BMW M boss: Electric M3 is petrol car’s “natural enemy”
More broadly, van Meel said the decision to simulate the power delivery of a combustion engine and gearbox is intended to make driving an electric M3 more intuitive.
“If you’re on the track, you want to know how quick you are. You need to have some pedal feel and ratios that you are comfortable with, so that you automatically know you are driving [for example] 100mph because you are in third gear, because you know the deceleration and acceleration. That’s what you want.
“You can of course copy a gearbox, and it’s already quite emotional. That’s a good idea. But we want more.”
Design reinvention
Fundamental to the design of the next M3 is “proportion”, said M division designer Michael Scully, guiding Autocar around the M concept.
“When we look at the new powertrain there are a very different set of considerations packaging-wise, and we have worked very hard to get the proportions to what our customers expect – that very classic two and a half boxes with a very agile, dynamic [stance].
“To find a proportion that works for us is the first order of business, and we have a chance to take it one step further in terms of boldness.”
Scully also hinted at a cleaner, less fussy look for future M cars. “We are reducing them down to really the performance essence of the car. There’s a reductionism which, if done intelligently, means you can get it down to what is truly necessary from a performance standpoint.
“That’s really important in racing, and we’re now approaching it the same way in our production models.”
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