BMW Builds Its Millionth M Car, Teases Electric M3

Big week in M world. BMW rolled its one-millionth M car off the Munich line, the electric M3 shed another layer of camo, and Bimmerpost is already arguing about whether the G80 will be remembered as the last "real" manual M3. If you've been off the forums the last few days, here's what you missed and why it matters for the cars we actually work on.

One Million M Cars and Counting

On September 18th, BMW built its one-millionth M car at the Munich plant — fittingly, a G80 M3 Competition xDrive finished in BMW Individual Fire Orange III. It's a nice bookend: the M division's bestseller in its hottest color, rolling off the same line that birthed the original E30 M3 back in 1986. BMW's own M division marked the milestone with a retrospective on four decades of M history, and BMWBLOG has the full build details if you want the deep cut.

Worth noting for G8X owners: xDrive has clearly become the default M3 configuration, not the exception. If your Competition xDrive is still running factory suspension and brakes, our G80/G82/G83 M3 & M4 parts hub is the fastest way to see what actually moves the needle on the car BMW just used for its victory lap.

The Electric M3 Sheds More Camo

BMW also dropped new teaser shots of the electric M3 (internally the ZA0), and it's starting to look like a production car rather than a concept. Per BMWBLOG's breakdown of the latest reveal, the production ZA0 stays close to the M Concept Neue Klasse shown earlier this year — bulging fenders, squared-off lighting, and a stance that's clearly aggressive even under wrap. Four motors and serious power are expected, with a 2027 reveal targeted.

The interesting part isn't the car itself, it's the plan around it: the electric M3 and the next gas-powered M3 (G84) will be built at two different plants and sold side by side, not as a straight replacement.

What Happens to the Gas-Powered G84 M3

That brings us to the G84 — the next generation of the traditional inline-six M3. Reporting this week suggests it could land as xDrive- and automatic-only, which would be a first for the nameplate. Bimmerpost's enthusiast crowd has not taken that quietly. A few things to track as more leaks surface:

• Powertrain: Expect the S58 to carry over in updated, 48-volt mild-hybrid form rather than a clean-sheet engine.
• Drivetrain: xDrive looking like the only box to check — rumors of a rear-wheel-drive-only manual variant have cooled considerably.
• Timing: Current chatter points to a 2028 model year, assembled separately from the electric ZA0.
• Positioning: BMW appears to be pitching the ZA0 as the flagship and the G84 as the choice for buyers not ready to go electric — not the other way around.

Bimmerpost Weighs In: Is G80 the Last Manual M3?

The thread generating the most pages this week is "Is the 2027 G80 M3 the Last Manual M3?" over on the G80/G82 forum. The consensus forming there isn't optimistic: most posters think the manual's days are numbered once G84 shifts to a hybrid platform, and more than a few are saying the current G80 manual is the one to buy and keep if you want the full experience. There's also a related thread digging into whether BMW ever seriously considered a rear-drive-only manual for G84, and the short answer from longtime members is "technically possible, commercially unlikely."

If that thread has you reconsidering keeping your G80/G82 stock-spec manual for the long haul instead of flipping it, it's worth getting the car dialed in properly rather than half-modifying it — our G8X suspension lineup covers everything from a mild spring-and-sway setup to full coilovers if you're planning to keep this one.

Our Take

None of this changes anything for G8X, F8X, or E9X owners this week — your cars aren't getting any less analog. But the milestone build and the manual-transmission debate are a good reminder that the window on buying (or keeping) a traditional, driver-focused M3 is visibly closing. If you're sitting on the fence about a build versus a trade-in, this is the news cycle that should tip you toward building the car you have.

FAQ

Is the electric M3 replacing the gas M3?
Not directly — BMW plans to sell the electric ZA0 and the gas-powered G84 side by side, built at separate plants, rather than retiring the combustion M3 outright.

Will the G84 M3 still offer a manual transmission?
Current reporting and Bimmerpost chatter both point toward xDrive- and automatic-only for G84, though nothing is confirmed until BMW's official announcement.

What car was BMW's one-millionth M vehicle?
A BMW G80 M3 Competition xDrive finished in BMW Individual Fire Orange III, built in Munich on September 18th.

When will the electric M3 launch?
BMW is targeting a 2027 reveal for the production electric M3 (ZA0), with the next-generation gas M3 (G84) expected to follow in 2028.

Still running a G8X M3 or M4 the old-fashioned way? Browse our full BMW M parts catalog and build the one you'll actually want to keep.