BMW has officially canceled plans for a four-cylinder M3.

      The first BMW M3 made its debut in 1986, featuring a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine housed within its modified body. It later transitioned to a straight-six engine in its second and third generations and then adopted a V8 for its fourth generation, before reverting back to the turbocharged straight-six that has powered it ever since. The upcoming M3 is on the horizon, and BMW has stated it will not follow the trend of downsizing, as a four-cylinder would not perform well on the track.

      "We are going electric, but we will maintain our six-cylinder inline engine for the next M3," confirmed BMW M chief Frank Van Meel during a recent roundtable meeting. His statement put to rest years of speculation regarding the powertrain for the next M3, especially following Mercedes-AMG's introduction of a hybrid system utilizing a turbocharged four-cylinder in the C63.

      Despite delivering 670 horsepower and 725 pound-feet of torque, the new C63 has not garnered unanimous acclaim among enthusiasts. It's worth noting that the previous generation was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Although that model was less powerful, it was lighter and many believe it had a more appealing sound. However, according to Van Meel, those factors did not influence BMW M's choice to diverge from its competitor's path. The decision is primarily based on the M3’s track performance.

      "The six-cylinder, like the V8, is an iconic engine that perfectly complements the M3 regarding weight distribution, power output, and dynamics," Van Meel explained during the discussion, as reported by Australian site Drive. "We always explore various concepts. When considering downsizing, it's also about performance on the track. Maintaining consistent performance makes downsizing to a four-cylinder challenging, especially since the M3 frequently operates on tracks, which eliminated that option."

      Thus, it will be the powerful straight-six engine. While Van Meel did not explicitly express his opinion on AMG’s choice to reduce the C63's engine displacement by half in favor of an electric motor, he referenced a Dutch proverb suggesting he isn't particularly fond of the idea. "If you’re on the sea, you shouldn’t follow the beacon of other ships. You should navigate by looking at the stars, as it helps you avoid crashing on the shore."

      Notably, BMW has also announced it will offer an electric version of the next M3, aligning with its strategy to provide both gasoline and electric variants of the same model. The 7 Series has an electric counterpart called the i7, the 5 Series is available as the i5 EV, and the electric 4 Series Gran Coupe can be ordered as the i4. The electric M3 (iM3?) will be sold alongside the straight-six variant, although unverified reports suggest that the next-generation M4 will only be available as an EV.

      More information about both versions of the next M3 will be revealed in the upcoming months.

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