BMW executives have hinted that the classic M3 performance sedan could be about to turn into a world-spinning, 1 MegaWatt electric beast.
As the next BMW 3 Series moves on to the BMW Group’s all-new “Neue Klasse” (or “NK”) architecture, the M3 could move to four electric motors, even as the new model sits alongside the current, gasoline-powered M3, which is scheduled to remain in production until 2030.
Hinted at by both BMW Group director of development, Dr Frank Weber, and BMW M boss, Frank van Meel, the next M3 and its M4 coupe twin will get “crazy” chassis control and suspension features to go with the astonishing performance from one motor per wheel.
The next M5, meanwhile, is much closer to market with the press launch of the all-new 5 Series already finished, and it will borrow heavily from the XM’s twin-turbo V8/plug-in hybrid powertrain.
“The next M5 is more powerful than ever before, with an M hybrid drivetrain (from the XM), and will soon available as a touring (wagon),” van Meel confirmed.
The frightening part of the sheer power output of the next M3 is that both Weber and van Meel were more excited to talk about the car’s computerized chassis control systems, dubbed “Heart of Joy”.
A core component of all NK vehicles, the Heart of Joy will be leaned on by M to deliver a more cohesive, emotional driving experience for the M3 than in current electric cars.
“This is a controller that has taken the last 20 or 30 years of our experience into a control unit. Everything that is driving-performance related, chassis-control related, propulsion-, powertrain-related is now in one integrated control unit,” Dr Weber said in a round table.
“Almost the history of how you control a vehicle that is in that thing. We do it ourselves – we don’t buy it. The software is proprietary. This is why we talk about it. We say, see, this will enable driving-dynamics functions that you will love. Some of you have an interest in ‘the ultimate driving machine’ – you will see functions that are crazy.”
It isn’t the first time BMW has tagged its chassis control unit with an optimistic tagline, because its i8 plug-in hybrid sportscar used something called the “Hand of God” to maintain its composure.
But Heart of Joy has been developed as a modular control unit to manage everything from entry-level 3 Series sedans to quad-motor systems, with up to a megaWatt of system power.
“We want to come with something where we show that NK is already very ambitious, but this is doing something far above what people are used to today,” Dr Weber said.
“This will come not too far away from the initial launch of the NK as a product line, and we’ve said we want to have it early and close to the start of production of the core model, because people want to have what M can do next also in the battery-electric world.”
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