The BMW X5 and X6 sport activity vehicles received M derivatives for the 2010 model year onwards. However, as BMW M shifted to turbocharged engines, there are rumors that there is an in-house BMW M7 in the works, and it is speculated that its performance may exceed that of the BMW 760Li and Alpina B7. So far the unofficial "BMW M7" is the Alpina B7, which is produced on BMW's assembly line though its engine and finishing touches are done by auto tuner Alpina. ![]() There is no BMW M version of the 7 Series, as BMW did not want its flagship saloon to be powered by a high-revving engine, and as the recent top-performing versions (usually the BMW 760Li) have V12 engines which while powerful are considered too heavy for a sporty offshoot. In 1993, BMW Motorsport GmbH changed their name to BMW M GmbH.īMW Motorsport GmbH supplied the 6.1-litre V12 DOHC 48 valve engine that powers the McLaren F1, which, like its engine supplier and manufacturer, has enjoyed plenty of racing success, famously winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, the first year of competition for the GTR racing variant.Īt present, BMW M has offered modified versions of nearly every BMW nameplate, except for the Z1, 7 Series flagship luxury sedan and the X1 compact crossover SUVs. The direction of the M cars changed with the 1979 release of the M535i, which was a high performance version of BMW's popular 5 Series mid-size sedan. ![]() The M1, however, was more of a racecar in domestic trim than an everyday driver. The first official M-badged car for sale to the public was the M1, revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1978. Īfter the success of BMW M products like BMW 3.0 CSL in racing venues and the growing market for high performance sports cars, M introduced cars for sale to the public. 100 homologated road cars had to be produced for this. It was designed to compete in South Africa's Modified Production Series instead of the regular E12 528i. The first racing project was BMW's 3.0 CSL. All M models are tested and tuned at BMW's private facility at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany.īMW M also provides M packages for the BMW S1000RR motorcycle, with a limited-production 2021-onwards homologation-special, race-type machine designated M1000RR.Įstablished in May 1972 with 35 employees, it grew to 400 employees by 1988, and is currently an integral part of BMW's market presence. These M-badged cars traditionally include modified engines, transmissions, suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics, and exterior modifications to set them apart from their counterparts. As time passed, BMW M began to supplement BMW's vehicle portfolio with specially modified higher trim models, for which they are now most known by the general public. High Performance Driver Education, automobile tuningīMW M GmbH, formerly known as BMW Motorsport GmbH, is a subsidiary of BMW AG that manufactures high-performance cars.īMW M ("M" for "motorsport") was initially created to facilitate BMW's racing program, which was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |