BMW Just Parked Its Electric M3 Concept Next to an E30 M3
by Horatiu Boeriu · BMWBLOGArticle Summary
- New photos pair the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse with an original E30 M3, both cars finished in red.
- The concept wears Monza Red metallic; the E30 wears the period-correct Cinebar Red.
- The concept previews the ZA0, BMW's electric M3 confirmed for a 2027 launch.
BMW put its electric M3 concept next to an original E30 M3 for a new set of photos, and it’s not a subtle flex. Nothing about the M Concept Neue Klasse itself has changed since it debuted at Le Mans back in June. What’s new is the photo set, and the standout shots are the ones with an E30 M3 parked next to it. Both cars are red, though not the same red. The concept wears a new Monza Red metallic, while the E30 is in Cinebar Red, a shade that’s been in BMW’s catalog since the 1980s.
Why The E30 M3 Next To An Electric M Concept
That’s really the whole story here, but it’s worth a reminder of what the arches are copying. The E30 M3 got its flares because the WRC-homologated bodywork needed to cover wider tires, and the shape became one of the most recognizable things about the car. The Concept Neue Klasse’s arches do the same job on a much wider body, and BMW leaned into the reference hard enough that it’s the first thing most people notice in these photos, before the shark nose, before the ducktail spoiler, before the black cross-spoke wheels that are a clear reworking of the E30’s own BBS design.
The rest of the concept’s details are worth a quick recap, since a lot of readers are seeing this car for the first time. It’s built on the platform underneath the upcoming i3 Neue Klasse sedan, but widened at both axles and fitted with a V-shaped vent where the i3’s front trunk would sit, there to cool the hardware BMW hasn’t fully detailed yet.
The Heart of Joy At The Center Of All
That hardware includes up to four electric motors, an 800-volt architecture, and BMW’s “Heart of Joy” control software, though the company still hasn’t published output or range numbers. The center-lock wheels are coded red on one side and blue on the other, a GT3 reference rather than an E30 one, and the double yellow accent lights are borrowed from the M Hybrid V8 endurance racer.
Inside, it’s four bucket seats in Bathurst Blue and Berry Red Merino leather, red five-point harnesses, and black nubuck leather on the wheel, door panels, and roll bar, which BMW says is a first for an M car. The dashboard is trimmed in black knit fabric with hexagonal backlighting, and the gauge cluster sits in front of the driver rather than getting absorbed into one giant screen. All of it was already known from the June reveal.
But don’t worry BMW enthusiasts, the gas-powered M3 isn’t going anywhere. A new generation with the G84 chassis code is still expected around 2028, a year or so after the electric ZA0 arrives. For now, the concept’s job is just to make people look at the arches and think of 1986.
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