BMW X3 M won’t have a direct successor

Just 10 days after Australian pricing and specification details of the new 2025 BMW X3 line-up were announced, an unconfirmed report out of Europe has suggested the rabid X3 M will not be returning for another generation.

That’s the word from BMW Blog, which claims the combustion-powered X3 M will eventually be replaced by a battery-electric iX3 M underpinned by BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse platform, as opposed to another force-fed straight-six.

BMW Blog admits nothing has been confirmed officially by the German car-maker so far, but says that’s the indication it has received from its sources – which is a direct contradiction to recent leaks posted to the Bimmerpost forum site, which claims “there will still be X3 M”.

However, both BMW enthusiast sites agree there’s a ‘ZA5’ iX3 M on the way, but neither has a timeline for when the model might surface.

If a petrol-powered X3 M doesn’t end up materialising, the M50 xDrive version of the bigger new upcoming BMW X3 will be the most powerful and expensive combustion-powered X3 customers will be able to buy for the foreseeable future, if not for good.

BMW revealed its Vision Neue Klasse X concept in the first quarter of this year as a preview of the next-generation iX3, which is tipped to be the first model based on the new platform.

High-performance M variants traditionally follow core new models by around 12-24 months, which means we probably won’t see the iX3 M until roughly 2027 – quite possibly with a svelte iX4 M in tow, given the mid-size fastback SUV range is reportedly going all-electric in its next generation.

None of our own sources at BMW could further the plot on any front, though it’s safe to assume that future M EVs will be offered Down Under, given Australia is one of the world’s biggest performance vehicle markets –both for BMW as well as Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

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