by The BMW M division is preparing a large-scale update to its car lineup. Here are the key points to know:
Large-Scale Product Offensive
Last year, BMW announced a massive product offensive, which will see over 40 new or updated cars appear by 2027. BMW M is also preparing its own large-scale offensive. BMW M CEO Frank van Meel stated in a comment for CarSales:
We are working on 30 new models that will be released over the next two and a half years.
This is a huge number, but it is important to understand that it includes both full-fledged M models and cars with the M Performance package.
Although the executive did not reveal details, apart from confirming the future i3 M, spy photos in recent months have captured a whole range of prototypes. In addition to the updated M5 and M5 Touring, the company is working on a new M3 and iX3 M. They will be joined by updated versions of the X5, X6, and X7, which will receive both full-fledged M versions and M Performance variants. M Performance versions for the updated 7 Series can also be expected.
Electrification of M Performance
Speaking about M Performance variants, van Meel noted that electrified models, such as the i4 M60, have become popular in countries where emission regulations make traditional sports cars with internal combustion engines very expensive. He gave an example:
In France, you would have to pay 18,000 euros in CO2 emission tax on an M2 with an internal combustion engine.
This extremely high amount opens up good prospects for the future i3 M, which will receive a powertrain with four electric motors. However, the executive noted that he is not sure how customers will perceive this model. Although time will tell, van Meel believes that this car has
exactly the technology everyone has been waiting for… in a high-performance electric car.
Despite the emphasis on electric cars, BMW M is not putting all its eggs in one basket. On the contrary, the executive stated that they have a long tradition of six- and eight-cylinder engines, and
we plan to continue this because we have a large community all over the world, as well as many people who may not be ready yet or live in conditions where it is very difficult to charge electric cars.
Uncertain Future for Manual Transmissions
While internal combustion engines will remain, manual transmissions may not be so lucky. As van Meel explained:
From an engineering point of view, a manual transmission doesn’t make much sense because it limits you both in torque and in fuel consumption.
However, he added that from an emotional and customer point of view
many people still love manuals, so we kept it and intend to keep it for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, time seems to be running out, as he noted:
It will be quite difficult in the future to develop completely new gearboxes because the market segment is quite small, and suppliers are not so interested in doing something like that.
This means that manual transmissions will likely be safe for the next few years, but it will probably become
difficult to keep the manual alive, especially in the next decade.
These BMW M plans clearly outline the brand’s dual strategy: intensive development of electric products to meet modern requirements and global trends, parallel with supporting traditional powertrains for the conservative part of the audience and markets with insufficient infrastructure. However, the future of manual transmissions looks the most risky, as despite their emotional value, they face economic and technological impracticality. The approach of 30 new models demonstrates the ambition of the plans, but it is the balance between innovation and tradition, as well as the market’s reaction to models like the i3 M, that will determine the success of this large-scale offensive in the coming years.
