Are you ready for a BMW electric performance car? Trademark filings in Europe suggest to us that it’s on the way, and that it might be called the iM3.
Filings with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) show that BMW has applied for the iM3 trademark. We were unable to locate similar filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Furthermore, the European applications are listed as pending, so it seems nothing is set in stone yet. We’ve reached out to BMW for more information and will update if we hear back.
It’s certainly no secret that electric M products are in the pipeline. In July of this year, BMW M boss Frank van Meel expressed interest in making the next-generation M3 and M4 all-electric – provided they could surpass the performance metrics of the current lineup. From a straight-line thrust standpoint, that shouldn’t be a problem, but the M3 didn’t earn its stripes by being a horsepower monster. Heavy battery packs can take a toll on handling, lest we forget BMW’s recent excursion up Pikes Peak in the 6,000-pound XM that didn’t go according to plan.
Of course, the M3 isn’t a bulky SUV. The next generation will utilize BMW’s New Class architecture, which so far has been presented in a smaller package with a minimalist design language. It’s a stark departure from BMW’s current direction, and it’s also important to note that a future iM3 may not be the only M3 at dealerships. As our colleagues at InsideEVs reported in September, an all-electric M3 could arrive in 2027 and be sold alongside an internal-combustion version.
