BMW Vows To Keep a Gas Engine In the Next-Generation M3

by Chris Teague

Published: October 11th, 2024

bmw vows to keep a gas engine in the next generation m3

Many automakers have softened their once-aggressive electrification plans, but that hasn’t stopped several of them from backing off development of their thirstiest internal combustion engines. BMW is one of the few companies that have publicly affirmed their dedication to gas engines, as an executive recently said it would keep the M3’s gas-powered inline-six for at least one more generation.

BMW M CEO Frank van Meel told the German publication BimmerToday.de that the next-generation M3 performance car would retain a gas option alongside the expected electric model. Van Meel said he expected the quad-motor EV variant to deliver faster lap times, but keeping a gas option is a significant upside for enthusiasts, many of whom loudly voice their displeasure as automakers cut popular engines.

That said, BMW’s next-gen gas engine will have to comply with new Euro 7 emissions standards, which impose strict limitations on tailpipe emissions, battery construction, and more. At some point, the development costs and timelines to implement emissions-cutting technologies will overcome the profitability of gas-powered performance cars, but we can celebrate the M3 and others for now.

The next-gen cars are expected to start rolling off the production line late in this decade, and some expect the new M3 to be one of BMW’s last internal combustion vehicles. Recent models like the new M5 feature hybrid power, but many have criticized their weight. We’ll have to wait several more years to see how things pan out for the M3, but we can at least take the time to enjoy what we already have.

[Images: BMW]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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1 comment

Bd2 2 hours ago
current M3 is rather awful

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