We’re usually good at identifying prototypes with pinpoint accuracy. However, this is not the case now. BMW is already testing the next-generation 3 Series (G50) with the production body, but a new spy video shows the current model. Since the M340i has this grille, mirror caps, and exhaust finishers, all signs lead to this prototype being the M Performance model. But what if it’s something else?
It could be a test mule for a different model and/or powertrain, possibly with a hybrid setup. This car might have the shell of an M340i, but BMW could be testing something completely different. Then again, the G20 is not going away anytime soon. Production of the seventh-generation 3 Series won’t end until late next year, so there’s still plenty of time to spice up the sports sedan. Perhaps the Bavarians are preparing a small update or a limited-run special edition.
Either way, something is up. It’s unusual for a prototype to carry camouflage after the model’s release, let alone so late in the life cycle. We’re also not ruling out an early prototype for the next-gen 3er. Lest we forget, the G50 in M Performance guise has already been seen by car paparazzi with the final body and quad exhausts. When it goes official in the second half of 2026, it’ll likely change its name to M350.
BMW didn’t bother to conceal the car’s interior, deciding instead to hide the front and rear ends. The camo could be playing tricks on us, but this looks like a regular M340i with the Life Cycle Impulse applied last year. What if this is an older spy video? The cameraman doesn’t say when the footage was recorded, though.
Whatever this is, we’ll be keeping an eye on it in 2025. There’s a good chance we’ll be seeing more of this mysterious M340i-bodied prototype in the coming months.
Source: mr.grey_4k / Instagram
