The first chapters in the future vehicles series on BMW Group were about cars and SUVs. Now comes a look at M. Next up with be a focus on i, then Zinoro, Mini and Rolls-Royce.
There is no M1, nor is there an X1 M, so the Motorsport range of cars commences with the M2 Competition. This high performance version of the 2 Series Coupé was revealed to the media in October 2015 as the M2, with production commencing later the same month. The car had its public debut at the 2016 Detroit auto show.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe M2 Competition, a world debut in April this year at the Beijing motor show, has replaced the M2. As well as having more power, there are different mirrors, a new grille and a fresh front apron. The original from 2015 was powered by a 272kW (370hp) 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine which produced 465Nm or up to 500Nm when overboost was activated. Transmission choice was between a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. As for the Competition, its outputs are 302kW (410hp) and up to 550Nm with overboost. The same transmission choices remain.
There will not be an M2 Competition Convertible, nor was there an M2 Convertible.
The future M2, due in 2020, will likely use the 35up/CLar architecture. This will replace L7, the platform of the current car.
So far at least, BMW is saying nothing official about a theoretical X2 M, and the same applies to the X3 M which rumours surface about from time to time. There are Mercedes-AMG versions of the GLA-Class and GLC-Class plus the Audi RS Q3, so there is no compelling reason why BMW couldn’t add these potential challengers.
G80, the next generation M3, is due for release in about a year’s time. As with the soon to be obsolete model, it is expected to be powered by a turbocharged in-line six-cylinder petrol engine. A sedan is the only confirmed body. A Touring is unlikely but cannot be ruled out.
As for the current M4 range, both bodies have about another 18 months of production remaining. The replacements for the M3 Coupé and M4 Convertible changed names and are more powerful than the previous generation cars. The Coupé was previewed by the BMW Concept M4, which premiered at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August 2013. The production model was revealed at the Detroit auto show in January 2014, with the Convertible following three months later at the New York auto show.
Both M4s are powered by a 431hp 2,979cc biturbo six-cylinder engine. Its codename is S55. The engine was developed at BMW’s Preussenstrasse facility in Munich. It is manufactured in Austria at a BMW powertrain plant in Steyr.
The M4 Coupé went on sale across Europe from April 2014, with the Convertible following from September 2014 (Germany). There are no plans to introduce an M4 Gran Coupé.
The M4 GTS, a special edition, was revealed at October 2015’s Tokyo motor show. This had various CFRP components in the interest of saving weight, and was powered by a 368kW (500hp) version of the S55 3.0-litre engine which featured water injection. BMW built 700 units of this car.
A facelifted M4 range premiered at the Geneva motor show in March 2017, alongside facelifted versions of the 4 Series Coupé, Convertible and Gran Coupé. In North America, the updated cars were new for the 2018 model year.
The M4 CS, another special edition, was revealed at the Shanghai motor show in April 2017. BMW also told the media that CS models will always be less powerful than CSL vehicles but faster than the Competition versions of M models.
The development codes of the next M4 Coupé and Convertible are M82 and M83. These cars are for release from 2020.
Will there be a Z4 M? There might be an announcement on this topic later in August as the Z4 itself will finally be shown in production form very soon.
As is the case with the imminent Z4, the most powerful version of the new shape X4 is called M40i. It has a 2,998cc in-line petrol straight six with twin-scroll turbocharger which produces 260kW (354hp) and 500Nm. BMW might add an X4 M variant to the line-up either in 2019 or 2020.
The new M5 is the first one in the history of the series to come with all-wheel drive. Its engine is again a biturbo V8. It produces 441kW (600hp), peak torque is 750Nm and the CO2 average is 241g/km. The public debut was at the Frankfurt IAA in September 2017, although the car was revealed to the media a few weeks prior to the show at an event in Cologne.
There is also a more powerful M5 Competition variant. Its engine has claimed outputs of 460kW (625hp), while torque of 750Nm is identical to that of the M5.
BMW will facelift the M5 in 2021 and release the next M5 in 2024. This will share the platform of the future 7 Series.
F85, the outoing X5 M, will be replaced in 2019. It is based on the F15 shape X5, this model being almost obsolete – the successor was announced in June and will go into production in October.
Right now, there is no M6, production of the former M6 Coupé, M6 Convertible and M6 Gran Coupé having recently ceased. The G32 shape 6 Series GT has been in production since January, so an M6 GT might be launched next year.
The X6 M dates to May 2015. This has the same 423kW (567hp) 4.4-litre biturbo petrol V8 as the X5 M. Each had its world premiere at the LA auto show in November 2014.
The next X6 M should be added to the BMW model line-up during the first quarter of 2020. It will use an evolution of the platform which debuted with 2015’s BMW 7 Series. This means it should weigh far less than the second generation model. As well as US build, there should be additional assembly at AvtoTOR’s Kaliningrad plant.
Audi has the S8 and there are several Mercedes-AMG versions of the S-Class yet there is no M7. BMW believes that a hard core variant of its largest sedan is nothing something there would be a substantial market for. In this it is not alone, with Toyota’s Lexus LS F Sport being a mere trim level and offering no extra power.
The X7 is yet to enter production so it is too early to know for sure whether or not BMW plans to add an X7 M. Having said that, there is no reason why such a model wouldn’t be released. This might happen in 2019 or 2020.
The range topper of Motorsport division is the M8. Although the car is yet to be seen in series production form, it has been on display throughout 2018 in GTE form as a racing car. Last weekend it became a race winner.
The 8 Series Coupé, a rival for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé, was announced by BMW just ahead of the appearance of a concept version. The design study was revealed in May 2017 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. A day later, an M8 prototype covered in camouflage was shown at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The car sounded as though it was powered by a forced induction V8.
The market release of the 8 Series Coupé will commence in November and the two-door fixed-roof M8 will likely be added in 2019. It won’t be the only body, with a four-door Gran Coupé also due to become available next year and possibly a Convertible too.
The future low-roof M8 sedan was previewed by the Concept M8 Gran Coupé, a prototype which was displayed at this year’s Geneva motor show. The GC will go into production during 2019, BMW stated at the Swiss event.
Recent reports for many other manufacturers’ future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future product program intelligence
More detail on the past, current and forthcoming models for BMW AG’s car brands can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of QUBE.
