears to be the MotoGP Safety Car livery. It’s clearly the pre-facelift model on sale today rather than the LCI version due in 2027. Speaking of which, the facelifted model appears in front of the lens as the more practical M5 Touring. Although the G99 is camouflaged, we can see it sports styling cues from the Neue Klasse design language.
The car paparazzi also spotted an M2 prototype fitted with the new M Performance Track Package that recently set the fastest M2 lap around the Nordschleife, narrowly beating the M2 CS. Available for newly ordered cars and as a retrofit package, the kit costs €23,500 in Germany before taxes and installation. The most obvious upgrade is the carbon-fiber swan-neck rear wing borrowed from the M4 race cars.
Toward the end of the video, the fully electric X3 M makes an appearance. With BMW recently confirming that the electric M3 will use the same name as the gas-powered sports sedan, the same should apply to the X3 M. There will be only an electric version, as the company sadly isn’t bringing back the six-cylinder model.
BMW has locked in the M3 (ZA0) for a 2027 debut, and the X3 M (ZA5) should also break cover at some point next year. After showing the M Concept Neue Klasse sedan at Le Mans, BMW could launch the M3 first before introducing its SUV counterpart.
As the video shows, the competition isn’t resting either. We’re particularly excited to see the new Audi RS6 Avant, which will become a plug-in hybrid much like the M5 Touring. However, some say it’ll ditch the V8 in favor of a smaller V6 borrowed from the RS5 Avant. The smaller of the two Audi RS wagons was also spotted racking up miles around the Nürburgring.
There’s certainly a lot to look forward to from M. Before BMW reveals all these cars, the next model to wear the iconic letter should be the M350. We should see the M340i’s more powerful successor debut in the coming months alongside the eighth-generation 3 Series Sedan, the G50.
Video: Nürburg Automotive / YouTube
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
