BMW recently announced plans to offer 25 electrified models by 2025 and it appears the company is going to need all of these eco-friendly vehicles to help offset a massive onslaught on new M models.
According to Autocar, BMW is preparing to launch 26 M and M Performance vehicles over the next few years. The M8 will be unveiled next year but the real push will begin when the all-new M3 debuts at Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019. As BMW M boss Frank van Meel explained, “The M3 is a crucial car for BMW M … it wasn’t the first fully fledged M car but it continues to stand for everything the brand is based upon.”
The report says the new M3 will ride on the CLAR platform and feature more aluminum and high-strength steel. The car is also slated to adopt a number of carbon fiber components to ensure it weighs less than the M3 CS which recently debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Despite rumors of a hybrid powertrain, sources told the publication we can expect a conventional twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that produces around 465 hp (346 kW). The car will reportedly be offered with a six-speed manual and an optional eight-speed automatic transmission. Regardless of which gearbox is selected both are slated to send power to the rear-wheels as the rumored all-wheel drive system was reportedly deemed too heavy and expensive.
Besides the M3, we can expect M versions of the X3, X4, and Z4. They are slated to be joined by M Performance variants of the 3-Series, 4-Series, X2, and X7.
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