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autoevolution's BMW M Month

2022 marks an important moment for German carmaker BMW. It is the year when the brand celebrates the 50th anniversary of the M badge, a letter that over the years has become synonymous with high-performance machines.

Short for BMW Motorsport GmbH, today’s BMW M GmbH traces its roots all the way back to May 1972, when it was set up to advance the Bavarians' racing program, kicked into gear with the introduction of the 3.0 CSL homologation special, meant to open the doors for BMW to enter the European Touring Car Championship.

The immediate success of the model prompted M to quickly expand into the civilian market, and started producing vehicles that need not exist solely as a means for the requirements of some racing series to be satisfied. And this is how we got the M we know and love today.

At the time of writing, the M portfolio includes no less than 14 fully-fledged M models, 24 M-flavored upgrades of series BMW cars and SUVs, and two cooperation vehicles. You can add to that the ones that have stopped being made over the past 50 years, and you get one of the most comprehensive lineups of any high-performance brand out there.

We’ll celebrate them all, and possibly even more, this May, as we run the BMW M Month here on autoevolution.

Editor's note: This special feature by autoevolution was not sponsored or supported by a third-party.
There's No Place for BMW M in the All-Electric Era – Yet
There's No Place for BMW M in the All-Electric Era – Yet

31 May 2022, 20:47 UTC · By: Florin Amariei / One might be inclined to say this is madness or pure, underserved, and uncalled-for BMW bashing. But before you jump to conclusions, hear me out

 
750-HP BMW X3 M Is Unleashed on the Autobahn, Tries to Hit 180 MPH
750-HP BMW X3 M Is Unleashed on the Autobahn, Tries to Hit 180 MPH

31 May 2022, 17:54 UTC · By: Dragos Chitulescu / Pushing cars to their absolute limit on the Autobahn sounds like a dream job, especially if you don't have to pay for them first

 
2023 BMW X1 and BMW iX1 Get Leaked Ahead of Official Presentation, Here They Are!
2023 BMW X1 and BMW iX1 Get Leaked Ahead of Official Presentation, Here They Are!

30 May 2022, 22:37 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / BMW's iX1 and X1 were leaked ahead of their official presentation. Normally, you would have seen them in two days, but here they are

 
This S85 V10-Swapped E46 by Brintech Customs Is the BMW M Fan’s Dream Come True
This S85 V10-Swapped E46 by Brintech Customs Is the BMW M Fan’s Dream Come True

30 May 2022, 13:33 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The E46-generation BMW M3 with its powerful six-cylinder was a great car, but someone decided that it would be even better with the E60 M5's F1-derived V10

 
The McLaren F1's S70/2 V12 Was BMW M’s Greatest Gift to the Automotive World
The McLaren F1's S70/2 V12 Was BMW M’s Greatest Gift to the Automotive World

27 May 2022, 15:11 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Arguably the best supercar ever conceived, the McLaren F1 was powered by an impressive V12 designed and build by BMW's Motorsport division

 
2023 BMW M2 Shows Some of Its Naughty Nature in Official Teaser Video
2023 BMW M2 Shows Some of Its Naughty Nature in Official Teaser Video

27 May 2022, 08:53 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Expected to be one of the best driver's cars launched this year, the 2023 BMW M2 is supposedly a few weeks/months away from debuting

 
The E46 M3 GTR Transformed More Regular Folks Into BMW Fans Than Any Other M Model
The E46 M3 GTR Transformed More Regular Folks Into BMW Fans Than Any Other M Model

26 May 2022, 13:13 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Probably the most famous M car of all time - especially among Need for Speed players - the E46 M3 GTR was both a great racecar and an epic homologation special

 
The Story of the Blasphemous Yet Brilliant 2JZ-Swapped BMW Z3 M Coupe From South Africa
The Story of the Blasphemous Yet Brilliant 2JZ-Swapped BMW Z3 M Coupe From South Africa

25 May 2022, 15:28 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / With a 400-hp 2JZ linked to a pickup truck manual, this otherwise stock Z3 M Coupe can be converted back to its factory spec thanks to some innovative tuning

 
BMW M240i Faces Golf R and Civic Type R in Drag Race, Place Your Bets
BMW M240i Faces Golf R and Civic Type R in Drag Race, Place Your Bets

25 May 2022, 14:22 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / BMW's smallest coupe does not have a direct competitor from rival manufacturers. With that it mind, watch it race comparably-priced hot hatches

 
BMW iX M60 Starts at AU$222,900 in Australia; Read That Again and Let It Sink In
BMW iX M60 Starts at AU$222,900 in Australia; Read That Again and Let It Sink In

25 May 2022, 06:52 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Boasting a generous amount of gear as standard, the 610-horsepower BMW iX M60 electric super crossover will start arriving at dealers Down Under this summer

 
BMW M3 Gets Tuning Box, Hits the Highway to Check for Improvement
BMW M3 Gets Tuning Box, Hits the Highway to Check for Improvement

24 May 2022, 20:15 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / We will let you be the judge of the question in the title. Many will say yes, while others will stick to other tuning optiions when this model is concerned

 
The Crazy 2001 Hartge H50 Was Unofficially the First 3 Series With an M-Developed V8
The Crazy 2001 Hartge H50 Was Unofficially the First 3 Series With an M-Developed V8

24 May 2022, 07:33 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / A cross between an E46 3 Serie and a E39 M5, the Hartge H50 V8 was not an official M car, but it sounded and performed like one

 
2023 BMW M4 Edition 50 Is Sold Pretty Much Everywhere, Save for North America
2023 BMW M4 Edition 50 Is Sold Pretty Much Everywhere, Save for North America

24 May 2022, 07:23 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Celebrating the BMW M Division's 50th anniversary, the 2023 BMW M4 Edition 50 follows hot on the heels of the M3 Edition 50 sold exclusively in North America

 
2023 BMW M3 Edition 50 Brings Heritage Colors, More Standard Gear in a Limited Package
2023 BMW M3 Edition 50 Brings Heritage Colors, More Standard Gear in a Limited Package

24 May 2022, 06:39 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Sold exclusively in North America, and limited to 500 cars, the 2023 BMW M3 Edition 50 will kick off at nearly $100K in the U.S.

 
2023 BMW XM Rendered With a Whole Lotta Grille, But That's Not the CGI
2023 BMW XM Rendered With a Whole Lotta Grille, But That's Not the CGI

23 May 2022, 15:35 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / Due in a few months, the BMW XM will be the M Division's second standalone product, after the iconic M1, and it's not exactly a pretty sight, is it?

 
The Volga V12 Coupe Is a Stereotype-Defying, BMW M-Powered Custom From Mother Russia
The Volga V12 Coupe Is a Stereotype-Defying, BMW M-Powered Custom From Mother Russia

23 May 2022, 14:52 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / A Russian icon from the Soviet era with a German heart, the Volga V12 Coupe is a sensational custom powered by a massive M-engineered V12

 
Dodge Charger Hellcat Drag Races BMW M8, Let the Punishment Begin!
Dodge Charger Hellcat Drag Races BMW M8, Let the Punishment Begin!

23 May 2022, 08:39 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat has more power, but the BMW M8 Competition Coupe is a bit quicker in a straight line. Think you can spot the winner?

 
Video: Watch the New BMW M4 CSL Lap the Nurburgring Quicker Than Any Other Bimmer
Video: Watch the New BMW M4 CSL Lap the Nurburgring Quicker Than Any Other Bimmer

23 May 2022, 06:49 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / At 7 minutes and 15.677 seconds for the shorter version of the track, the M4 CSL is the fastest production BMW to have ever lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife

 
The S85 Was a Special BMW M V10 That Made the M5 and M6 Sound Like Formula 1 Cars
The S85 Was a Special BMW M V10 That Made the M5 and M6 Sound Like Formula 1 Cars

20 May 2022, 13:11 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The first and only production V10 developed by BMW M, the S85 V10 was a 500-hp, naturally aspirated beast with Formula 1 pedigree

 
2023 BMW M3 Touring Has a Tech Feature That the M4 CSL Is Missing Out On
2023 BMW M3 Touring Has a Tech Feature That the M4 CSL Is Missing Out On

20 May 2022, 08:03 UTC · By: Cristian Gnaticov / A low-riding full-blown BMW M car for the whole family, the BMW M3 Touring is supposedly due next month, and won't launch in North America