BMW's Next M3 Will Have A Six-Cylinder, But It Will Be Completely Unrecognizable

 The company has been very clear about that, saying the M3 will be gas-powered for as long as possible. Now we're learning that the M3 will come with a new type of engine, and it won't be alone.

The next-generation of the M3 is expected to go on sale in two years, and there will be two versions. One powered by electricity, and one that uses "a new type of six-cylinder engine."

Dr. Mike Reichelt, the executive in charge of BMW's Neue Klasse line, spoke with Top Gear about the next-generation M3. While the focus was on the electric model, Reichelt spoke about the gas variant too.

"We’re going to make it the best M car ever dynamically," he told the magazine. "We’re also going to offer it with a new type of six-cylinder engine, because we understand it may be early for some committed M fans to make the switch."

Reichelt said that BMW is "convinced" about the capabilities of the electric M3 and its new Heart Of Joy control unit. But back that up for a moment. "A new type of six-cylinder engine" - what exactly does that mean?

The VP didn't elaborate, which has us wondering. BMW's S58 engine, the M version of the B58 inline-six used in the automaker's more standard cars, has been around since the 2019 BMW X3. Earlier versions of the S58 made 454 horsepower, and the latest and most powerful as much as 552. The B58 it is based on was introduced in the 2015 BMW 340i (it didn't have the M prefix at the time).

"New type" could mean many things, especially depending on Reichelt's internal translation. It could mean a new iteration of the S58, one modified to make a little more power and be capable of meeting the coming Euro 7 emissions rules, but that would be an evolution, not something new.             

It could also mean some sort of hybrid system. A plug-in setup, like the M5's, seems unlikely as buyers wanting that will have the choice of either the M5 or the electric M3. A mild hybrid system, using a 48V starter-generator, has already been confirmed by a BMW engineer, and would allow for more time spent engine-off to lower consumption and emissions with minimal extra weight.

Reichelt could mean a brand-new engine generation, fresh from scratch like the B58 was to the N55. That seems highly unlikely, as the push to electrification seems to be marking the end of brand-new engine development across the industry. The cost of an engine that might only live one generation is extremely prohibitive, all but ruling it out. Unless, of course, combustion sticks around well beyond the next decade.

Then, of curse, there are the completely oddball possibilities. A BMW V6 perhaps? He said "new type" and another I6 doesn't feel much like a type. BMW makes V6 designs from time to time, for internal testing, Road & Track reported a decade ago. So it's not as impossible as you might expect. The shorter engine length may be better suited to a space where an electric motor is intended to reside. On the other hand, the same report says that the company doesn't like them. "The results don't come close to meeting company noise and harshness standards."

Whatever the BMW plan, expect to see the next BMW M3 in gas, as well as quad-motor electric form, in the next couple of years.