Electrification in the autmotive market has opened up a new frontier for automakers with the firms racing to outdo each other when it comes to horsepower and raw performance. BMW is one of the names fighting for attention in this category with its upcoming M3 EV promising to rewrite the performance script.

A new report reveals that while the M3 EV will be more powerful than the current gasoline powered model, it will also display a remarkable degree of restraint, and not go overboard in its attempts to nab the EV performance throne.

M3 EV promises to be sharper and better than ever

On the surface, the all-electric M3 promises to bring plenty of firepower to the EV wars. BMW recently announced all of its electrified M cars will have four electric motors and the M3 will be one of those offerings. The setup will allow the car to have all-wheel drive while also allowing drivers to decouple the first two motors to achieve rear-wheel drive.

However, according to a recent interview that the folks at Bimmer Today had with M chief Frank van Meel it appears BMW is also aware of the need for restraint in its power seeking ambitions. The exec revealed that while he thinks the powertrain could unleash a megawatt of power, he also acknowledged there are some prominent cons to this plan of attack.

“If I put over a megawatt of power into a car, then I can accelerate a few times, but the temperature will start to rise and become an issue. That means that everything collapses after that and you can’t install that much cooling. We have to consider the overall concept and realize it’s not just about reaching certain figures; it is not sustainable. You definitely don’t need 1,000 hp or more.”

This acknowledgement appears to confirm engineers have already explored the possible consequences of going down this route and determined that they all were simply too much to overcome. However, while the exec stopped short of saying its final horsepower number, van Meel did say the EV would be more powerful than the gas version.

How much power would an M3 EV make?

With van Meel seemingly confirming the new M3 will not make a 1,000 hp, the next question is just how much power could it make? To try and answer that we need to go back into the current M3 for a baseline number. The most powerful ICE model currently is the M3 CS which makes 543 hp. With that number as the benchmark, it’s safe to assume the EV will try and potentially make around 800 to 900 hp. These figures would make the most sense due to the quad-motor layout.

In addition, BMW wants to make the EV inviting to most drivers and dialing back the power will also help make the EV an approachable driving experience especially for those that might be new to the EV experience and want to gradually learn all of the M3’s quirks.

When will it make its debut?

While there are still more questions that need to be answered about the M3 EV, the wait for these answers won’t be long with the model currently scheduled to go on sale next year. Look for the model to be teased over the next few months as more information slowly begins to trickle out.

However it will not be alone with Frank van Meel also confirming the gasoline powered M3 will live on and also get a new generation. This particular move is a smart long-term play since it not only allows BMW to cater to loyalists, but also provide flexibility in a changing market where EV demand has slid in some regions.

In addition to broadening the sales reach, the gasoline powered M3 will also allow BMW to cash in on updates it made to the S58 inline-six engine powering the current car. Tightening European gas regulations forced the company to add pre-chamber ignition technology to help it comply which also helped secure the future of not only the M3, but also the M2 and M4 with those latter models using the same engine.

It’s also a contingency plan too in the event the M3 EV is a sales flop with the gasoline model poised to pick up the slack if BMW stops production of the EV.