When the BMW Group’s design manager, Adrian van Hooydonk, would be difficult to distinguish us future gas and electric cars, he was not joked. Fresh spy shots in the Nürburgring show what could be either the next 3 series sedan or the i3. The lack of a visible exhaust tip could lead to some people believe that the car is electrical, but that is not necessarily true. Only the M350 and M3 have visible exhaust tips, so that the smaller models hide them under the bumper.
When the new 3 and i3 were tested together, we could say them apart. The EV seemed to have a flatter belt line than the ice. The two may also have different quarter of glass windows. However, you can never be too safe about prototypes because camouflage can be deceptive. The i3 “Na0” seemed to have a shorter front end. This makes us believe that the new spy shots represent a 3 “G50” in non-m performance guise.
When we interviewed Adrian van Hooydonk at the beginning of the year, he told us that the main difference on the front would be noticeable. Full electrical models have a shorter nose, while the gas cars retain the extended front section for burning engines. BMW has already confirmed the M3 “G84” with an inline six. Logic tells us that the 3 Series M350 will probably also have six cylinders. The dynamic duo needs space under the bonnet to reach a 3.0-liter engine. Expect in the i3 to find a front case instead.
Speaking of M lite, Car Paparazzi also saw it this week during training on Fitness studio. The M350 will probably be available from the first day with the eighth generation 3 Series. The “G50” is scheduled to enter production in November 2026 in Dingolfing. The purely electric “Na0” will hit the assembly line in Munich a few months earlier. Fat versions of both cars will follow later in the life cycle.
[Photos: Baldauf]
