Would Never Use ‘I’ On An ‘M’: BMW M Division CEO Denies Trademark Rumours | Full Story

German luxury car manufacturer BMW was recently rumoured to trademark a new name in Europe for a performance oriented electric car, ‘iM3’. This rumour suggested that BMW might be working on a performance oriented electric car as part of their performance-focused M division. However, Frank van Meel, CEO, BMW M Division has cleared up all these rumours saying, “We would never use an i on an M”, reported Top Gear. 

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Talking about the usage of the name ‘iM3’ for an electrified version of BMW MW, Frank van Meel said, “Because an M3 had a four-cylinder, six-cylinder, eight-cylinder engine; naturally aspirated, turbocharged ones. Now it’s even got an xDrive, but it always remained an M3. So if we would ever do something like that, it will always be called an M without an i. Because that’s just technology, and M is not about technology. It’s about a promise, it’s about motorsports, it’s about emotion. It’s not about the drivetrain.” 

However, in July 2023, Frank van Meel, CEO, BMW M Division hinted at the idea of making the next-gen M3 and M4 all-electric. The BMW M Division aims at making these EV counterparts more powerful than their conventional ICE siblings. The BMW M3 is a renowned performance car offered by the German car manufacturer, so going all-electric could make sense from  a business point of view. However, a challenging factor in the development of these electric cars is the incorporation of heavy battery packs as they could mess with the performance and handling of the car. 

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BMW has not disclosed any information about this electrified M3 officially but when asked about the development of the alleged ‘electric M3’, Frank van Meel said, “Always dreaming about a car like that but for now, it’s a no. It’s in our hearts, it’s in our minds. As car guys and car girls, we’re always thinking and trying out cars like that. But I cannot say yes to you.”