BMW Hints At Special M Car For Limited Series

BMW has gone on file a number of occasions to say {that a} supercar will not be a precedence. With Neue Klasse across the nook, the corporate has larger fish to fry. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply particular fashions separate from the common lineup are off the desk. When the Speedtop was authorised for manufacturing, we speculated that its success might encourage higher-ups to greenlight different limited-run fashions.

We’re now completely satisfied to report that our hunch was legitimate. In an interview with BMWBLOG, Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President of Buyer, Model, and Gross sales at M, confirmed that BMW’s small-series staff has secured a slot for an M mannequin:

“We’re discussing issues, however we have to discover the precise time to do it. Be assured, we share the identical dream and fervour. We now have been speaking with Adrian van Hooydonk [Head of BMW Group Design] and the staff who does the small collection planning, and there’s a slot reserved for BMW M.”

She didn’t present specifics, and it’s unlikely to reach anytime quickly given the aforementioned priorities. However when it does, it must be a correct efficiency automobile. Whereas the Skytop and Speedtop are M8s with the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 “S63” engine, each lean extra towards grand touring. Notably, the putting targa and coupe duo don’t put on M badges.

No matter is within the pipeline is prone to be cheaper than the three.0 CSL, which had an unconfirmed price ticket of €750,000. For comparability, the Skytop and Speedtop weren’t fairly as cost-prohibitive, however at €500,000, they have been removed from reasonably priced. Even so, BMW had no bother discovering consumers for each the three.0 CSL and the Skytop. The order books stay open for the Speedtop taking pictures brake, although it’s solely been a couple of month for the reason that reveal.

In the identical interview, Sylvia hinted that BMW M is eyeing untapped segments:

“We all the time consider the place there is perhaps potential markets for the longer term. Many occasions, we’re doing this along with our [BMW] AG colleagues as a result of we want some base automobile to then flip it right into a high-performance mannequin. There are some concepts we’re discussing with our AG colleagues in the mean time.”

It’s too early to say whether or not these concepts are tied to the small-series program, but it surely’s clear BMW is cooking up one thing particular to enhance its core M lineup. It in all probability received’t arrive as we speak or tomorrow, so persistence might be key. Logic tells us any future limited-run fashions would even be based mostly on present merchandise.

Growing a brand new car from scratch to promote only some dozen, or perhaps a few hundred, models isn’t financially viable. That’s why BMW stays reluctant to build another supercar as a follow-up to the M1. Fanatics are conscious that the mid-engine E26 had a troubled path to manufacturing within the late Nineteen Seventies, following Lamborghini’s withdrawal on account of monetary difficulties. The closest BMW got here was with the M Imaginative and prescient Subsequent, but it surely in the end axed the electrified supercar.