[Scorcher]

Yes!! I've been waiting for these words from BMW for a long time.

I've always wanted the M-division to build a car from scratch rather than enhancing existing cars, just to keep as a mascot, all BMW needed was inspiration it seems, as AMG shone the torch with the SLS, the honchos at Bavaria finally seems to let the skunk works do what they were born to do.

Ah! I just can't wait for this one. //M, you have an opportunity to create a legend, please don't screw it up!

Source

BMW's M division can build its own car.
In an interview with Inside Line, Albert Biermann, head of BMW product development, said that the automaker would like to see the M division make its own car but that it's a matter of making a model that is profitable.
"From an engineering perspective we have the skills and we'd love to do it," says Biermann. "We've discussed it several times but we've never been able to make the business case. Everything we do has to make money."
Rival Merecedes-Benz's AMG (performance) division recently created its own model with the SLS AMG.
Biermann also said that turbo technology was advancing so quickly that BMW was getting close to matching the response time of a naturally-aspirated engine.
He also didn't rule out a future diesel M car but says that the horsepower wars are over.
"We cannot just keep adding more power. M is not selling horsepower; that's not what we're about."

[D33-PAC]

Is this a fact or is it speculation?
I only see "would like to build" in articles, not "will build".

[Scorcher]

Originally Posted by D33-PAC

Is this a fact or is it speculation?
I only see "would like to build" in articles, not "will build".

For the moment, its a speculation *for us* and hence the title is "BMW to let the //M..". But if it is not to something which is finalized and official, do you think the man would spill the beans in an interview?

Fingers crossed anyway, BMW need a proper Super/Hypercar to stay even in the same page with the competition who are churning out masterpieces like the SLR, SLS, R8 etc

[deetjohn]

Hope this materialize soon.

A spiritual successor for the M1. It's high time BMW make a proper sports car and get involved even more in Motorsports. BMW has a lot to deliver to Motorsports. I feel, they are some how shying away from it.

Edit: BMW has to remind itself what that 'M' stands for. Sooner the better.

[MaserQ]

Natural progression for the M-Division to build sports cars for the parent company. There have been feelers with the M1 concept in the past. Who better to build an R8 rival?

[mithunkb]

I would love it to be a GTR rival rather than an R8 rival. A manual turbocharged all wheel drive monster with the //M handling DNA.

[ac 427]

An absolutely brilliant article about the 'm' and real racers and marketing and purists and gurus.

The Death Of BMW's M Brand

Cheers,
ac

[Rehaan]

Ah, another one of those "BMW Purists". Remember how they all came out in full force when the E60 was unveiled?

Anyway, the short of it (in my opinion) is : To survive in today's realistic world (business, bottom lines, sales figures, profits), i don't really care what useless special editions BMW comes up with, or whether they put a //M motor in a bus.

As long as they have a few AMAZING cars to choose from (and really, there's no doubting the E92 M3 and even the 1 series //M) - its all okay to me. Just because i like vanilla doesn't mean i should object if they sell 30 other flavours. As long as i continue to get the true, pure flavour i want, i'm happy.

And sure, I'd even wish they sold 50,000 Limerock edition M3s, just so that the M division doesn't ever have to stop making vanilla ice cream.

cya
R

[shamik.bose]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Ah, another one of those "BMW Purists". Remember how they all came out in full force when the E60 was unveiled?

Anyway, the short of it (in my opinion) is : To survive in today's realistic world (business, bottom lines, sales figures, profits), i don't really care what useless special editions BMW comes up with, or whether they put a //M motor in a bus.

As long as they have a few AMAZING cars to choose from (and really, there's no doubting the E92 M3 and even the 1 series //M) - its all okay to me. Just because i like the vanilla doesn't mean i care if they sell 30 other flavours, as long as i continue to get the true, pure flavour i want.

And sure, i'd even wish that they sold 50,000 limerock edition M3s, just so that the M division doesn't ever have to stop making vanilla ice cream.

cya
R

The very same 'purists' cried hoarse when BMW announced their plans of ditching the straight six for a V8 for the E92 M3. I agree with you on this. To stay afloat, the //M division has to churn out vehicles like the X5 //M and the X6 //M simply because there is a market for vehicles like them. At the same time, they make cars like the M3 and the current M5. All is well with the world because of that

[ac 427]

while i have not driven the M3 or the Boss, i do get what the writer is trying to point out over here.

Earlier when a bmw had a 'm' on it - it was supposed to be the epitome of performance. I think he is trying to talk about 'honesty'.

Putting a sticker on a car which performs exactly the same and calling it a 'special edition' is plane ridiculous - this is on par with what our Maruti Marketing buff do. Put stickers on a alto and then call it the sportz edition.

I do agree with the writer here to a certain degree, BMW makes the M editions for the evolved car buyer - the one who wants the most out of his machine. When the 'm' is launched, certain industry leaders make an opinion about the brand/product - the followers then just follow, coz it would be seen as cool to associated with that brand.

The writer is getting to the point where he is clearly mentioning that making a 'special race edition' when there is nothing special is just 'eroding' the value of the M series, while the guy who knows nothing about high end performance will be happy, satisfied with his purchase but to the evolved industry leader, he knows and he will make an opinion about the car which will not help the brand. Which in turn will harm the brand in the long run.

Again I iterate - i am reacting to the writers points and write with some experience about branding and marketing and not about driving the car.

cheers,
ac

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Ah, another one of those "BMW Purists". Remember how they all came out in full force when the E60 was unveiled?

Anyway, the short of it (in my opinion) is : To survive in today's realistic world (business, bottom lines, sales figures, profits), i don't really care what useless special editions BMW comes up with, or whether they put a //M motor in a bus.

As long as they have a few AMAZING cars to choose from (and really, there's no doubting the E92 M3 and even the 1 series //M) - its all okay to me. Just because i like vanilla doesn't mean i should object if they sell 30 other flavours. As long as i continue to get the true, pure flavour i want, i'm happy.

And sure, I'd even wish they sold 50,000 Limerock edition M3s, just so that the M division doesn't ever have to stop making vanilla ice cream.

cya
R

Originally Posted by shamik.bose

The very same 'purists' cried when BMW announced their plans of ditching the straight six for a V8 for the E92 M3. I agree with you on this. To stay afloat, the //M division has to churn out vehicles like the X5 //M and the X6 //M simply because there is a market for vehicles like them. At the same time, they make cars like the Mon 3 and the current M5. All is well with the world because of that

Couldn't have said it better myself. I was one of the few that loved (and still do) the E60 5-series when it came out... in fact I've lost track of the number of times I've said that very same thing on TBHP. To me the E60 is one of the best four-door sedans made in the last thirty years.

I've also got no problems with moving from straight 6s to V8s and I've also got no problems with X5M and the X6M - apparently there's a market for those (utterly pointless) cars and BMW brass has an obligation to shareholders. I get it. I even get the Lime Rock Edition, even though it's nothing more than a standard M3 it offers exclusivity by being distinctive and of limited number so youre paying for it's rarity rather than some enhanced performance.

But, what I don't get is the M-performance Package. That's rubbish. It's nonsense like adding carbon-fiber mirror covers, painting your back-calipers red, painting some racing stripes down the side, retuning the engine for 15bhp more and that's pretty much it. Unfortunately, some carbon fiber bits and a slightly remappped air-intake system or ECU DO NOT AN //M-CAR MAKE. BMW needs to understand that slowly but surely they're diluting what the //M division has come to mean, which is no-compromise performance first, everything else second. The E46 M3 CSL must be turning in it's grave.