Car paparazzi are having a great week. After spotting the BMW i3, they’ve now caught the next-generation 3 Series (G50). Much like the Neue Klasse-based electric vehicle, the gasoline sports sedan seemingly carries the production body. As with the EV, the new 3er has temporary headlights and taillights but the size and shape of the final clusters won’t change.
When BMW said Neue Klasse design cues would rub off onto vehicles with combustion engines, it wasn’t kidding around. The eighth-generation 3 Series is strikingly similar to the fully electric i3 (NA0). That’s despite the fact the two sedans sit on entirely different platforms. The 3 Series G50 will stick to its tried-and-tested CLAR underpinnings. The i3 will be based on the company’s first dedicated architecture for electric models.
This Is The M Performance Model, Likely M350
If it weren’t for the exhaust, it wouldn’t be so easy to identify this prototype as a gas-fueled car. Speaking of the quad tips, you’d be tempted to say BMW is already testing the next-gen M3, codenamed G84. However, we strongly believe this is only a lesser M Performance model. Likely to be called M350, the most powerful version of the G50 3 Series will have a quad exhaust. It’s a controversial trend that started with M Performance models like the M135, M235, X1 M35i, X2 M35i, and the X3 M50.
The red calipers indicate BMW was testing a prototype with M Sport brakes but the wheels and fenders are not big enough for a full-fat M3. A subtle trunk lid spoiler is another clue we’re not dealing with a run-of-the-mill 3 Series. As with the i3 caught a few days ago, the test vehicle has flush door handles. We’re happy to see neither the ICE nor the EV will have an oversized front grille. The kidneys hiding under camo are seemingly small, in keeping with the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse concept.
As you would expect, the new 3 Series G50 seemingly has slightly longer overhangs than the zero-emission i3. The latter takes advantage of the superior packaging by not having to carry around oily bits. It allows the engineers to stretch the wheelbase by minimizing the overhangs. Even if the next-gen 3er will be bigger, the electric i3 could still have a more spacious interior thanks to the bespoke Neue Klasse platform.
Neue Klasse-Inspired Interior
The similarities between the two luxury sedans should continue in the cabin. We can’t see what’s going inside but the Vision Neue Klasse strongly suggested an ultra-minimalist layout. Prepare to say goodbye to most physical controls, the iDrive rotary knob, and the instrument cluster. Instead, there will be a large central screen, presumably bigger than the 14.9-inch display found in the current 3er. Dubbed Panoramic Vision, a next-gen head-up display will stretch from one corner of the dashboard to the other.
As to what’s hiding underneath the hood, it should be an evolution of the omnipresent B58. BMW is certainly tweaking the inline-six to comply with upcoming Euro 7 regulations. We hope the German luxury brand will continue to offer both rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations. More power isn’t necessarily happening, especially in Europe where there are stricter emissions standards. BMW actually detunes some current M Performance cars on the Old Continent to meet tougher laws.
We’re hearing that 3 Series G50 production is scheduled to start in November 2026. Unlike all its predecessors, it’s not going to be assembled in Munich. Instead, BMW is likely to build the car in Dingolfing. A 3 Series Touring G51 could follow shortly, provided it gets the green light. As for the G84 M3 sedan, production could commence in July 2028. It’s too soon to say whether BMW will do another M3 Touring.
Photos: Baldauf
