"It will be the natural enemy of gasoline cars": Frank van Meel, BMW M CEO, talks about its new electric vehicle

BMW is creating a practically unprecedented situation within its sports division. The next generation of the BMW M3 will still be available with its traditional six-cylinder engine, but it will have to share attention with a new all-electric M3 developed on the Neue Klasse platform. And both cars will compete exactly for the same customers.

Frank van Meel, head of BMW M, openly admits that they are creating their own “natural enemy.” In an interview with Autocar, the executive explained how the relationship between the two models will be and why he believes the electric version could end up attracting precisely those customers who seek the best performance and driving experience.

"We’re now fighting against ourselves."

"We’re now fighting against ourselves, because with the all-electric M3 we’re targeting our best-selling product, the leader in its class," admits Van Meel. BMW will continue developing the conventional M3 alongside it, with its 3.0-liter six-cylinder in-line engine being modified to meet Euro 7 standards.

"We are also working on a future generation of the gasoline M3, but right now we have an internal struggle. We are putting in maximum effort with the two different propulsion systems, and it’s fierce competition," he explains. BMW M does not intend to use the electric version as an immediate replacement for the traditional model. Both will coexist, and it will be up to the customer to make the choice.

Van Meel even admits that there will still be demand for internal combustion engines. "There may be customers who say they want a combustion engine because they like the sound or the aesthetics, or because they can’t charge it at home. That’s completely fine." However, he immediately adds a much more significant statement: "But if you are passionate about racing or driving dynamics, you’ll likely say the electric M3 is the best."

BMW doesn’t want an electric M3 with 1,000 HP because "it makes no sense"

The new electric M3 will use four motors, one for each wheel, but BMW M doesn’t intend to use this configuration merely to achieve an enormous power figure. "It’s not about having more power. After all, that can’t be transmitted to the road surface," the CEO clarified.

In his presentation, he used a curious comparison to explain it: "It’s like a kickboxer. You never kick with both legs. You might have strong arms and legs, but you don’t use them all at once. The same is true with four electric motors." Even after developing electric prototypes with four-digit horsepower, Van Meel insists that a driver "doesn’t need 1,000 CV" to drive on roads.

The key lies in the ability to control each wheel independently through BMW’s central computer, called ‘Heart of Joy’. "It’s amazing what can be done with that technology. You can give the car greater agility or stability. You can brake the inner wheels, accelerate the outer ones, and exit curves in a completely different way. It’s a new era for vehicle dynamics."

"Power is useless without control."

For Van Meel, the goal is to use electrification to achieve something that the gasoline-powered M3 cannot do, rather than simply replacing its engine with batteries and electric motors. "Power is useless without control. Sure, a lot of power is needed, but it also has to be controlled. If you give it excessive power, all that will result are four marks on the asphalt. At best, it might remain stable, but in reality it makes no sense."

BMW M will still retain certain elements designed to create a stronger connection between the driver and the vehicle. The new electric M3 will feature simulated gear shifts, although Van Meel rules out artificially reproducing the sound of older M engines. The company experimented with the M5’s V10, the M3’s V8, and even the four-cylinder engine from the iconic E30, but concluded that such sounds only work when associated with their original cars.

"It shouldn’t be some spaceship sound like Captain Kirk’s, because that would mean there’s no connection," says Van Meel regarding the specific sound BMW will develop for its electric sports car. The goal is to recreate the sensations and references that allow the driver to intuitively understand what the vehicle is doing, especially when driving on a circuit.