Well, this is inevitable. With the EU banning combustion engines by 2035, it’s unsurprising that even the most iconic performance sedan – the BMW M3 – will reportedly tread a path to full electrification.

BMW M boss Frank van Meel told Autocar, “Maybe it will go electric – but if it does, it will always be an M3. Whatever the powertrain, you should always be able to drive our cars and know they are M cars. We have stood the test of time for 50 years and will continue to do so.”

“We’ve just been talking to customers and the feedback is that 90-95% don’t care what direction we take on powertrain. They just want an M car. Yes, some say that if we don’t do V8s, they’re out but that’s okay: I respect that,” said van Meel.

Also read: All-new G80 BMW M3 Competition introduced in Malaysia; 510 PS/650 Nm, from RM 664k

The G20-generation BMW 3 Series, and implicitly the BMW M3, are expected to reach the end of its lifecycle by 2025 or so. The next-generation BMW 3 Series will reportedly go by the ‘NK1’ designation and will be the first to utilize the Neue Klasse EV platform.

Not much is known about the Neue Klasse platform, but it has been hinted that it will be an 800 V architecture and will debut BMW’s sixth-generation electric drivetrain, available in either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD).

Also read: BMW shifts focus off the beaver grille, reveals the first-ever G81 2022 BMW M3 Touring

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse says the company plans to sell a total of 2 million battery-electric vehicles (BEV) by 2025 and expects half of the company’s sales will be BEVs by 2030.

Also read: Confirmed: EU signs law for complete ban on engines by 2035, used cars next to be killed