BMW doesn’t miss an opportunity to hype up its first electric M car. The hotly anticipated performance EV will sit above the current crop of M Performance models that don’t have a combustion engine. It’ll be based on a 3 Series Sedan-like i3 and is expected to land around 2027. Known internally as the “ZA0,” the fully electric M3 will apparently “beat everything.”

This bold statement comes from none other than Frank van Meel, the mayor of M Town. Speaking with Motor Trend magazine, the CEO of the “world’s most powerful letter” spoke enthusiastically about the spicy EV. We learn the M3 without gasoline power “will beat everything you have ever seen.” Already ruled out to get the iM3 designation, the electric sports sedan is said to have quad motors, according to MT.

However, we’ve heard that won’t be the case. Well, at least not right away. We believe the initial version will have rear-wheel drive and around 700 horsepower. BMW M has said it has the technology for a quad-motor EV with over 1,300 hp but that’s unlikely to be deployed right away in the inaugural electric M car. Whatever the case may be, we do know that the e-motors going into the electric M3 are being developed internally.

Considering that an M5 CS already does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3 seconds, the electric M3 is likely to achieve a time in the two-second range. With electric motors delivering copious amounts of virtually instant torque, it should be an absolute rocket off the line. The jury is still out on whether it’ll be rear- or all-wheel drive.  Previously, Frank van Meel told Ars Technica the engineers are exploring both options. It would make sense for BMW to mimic the current M3 lineup by offering both RWD and AWD configurations.

True M cars with electric power are expected to have dual motors for RWD models and four motors for AWD vehicles. The sedan is likely to be followed shortly by an iX3 SUV, an i3 Touring, and even an iX4. All will be underpinned by the Neue Klasse platform developed exclusively for electric cars. The arrival of the NK architecture won’t mean BMW will give up on launching EVs based on platforms shared with gas cars. By 2030, CLAR-based iX5, iX6, and iX7 electric SUVs should hit the market.

Even though BMW is dead set on launching an electric M3, we’ve heard there will be another gasoline-fueled generation. It’ll likely hit the market in 2027 or 2028 as the “G84” with an inline-six.

Source: Motor Trend