It seems BMW is thinking about fun in an electric future. Consider us intrigued.
Showing off a truly wild performance sedan with - and we'll type it again here so you know it wasn't a typo - 13,269(!) lb-ft of torque, BMW is pushing the limits of traction with a vehicle that looks a bit M3 shaped to our eye. Based on the Neue Klasse concept shown off at the Munich Auto Show in late 2023, this new version seems to have a working chassis underneath, and boy does it want to play.
BMW says this concept is to showcase driving pleasure "up to the physical limits" and not destined for production (booo) but we're excited nonetheless because this car signals that BMW is exploring what fun means, and the driving dynamics to power it, which is something that we think EVs need much more of.
So what exactly is the "Heart of Joy"? Well it's a little black box that contains drivetrain and driving dynamics management technology. It controls the drivetrain, brakes, charging, recuperation and steering subfunction processes and BMW says this new one is ten times faster. That seems good. Their thinking is, by combining all of these functiosn into a central control unit rather than using seperate system controllers, the vehicle subsystems can work better together and react faster. So why all of the torque? Well BMW figures if the chassis can handle that, it can handle anything.
BMW says that in "dynamic driving scenarios" (fancy word for send it) this little black box will help the car produce impressive traction and increased cornering ability. They also say this ability is consistent, reproducable cornering behavior - characteristics seasoned performance drivers love.
Another benefit is efficiency, as the integrated drivetrain, braking and recuperation control increases efficiency by up to 25%.
This all sounds good to us. The proof will be in the pudding, and we'll have to wait a little longer for the pudding. More details will likely follow when BMW reveals more at the 2025 Shangai Auto Show.
