It’s //M week on the BimmerCast. In this episode we talk about the GTS and why it’s not called the CSL. And of course you’ll hear our takes on the new track-day special from the M Division. We also uncover some of what’s in store of 1 Series fans in the way of M versions. In short, a lot. You’ll want to listen if you’re interested in a lightweight, high performance M product that costs less than the current M3.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Burried in today’s interview Dr. Kay Segler was the first official confirmation that the M Division is officially working on an entry level product to be positioned below the current M3. As you’d expect based on our previous articles, we believe this is in referance to an M version of the upcoming F20 1 Series coupe. We believe this could come to market as early as 2013 but early 2014 may be more likely. Here’s the full excerpt:
MPW: What else can we expect from BMW M in the near future?
Segler: Our leitmotif is: “Automobile dreams come true”. The M3 GTS sends out a clear signal here. The X5 M and X6 M have just gone out to dealerships and round off the top of our product range. But what I would most like to see is for BMW M to stay a young brand within people’s reach. This is why a product below the BMW M3 more important to me than a super sports car which is only accessible to a few. As I have already mentioned in other interviews, we are currently looking closely at the options in this area. I hope to be able to tell you more the next time we speak.
Autoexpress and our always interesting source Scott27 have both independently reported that BMW is forging ahead with a M only sports car based on the principles of the recently Vision concept. The car could include a small 3 cylinder engine and a hybrid system similar to that found in the new X6 Hybrid. Drag would be reduced to .22Cd and weight could come in just over 2200 lbs. Power would be around 350 hp and torque could easily eclipse the 590lb lbs the concept reportedly had.
The idea is that this car would slot below the M3 in both performance and price but would be a completely new kind of sports car taking not just performance seriously but efficiency as well. It’ll be based on the new 1 series architecture that will debut with the next 1 Series and MINI over the next several years.
It’ll be interesting to see what finally comes of this knowing that M is/was also planning on working on a 1 Series coupe vehicle. Does that car become a Tii or Supersport branded vehicle or will this new Vision based vehicle use the “Z” nomenclature?
It is no surprise that ///M sales are up for the year even with the current economic climate compared to last year. Simply because the year prior there was no ///M3. With three variants; coupe, sedan, and convertible BMW tapped all the markets at the same time instead of releasing models in succession. Most of the other models in the lineup also continue to sell well. ///M models while pricey to most are some of the best cars from a driving and engineering standpoint so it is no wonder they consistently sell well.
Official Release:
BMW M GMBH ON STABLE GROWTH COURSE: Worldwide sales as of November 2008 more than 50 percent over last year’s comparative period.
Munich. In the second half of the business year 2008, BMW M GmbH continues to hold a stable growth course. The significant increase in sales as compared to last year have resulted in 22,340 vehicles being sold worldwide as of November 2008. This means that BMW M GmbH has exceeded the previous year’s equivalent figures (14,092 units) by over 50 per cent.
A few BF readers may have seen a life-like image of what appears to be a low-slung BMW supercar all over the web this weekend. As most of you probably guessed, that image has nothing to do with BMW and is certainly not a uber secret product that BMW has been developing. Instead it’s a rendering based off of an old Ford GT press shot (flipped horizontally). The wheels are from the recent Mazda Kabrua Concept and the details and ripped from the new E90 M3 and even the Audi R8.
We’re not going to even bother posting an image here but you can find it all over the automotive web if you look hard enough.
Yesterday BMW released a short video of Adrian Van Hooydonk talking about the new M1 Homage Concept. While we could have simple grabbed the file from the BMW press site and posted on Youtube like any other automotive site, we thought we’d try something a little different. In an effort to give you a better appreciation for what the M1 (in both road and racing form) we’ve edited together a handful of related clips (including quite a bit of vintage M1 footage) throughout the talk. Enjoy.
Official BMW AG Press Release: To mark the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1 super sports car, BMW Group Design is presenting a homage to this legendary model as part of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2008. The BMW M1 designed by Giorgio Giugiaro was a car of superlatives and a highly emotive vehicle that was uncompromisingly primed for the race track. Spawning this development was the BMW Turbo by Paul Bracq, a revolutionary concept car which, in addition to its groundbreaking functional design, also boasted a raft of technical innovations. It is from these two unique vehicles that the BMW M1 Homage takes its cue – a design study that pays tribute to its forerunner models and an embodiment of the competence, creativity and potential of the BMW Group Design team.
“For BMW, heritage is always also a living heritage. Drawing inspiration from your own past and thereby reinventing yourself – that is exactly what the BMW M1 Homage demonstrates in impressive style.”
Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW Group Board Member, Development
BimmerFile is dedicated to bringing you the most interesting news, links and reviews related to the BMW brand and it's vehicles.
We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: //M1\\, //M3 GTS, //M\\, BimmerCast Nov 10th, 2009 4 Comments 
