While it can feel like BMW announces monumentally important cars on a quite regular basis these days, an electric M3 will serve to make all the others seem a tad insignificant. Sure, a petrol-powered model will continue alongside, but the existence of a battery-powered version of the most loved M car will be a discussion point for years. From now, in its development, to its reveal and launch, to the first drive reviews, to long-term tests, to buying it secondhand. This is a huge deal for all involved, and will be for a long time. Notably there’s not a video series documenting how the petrol-powered car is going; probably nobody would watch that - and what are they going to tell you?
When it comes to electric, however, there’s plenty to discuss. We’re now at Episode 3 of the BMW M Electrified series, called ‘Controlling The Beast.’ See once upon a time there was an electric M2 prototype, the purpose of which was to see just how wild a BMW EV with everything cranked to the max would be. BMW M CEO Frank van Meel suggests that that early car, with more than 1,000hp, was “a little bit fun”; what we’re looking at the second time around, is the car that previews the actual electric M car, is all about “controlling The Beast.”
BMW M being BMW M, creating that car means an exhaustive test programme, from the very hottest places on earth to the chilliest. This episode focuses on the slippery stuff, assessing DSC calibration in Arjeplog and working on exactly what the “significantly more lateral dynamics” for the MDM mode should be. There’s everything you’d want to see in a video like this, complete with strapping test driver, a car crammed with electronics, and a host of clever people tweaking this and adjusting that with laptops.
The Heart of Joy, as has been mentioned in relation to the Neue Klasse, will be crucial to the electric M car’s aim to surpass the petrol-powered car. It’s one control unit for everything, from engine to DSC and brakes to steering, which should mean a transformational difference in response time. The big boss suggests that the M EV experience is “something I’ve been waiting the past 45 years for”, because of just how sharp it now is. Which is probably all a bit easy to be a little dismissive of for now. Cars always look good to drive sliding around on ice, and of course BMW folk are excited by their new project. But they’ve done plenty of proving the doubters wrong in recent times. And if nothing else this prototype sounds quite cool - check it out from 7:42. Episode 4 can’t come soon enough…
