For the 14th time, BMW serves as the title partner for Germany’s largest marathon event, a peaceful festival of sport set to welcome approximately 80,000 athletes from around 160 nations to the German capital this weekend. The diverse field, ranging from amateur runners and inline skaters to hand-bikers and world-class professionals, embodies the joy, diversity, and friendly intercultural exchange that are core values of the BMW Group.
Spectators along the route will witness a special highlight as another endurance specialist makes its debut. The new all-electric BMW iX3 50 xDrive will serve as the official lead vehicle. As the first model of the “Neue Klasse” (New Class), it is scheduled to enter series production later this year.
“It is no coincidence that we chose the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, an event where endurance is paramount, for this premiere. There could be no more fitting sporting event for the first ‘race deployment’ of the new BMW iX3,” said Christian Ach, Head of BMW Germany. “Just a few weeks after being unveiled at the IAA Mobility in Munich, the first model of the Neue Klasse will now be on the streets of Berlin alongside world-class athletes—excellent company for an all-electric vehicle with a range of up to 805 kilometers that can recharge for up to 372 kilometers in just ten minutes.”
The Neue Klasse represents more than just a new vehicle; it signifies a redefinition of the BMW brand and a decisive step by the BMW Group into a new era of driving pleasure. The new BMW iX3 reveals a monumental technological leap across multiple domains, including electromobility, display and control concepts, digitalization, connectivity, design, and sustainability. The innovations of the Neue Klasse will benefit all future BMW models, regardless of their powertrain.
Featuring a clear, minimalist design language, the Neue Klasse is both quintessentially BMW and so progressive that it appears to have skipped an entire vehicle generation. The 6th generation eDrive technology sets new benchmarks for efficiency, long-distance capability, and charging speed, supported by a new electronics and software architecture. Four “Superbrain” high-performance computers make the vehicle more intelligent and future-proof than ever, while the “Heart of Joy” drive and dynamics control system enables unprecedented precision and handling.
Inside, the new BMW Panoramic iDrive elevates operation and the brand’s signature driver orientation to a new level. This revolutionary display and control concept offers an intuitive user experience through a balanced combination of digital functions and physical elements, adhering to the BMW principle of “Hands on the Wheel, Eyes on the Road.”
A total of 65 course and organizational vehicles will be deployed at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. Alongside the new BMW iX3, the all-electric BMW iX, BMW i5, BMW i5 Touring, BMW i4, BMW iX2, and BMW iX1 models will support the event’s smooth operation. The BMW Group will also provide ten BMW motorcycles and four BMW e-scooters. For these two-wheelers, the marathon is a home event, as legendary BMW motorcycles have been manufactured at the BMW Group Plant in Berlin-Spandau since 1969, where over 2,400 employees produce up to 900 motorcycles and premium e-scooters daily for customers worldwide.
BMW iX3 50 xDrive: WLTP combined energy consumption: 17.9 – 15.1 kWh/100 km; WLTP combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km; CO2 class: A; WLTP electric range: 679 – 805 km.
