BMW Will Keep the Gas-Powered M3 ‘As Long as Regulations Allow’

BMW is rumored to launch its first electric M3 in 2027. We already know it won’t outright replace the gas model, with the company confirming the next-gen M3 will also get a straight-six engine, just like the current car. Thankfully, it sounds like the ICE-powered M3 will be sticking around for a while… so long as the law allows it.

BMW M vice president for customer, brand, and sales Slyvia Neubauer confirmed as much in a recent interview with the Australian publication CarExpert. 

“We offer all-electric M Performance models in most segments that deliver the genuine M feeling without any local emissions,” Neubauer said. “But, we also believe that there will be room for other driver technologies, such as hybrid or conventional drives.”

With demand for EVs leveling off, keeping the gas-powered M3 around makes sense. Not every M3 buyer will want to switch to electric, even if it offers more performance. We’ve known for nearly a year BMW is planning to keep both iterations in the lineup, thanks in part to relaxed emissions regulations.

“You can trust us, we are prepared for the future,” Neubauer told CarExpert. “I can also reassure you the all-electric M3 that I just mentioned, will have a brother with a combustion engine. They will exist in parallel. So no matter what the customer demand is, we will be able to cater for all needs in any market, as long as regulation allows.”

The electric M3 will debut first in 2027 as a direct replacement to the current car, before a new gas-powered M3 is introduced in 2028, according to BMWBlog. Like the new M5, it’s likely to gain hybrid power, though we suspect M will simply use a 48-volt mild hybrid setup to keep weight down (the M5 is a full-fat plug-in with a sizable battery).

BMW hasn’t confirmed any of this info, so take it with a grain of salt. One thing we’re sure of, though, is that the next gas M3 won’t get a manual transmission. A board member told the media last year the stick shift’s days are numbered at the company. So it’s likely that the stick will be phased out of the M3 and M4 after this generation is done. Tragic.