BMW LAUNCHES NEUE KLASSE WITH GLOBAL DEBUT OF ELECTRIC iX3
BMW has unveiled the Neue Klasse in Munich, marking its biggest investment to date and a new era of electrification, digitalisation and sustainable design.
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BMW has launched a new brand era with the global debut of its Neue Klasse in Munich, laying the foundation for the company’s future in electrification, digitalisation and circularity.
The Neue Klasse represents BMW’s largest-ever investment and applies not only to an all-new generation of vehicles arriving from late 2025 into 2026, but also to technologies, manufacturing processes and operations across the company’s value chain.
The name evokes the pivotal 1961 launch of the original Neue Klasse, which introduced the 1500 sedan and helped re-establish BMW as a global automotive force.
At the heart of the 2025 debut is the fully electric iX3 Sports Activity Vehicle, one of six models to be launched with Neue Klasse DNA over the next two years.
The iX3 integrates BMW’s latest electric drive system with a driving range of up to 805 kilometres (WLTP) and high-speed charging capability. Its design references BMW heritage with monolithic surfaces, precise lines and a new light signature.
Inside, the cabin is bright and expansive, showcasing innovations such as the Panoramic iDrive, which projects key information across the windscreen on a specially developed 43.3-inch surface.
Other features include a 17.9-inch Central Display in free-cut design, a floating instrument panel with backlit fabric, large window surfaces and a panoramic sunroof. Sustainability has been a core focus, with BMW citing a 42 per cent smaller carbon footprint in the supply chain compared with the previous model.
The iX3 also introduces new computing power, including the “Heart of Joy” system that manages the drive system to deliver greater efficiency and driving pleasure.
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said the Neue Klasse represents a landmark transformation for the brand.
“The Neue Klasse is our biggest future-focused project and marks a huge leap forward in terms of technologies, driving experience and design,” he said.
“Practically everything about it is new, yet it is also more BMW than ever. What started as a bold vision has now become reality: the BMW iX3 is the first Neue Klasse model to go into series production.”
Production of the iX3 will begin at BMW’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, later this year. Vehicles for the Australian market will enter production from March 2026, with local deliveries expected by mid-2026.
The first variant for Australia will be the BMW iX3 50 xDrive.
For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
2 minLuxury-car collaborations can feel little more than a logo exercise. Porsche’s latest project takes a more committed route, translating three of Pixar’s most recognisable characters into individual, road-going 911s.
Created through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch customisation program for the premiere of Toy Story 5, the trio draws on Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie. Each is a genuine one-off rather than a limited colour package, with its character expressed through paint, materials and bespoke detailing.
The exercise is deliberately playful, but it also demonstrates the depth of Porsche’s factory personalisation capabilities. Sonderwunsch—German for “special wishes”—allows clients and the marque to create highly individual vehicles using the resources and standards of the manufacturer itself.
Woody’s car is expected to lean into the character’s western palette; Buzz offers the obvious opportunity for white, green and purple; and Jessie brings a bolder cowgirl identity. The success of the designs rests on suggestion rather than costume: the cars still need to look like coherent Porsches when separated from the film premiere.
All three vehicles will form part of a broader charitable initiative benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation. Porsche has said the cars will be sold, although the precise auction mechanism, timing and beneficiary allocation should be confirmed before publication.
For collectors, provenance is unusually strong. Each car combines one-of-one factory status, the cultural reach of Disney and Pixar, and an association with a major film release. That may give the trio appeal extending beyond conventional Porsche circles.
The project is also a reminder that the highest end of automotive customisation is increasingly about narrative. Performance specifications remain important, but for collectors who already have access to rare machinery, the story of why a car exists can be the feature that cannot be duplicated.
Fact box
– Cars: Three one-off Porsche 911s
– Inspiration: Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie from Toy Story 5
– Creator: Porsche Sonderwunsch
– Purpose: Charitable sale initiative
– Beneficiaries: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation
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