Good news, petrolheads BMW isn’t ditching the combustion M3 just yet. While the Bavarian marque pushes further into the electrification game, it’s holding onto what we all love: a fire-breathing, turbocharged straight-six. Yes, the next-generation M3 will still have the twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline-six that’s become a hallmark of BMW’s performance division, and it’ll be sold right alongside an all-electric M3. Both versions have been officially confirmed for production.

With BMW’s shift toward electric mobility, enthusiasts have long worried that the combustion-powered M3 would be on borrowed time. But Frank van Meel, head of BMW M, put those fears to rest in a recent interview with Bimmer Today. He stated that as long as there’s demand, BMW will keep the six-cylinder alive. “We’ll keep the six-cylinder combustion engine running for as long as possible,” van Meel explained, adding that engineers are already hard at work certifying it for the stringent Euro 7 emissions regulations. As long as the customers keep clamouring for it, BMW won’t be pulling the plug.

What does this mean for the future of the M3? For one, it’ll be a fascinating mix of old-school combustion thrills and cutting-edge electric power. BMW is working on an electric M3 that will use its Neue Klasse platform a modular, EV-focused architecture. The electric M3 is rumored to come with four motors and could pack as much as 986 kW (1,341 PS), which would make it faster than its petrol-powered sibling. But here’s the thing: numbers alone aren’t going to kill the straight-six.

Van Meel made it clear: if the customers still want the combustion engine, they’ll get it. “Even if an electric M3 is significantly faster than today’s combustion engine version, if the customers still want a petrol engine, we won’t take that option away from them,” he emphasized. 

The takeaway? It’s all up to the fans of the M3. If they want to keep the petrol flowing, they’ll need to speak with their wallets.

Now, don’t expect either version to land in showrooms tomorrow. The next-generation M3 whether electric or combustion is still a few years away. BMW’s first Neue Klasse model will debut next year, but the M3 variants won’t be arriving until 2027 or 2028 at the earliest. Still, for die-hard enthusiasts, the thought of having both a petrol-powered straight-six and a blistering electric M3 to choose from is a tantalising one.