The original BMW M3 was released in the year 1986 and ever since its launch, it hardly underwent any major changes because of the aggressive fan base.

Unlike other models from the company that have continuously evolved from one technology to another, the M3 variants continue to stay true to the original design. There was even a huge uproar when BMW decided to change its twin turbo inline six engine with a V8. Long time buyers of the series didn’t like the change and the manufacturer was forced to introduce a revamped version of the engine so as to replace the V8 again.

With such addiction to the car and its features, it’s tough to change it drastically. But, BMW is all set to unleash rage upon the fans of the M3 series because the company has officially decided to make the next gen version of the car, a plug-in hybrid. It might be extremely shocking for long time fans of the series who would see nothing but the same old vehicle with a better engine, interiors and comfort level.

While the news continued to be a rumor for a couple of months, it was recently confirmed by the BMW’s North American CEO. When the Detroit Bureau had the chance to talk with him, they questioned him about the M3 and its hybrid future. “We have to go that way” was his reply which is more than enough to confirm that there’s no going back to the conventional model anymore.

The saving grace in this news is that the all-new BMW M3 is not going to be a Toyota Prius or a Tesla P90D. Instead, it is going to mix the best of both worlds so that the customers could enjoy the facility that the electric hybrids offer without losing the comfort zone created by conventional gas powered sedans.

Official specifications of the upcoming M3 is yet to be out. But, we do know that it will offer over 500 horsepower which is much higher than the existing model and will run for 20 miles on a full charge. The mileage indicates that BMW has no plans to compete with Tesla Model S or other cars that focus on eradicating gasoline completely. Instead, the BMW M3 is going to be a lightweight hybrid build on carbon fiber, sport a stylish look and will also be powered by the popular inline six turbocharged engine combined with an electric motor. It is not going to hit retails till 2020. That’s a long wait!