BMW M Concept Neue Klasse Is A Close Preview Of The 1,000-HP Electric M3

Whether you're excited about innovation or weary about the world moving on without you, BMW's upcoming electric M3 is probably one of the most anticipated cars to come from the Bavarian automaker in a very, very long time. We've seen it testing in the snow and running laps around the Nürburgring, but it has always been heavily camouflaged. Now, we're getting our first look at what BMW's 1,000-horsepower electric monster is really going to look like. The automaker just pulled the covers off the M Concept Neue Klasse at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and it's meant to be a preview of a new design direction for M cars going forward. In a word, it looks sick.

I will say that the M Concept Neue Klasse is far more than just a preview of a design language, though. Leaked images of the upcoming electric M3's front end have been floating around for quite a while now, and it looks really damn similar. It's a pretty safe bet that the rest of the new M3 will look like the concept (other than the funky sideview mirrors and some other small details). It might not be a look that is to everyone's liking, but to me, it looks a hell of a lot better than the current M3 and M4. The shark nose of the Neue Klasse works incredibly well on the regular i3, and that's no different here.

BMW says that function is paramount over form when it comes to the M Concept Neue Klasse, and every detail of the car's design is meant to serve performance. Like all of the latest M cars, it has incredibly aggressive proportions, especially for a sedan, with a high shoulder line and wide wheel arches that are nearly reminiscent of a modern take on the Alfa Romeo SZ if it were good-looking — especially in the Monza Red paint BMW came up with for the concept.

One of the funkiest parts of the M Concept Neue Klasse is undoubtedly its air outlet, which fits neatly into the "V" on the hood. Leaked photos show that element is something pulled directly from the production car, too. Below that, you've got the ever-aggressive shark nose, kidney grilles and BMW's new lighting signature with yellow LEDs. BMW says they're going to become a "signature feature" of future BMW M cars as a reference to GT racing, also paying homage to the BMW M Hybrid V8 Le Mans racer.

BMW

The M Concept Neue Klasse also gets something I've never seen before — what BMW is calling a "trimaran-style bumper" that's meant to look like a high-speed multihull sailboat. I like boats, so this speaks to me in a very deep way. That bumper is bookended by two "Track Lights" on either side of the car that are sort of like fog lights, but not quite. Again, it might not be to everyone's taste, but it'll probably be a reprieve for folks who complained that M cars were getting too busy in the styling department.

BMW

Those track lights are mirrored in the back of the M Concept Neue Klasse, as is the trimaran bumper. Both are situated about a large diffuser and help frame the looooong taillights and split ducktail spoiler on the truck lid. The spoiler, BMW says, is meant to improve aero, increase downforce for the rear axle, and just be something cool to look at. It's hard to argue with the results.

While leaks have given us an idea of what the electric M3 will look like, the interior has been a bit of a mystery. We know it'll pull from the new i3, so it's no shock that the M Concept Neue Klasse does exactly that as well. It has the same trapezoidal center infotainment screen and panoramic driver's display we've seen in other Neue Klass vehicles, but BMW says this rig is far more driver-focused. There's not much in the way of distractions on the center console or doors, and everything is pointed toward the driver.

BMW

The seats are also pretty damn aggressive, not that BMW isn't used to doing that sort of thing. It developed new bucket seats for the M Concept Neue Klasse, finished in Bathurst Blue and Berry Red leather. They're all fitted with red five-point safety belts, which I've got a feeling won't make it to the production car.

BMW

There are plenty of other bright red accents, as well — on the bespoke gear shifter, steering wheel, shift paddles and in the digital displays. It's also the first M vehicle to get nubuck leather, which wraps the steering wheel, door panels and roll bar. However, you won't find it on the floating dashboard, which is finished in a black knit material and is backlit with a funky hexagonal pattern.

BMW

So, now we know — for the most part — what the next M3 is going to look like inside and out. The only thing we don't know for sure is how much power it'll have and how good it'll be to drive. Like the M3, BMW says the M Concept Neue Klasse makes use of an 800-volt platform with a battery pack larger than 100 kWh, but it stops short of saying what its power numbers are. We do know that it will have four motors, one for each wheel, with a total output exceeding 1,000 horsepower. It's an exciting time if you're into fast, cool cars and you aren't distracted by people who think every car should have 192 hp and a manual transmission. And, if you're annoying, BMW is still planning to sell you an inline-six-powered M3, anyway.