- BMW has begun testing an electric M3 in Sweden, following a preview last month.
- Little is known about the model, but it appears lower and wider than the upcoming i3.
- The car could have a quad-motor powertrain producing more than 700 hp.
Last month, BMW M quietly released the first pictures of a high performance Neue Klasse EV. Now, spy photographers have caught the prototype undergoing cold weather testing in snowy Sweden.
Set to become the first M3 EV (or i3 M), the prototype is heavily disguised but closely resembles the Vision Neue Klasse concept. Starting up front, there’s a wide ‘grille’ that is flanked by sweptback headlights. Further below, we can see what appears to be an expansive lower intake.
More: BMW M Teases A Hot Neue Klasse M3 EV
The model also wears streamlined bodywork with flush-mounted door handles. Those aerodynamic cues are interrupted by pronounced fender flares that indicate the prototype has a wider track than the standard i3.
Additional details are hard to make out, but the model has a rakish windscreen and an evolutionary greenhouse. We can also see a rounded rear bumper as well as a nearly vertical trunk.
Spy photographers didn’t get a good look inside, but BMW recently introduced their new Panoramic iDrive system at CES. It features an expansive pillar-to-pillar display located at the base of the windscreen. The display is broken up into three sections and the one directly in front of the driver acts as a digital instrument cluster. The remaining sections are customizable and can accommodate up to six widgets that show everything from the weather to a G Meter.
Little else is known about the car at this point, but it’s expected to use a quad-motor powertrain that was tested in earlier i4-based prototypes. Those were rumored to have more than 1,000 hp (746 kW / 1,014 PS) and advanced torque vectoring technology, but speculation suggests the road-going model could be a little tamer as it may have closer to 700 hp (522 kW / 710 PS).
