New 2022 BMW M2 leads M's 50th anniversary model onslaught
Performance brand lines up new M2, M3 Touring, fearsome M4 CSL, XM SUV flagship and powerful electric 7 Series
BMW is to launch a wave of new performance models in the 50th anniversary year of its storied M division, among them some of the most powerful combustion-engined models it has yet produced and its first pure-electric sports cars.
As it hits 50 this year, M division is on the cusp of a transformative era that will see it phase out its range of petrol-powered coupés, saloons and SUVs to replace them with high-powered electric alternatives, in line with BMW’s pledge to ramp up EV production.
From 2025, the firm will usher in its third-generation EVs atop the all-new Neue Klasse platform, which will be entirely scalable for deployment in cars equivalent in size to both the 2 Series and X7. Capable also of hosting PHEV powertrains and hydrogen fuel cell systems, it will replace the FAAR and CLAR structure in use across BMW’s line-up, but not before those architectures have hosted an array of sporting models from M division.
Last year, M sold more than 160,000 cars to become the world’s best-selling performance sub-brand. Here’s what they’ve got in the works.
Performance brand lines up new M2, M3 Touring, fearsome M4 CSL, XM SUV flagship and powerful electric 7 Series
www.autocar.co.uk
