BMW M is testing electric ‘Beast’

BMW M, the company’s dedicated sports motoring department, is widely known for its powerful gas-powered sports cars.  Now, there are rumors about an upcoming all-electric model that could pack an even bigger punch. Since 2018, a team at BMW Motorsport GmbH has been testing a secret EV prototype, dubbed “the Beast. ”

BMW’s high-performance unit seems to be plowing ahead with its first M-badged electric car. We saw the upcoming EV earlier this month under camouflage during Episode 1 of its new series called “BMW M Electrified.” The series gives a behind-the-scenes look as BMW M develops its first electric model. In the latest episode, BMW picks up where it left off, revealing early prototypes.

BMW M CEO Frank van Meel: “We had no idea where this technology would lead us.” In 2018, a small team developed a “super raw vehicle”, internally called “The Beast.” According to Michael Sailer, part of BMW M’s functional development driving dynamics team, the Beast EV is “super powerful” and “doesn’t have the calmness” of other M vehicles, making it really hard to control. That’s what BMW M is working on right now.

Frank van Meel said the massive change opens even more opportunities as the industry rapidly shifts to electric vehicles. He explained that the final M5 “missed a lot of traction.” As BMW M prepares to launch the next generation, its chief said, “We need to do something to control the power better.”

“It feels a bit like January 2015 when I said: Trust me, I’m an engineer, and M xDrive is going to be great,” van Meel continues. “Now, I’m saying: Trust me that what we’re working on right now for the future will be at least as great.”

The Beast is based on BMW’s upcoming ‘Neue Klasse’ EV platform. The first electric M car is expected to boast 1 MW, or some 1,350 hp, with four independent motors, easily more than the new Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, which has up to 1,092 hp.