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News

2027 BMW M3 Keeps the Inline-Six Alive—and a Manual Could Survive Too

The next-generation BMW M3 is shaping up to be something increasingly rare in today’s performance-car landscape: a brand-new sports sedan that refuses to abandon its soul. As the automotive industry races toward electrification and tighter emissions regulations, BMW M is doubling down on the formula that made the M3 an icon—a turbocharged inline-six, a driver’s car philosophy, and, if all goes according to plan, a manual transmission.

2027 BMW M3 Isn’t Giving Up on Gas—or the Manual

Spy shots from the Nürburgring have already confirmed that BMW is deep into testing the next combustion-powered M3, but the biggest surprise isn’t hidden beneath the camouflage. It’s the fact that BMW M still sees a future for three pedals.

Speaking during the Goodwood Festival of Speed, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel made it clear that the manual gearbox remains an emotional cornerstone of the M brand.

“We intend to keep the manual as long as possible,” he said.

That’s no empty promise. In the United States—a market that has long embraced automatic transmissions—buyers are splitting M2 sales almost evenly between manual and automatic models. For BMW, that’s proof enthusiasts still crave the physical connection that only a clutch pedal and gear lever can provide.

Van Meel admits keeping manuals alive is becoming increasingly difficult. Suppliers are disappearing, modern driver-assistance systems complicate drivetrain integration, and mild-hybrid technology introduces new engineering hurdles. Still, BMW isn’t ready to surrender.

For a company that built its reputation on driver engagement, preserving that tactile experience matters just as much as chasing lap times.

The S58 Lives On

Perhaps even more important than the gearbox is what sits under the hood.

Rather than downsizing or adopting a plug-in hybrid setup like many of its German rivals, BMW is sticking with its celebrated 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged S58 inline-six. That’s becoming something of a statement.

Mercedes-AMG replaced its beloved V8 in the C63 with a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. Audi’s latest RS5 also embraces electrification alongside its V6. BMW, meanwhile, is betting that enthusiasts still want an engine that delivers character before complexity.

Getting the S58 ready for Europe’s stringent Euro 7 emissions regulations wasn’t easy.

BMW engineers completely revised the combustion process using pre-chamber ignition technology—a system that creates a high-energy flame jet before combustion reaches the main cylinder. The result is cleaner combustion, improved thermal efficiency, lower emissions, and even the ability to run a higher compression ratio without destructive engine knock.

The updated engine also receives new variable-geometry turbochargers and enhanced cooling, allowing BMW to maintain the current M3’s impressive output of 523 horsepower while meeting tougher environmental standards.

Perhaps best of all, BMW says the revised engine produces an even richer induction note and a more aggressive exhaust soundtrack at high rpm—a welcome bit of good news at a time when many performance cars are becoming quieter and more filtered.

Cooling Is the New Horsepower

Making power isn’t the challenge anymore.

Keeping temperatures under control is.

Van Meel says sustained track performance remains a priority, forcing engineers to redesign the cooling system around larger intercoolers and more efficient airflow management. That’s one reason the next M3 prototype wears an unusually large front grille—not simply for styling, but because modern high-performance engines demand serious cooling capacity.

It’s a reminder that today’s performance engineering is often less about extracting another 20 horsepower and more about ensuring the engine can repeatedly deliver every one of its existing horses.

An EV Twin—Not a Replacement

The next M3 won’t exist in isolation.

BMW will sell it alongside a fully electric M3 based on the Neue Klasse architecture. Although the two cars will share nearly identical styling, they are fundamentally different beneath the skin.

The electric version will use a flat floor and advanced underbody aerodynamics, while the gasoline-powered M3 retains its quad exhaust outlets and traditional drivetrain layout. Aside from subtle aerodynamic differences and the larger cooling openings up front, they’ll look remarkably similar.

BMW isn’t positioning one as the successor to the other.

Instead, it’s letting buyers decide.

Some customers will choose the emotional appeal, mechanical soundtrack, and familiarity of internal combustion. Others will embrace the instant torque and new performance possibilities of electric propulsion. BMW believes both groups deserve an authentic M experience.

The Wagon Lives to Fight Another Day

For enthusiasts who refuse to compromise practicality for performance, there’s more good news.

BMW has confirmed that the M3 Touring will remain part of the lineup.

What began as a niche enthusiast favorite has become one of BMW M’s biggest surprises. The high-performance wagon has found unexpected success in China, while the larger M5 Touring has exceeded expectations in the United States—two markets that historically showed little interest in fast wagons.

For Chinese buyers, the M3 Touring is even more significant: it’s currently the only way to own a 3 Series wagon.

Car and Driver Take

The next BMW M3 could end up being one of the final great internal-combustion performance sedans—not because regulations demand it, but because BMW is choosing to fight for it.

While competitors chase electrification with increasingly complex hybrid systems, BMW is investing in making its inline-six cleaner, stronger, and more engaging without sacrificing what enthusiasts love most. The possibility of a manual transmission surviving into the next generation only reinforces that philosophy.

Yes, an electric M3 is coming. It may even be quicker.

But if BMW delivers on its promise, the combustion-powered M3 won’t feel like yesterday’s technology clinging to relevance. Instead, it’ll stand as a celebration of everything that has made the M3 one of the world’s benchmark sports sedans for nearly four decades.

And in an industry rapidly moving away from analog driving experiences, that might be the boldest move BMW M could make.

Source: Autocar

News

Mazda’s Mysterious Patent Hints at a Future Sports Car With Butterfly Doors—And It Might Not Be the Next Miata

Mazda has never been the brand to chase supercar theatrics. It built its reputation on lightweight engineering, perfectly balanced chassis, and the simple joy of driving rather than headline-grabbing gimmicks. That’s exactly why two newly uncovered patent filings are so intriguing. They describe a compact, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive convertible fitted with butterfly doors—something no production Mazda has ever worn before.

The documents don’t identify the vehicle they’re describing, but they don’t have to. The clues are enough to spark speculation about the company’s next generation of enthusiast cars.

First discovered by CarBuzz, the patents reveal a roadster with a longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine, traditional transmission tunnel, and a convertible roof. That instantly narrows the possibilities. Either Mazda is preparing the next-generation MX-5 Miata for its biggest transformation yet, or these patents point toward the long-awaited production version of the stunning Iconic SP concept.

Mazda has already confirmed both projects are alive. A new MX-5 is under development and will continue to embrace the lightweight, gasoline-powered formula that has made the Miata a benchmark for affordable sports cars for more than three decades. At the same time, executives have repeatedly expressed their desire to bring the Iconic SP concept to production in some form.

The most eye-catching element of the patent isn’t the engine layout—it’s the doors.

Mazda’s engineers have devised a butterfly-door system that allows the doors to swing outward and upward while maintaining the structural integrity expected from an open-top sports car. Unlike conventional hinges, the design relies on heavily reinforced A-pillars positioned closer to the front suspension towers, increasing rigidity where convertibles traditionally lose strength.

Supporting that structure are additional reinforcement members the patents describe as “bracing reins,” designed to transfer suspension loads into the strengthened pillars. An “apron frame” further stiffens the chassis by connecting the front corners of the structure to the firewall, improving rigidity without adding excessive weight—a critical consideration for any Mazda sports car.

The second patent shifts attention from handling to safety.

It details an advanced crash-load management system that channels impact forces through the firewall, side sills, and rear structure to better protect occupants. While crash engineering rarely grabs headlines, it’s another indication that Mazda isn’t sketching a fantasy concept. These are production-minded solutions aimed at solving the real engineering challenges created by combining a lightweight convertible with unconventional doors.

Perhaps the biggest surprise lies beneath the bodywork.

The patent illustrations clearly depict a longitudinal four-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels through a conventional transmission layout. That differs significantly from the Iconic SP concept unveiled in 2023, which featured an electrified rotary range-extender powertrain without a traditional transmission tunnel.

That discrepancy has fueled fresh debate among enthusiasts.

One possibility is that Mazda has fundamentally reworked the Iconic SP for production, replacing the rotary-assisted drivetrain with a more conventional—and likely lighter and less expensive—turbocharged four-cylinder. Another theory is that the company is preparing a heavily evolved MX-5 capable of accommodating technologies previously considered too ambitious for the Miata.

Still, that seems like a stretch.

The MX-5 has always succeeded because of its simplicity. Engineering butterfly doors into a car celebrated for affordability, minimal weight, and mechanical purity feels somewhat out of character. Every additional hinge, reinforcement, and specialized body panel adds complexity, cost, and mass—the very things Mazda has spent decades trying to eliminate from its iconic roadster.

That makes the Iconic SP a more convincing candidate.

As a halo sports car positioned above the MX-5, it could justify dramatic styling, exotic doors, and a more sophisticated chassis while showcasing Mazda’s engineering ambitions. It would also allow the company to create a more emotional flagship without compromising the Miata’s core philosophy.

Of course, there’s another intriguing possibility.

Rather than pointing to one specific model, these patents may preview a flexible rear-drive architecture capable of underpinning multiple sports cars. A shared platform could allow Mazda to build both a next-generation MX-5 and a production Iconic SP while spreading development costs across two distinctly different personalities.

Whatever the final destination, the message from Hiroshima is becoming increasingly clear. In an era when many automakers are abandoning affordable enthusiast cars altogether, Mazda continues investing in lightweight, rear-wheel-drive performance machines designed to put the driver first.

And if one of them happens to arrive with butterfly doors, that’s just an unexpected bonus.

Source: Carbuzz, US Patent& Trademark Office

News

Tesla’s $225 Balance Bike Might Be the Coolest First Ride Your Kid Never Asked For

Tesla has built electric cars, humanoid robots, tequila bottles, flamethrowers, and even a Cybertruck-inspired cooler. Now it’s turning its attention to an audience that won’t be getting a driver’s license for another decade or so. Meet Tesla’s newest lifestyle product: a $225 balance bike designed for children between two and five years old.

And if history is any indication, you’ll probably have to be quicker than a Plaid launch to get one.

Available beginning July 31, the new balance bike continues Tesla’s habit of transforming everyday products into highly desirable collector’s items. Whether it’s because of the logo, the limited production, or Elon Musk’s devoted fanbase, these lifestyle accessories have a habit of selling out almost as fast as they’re announced.

At first glance, the bike looks exactly how you’d expect a Tesla-designed children’s product to look. It’s clean, minimalist, and sharply styled, with angular lines that wouldn’t seem out of place next to a Cybertruck. The lightweight magnesium frame carries Tesla branding along its side, while the unmistakable “T” logo proudly sits at the front, ensuring everyone at the playground knows your toddler has premium taste.

Unlike a traditional bicycle, there’s no chain, no pedals, and no complicated mechanics. That’s the whole point. Balance bikes have become the preferred way to teach young children how to ride because they focus entirely on developing coordination and confidence before introducing pedals. Kids simply push themselves along with their feet while learning to balance naturally.

Tesla’s interpretation sticks to that proven formula but adds a few thoughtful touches. The standout feature is an adjustable saddle that slides directly along the rear frame, offering five height positions without disrupting the bike’s sleek appearance. The design allows the bike to grow alongside its rider, accommodating children with a minimum inseam of 13.7 inches (35 cm).

The recommended rider weight is 66 pounds (30 kg), with an absolute maximum of 77 pounds (35 kg). Assembly is required when it arrives, although Tesla includes all the necessary tools in the box.

Of course, $225 isn’t exactly bargain-bin pricing in the world of balance bikes. Plenty of reputable brands offer excellent alternatives for considerably less money, while some premium competitors justify higher prices with upgraded components, air-filled tires, or additional adjustability.

Tesla isn’t necessarily trying to redefine the category, though. Much like its branded apparel and home accessories, this bike is selling an aesthetic as much as a product. It delivers a polished, futuristic design that fits seamlessly into the company’s broader ecosystem of minimalist consumer goods.

Whether that’s worth the premium will depend largely on how badly you—or perhaps your child—want the Tesla logo attached to those first riding lessons.

Orders are scheduled to begin shipping in late August, but don’t expect inventory to linger. Tesla’s limited-edition merchandise has repeatedly proven that scarcity is part of the appeal. If previous launches are anything to go by, parents hoping to park one of these in the garage next to their Model Y should probably set a reminder for July 31. Waiting until the next day may already be too late.

Source: Tesla