BMW M is preparing for one of the most significant transitions in its history. From 2027, the BMW M Neue Klasse will redefine what a high-performance M car can be, this time without an internal combustion engine. Built on the Neue Klasse modular architecture, BMW M’s first fully electric performance model aims to deliver true racetrack capability, everyday usability, and emotional driving character.
According to BMW M Managing Director Franciscus van Meel, the goal is clear: establish a new benchmark for electric high-performance vehicles while staying true to BMW M’s core identity, “Born on the racetrack. Made for the streets.”
What is BMW M eDrive?
At the heart of the BMW M Neue Klasse lies BMW M eDrive, based on BMW’s sixth-generation electric architecture. Each axle houses two electric drive units, with one motor per wheel, allowing completely independent torque control.
This wheel-specific power delivery enables unprecedented traction management, stability, and responsiveness at the limit. The front axle can also be fully decoupled, allowing the car to operate as a pure rear-wheel-drive M car when efficiency or range is prioritised.
The result is a drivetrain that blends the character of classic rear-wheel-drive BMW M models with the grip and control advantages of all-wheel drive—without mechanical compromises.
BMW M Dynamic Performance Control
Central to the Neue Klasse’s dynamic behaviour is BMW M Dynamic Performance Control, managed by BMW’s new high-speed control software known internally as the “Heart of Joy.”
This system continuously coordinates:
- Individual wheel torque delivery
- Electro-hydraulic braking intervention
- Energy recuperation from each motor
BMW claims this allows optimum traction right up to the handling limit while enabling some of the highest recuperation levels ever achieved in a BMW M production vehicle. The electric motors themselves feature extremely high power density, making them the most powerful drive units BMW M has ever deployed in a road-legal car.
High-Voltage Battery: Designed for Track Abuse
Powering the BMW M eDrive system is a performance-optimised high-voltage battery exceeding 100 kWh in capacity. Unlike standard EV batteries focused primarily on range, this unit follows a “design-to-power” philosophy.
Key highlights include:
- Revised cell chemistry for sustained high output
- Advanced cooling systems optimised for higher currents
- Structural battery housing integrated into the vehicle chassis
BMW also confirms 800-volt architecture, enabling ultra-fast charging and consistent performance during repeated high-load driving sessions, critical for track-focused M models.
Centralised Electronics and ‘Superbrains’
The BMW M Neue Klasse benefits from the brand’s new, simplified electronics architecture. Instead of overlapping control systems, computing power is consolidated into four high-performance computers, or “Superbrains.”
Each Superbrain is responsible for a core domain:
- Driving dynamics
- Automated driving
- Infotainment
- Comfort and basic vehicle functions
This structure allows faster data exchange, more responsive vehicle behaviour, and significantly quicker over-the-air software updates, an important factor for future performance upgrades and driving mode enhancements.
Driving Experience: Emotion in an Electric M Car
To ensure the Neue Klasse still feels like a true BMW M, engineers have developed predefined driving modes, emulated gear shifts, and a bespoke soundscape tailored specifically for electric M performance.
These systems are designed to preserve the emotional connection traditionally associated with M cars, translating throttle inputs, load changes, and vehicle dynamics into feedback that drivers can feel and understand, on both road and racetrack.
Lightweight Construction and Natural Fibre Innovation
Weight reduction remains a core BMW M principle, even in the electric era. For the first time, BMW M will introduce natural fibre composite elements in its high-performance EV lineup.
Developed through years of motorsport testing since 2019, this material offers structural properties similar to carbon fibre while reducing CO₂e emissions by approximately 40 per cent during production.
What the BMW M Neue Klasse Represents
The BMW M Neue Klasse is designed as the new reference point for M performance. With four-motor torque vectoring, a track-ready battery system, rear-drive flexibility, and advanced control software, BMW M is aiming to prove that electrification can elevate, rather than dilute, driving engagement.
