Can you imagine a time when a plug-in hybrid model will be the top of the performance lineup for BMW? It’s on the way but I wonder why. BMW has offered their sedans as awesome and athletic cars for all to fully enjoy the ride for many years. The M3 and M4 have been the standard by which other automakers measure their luxury performance sedans, so why would they mess with this system?
In an to continue to build their models and be at the forefront of every advancement in engineering and system improvements the 3-Series and 4-Series are scheduled for upgrades in three or four years anyway. The plan in place to offer a wider track, longer wheel base, lighter weight and find more performance at the top in order to move forward with the current project that already has the i3 and i8 out on the streets showing us what the imagination can do.
This plug-in hybrid drivetrain for a performance laden BMW is expected to offer the features to build on. The current plans are to have a car that will be able to run about twenty miles on a single charge. That in itself isn’t that impressive because we already have other plug-ins that go much farther and of course there is the Tesla Model S that would laugh at the meager 20 miles.
Even though it sounds like a small distance for the all-electric offering the fact that the M3 plug in would get a huge increase in power will make perfect sense for this car. The M3 has been the standard for the luxury sport sedans and if BMW wants to continue this charge they must do something to keep the power going up. Adding a V8 doesn’t seem reasonable in a car of this size, but the addition of one or more electric motors can do for the M3 what we have already witnessed on a top performer like the Porsche 918.
This has been the way automotive technology has gone for years. Once you pull the juice you can from a supercharged or turbocharged engine you either have to get a bigger engine or find an alternative way to add more power. By adding power with one or more electric motor the M3 can be made lighter by using carbon-fiber parts to offset the weight and give the car a balance that is much better than the current version.
As an early rumor on what BMW is going to be doing this is actually exciting news. Other announcements coming from BMW include using a fabric top on the convertible M4, adding a water injection system that has already debuted on the 1 Series and a new hybrid powertrain that will be in a new pair of vehicles called the i5 and i7 to go with the current i3 and i8. BMW is certainly not sitting back on its success and just watching reactions but instead is moving forward and bringing us more of what we want and more of what the automotive industry is ready to have.
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