BMW M350 xDrive revealed as M340i successor with 437 hp straight-six and 2027 Drift Moment

BMW confirms the M350 xDrive as the M340i's replacement

BMW has revealed the M350 xDrive, the successor to the M340i and the new flagship of the combustion-engined G50-generation 3 Series. As reported by BMWBlog, the car makes 443 PS in Europe and 437 hp in America from a mild-hybrid B58 3.0-litre inline-six, with 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) of torque, roughly 15 per cent more than the outgoing M340i, and a quoted 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 4.1 seconds. Top speed remains electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). ¹²⁴

Jalopnik, reporting on BMW's official photography of the car completing final tests in France, confirmed the straight-six output at 437 hp against the current car's 386 hp, and noted the M350 will be the most powerful non-M 3 Series and the only one in the range using a straight-six at launch. The same reporting highlights BMW's 'Drift Moment' function, which makes the car effectively rear-wheel drive at the press of a button and was previously reserved for full M cars. ⁴

The naming change follows BMW's decision to retire the 'i' suffix from combustion M Performance models, reserving it for electric vehicles, the same move already made with the X3 M50. BMWBlog noted this when the car was still unconfirmed, predicting the M340i would become the M350 as part of the G50 lineup. ³

Earlier expectations differed from the final figures. In May 2026, BMWBlog estimated the M350 would produce around 410-417 hp, roughly 30 hp more than the North American M340i. The confirmed output of 437 hp (443 PS) exceeds that estimate, closing the gap to the full M car further than anticipated. ³¹

Powertrain: hybridised B58 with integrated electric motor

BMW quotes 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) of torque for the M350, and the source of the increase is partly electric. As reported by BMWBlog from BMW's technical briefing at the Miramas proving ground, engineers retuned the turbochargers for the horsepower gain, while the additional torque over the outgoing M340i comes almost entirely from the mild-hybrid system, which contributes around 40 Nm directly to the gearbox to bridge the gap before the turbocharger fully spools. ²

The engine itself, in BMW's published specifications cited by BMWBlog, produces 313 kW (426 hp) between 5,600 and 6,500 rpm with 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of combustion torque from 1,980 to 5,400 rpm, using new turbochargers, the latest Valvetronic system with switchable exhaust valves and the Miller combustion cycle. The 13-kW (18 hp) electric motor with 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) of torque is integrated into the eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission, with power sent through xDrive all-wheel drive. WLTP combined fuel consumption is rated at 8.2 L/100 km with 187 g/km of CO2, and unladen weight (DIN) is 1,860 kg. ¹

BMWBlog also notes the core hardware is the same B58 update already running in the X3 M50, with differences limited to application-specific tuning and a different cooling setup rather than a fundamentally different engine. The M350 is the only new combustion 3 Series with a six-cylinder engine at launch, and the combustion family is automatic-only. ²¹

Chassis engineering: adaptive M suspension standard and extensive bracing

Adaptive M suspension is standard on the M350 rather than optional, with no lesser setup offered, unlike the four-cylinder models. Tyres grow to 245-section fronts and 275-section rears on 20-inch wheels, the largest package BMW has fitted to an M Performance 3 Series, though per BMWBlog the 275-section rear tyre is tied to the sport tyre option; without it the same wheel wears a 255-section rear. Variable sport steering, a controlled rear differential lock and M Sport brakes with four-piston fixed front calipers are also standard. ¹²⁶

The structural work is extensive. BMWBlog's report on BMW's technical presentation lists specific spring and damper tuning, redesigned top mounts, dedicated front body struts, optimised camber, increased front caster, a V-strut, a Gurney flap at the rear, a Vertical Dynamics Platform and a Driving Dynamics Brace, all supporting improved torsional and vertical rigidity. The wheelbase grows by 9 mm and the front and rear tracks widen. BMW claims an 'almost perfectly balanced' weight distribution, according to Jalopnik's coverage of the press release. ²¹⁴

Drivetrain behaviour shifts rearward through the drive modes, with BMW telling BMWBlog the current maximum front-to-rear torque split is around 20:80, compared with a typical cruising default of roughly 40:60. The three drive personalities are Personal, M Sport and M Sport Plus, replacing the old Sport and Sport Plus labels, with an M mode button on the steering wheel allowing direct access to a saved setup. ²¹

Drift Moment arrives in 2027, not at launch

Drift Moment will not be available when the M350 launches. BMW's press release states, in three places as noted by Jalopnik, that the feature will be made available during the course of 2027 via over-the-air software update, including for cars already delivered. BMWBlog's coverage describes it as a rear-wheel-drive-only mode activated via the Central Display with DSC fully off, and exclusive to M Performance models. ¹⁴²

At the Miramas prototype drive, BMWBlog's reviewer found that with DSC fully off, the all-wheel-drive system already biases hard to the rear under power, allowing sustained slides, though adding throttle mid-slide brings the front axle back into play. The reviewer characterised this as the closest preview of Drift Moment without actually being Drift Moment, with BMW engineers declining to give further technical detail on the feature itself. ²

Design, interior and prototype driving impressions

The M350 wears the Neue Klasse design language seen on the electric i3 but sits on an updated version of the existing CLAR platform, internally coded G50, not the i3's dedicated electric architecture. Carscoops' spy photography from July 2026 showed the M350 prototype with quad exhausts, i3-style headlights, slimmer kidney grilles and flush door handles, noting the combustion car's longer bonnet, more upright windscreen and greater rear overhang give it traditional rear-drive proportions. BMWBlog reports the M350 adds M Yellow Lights, standard in Germany and optional in the US, black M-style mirror caps, a black high-gloss spoiler and quad exhaust tips, with 19-inch Bi-color Jet Black alloys standard and 20-inch designs optional. ⁵¹

The cabin mirrors the i3's with the BMW Panoramic Vision projection, a 17.9-inch Central Display running BMW Operating System X with Alexa+ integration, plus M Sport seats with an illuminated M logo, an M steering wheel with a mode button and Boost mode, M-specific displays with Launch Control and a Harman Kardon sound system as standard, per BMWBlog's report on the specifications. Cargo capacity is 450 litres, 30 litres more than the i3. ¹

On driving impressions, BMWBlog attended BMW's prototype programme at the Miramas proving ground in southern France, sampling the camouflaged M350 xDrive across a technical handling track, a wet slalom, a high-speed circuit requiring a special licence and a two-hour public road loop. The outlet's reviewer reported the car staying committed to its line over broken mid-corner pavement where the M340i would shudder, praised linear brake bite and found the steering connected without being nervous, while noting final figures such as weight were withheld and the 4.1-second 0-100 km/h claim carries an unresolved question about whether rollout measurement was used. ²

BMWBlog separately documented an uncamouflaged production-ready prototype photographed in Munich in September 2026, identifying it as the M350 by its quad exhaust tips, which BMW reserves for M Performance and full M models. ⁶

Pricing, ordering and production timing

According to BMWBlog, the M350 xDrive starts at €80,900 in Germany, €26,000 more than a 320 and €15,000 more than the all-electric i3 50 xDrive, and at $65,900 in the United States. Orders for the new 3 Series open on September 30, and production of the combustion models begins in November at the Dingolfing plant. BMWBlog adds that first US deliveries are not expected until early 2027. ¹⁶

Jalopnik confirms the 2027 M350 xDrive will enter production later in 2026, and BMW has also confirmed a lower-spec 3 Series with a four-cylinder petrol engine for buyers seeking a more modest option. Carscoops reported that production of the G50 3 Series was expected to kick off in November 2026, and that a Touring body style has been confirmed for the new petrol 3 Series, though its availability in individual markets remains uncertain. ⁴⁵

Context on the range: with the next full M3, the G84, not expected to begin assembly until around July 2028 according to BMWBlog's earlier reporting, the M350 will be the only performance 3 Series on the new platform for roughly two years, positioning it as BMW's entry point into the M world while still an M Performance model rather than a full M car. ³¹