The incoming BMW 3-series M350 will come with a straight-six and M3 power
We all know the BMW 3-series is going electric with the new i3, but the combustion-powered model certainly hasn’t been forgotten…
BMW’s Neue Klasse overhaul is well and truly here, with the iX3 already out on the road and the highly anticipated electric i3 saloon revealed earlier this year. Now we’re about to get our first taste of the next generation of BMW combustion power, with the marque releasing official details on its combustion-powered 3-series as development enters its final phase.
A fully combustion-powered BMW M3 is indeed on its way to sit alongside an electric variant, but this new information reveals all but everything about the ICE 3-series it’s based on. We now know that it will receive both four- and six-cylinder powertrains, all with 48V mild-hybrid technology and with up to 437bhp and 428lb ft of torque in the case of the range-topping 3-litre M350 xDrive. This model will replace the current M340i, but with output up by 68bhp, it will bring it close on paper to even some fully-fledged M products of the past – the V8-powered E90 M3 has 414bhp and a 0-62mph time eight tenths slower than the 4.1sec of the M350 at 4.9sec.
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BMW has also confirmed that this car has a longer wheelbase and a wider track than the previous car, and with optional 245-section front, 275-section rear ‘sports’ tyres on the menu, it’s clear there’s a performance focus. We’ll have to wait for our drive to see just how effective these changes have been, but tweaked steering, improved roll control, boosted torsional stiffness and an upgraded braking system are also part of the package.
Much like BMW’s new ‘heart of joy’ control unit in its Neue Klasse M products, designed to make the most of its high-tech powertrains by pulling all data into one place, the M350 will also feature some nifty powertrain tech too. For the first time in a non-M product, BMW will offer what it’s calling ‘Drift Moment’ to allow all 437bhp to go to the rear wheels for oversteer – this won’t be available at launch, but will instead be activated in mid-2027 via an over the air update.
Arriving to take on everything from the Tesla Model 3 to the new Audi A5, the next BMW 3-series will be a huge departure visually and technologically from the car it replaces, with its design calling heavily on the sharp Neue Klasse looks of the i3. BMW has confirmed that both electric and combustion-powered variants of Neue Klasse models will share the same design, only with tweaks to suit their respective powertrains.
Inside the next BMW 3-series, expect it to carry the design language across from the iX3 and i3 saloon. This will include the controversial two-spoke steering wheel, alongside elements such as the ‘Panoramic Vision’ width-spanning display at the base of the windscreen first seen in the concept.
