BMW M kicks off 50th anniversary celebrations

The high-performance division of BMW is expanding festivities as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, months after it debuted optional retro badging for the 2022 BMW M range.

A new commercial released by BMW M, titled ‘Huddle Speech’, harks back to the marque’s past – from the first 3.0 CSL to the iconic M1 – while also celebrating its current line-up and upcoming models, including the XM performance SUV that is set for debut later this year.

Other vehicles featured in the film include; the current M3, M4 Competition, M8 Competition, i4 M50, iX M60, X3 M, X6 M, as well as the F87 M2, M3 CSL, and the V10-powered E60 M5.

8

“We are proud of the roaring start to our anniversary year [in February],” said Timo Resch, head of consumer, brand and sales at BMW M.

“We want to celebrate with all the fans, with our international community, therefore we have surprises in store for all communication channels, all year round. We are really looking forward to it.”

BMW M plans to host a number of additional events throughout the year to mark the occasion, such as promotional videos, special events, and new product launches – including the XM and the next-generation M2 Coupe.

8

BMW 3.0 CSL

The division was founded in May 1972 to augment the BMW line-up with a number of enhanced models, starting with the 3.0 CSL – which was a homologation special to make the E9 eligible for racing in the European Touring Car Championship.

BMW M’s first unique vehicle, the M1, was showcased at the 1978 Paris Motor Show. Featuring a 3.5-litre straight-six engine producing 204kW of power and 330Nm of torque, the M1 was the first mid-engined vehicle produced by BMW – second only to the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

The first proper M car is often considered to be the M550i, a high-performance variant of BMW’s popular 5 Series that is thought of as the predecessor to the E28 M5.

8

BMW XM concept

The launch of the M5 and M3 during the 1980s demonstrated sports-luxury performance in a sedan, combining the comfort and refinement of the 5 Series and 3 Series with a high-performance engine and a host of other enhancements.

By 1989, the division had expanded with more than 400 employees, becoming a significant part of BMW’s market presence to compete against the AMG performance packages for Mercedes-Benz vehicles (now factory-owned and known as Mercedes-AMG) and Audi Sport.

The two performance sedans have been a mainstay in the BMW M range, alongside a host of newly-added vehicles – including the ever-popular SUV bodystyle – to now consist of the M2, M3, M4, M5, M8, X3 M, X4 M, X5 M, X6 M, as well as less-potent ‘M Performance’ trims, such as the BMW M550i and iX M60.