BMW's M is one of those remarkable entities where a great many people, even those not directly affiliated or invested in it in anyway, care about it very much. It's reached a level of notoriety and volume which require it to placate both purist and plutocrat without losing sight of what made it special in the first place. It means Markus Flasch, boss of BMW M, has a tough job on his hands - in theory at least. That said, his latest interview with WhichCar in Australia suggests Flasch is already content with what's been achieved during his tenure - and remains bullish about the future.
"M is the exaggeration of what BMW stands for, in terms of driving pleasure. M supplements BMW and it's going to remain this way", said Flasch on the ever-increasing range of go-faster BMWs, adding that they are "well experienced in balancing our portfolio" when it comes to M against regular models.
Which is all well and good when it comes to company politics. He goes on to talk about hybridisation in a similar vein, noting that success means having "to be better than the predecessor's character" - which is a fine soundbite for journalists, and rather harder to actually do in the metal. Unless it's to do with power, of course, where Flasch was unrepentant in what the near term is likely to bring.
"You look 10, 15 years back and if you imagined 625 horsepower in a saloon car, you'd probably be scared. Now, I can give an M5 this 625 horsepower and only drive to my mom, in winter, and she'd still be okay. It's all just a question of how you incorporate it into a package that makes it accessible for everyone, and this is what M has always been brilliant in. Don't expect a power limit."
In 2020, that counts as a fairly interesting comment, given cars like the M5 and RS6 haven't recently experienced the kind of power gains that used to characterise each model cycle. When it seemed that the focus might be on more modest power outputs (and kerbweights) to define super-saloon performance, the opposite is likely to prove true when lithium-ion batteries and electric motors are taken into account. Two-tonne mega machines are here stay in other words.
Flash was also questioned on the manual gearbox, as just about every person of note is in the industry at present. Interestingly, he suggested that three pedals and a stick is "not an entry proposition anymore" (as in fact evidenced by Porsche offering manual and PDK at the same price in a 911 now), and that the manual "is for the enthusiast; for someone who wears a mechanical watch." In case it needed any further confirmation, Flash assured WhichCar that the manual is coming for the next M3 and M4, and that the US market really pushed for that to happen.
Speaking of which, we're told to expect the much anticipated M3 and M4 in 2021, with production beginning at the end of this year. Fact is, with so many other cars going into production at the moment - X3/X4 M, X5/X6 M and M8 - Flasch reported "there was no room".
No doubt that M3 and M4 duo will be models that Markus Flasch is judged on in the near term, forming as they do the core of M's performance car offering. Don't forget that the M2 CS is imminent as well. But clearly the manner in which Flasch balances electrification with the expectations of a famously demanding fanbase will ultimately decide the relative success or failure of his stewardship. There may not be a power limit with battery assistance, but the most powerful M cars of a generation are not always the most fondly recalled - or the most popular. Flasch and his team would do well to remember that.
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