BMW confirms RWD mode, quad motors for electric M3
BMW's hotly anticipated M Neue Klasse promises 'unrivalled high-performance standards' - here's how
A new BMW M car of any stripe is always exciting, but the arrival of the first all-electric M still feels like very big news indeed. (The M Performance i cars technically qualify, but you know what we mean). The M Neue Klasse is meant to represent the pinnacle of BMW’s EV expertise, a car to sit alongside the M2, M3, M5 and the like as a top-tier M car. No pressure, then.
With the M Neue Klasse set to arrive next year, the car is currently undergoing what’s likely to be the last round of winter testing. There’s a lot to get working harmoniously: BMW M eDrive, aka four electric motors from the BMW Gen 6 eDrive family, the BMW M Dynamic Performance Control (a version of the Heart of Joy software), a 100kWh battery, xDrive with a front axle that can be decoupled, ‘emulated’ gear shifts and an appropriately M soundscape to go alongside.
See, this is going to be much more than just a faster, firmer Neue Klasse. For the M, the battery gets new cell chemistry, designed for a performance application, with uprated cooling alongside. This means it’ll charge faster (800 volt architecture is included) and recuperate more energy while driving. Interestingly, too, the battery housing is employed as a structural component, connected to both axles and boosting stiffness. Plus there’s the power that the battery provides, of course: the Neue Klasse promise is of ‘a level of performance previously unattained in BMW M’s production vehicles.’ Those being the cars already with up to 740hp.
It’s the motors that promise so much of the excitement (and the power, of course) for the M Neue Klasse. One per wheel should mean precision and control unlike that seen in any other EV that relies on just one per axle. BMW suggests a quad-motor setup ‘combines all the advantages of rear-wheel and all-wheel drive while enhancing driving dynamics on the road and racetrack’, with a pure RWD setting for those that absolutely must. Plus it boosts efficiency to have just one driven axle when required. But we’re all thinking the same thing when BMW is talking about an M car that can be purely rear-drive.
More prosaically, the M benefits from the same ‘Superbrains’ collection of computers, four in total that will control everything from automated driving to infotainment. They promise faster updates and upgrades, too, which is interesting from an M perspective, as perhaps more sounds and features specific to the model become available. This Neue Klasse flagship is also going to use BMW’s latest natural fibre tech, the first of its EV range to do so, which serves the same purpose as carbon fibre while requiring less CO2 to produce. BMW suggests that ‘lightweight construction has always played an important role in high-performance models’, which seems a tad disingenuous given the current line-up. They’re great, but they aren’t light. So don’t expect anything drastically different for the M Neue Klasse, however much natural fibre is kitted on.
“The next generation of models are set to establish a new benchmark in the high-performance vehicle segment,” said BMW M MD Franciscus van Meel. “With the latest generation of Neue Klasse technology, we are taking the BMW M driving experience to a new level and will inspire our customers with outstanding, racetrack-ready driving dynamics for everyday use.” A quote that could have been used (with just a little bit of editing) for the introduction of turbochargers, all-wheel drive and automatic gearboxes to M cars. And those turned out alright - will the same be true for the fully battery-powered M?
It may well perform and be engineered to con the stary eyed in driving like a M car but it will never really be one will it? Naysayers can rejoice at such offering and the sheer drop that awaits them.
It may well perform and be engineered to con the stary eyed in driving like a M car but it will never really be one will it? Naysayers can rejoice at such offering and the sheer drop that awaits them.
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