BMW may be charging head-first into the electric era, but it isn’t giving up on combustion power just yet. Fresh spy footage from the Nürburgring has given us our clearest look yet at the next-generation petrol-powered BMW M3, which is expected to arrive alongside its all-electric (EV) sibling.
Rumoured to carry the G84 codename, the upcoming sports sedan was spotted lapping the Green Hell in heavy camouflage by Carspotter Jeroen. While the prototype remains well disguised, it already reveals several styling cues and even lets us hear what is expected to be a reworked version of BMW’s twin-turbocharged inline-six engine.
Based on the rough silhouette, the upcoming internal combustion engine (ICE) BMW M3 is expected to look similar to the recently previewed BMW M Concept Neue Klasse, but with exhausts, of course. In the Concept, the car features a large gaping front bumper with a trimaran-inspired design, with the design mirrored at the rear as well for aerodynamic purposes.
In the video, the camouflaged M3 appears to feature a redesigned front bumper to accommodate a larger radiator. It also sports separate side vents that likely channel air through the wheel wells to cool the brakes. As the car speeds past, the rear end reveals round taillight signatures — different from the lighting design seen on the electric M Concept.
Apart from that, expect the usual M treatment, including wider side haunches to accommodate a broader track. Interestingly, though, the ICE-powered M3 appears to be even wider than the electric M3 prototype. And of course, there’s the signature quad tailpipes, a hallmark of every M3 since the E46 generation debuted in 2000.
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Speaking of hallmarks, turn the volume up on wherever you’re watching the video from and you can hear the signature inline-six exhaust note — though seemingly slightly softer than the years before. BMW has not disclosed anything regarding its new power unit in the M3, but it’s expected to feature a reworked version of the S58 twin-turbo inline-six-cylinder engine to keep compliant with modern-day emissions standards.
What’s known so far is that the next-generation M3 is not expected to adopt a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Instead, it will likely feature a mild-hybrid system paired with a reworked version of BMW’s twin-turbocharged S58 inline-six engine. It is also expected to utilise the brand’s new M Ignite technology, first introduced on the updated M2.
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Naturally, the new M3 is also expected to outperform the current model, and that’s no easy feat. The standard M3 produces 480 hp and 550 Nm, sending power exclusively to the rear wheels for a 0-100 km/h sprint of 4.2 seconds. Step up to the M3 Competition xDrive, and those figures rise to 530 hp and 650 Nm, cutting the century sprint to just 3.5 seconds thanks to BMW’s all-wheel drive system.
Whether the next-generation M3 will continue to offer a rear-wheel drive only variant remains to be seen. Last year, BMW announced that all standard M models, with the exception of the M2, would adopt Competition specification as standard, making the Competition badge redundant and leaving only higher-performance variants such as the CS and CSL.
Traditionally, Competition models not only receive more power, but also come exclusively with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system and the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. If BMW sticks to that strategy, the next M3 could lose both its rear-wheel drive and six-speed manual options.
BMW M boss Frank van Meel previously acknowledged that keeping manual gearboxes alive will become increasingly difficult. According to him, manual transmissions require M cars to be detuned to suit the H-pattern gearbox, while developing an all-new manual transmission simply isn’t financially viable.
BMW’s bread-and-butter sports model isn’t expected to launch in the market until sometime in 2028. So expect more exterior changes to come, introducing potential additions such as more aggressive side skirting and maybe a competition exhaust kit.
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