As BMW heads into its Neue Klasse era (for the second time), most of its cars are adopting the new design language, technology, and electrification that comes with it. Same goes for its M division, which will begin making its transition into the Neue Klasse at 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse will make its debut and show off the brand’s design direction of the future. And woah boy, it looks good.
To be fair, if you’ve seen the new i3, the design of this M concept shouldn’t come as much of a shock. It looks pretty production-ready, and very much like an M3 based on the Neue Klasse i3. Still, I think BMW nailed it.
There are a few design elements that every M car needs, regardless of its powertrain. Even though this Neue Klasse M concept car is electric, it still needs muscular wheel arches, an angry looking front end, and cool aero bits. And this car has all of those. Its broad shoulders and flared haunches make it look powerful and athletic, it gets a twist on BMW M’s signature aerodynamic side mirrors (which I pray make production), and its sharknose front end not only looks aggressive but harkens back to Bimmers of the ’80s. And yet, it looks every bit like a Neue Klasse, blending the headlights into the kidney grilles and the past with the future.
“The new BMW M design language forms the expressive spearhead of the Neue Klasse—determined and purposeful,” says Oliver Heilmer, Head of Design BMW Compact Class, Neue Klasse and BMW M. “At BMW M, form consistently follows function. Every detail serves performance. This project is truly special to me because it carries the BMW M character into a new era.”
Since this is the M car of the future, it has to pave at least some new design paths. The “trimaran” front bumper is designed to look like the sailboats, massive air channels cool the batteries, while making it look like a race car. It even gets yellow headlights, like so many modern BMW concepts do. Similar trimaran-style air channels are at the back, giving it a floating diffuser look, and BMW calls the taillights “Track Lights,” because BMW can’t help but make up cute names for every single possible feature. Some of the aerodynamic body work is made out of natural fiber—BMW’s new composites made from natural materials—like the side mirrors, front splitter, and rear diffuser, and you can tell by their rougher looking texture.
Inside, the cabin is kept simple but with vibrant Berry Red and Bathurst Blue leather and red seatbelts. With the exterior’s Monza Red paint, it’s a very vibrant concept car. Some of the interior’s structural bits are also made of the natural fiber, which should stiffen up the car while reducing weight, but who knows if that will make production. The rest of the cabin is pretty familiar if you’ve seen the i3, and it still uses that unfortunate-looking steering wheel. The seats look as brutal as they are in the current crop of M cars, just with four-point harnesses.
With the latest Gen6 technology, the M concept has more than 100 kWh of battery capacity and 800-volt capability. According to BMW, the battery housing is structurally integrated into both the front and rear axle, and it has four electric motors, but no power or performance specs are official at this point.
BMW’s designs haven’t been stellar in recent years, and I’ve been one of its biggest critics. But the design team nailed this. The i3 already looked good but this M version is even better. It’s one of the most interesting and exciting looking BMWs in years and I can’t wait to see what it can do on the road.