With this week's unveiling of the all-new BMW i8 and the i3 earlier this summer, many got to wondering whether the automaker was considering some hopped-up M versions of each car. Although BMW gave no indication when those models debuted, we all knew that anything was possible. But a new report is now suggesting BMW has confirmed that both the i-brand and M division will remain separate entities and that no M engineers were involved with the i8 hybrid supercar.

A BMW official has also confirmed that there will be no M version of the i8. Basically, BMW views M and i as two separate sub-brands. "I don't think that it would make sense to mix these two sub-brands in one car. We have the Ms, we have the i, and we have the BMW, the core brand," stated BMW Group head of technology communications Cypselus von Frankenberg. Interestingly, von Frankenberg also said the driving characteristics of the i8 are similar to those of the M3, but that they simply appeal to two different types of buyers. Perhaps von Frankenberg's bottom line here is more than good enough: "This M3 is one of the best sports car ever."