The BMW M3 is Set to Go Hybrid, and I’m Set to Get Onboard

The latest hot news hitting the paper mill is from BMW with their plans to further develop the BMW M3 to include a hybrid powertrain. The move towards greening up the world’s roads, has the M3 targeted by BMW for an engineering overhaul to include electric power.

The high performance M3 is enormously admired, with many purists out there who don’t like to see the original “Ultimate Driving Machine” tinkered. However despite this, the M3 has gone through many editions, beginning with its debut model in 2007 that was built with a 4 cylinder, the second and third generation models received a V6, the fourth gen was fitted with a V8, whereby this final model is likely to go back to a V6 with and either one or two electric motors.

The plug-in hybrid is expected to feature technology gleaned from BMW’s i division, that includes the pure electric i3 city car and the hybrid i8 supercar, along with similar carbon fiber materials used in the body frame of the 7 Series. Thus possessing two powertrains and made of lightweight materials, the new M3 is set to astonish. The combined motors will provide approximately 73 foot-pounds of additional torque to make a combined 480, that is likely to deliver over 500 hp, a jump from 75 hp in the current model.

In normal driving conditions the V6 petrol engine will power the rear wheels, and the electric motor will jump into action boosting the front wheels when additional power is selected. While the all electric driving range will cut short within just 32 kilometers, it is intended to be used in symbiosis with the V6 engine to considerably reduce the car’s overall fuel consumptions, which it will, to as little as 17 mpg in city driving. But don’t get too excited, this car is not expected to hit the market until 2020, and that’s one long wait for a very cool car.