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The new M era · G80 M3

Last gas M3 or first electric one: should you buy a G80 now?

The G80 M3 is near the end of its run, an electric M3 is coming and a new gas M3 is reported to follow. Here is what BMW has confirmed, what is only reported, and which G80 to buy if you do not want to wait.

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When the G80 ends

BMW has not published a date for the last G80 M3. What it has said is in its May 2026 press release for the 2027 M3 CS Handschalter, which it calls a "sendoff for the sixth-generation M3" and "the close of the M3's sixth generation."

BMW has also confirmed, in January 2024, that its Munich plant will build only electric cars from the end of 2027. BMWBlog reports that the G80 is built in Munich, so the gas M3 cannot outlast that date there.

The rest is reported. Scott Stirling, a BMW M North America product manager, told Bimmerlife that 2027 is the G80's last model year and that production ends in mid 2027, as BMWBlog and Kelley Blue Book reported in May 2026. On June 1, BMWBlog reported that US production, first set to end in February 2027, had moved to late summer 2027. It did not name a source, and BMW has not confirmed it.

Which M3 is built when
G80 M3, model years2021 to 2027
Electric M3From March 2027
Next gas M3 (G84)From July 2028

The G80's model years are from our guide. The two coming cars show the production starts BMWBlog reports from insiders; BMW confirms only that its first electric M car arrives from 2027.

Our advice

If you want a new G80, do not wait for an official end date. The signs all point to 2027, and a dealer can tell you what is still open to order.

What comes next: two M3s, one electric and one gas

BMW confirmed in January 2026 that its first M car on the new Neue Klasse platform arrives "from 2027". It has four electric motors, one per wheel, more than 100 kWh of usable battery, an 800 volt system and a sound design with set shift stages. The front axle can decouple fully for rear-wheel drive. BMW does not call it the M3 in that release; the press does.

BMW previewed the look in June 2026 with the M Concept Neue Klasse, a four-seat electric concept shown at Le Mans.

BMWBlog reports, from insiders BMW has not named, that the electric M3 enters production in March 2027 in Munich with 800 to 900 hp, and that a gas M3, code G84, follows from July 2028 in Dingolfing. Its reported engine is a development of today's S58 six with 48 volt mild-hybrid help, about 525 hp, an eight-speed automatic and xDrive. BMW has confirmed none of those figures.

Frank van Meel, the head of BMW M, told PistonHeads that the next gas M3 "won't be hybrid, as we're sticking with the perfect combustion principle." PistonHeads reads that as no plug-in hybrid: the gas M3 is still expected to use a small mild-hybrid system. He told Motor1 Germany, via BMWBlog: "We don't decide for our customers what they should drive."

If the reported dates hold, there could be months with no new gas M3 to buy in the US between the last G80 and the first G84. That is our reading of reported dates, not a BMW plan.

  • BMW confirmedFrom 2027

    The electric M3

    BMW M's first Neue Klasse car, which the press calls the electric M3. BMW has not named it.

    Score coming
    • What BMW has said: Four motors, one per wheel, and over 100 kWh of battery
    • US price and date: Not announced for the US
    • Road tests: Prototypes only so far
    • Recalls and known faults: None until it is on sale
    • Owner reports: None until owners have the car
    The G80 M3 on sale now

  • On recordReported for 2028

    The next gas M3

    A six-cylinder M3 to follow the G80. The head of BMW M says it will not be a plug-in hybrid.

    Score coming
    • What BMW has said: BMW M's head says a gas M3 is coming
    • US price and date: Not announced
    • Road tests: Not driven yet
    • Recalls and known faults: None until it is on sale
    • Owner reports: None until owners have the car
    The G80 M3 it replaces

Neither car has a Guide Score, and neither gets one here. A score comes once a car is on sale in the US, and it is refined as recalls, faults and owner reports come in. Until then, the cards show which kinds of evidence exist so far.

Is the M3 CS Handschalter the last manual M3?

The Handschalter is a rear-drive M3 CS with a six-speed manual, 473 hp and a 4.1 second run to 60 mph, built only for North America "in very limited numbers" from July 2026. BMW has not said how many. BMWBlog estimates 600 to 700; that is its guess, not BMW's.

$107,100

Handschalter MSRP, plus $1,350 destination

473 hp

Six-speed manual, rear drive

Whether it is the last manual M3 is open. BMW calls it the sendoff for the sixth generation, which is not the same as the last manual ever. BMWBlog reports that the G84 will be automatic only. AutoGuide's headline says BMW "thinks" this is the last one, but its article carries no BMW quote saying so.

On the other side, van Meel told The Irish News, as CarExpert reported: "If you love [manual gearboxes], we're going to offer them, you can buy them." So we do not call the Handschalter the last manual M3, and nor should a seller.

Demand is real but a minority. BMW USA said about one in five M3 sedans and M4 coupes sold in the US in 2023 had a manual. Counted only on the rear-drive base M3 that offers one, a Motor1 survey put it at about half in 2025. Van Meel tied the Handschalter to manual demand in the M2, where he put the share at half.

Will late G80s, manuals and CS cars hold their value?

What the data shows so far is about early cars. Kelley Blue Book, as read in October 2026, says a 2021 M3 lost 11 percent over the last three years and sits in the top 10 percent of 2021 sedans for value retention. Jalopnik found the 2021 G82 M4 lost about nine points less of its value over five years than a 2020 F82 M4.

What no data can tell yet is how the last cars will do. No G80 has finished its run, and there is no used-market history for a last-year car, a manual G80 or a Handschalter. Anyone quoting a future premium is guessing.

The case for a premium (opinion)

Last-of-a-line cars, small runs and manuals have often held value well with enthusiasts, and the Handschalter is all three. If the G84 really is automatic only, a manual G80 becomes harder to replace.

The case against (opinion)

BMW says the M3 sedan was the world's best-selling high-performance sports car in 2023, so most G80s are not rare. A new car still has its steepest losses ahead, and a manual or a later model year may have been bought at a price the market never repays.

Watch out

Our view: buy a G80 to drive it. If it holds value well, that is a bonus, not a plan.

Which G80 to buy used, and what to check

Our Guide Score rates each G80 model year on its own. Our pick is 2026, at 91 of 100, which places the G80 tied 3rd of 69 in our guide; 5 model years share that score. The lowest scoring years are 2021 and 2022, at 90. The spread is small: the choice of year matters less than the history of the car.

Guide Score by G80 model year
202190
202290
202391
202491
202591
202691
202791

Read live from the same scores as the G80 guide page.

The known issues our G80 guide lists, costliest first:

  • Coolant tank and charge-air cooler leaks, about $1,200. Review service records, look for coolant residue around the expansion tank, and ask about low-coolant warnings and track use.
  • Carbon buildup (direct injection), about $600. On high-mileage cars, ask whether the intake valves have been cleaned (walnut blasting).
  • Infotainment software glitches, about $150. Confirm the latest iDrive software is installed. A software annoyance, not a hardware failure.
  • Brake squeal. Normal for M cars; confirm it is pad noise and not a worn or warped rotor.

What to look for on any G80:

  • Check by VIN that recalls and BMW campaigns are done: brake unit 21V-062 and seat belts 21V-554 on 2021 cars, the 25E-A03 engine software recall on cars built to January 2025, and the bearing shell campaign on 2026 cars built October 16, 2025 to January 20, 2026 (SIB 11 01 26); ask for the repair order. Confirm the latest iDrive software, full service history, clarity on any tuning, evidence of clean accident history, and desirable specs and colors. Decide between the purist RWD manual and the faster, more capable Competition xDrive.

$450 to $1,000

Routine service a year, our estimate

$1,500 to $2,100

A set of tires, our estimate

The G80 listings we track today ask $58k to $78k.

The 2025 update brought new headlights, and our G80 guide lists the power changes by year; our guide to what LCI means covers how to tell the two apart. The full picture, year by year, is in the G80 M3 guide.

Buy now or wait?

Buy a G80 now

You want a six-cylinder M3 with a known record, a manual option and a full used market to choose from, and you would rather not be first in line for a new platform.

Wait

You want the newest tech and are open to electric, or you want the G84 and can live with an automatic and a reported 2028 start, plus first-year teething.

That split is our opinion. Either way, a used G80 bought on its history, not on a last-of-the-line story, is the safer money.

Go deeper

Questions and answers

When does BMW stop building the G80 M3?

BMW has not published an end date. Its own press release calls the 2027 M3 CS Handschalter a sendoff for the sixth-generation M3, and BMW has confirmed that its Munich plant, where the press reports the G80 is built, stops making combustion cars at the end of 2027. A BMW M North America product manager told Bimmerlife that 2027 is the last model year, and BMWBlog later reported US production running to late summer 2027.

Is the next M3 electric?

There will be both, if the reports hold. BMW confirms its first electric M car on the Neue Klasse arrives from 2027 with four motors, one per wheel, though it has not called it the M3. BMWBlog reports electric M3 production from March 2027 and a gas M3, code G84, from July 2028. BMW M's head has said on record that the next gas M3 will not be a plug-in hybrid, though it is expected to have mild-hybrid help.

Is the M3 CS Handschalter the last manual M3?

Nobody can say for sure yet. BMW calls the Handschalter the sendoff for the sixth-generation M3, not the last manual M3 ever. BMWBlog reports that the next gas M3 will be automatic only, but BMW has not confirmed that, and BMW M's head told The Irish News that if buyers love manual gearboxes, BMW will offer them. The Handschalter costs $107,100 plus $1,350 destination.

Will a late G80 M3 hold its value?

No data can tell yet, because no G80 has reached the end of its run on the used market. Early cars have held value well so far: Kelley Blue Book puts the 2021 M3 among the top 10 percent of 2021 sedans for value retention. Whether a last-year car, a manual or a CS earns a lasting premium is guesswork, so buy one to drive, not as an investment.

Which G80 M3 year is best to buy used?

By our Guide Score, the 2026 model year, at 91 of 100, though 5 model years share that score. Every G80 year scores between 90 and 91, so the spread is small; the 2021 and 2022 cars score lowest. Whatever the year, check by VIN that the recalls are done and ask for full service records. The G80 guide lists every known issue with what a fix costs.

Sources

BMW press releases are the source for what BMW confirms. Everything marked as reported comes from the outlets below, which cite insiders BMW has not named. Value figures change as the sites update. Sources checked October 13, 2026. Scores, known issues and cost estimates are our own, from the G80 guide.