BMW M has officially passed a major milestone, with the performance division producing its one-millionth vehicle — and fittingly, the milestone car is an M3.
The landmark vehicle was completed at BMW Group Plant Munich, BMW’s main production facility, and finished in the distinctive BMW Individual Fire Orange III paintwork. The car was formally handed over by plant director Peter Weber to BMW M GmbH CEO Franciscus van Meel.
For BMW M, the milestone represents more than just a production figure. It comes roughly four decades after the original M3 first entered the market and highlights how the brand’s combination of motorsport-inspired performance and everyday usability has remained central to its appeal.
Van Meel described this balance as a defining part of BMW M, noting that the brand continues to develop high-performance road cars while preparing for the next phase of its technology strategy.
Munich to Build the Electric M3
That next chapter is set to arrive in the form of an all-electric BMW M3.
BMW has confirmed that Plant Munich will begin producing the fully electric M3 from 2027, with the model becoming the first dedicated BMW M performance car based on the company’s Neue Klasse technology.
The upcoming EV is expected to represent a major technological shift for BMW M, although the company has yet to reveal the full production specifications.
BMW has, however, continued testing development prototypes and released another look at the heavily camouflaged electric M3.
Production Design Takes Shape
The latest prototype appears considerably closer to the production version compared with earlier concept imagery.
Its overall proportions remain closely related to the BMW M Concept Neue Klasse, including the distinctive front-end treatment, trimaran-inspired design elements and squared-off fog-light styling.
The prototype also retains the bonnet vent and the characteristic amber elements within its headlights. The wheels appear to follow the concept’s design language as well, although the production car does away with the concept’s centre-lock wheel setup.
At the rear, BMW appears to have taken a more restrained approach. The prototype features a less aggressive lower diffuser area and replaces the concept’s prominent ducktail spoiler with a smaller black lip spoiler designed to provide additional rear downforce.
The Petrol M3 Isn’t Going Anywhere Yet
While BMW M is clearly preparing for an electric future, enthusiasts who still want a conventional powertrain will not be left behind.
BMW M has confirmed that a petrol-powered M3 featuring the brand’s familiar inline-six engine will continue alongside the new electric performance model.
This means the next-generation M3 lineup could offer two distinctly different approaches to performance — one continuing BMW M’s traditional combustion-engine formula, and another using Neue Klasse technology to deliver an entirely electric interpretation of the M3.
With the first electric M3 scheduled to enter production in 2027, BMW M’s million-car milestone marks the end of one chapter while setting the stage for what could be its biggest transformation yet.
