Don't say you weren't warned! Just two days ago we hinted that BMW M might get a lot of exposure on PH this year as it celebrates the big 5-0, and here we are once more. Yes, it's another sales story, but it confirms that M Division is entering the anniversary year in rude health. Sales were up 13 per cent on 2020, making it a record-breaking year. In fact, 2021 saw 163,542 BMW M cars delivered to customers across the globe.
Which, given that the brand didn't feature an M car based on a 2 Series in that year (i.e., the more affordable route into ownership), is a fairly notable achievement. Of course there is more than one SUV propping up the sales figures, but BMW speaks of an "overwhelming" response to the new M3 and M4, with all three models - coupe, saloon, and convertible - getting off to "an extremely successful start" as the biggest growth drivers in the line-up. There will only be more from here, too, as 2022 is the first full year of the xDrive cars. And there's the M3 Touring to think about, which you may or may not have heard about...
According to BMW both X5 and X6 M made "a powerful contribution" to sales in 2021, having been launched in 2020. Unsurprisingly the M Performance X cars also proved popular, with praise directed at the X3 M40i and X7 M50i. Finally, a special mention is directed at the 4 Series; BMW states that credit "for the latest boost to sales goes above all to the M models based on the new 4 Series", which includes the M440i and M440d in its various guises. Interestingly, the 3 Series equivalents aren't mentioned, neither are the 1 Series or 5 Series.
Understandably, then, there are high hopes for further success in a momentous year. Not least with a glut of new fast cars coming, too. The M240i xDrive will go on sale, for starters; BMW will be onto a winner if that proves as popular as the old one. At the other end of the scale, production of the XM will commence, and it would be a brave soul to bet against that car's success despite its appearance. There are the electric M cars to consider as well (i4 M50 and iX M60) plus, of course, the really exciting stuff: alongside the Touring, BMW has confirmed "an exclusive special-edition model based on the new M4 Coupe." And a new CSL (or whatever it turns out to be) seems a fair trade for the XM - doesn't it?
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