BMW News: M4 GT3 EVO Title Win, Electric M3 Update and M350 Pricing

BMW News • 4 October 2026

BMW’s weekend has brought a championship-winning finish on track, while its next generation of road cars is taking shape. Here are the fresh developments—and the recent announcements worth catching up on—with confirmed news kept separate from reports and speculation.

Cover image: Paul Miller Racing’s #48 M4 GT3 EVO at Watkins Glen, 21 June 2025. Archive photograph; this is not the #1 championship car or the October 2026 race. Photo: SmackJam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, unaltered.

BMW’s M4 GT3 EVO takes the championship

Official • Race weekend 1–3 October; announcement 4 October 2026. Paul Miller Racing’s Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen secured the IMSA GTD PRO title. Their #1 M4 GT3 EVO finished third in class at Petit Le Mans, with Britain’s Dan Harper joining them for the finale. [1]

BMW’s #24 M Hybrid V8 finished second overall after fighting for victory at the end of the ten-hour race. WRT’s first IMSA season ended with one win and four further podiums. Kevin Magnussen was uninjured in the accident that retired the #25 car. [1]

For enthusiasts, this is a result worth celebrating across two very different racing programmes: the M4-based GT car and the purpose-built hybrid prototype. Neither result establishes that a road-car bodykit produces equivalent performance.

The electric M3 has a confirmed factory—not a fully confirmed launch specification

Official • 2 October 2026. BMW confirmed that its first fully electric M3 will be built exclusively in Munich, following the new electric i3. The announcement accompanied a Fire Orange III M3 marking BMW M’s one-millionth vehicle. [2]

A date distinction matters: Munich is moving to electric-only vehicle production from 2027. That statement is not, by itself, confirmation of the electric M3’s precise production start, UK delivery date, price or final power output. Those details need their own announcements. [2]

When following the next M3, keep official prototype photography separate from digital interpretations. An AI “unwrapped” image is an illustration, not a production reveal.

Does the new M350 really cost €100,000?

Independent reporting • Germany • 3 October 2026. BMWBLOG reports a German M350 xDrive starting price of €80,900 and a heavily optioned configuration totalling €101,655. That build includes extras such as winter wheels, a roof box and a five-year service plan. [3]

It is an example of how far the configurator can go, rather than the standard car’s asking price. It is also a German-market figure, not a UK price or a reliable sterling conversion. Buyers comparing specifications should separate the car, factory options, accessories and servicing.

Recent road-car updates worth knowing

The following are catch-up items from the start of the month, rather than new announcements made today.

• X3 M50 xDrive: BMW announced 326 kW/443 PS (approximately 437 bhp), with the improvement independent of the optional Black Package. December changes also bring interior refinements; the package adds 22-inch wheels and extensive Alcantara details. Existing owners should not assume this is a software-only retrofit. [4]
• BMW software: the autumn update introduces a combined navigation, surroundings and assistance 3D view for Operating System X from October, plus Google data for improved place searches. Prime Video is coming to OS 9 and X; availability depends on the car and rollout. [5]
• Styling and wheels: M240i and M440i/M440d variants gain Black Package choices. M5 saloon and Touring receive new 1075 M wheels using high-pressure casting, in Gold Bronze or Jet Black. These are cast wheels, not evidence of a forged-wheel specification. [5]
• More derivatives: the German-market autumn programme includes 740d, 750e and M760e, X5 plug-in hybrids and iX5, plus iX3 40 xDrive. It also revises Active Tourer equipment and adds 7 Series/i7 colour choices. Market specifications and production dates vary. [5]
• Battery production: BMW opened Irlbach-Straßkirchen on 1 October. Gen6 battery production for Munich’s i3 began on two shifts, with BMW citing stronger-than-planned Neue Klasse demand. This supports the production ramp; it does not guarantee an individual customer’s delivery date. [6]

Beyond the BMW car range

• Motorrad • 1 October: the new F 450 R targets the A2 class with a 420 cc parallel twin, 35 kW, 43 Nm and a quoted ready-to-ride weight of 175 kg. LED lighting and a 6.5-inch display are standard; Easy Ride Clutch is optional. This announcement does not establish a UK retail price. [7]
• MINI UK • 1 October: Countryman SE Midnight Edition is listed at £41,645 OTR, with early-2027 deliveries expected. MINI says it qualifies for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant. The fixed specification includes Driving Assistant Plus and four years of Connected Package access; quoted range is up to 285 miles WLTP, not a real-world guarantee. [8]
• UK awards • 2 October: BMW’s roundup highlights iX3 awards for its driving and towing abilities, alongside reliability-survey recognition for the 4 Series and MINI models. Survey results are useful context, rather than a guarantee for an individual car. [9]
• MINI USA • 2–4 October: MINI Takes the States began its California weekend. Further regional rallies are scheduled for New York on 23–25 October and Florida on 13–15 November. These are US community events. [11]

US safety reminder: check recall 26V525

Existing recall • Filed 12 August; owner notifications scheduled for 2 October 2026. The US campaign covers certain 2021–2023 540i/540i xDrive/M550i xDrive, 2022–2026 840i/840i xDrive and 2024–2026 750e xDrive vehicles. Wear at the driveshaft-to-differential connection can cause loss of rear-wheel drive or rollaway if the parking brake is not applied. Repairs are free for affected vehicles. Check your VIN with BMW or NHTSA; a model name alone does not establish inclusion, and this US notice does not establish UK coverage. [13]

On the watchlist: the green M4 CSL

Unconfirmed • Reported 3 October 2026. Photographs apparently showing an M4 CSL in Frozen Tampa Bay Green have circulated online. BMWBLOG itself questions their authenticity and the car’s history. Treat this as an interesting sighting, not confirmation of a factory colour, special edition or one-off production claim. [10]

Follow the details with VMSS

VMSS follows BMW’s latest developments to inform the aftermarket parts, bodykits and lighting modifications we design, manufacture and supply. For owners planning a build, the practical lesson stays the same: confirm the chassis, production date, original lighting and equipment before choosing parts. Similar styling does not establish interchangeable fitment.

Continue reading: The new 3 Series and the diesel question · BMW’s Neue Klasse era. For fresh official imagery, browse BMW UK’s iX3 40 Twilight Purple gallery.

Sources and cross-references

Dates below are publication dates. Event dates are identified in the story where they differ. Official announcements and independent reports are labelled above.

1. BMW M Motorsport: Petit Le Mans result — 4 October 2026.
2. BMW Group: milestone M3 and Munich’s electric future — 2 October 2026.
3. BMWBLOG: German M350 configurator pricing — 3 October 2026.
4. BMW Group UK: X3 M50 power and Black Package — 1 October 2026.
5. BMW Group: autumn model updates (German-market specifications) — 30 September 2026.
6. BMW Group: Irlbach-Straßkirchen battery factory opening — 1 October 2026.
7. BMW Motorrad: new F 450 R — 1 October 2026.
8. MINI UK: Countryman SE Midnight Edition — 1 October 2026.
9. BMW Group UK: awards roundup — 2 October 2026.
10. BMWBLOG: unverified green M4 CSL photographs — 3 October 2026.
11. MINI USA: MINI Takes the States — 2 October 2026.
12. BMW UK: iX3 40 Twilight Purple photo gallery — 2 October 2026.
13. NHTSA: BMW safety recall 26V525, manufacturer report — submitted 12 August 2026; owner notification and VIN availability scheduled for 2 October 2026.

Image permissions: the two archive photographs used here are licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Credits, original file pages and licence links are provided above. No image alteration was made. Current BMW galleries are linked for readers to view at the source.