We know for sure that the M3 is going all-electric. We also know that restrictions on internal combustion engines are getting tighter and tighter. Finally, we have a promise from Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President Customer, Brand, and Sales at BMW M, that BMW M will offer gas-powered engines as long as legally possible. But what does that really mean for the future of gas-powered M vehicles?

In our most recent chat with Ms. Neubauer, she didn’t give us a clear path forward. But evidence is mounting based on our own sources and some assumptions on our end. And it’s all pointing towards a hybridized S58 which could serve as the beating heart of the next iteration of gas-powered M cars. Just don’t expect a plug-in hybrid like in the new M5, but rather a mild-hybrid implementation as in the B58 and S68.

Reminder: BMW is Committed to ICE, For Now

BMW and M plan to produce electric and gas models alongside one another “as long as there is customer demand,” Ms. Neubauer tells us. It echoes her words in the past, claiming BMW will “cater for all needs in any market, as long as regulation allows.”  Chatting with us today, she also says that BMW “will continue that strategy where we have several drivetrains for one car.” And since we already know there’s an electric M3 on the way, it’s a fact that a gas-powered one has a home in the lineup, too. “We haven’t shown you everything,” is Ms. Neubauer’s response when we pry for answers about an M3 electric promo video where we distinctly hear the roar of an internal combustion engine.

The S58 and Euro 7

Photo: Steven Paul

So, we’ve established that another gas M3 (G84) is in the works. But impending Euro 7 regulations virtually guarantee that the S58 will require hybridization to remain compliant. Euro 7 regulations come into full force in late 2027, and G80 production is expected to end earlier that year.

Another consideration: the current M2 could see another mild refresh for a production extending in 2029. Assuming that’s the case, the car will need to become Euro 7 compliant. Hybridizing the S58 that’s already under the hood is a logical progression. It also backs up another comment she made while we talked to her. “You cannot do it for just one unit, then it would be insanely expensive,” she says when asked about gas and electric M models coexisting. Essentially, she claims supplier-side demand dictates that super small-production runs simply aren’t viable. So if a hybrid S58 was coming, it would have to make its way under the hood of more than just one model. But again, that’s our own assumption and BMW M is being tight lipped about it this for now.

“We will remain compliant with regulation, so therefore we will find solutions. I know that the solution will be very appealing,” Neubauer says evasively, careful not to elaborate past that.

We aren’t sure what kind updates are coming to the S58, but it seems more than promising that we’ll see an S58 touting some extra electron-sourced power in the near future in order to continue M2 and  M3 as we know it today. The only other alternative is cramming an S68 under the hood, which is already Euro 7-ready. And BMW would never do that. Right?