We may never see a BMW iM3, M boss confirms the news

This week, BMW got everyone buzzing by trademarking “iM3,” a mix of their electric “i” and sporty “M” badges. But hold on, BMW M bigwig Frank van Meel is stepping in to quash the excitement.

Talking to Top Gear, van Meel slammed the brakes on the idea of slapping both i and M badges on one ride. “Never gonna happen!” he says, making it sound like a real-life Mission Impossible. Even if they roll out a killer electric car, it’s going to rock the M badge solo. For him, M is more than tech – it’s a vibe, a shout-out to motorsports, a burst of pure emotion. It’s not just about what’s under the hood.

But don’t get too bummed out about missing out on a high-performance electric BMW. Van Meel hints that if they decide to go electric and speedy, it won’t be called the iM3. BMW has already flexed its electric muscles with four M-badged rides – the iX M60, i4 M50, i5 M60, and the i7 M70. Plus, in 2022, they teased us with a quad-motor performance prototype that looked a lot like a 3 Series. So, while the BMW electric magic is in the works, it’s not rocking the iM3 tag.