The long-mooted electric BMW M3, arriving in 2027, will use "crazy" chassis control software in an attempt to offer dynamic performance "far above" that of today's hot BMWs.
The electric M3 will be based on the firm's Neue Klasse (NK) platform and will arrive shortly after the next-generation, electric BMW 3 Series - as previewed by a radical concept at the Munich motor show earlier this month.
BMW development boss Frank Weber has given some early details of the model. "The next M3 will be battery-electric - full battery-electric," he said, but "there will be a coexistence" with the current petrol M3 for a period, "which is necessary". The S58 six-cylinder engine used by today's M3 is set to remain in production beyond 2030.
Giving clues as to what to expect from an electric M3, Weber said BMW's new "Heart of Joy' control unit, which will be used in all NK-based cars, will be instrumental in providing a distinct driving character for BMW performance EVs and helping to mitigate any loss of character from the absence of a powerful petrol engine.
"This is a controller that has taken the last 20 or 30 years of our experience into a control unit. Everything that is driving performance-related, chassis control-related, propulsion-[and] powertrain-related is now in one integrated control unit," he said. "It's almost the history of how you control a vehicle that is in that thing.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 27, 2023 من Autocar UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 27, 2023 من Autocar UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models