The future of BMW M is electric. The next-gen M5 is going to be a hybrid, the next M3 is going to be all-electric, and so too is the X3 M, according to rumors. There’s no question: the endgame is to eventually have all of BMW M’s cars be entirely electric. However, along the way, there are going to be some combustion engines used. That doesn’t mean that BMW M is going to make any new engines, though, contrary to recent rumors. Some BMW fans on Bimmerpost recently pointed out a recent EVO Magazine story (print magazine) in which BMW M’s head of engineering Dirk Häcker said that combustion engines would continue to be used.
“I like the combustion engine, and we are working on new generation engines,” Häcker told EVO. “The weight of today’s EVs is much too high, and there’s work needed before battery storage can cope with the kind of charge and discharge rates our four-motor concept requires. And, of course, it all comes down to what the customer wants. Electric M cars should meet the expectations of demanding M customers. As both an engineer and an enthusiast, I find the future fascinating.”
That’s an admittedly tricky statement, as it sounds like BMW M is working on entirely new engines. However, according to our sources close to the matter, what Häcker might have actually meant was that the M Division would be continuously updating the current crop of new engines; the S58 and S68. As Euro 7 regulations are implemented, BMW M will have to update its engines to meet emissions regulations, which is what he meant by “working on a new generation of engines.” However, according to sources, there will be no new engines made at BMW M.
Instead, the M Division will work to develop plug-in hybrid M cars and, eventually, all-electric M cars. Admittedly, there are some purely combustion engines still on the horizon but they’re Sondermodelle—special models. Cars like the upcoming M3 CS and M4 CS will only have combustion engines, for instance, and there may be more down the line. But the main goal is still electrification, which means there’s no point in spending millions to develop a new engine for it to only stick around for a couple of years.
So, let’s all enjoy these wonderful combustion engines because the future is certainly electric for most of the car brands.