BMW Will Sell Electric and Gas M3 Side by Side at the Same Price

Like Toyota, BMW didn’t put all its eggs in the same basket when it came to electrifying its lineup. Despite being one of the pioneers of modern electrification, BMW approached it wisely, refusing to go all-in on battery electric vehicles.

Through its “Power of Choice” strategic approach, BMW has given customers a broad choice of powertrains, including gas, plug-in hybrid and battery electric, often across a single platform. This has allowed it to navigate the EV downturn better than many of its rivals.

And even with the launch of the Neue Klasse dedicated BEV platform—its largest single investment in history at almost $12 billion—BMW continues to adopt a flexible approach. The upcoming BMW M3 is a very good example of that, as the automaker will offer it as two distinct models: a Neue Klasse-based EV (codenamed ZA0) and a gas-powered model (G84) based on the established CLAR platform.

Electric M3 Price “in the Same Ballpark” with Gas-Powered Model

For the first time ever, BMW M enthusiasts will have two different M3 models to choose from, even though they will look very similar. And now we also learn that they will cost roughly the same.

BMW sales boss Sylvia Neubauer told Autocar that the electric M3 and the six-cylinder M3 will cost roughly the same, which basically means that customers’ personal preference will be the main purchasing decision factor. “The good news is that from a pricing perspective, that are in the same ballpark,” Neubauer said, without providing an estimate. She added that offering the two M3s alongside each other will give customers “the choice.”

While the two cars will look nearly identical, there will be slight styling differences related to their powertrain type, though. “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,” the executive told Autocar.

Neubauer also pointed out that regardless of the powertrain the choose, customers can be sure that they will be getting a a true BMW M car. “When we talk about the BMW M3, it’s the M3 no matter the drivetrain. The driving experience must be true, and you decide it you want EV or ICE,” she said.

Asked how will BMW win over existing BMW M owners who may be reluctant to switch to an all-electric architecture, Neubauer suggested that a test-drive should suffice. “We need to get you into the cars,” she said.

All-Electric M3 Will Debut First With a Lot More Power

The all-electric BMW M3 will feature a four-motor powertrain with somewhere between 800 and 900 horsepower, according to unnamed sources cited by BMW Blog. That will easily make it the most powerful BMW M production car ever built.

The setup will enable both AWD and RWD modes, electronically controlled torque vectoring and blistering acceleration, with a 0-60 sprint likely in under 3 seconds. The all-electric M3 is rumored to enter production in Munich in March 2027.

The gas-powered BMW M3 (pictured above as a test prototype) is likely to carry on with the same 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, although BMW Blog sources claim it will come as a mild-hybrid for the first time, with a with a 48-volt electric motor integrated directly into the 8-speed automatic transmission. BMW reportedly went down the mild-hybrid route after the plug-in hybrid M5 was widely criticized for being overweight.

The base model is expected to deliver around 525 hp, though CS and CSL variants will likely deliver more. Sadly, most sources claim the gas-powered BMW M3 won’t offer a manual transmission. The G84 M3 is expected to enter production in July 2028, more than a year after its all-electric sibling.