BMW’s eighth-generation 3-series is coming for the 2027 model year, and the company is making a curious statement with its headline number: 437 horsepower from a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six in the M350 trim. That is nearly 100 more horses than the outgoing M340i, a car that already hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds during independent testing. BMW claims 4.1 seconds for the new one, a figure that practically begs to be beaten.
The gas-powered sedan will share showroom space with an electric sibling called the i3, built on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform and boasting a claimed 440-mile range. Two very different philosophies, one nameplate. BMW is hedging its bets with the kind of precision only a Bavarian accountant could love.
Pricing is expected to start around $50,000 for the turbo-four 330 model, climbing to roughly $60,000 for the M350. That slots it right against the 2026 Audi A5 at $51,595 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class at $51,000, both of which have been refreshed recently. The Genesis G70 lurks below at $44,845, offering most of the sport-sedan experience for considerably less money.
Car and Driver drove a prototype of the M350 xDrive and came away impressed. The handling was described as planted and responsive, and the all-wheel-drive system includes a Drift Moment mode that routes all power to the rear wheels. That feature, borrowed from M car philosophy, signals BMW’s intent to make the M350 close enough to a proper M3 that casual enthusiasts may never need to step up.
Speaking of which, a full M3 will follow with both combustion and electric powertrains. BMW is not abandoning the internal combustion engine in its most profitable sedan line. It is doubling down, then parking an EV right next to it and letting the market sort things out.
Styling takes cues from the Neue Klasse concept, which means cleaner surfacing and a departure from the oversized kidney grilles that drew years of criticism. Inside, expect a wall-to-wall dashboard display. BMW is chasing the screen-obsessed crowd while trying not to alienate the driver-focused loyalists who made the 3-series what it is.
The competitive landscape has shifted since the current G20 generation launched. Audi killed the A4 name and folded its replacement into the A5 line with a liftback body. Mercedes leaned hard into luxury over sport with the W206 C-Class. Alfa Romeo’s Giulia soldiers on with charm but aging bones.
Cadillac’s CT5 competes on value but not cachet. BMW still owns the center of this segment, but nobody is standing still.
An eight-speed automatic remains the sole transmission. Manual fans lost that fight years ago. The turbo-four 330 will handle volume duties, though BMW has released no specifications for that engine yet. Rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive will both be available across the lineup.
The real tension here is between the M350 and the incoming electric i3. At an estimated $53,000, the i3 undercuts the M350 while promising that 440-mile range. BMW is essentially asking buyers to choose between two fundamentally different visions of what a sport sedan should be, and it is building both on the same generation’s watch. Whether that is confidence or indecision depends entirely on what the sales numbers look like 18 months from now.
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