The BMW Group's performance arm sold 177,257 vehicles worldwide in 2022. Rather than the six-cylinder M3 or eight-cylinder X5 M, the best-selling M vehicle of 2022 was the i40 M50, which is – technically speaking – an M Performance model.
By comparison, BMW Group reported 202,530 deliveries for the M division last year. Once again, the i4 M50 proved more popular than combustion-engined models. According to Munich's favorite son, the United States of America, Germany, and the UK were M's biggest important markets in 2023.
BMW further claims that the M3 Sedan was the world's favorite high-performance sports car in 2023, followed by the M4 Coupe. Bearing in mind that General Motors produced 53,785 units of the Chevrolet Corvette in 2023, that's pretty impressive on BMW's part. Unfortunately, the German automaker didn't break down M sales by model.
2023 saw BMW M launch two all-electric models in the form of the i5 M60 xDrive Sedan and the i7 M70 xDrive. Based on the rear-biased CLuster ARchitecture of the combustion-engined 7 Series, the i7 in M70 xDrive flavor is the most powerful, torquiest, and quickest electric Bimmer to date.
Unleashed in April 2023, the i7 M70 xDrive belts out a staggering 485 kWh (660 ps or 650 horsepower) and 1,015 Nm (748 pound-feet) in Sport mode. Selecting M Launch Control or M Sport Boost ups torque to 1,100 Nm (811 pound-feet), resulting in 3.7 seconds from zero to 100 clicks. Otherwise put, roughly 3.5 seconds to 60 miles per hour.
Photo: BMW
As implied by the M60 designation, the i5 M60 xDrive Sedan doesn't offer as much power and torque as the aforementioned i7 M70 xDrive. At full chatter, the mid-size luxury sedan belts out 442 kW (601 ps or 593 horsepower) and 820 Nm (605 pound-feet). The M50 in i4 M50 also stands for less power and torque, namely 400 kW (544 ps or 536 horsepower) and 795 Nm (586 pound-feet).
Later in 2024, the M division will bolster its lineup with the first M5 Touring since the V10-powered E61 we all know and love. For the newcomer, which is condemned G99 as opposed to G90 for the sedan, a TT V8 will have to suffice. Said V8 isn't alone, though, but assisted by a plug-in hybrid system à la the XM.
If you prefer internal combustion alone, fret not because the M4 CSL will be discontinued in favor of the M4 CS. You can think of it as the M3 CS with two fewer doors, or as the next step up from the M4 Competition. The biggest difference between the current M4 CSL and the upcoming M4 CS is M xDrive all-wheel drive, a system that – thankfully – features a rear-drive-only setting.
Scheduled to enter production in August 2025, the 2025 model year M2 will get a few more ponies from its TT I6. The S58 will be improved to 475 horsepower, and BMW will further sweeten the deal with new paint colors: Portimao Blue, Mineral Red, Skyscraper Gray, and Sao Paulo Yellow.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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