The BMW Concept M Neue Klasse has been revealed, offering a glimpse into the upcoming electric M3. The concept boasts aggressive styling, featuring wide fenders, deep air intakes, and distinctive yellow headlights. This design language is expected to be a hallmark of future BMW M models.
BMW has been working on a high-performance version of the upcoming i3, which will serve as an electric alternative to the iconic M3 sports sedan. The Concept M Neue Klasse is based on the i3 sedan, set to go on sale later this year. The concept's pointy front end is accentuated by crisp body lines and bulging rear fenders, giving the sedan a menacing appearance.
Up front, the headlights and kidney grille are conjoined, forming two horizontal elements bisected by a body-colored spine. The BMW badge sits above this spine, and the headlights feature two yellow slashes, mimicking the lighting setup seen on the M Hybrid V8 race car. These yellow lights will become a standard feature on future M performance vehicles.
View Price on AmazonThe front bumper features cavernous air intakes, inspired by high-speed multihull sailing boats. A protrusion on the outer edge of the bumper carries a pair of square running lights, which BMW says will become a hallmark of future M cars. The concept also features a prominent front splitter and a vent within the V-shaped indent in the hood.
The rear end echoes the front with a similar bumper design, featuring deep cutouts above the rear diffuser. The concept also wears a substantial ducktail spoiler, and the BMW badge sits in a notch between the taillights. The front splitter, hood air outlet, and diffuser are all fashioned from natural fiber elements, and the car is painted in a new hue called Monza Red.
Inside, the cabin sports the same Neue Klasse infotainment setup seen on the iX3, i3, and refreshed 2027 7-series. This features a narrow screen at the base of the windshield and a center touchscreen with a parallelogram shape tilted towards the driver. The biggest change for the Concept M Neue Klasse is the four bucket seats, upholstered in Bathurst Blue and Berry Red leather. They feature five-point belts, but the production car is expected to have regular seatbelts.
BMW has also used black nubuck leather, a type of leather sanded or buffed on the outside to create a velvet-like feel, for the first time on an M vehicle. This material appears on the steering wheel, door panels, and roll bar, while the dashboard wears a black knit material with hexagonal backlighting. The center console has been reworked with a thinner, simpler setup and a gear selector finished in red, matching the shift paddles behind the steering wheel.
The Concept M Neue Klasse is expected to be revealed later this year as a production version. The iM3 will feature four electric motors, one for each wheel, and the BMW M Dynamic Performance Control software will help determine how best to distribute the power between each wheel. The car will have an 800-volt architecture, allowing for rapid recharging, and a battery with more than 100 kWh of capacity, enabling plenty of range.
Source: caranddriver.com
