{"id":83440,"date":"2025-09-01T08:19:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T12:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=83440"},"modified":"2025-09-01T08:19:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T12:19:04","slug":"bmw-electric-m3-spy-video-nurburgring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=83440","title":{"rendered":"BMW Spied Punishing The Electric M3 On Track: Video"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hell didn\u2019t freeze over when BMW M dipped its toes into the electric segment with the i4 M50. It\u2019ll still be scorching hot down there when the M3 of EVs arrives in 2027. Meanwhile, the \u201cZA0,\u201d as it\u2019s known within Munich, still has years of testing ahead. A new spy video shows a fully camouflaged prototype being pushed hard around the N\u00fcrburgring.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it looks heavy, but what did you expect? An M3 G80 with xDrive already tips the scales at 1,765 kilograms, even in the lighter CS specification. The electric super sedan is likely to cross the 2,000-kg threshold once you factor in a battery pack with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/02\/20\/bmw-gen6-battery-neue-klasse-ev-tech\/\">Gen6 round cells<\/a>. As for the driven wheels, it\u2019s unclear whether the test vehicle was RWD or AWD. Our money is on the former, with future versions likely to adopt xDrive by adding electric motors to the front axle for increased power.<\/p>\n<p>BMW taunted us with a quad-motor setup delivering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/03\/21\/qa-with-bmw-rd-boss-we-will-build-the-best-handling-electric-cars-in-the-world\/\">1,341 horsepower<\/a>, but the electric M3 certainly won\u2019t go that far. We\u2019ve heard the initial rear-wheel-drive variant will make roughly half that figure, packing around 670 hp. Whatever the case, the prototype appears to be impressively quick on the straights, but it remains to be seen whether it can match the agility of the G80 in the corners, given the weight penalty.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01.jpg\"><noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-504408\" title=\"2027 BMW M3 ELECTRIC ZA0 TESTING NURBURGRING 01\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-830x554.jpg\" alt=\"2027 BMW M3 ELECTRIC ZA0 TESTING NURBURGRING 01\" width=\"830\" height=\"554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-1534x1024.jpg 1534w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-medium wp-image-504408\" title=\"2027 BMW M3 ELECTRIC ZA0 TESTING NURBURGRING 01\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20830%20554%22%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-830x554.jpg\" alt=\"2027 BMW M3 ELECTRIC ZA0 TESTING NURBURGRING 01\" width=\"830\" height=\"554\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-1534x1024.jpg 1534w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-testing-nurburgring-01.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As spotted in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/08\/26\/2027-bmw-m3-electric-za0-spy-shots\/\">latest batch of spy photos<\/a>, some of the camouflage has come off the front end. BMW is now showing the test car\u2019s wide lower air intakes. The fenders remain hidden, but the pronounced arches are a clear sign this isn\u2019t a regular i3 sedan (\u201cNA0\u201d). Its low stance further suggests the prototype benefits from M trickery.<\/p>\n<p>While early reports claimed the car would be called the \u201ciM3,\u201d BMW has since confirmed that won\u2019t be the case. Instead, the high-performance sports sedan is expected to carry the familiar \u201cM3\u201d badge. That would be a bold move, considering another gas-powered M3 is planned. We\u2019re talking about the \u201cG84,\u201d due in 2028 with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/10\/25\/g84-bmw-m3-will-enter-production-in-july-2028\/\">inline-six<\/a>, a year after the potent EV.<\/p>\n<p>Sticking with the traditional moniker for the electric version would signal BMW\u2019s confidence that the car will be an M3 first and an electric vehicle second. By not separating the ICE from the EV, the M division is effectively saying the latter can live up to the legend of the former. The traditional M3 celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, having debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show. The seventh-generation model is likely to be the last with a gas engine.<\/p>\n<p>Video: CarSpyMedia \/ YouTube<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2027 BMW M3 EV Prototype Caught Endurance Testing Electric Platform ZA0 BMW iM3 At The N\u00fcrburgring\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vF-YWuHqSCM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hell didn\u2019t freeze over when BMW M dipped its toes into the electric segment with the i4 M50. It\u2019ll still be scorching hot down there when the M3 of EVs arrives in 2027. Meanwhile, the \u201cZA0,\u201d as it\u2019s known within Munich, still has years of testing ahead. A new spy video shows a fully camouflaged [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83441,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=83440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/83441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=83440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=83440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=83440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}