At 50 years old, BMW M is still fast and furious

AT 50 years old, BMW M is in fine shape, so what better way to celebrate than with a high-octane party?

Local dealer Performance Munich Autos threw a 3-day bash for the high-performance arm of BMW, kicking things off on Jul 15. Nearly 600 people attended BMW Experience Days 2022, more than 270 of whom burned rubber in the brand’s cars at the sprawling grounds of the Changi Exhibition Centre, usually the home of the Singapore Airshow.

The company grew out of BMW’s racing division and traces its origins to 1972’s 3.0 CSL, a competition coupe bedecked with such a huge rear wing that fans lovingly nicknamed it the “Batmobile”. As a sub-brand within BMW, M delivered a record 163,542 cars worldwide last year, a 13 per cent increase on 2020’s numbers. Not a bad way to hit the half-century mark.

“50 years is something special, and it needs to be marked one way or another. It also fits very well with all of us coming out of the Covid period, coming back together again, and it’s a fantastic occasion to do it,” Lars Nielsen, the managing director of BMW Asia, told The Business Times (BT).

“M obviously is about driving, as well. You can do digital communication, you can let everyone know and so on, but that way you don’t feel it,” he said. “We want people to get into the driver’s seat and feel that M spirit.”

Nielsen declined to say how much the party cost, but BT estimates the cost at S$250,000. Nielsen said the event was an investment in building the brand and customer relations. “We really wanted to see people come together again and share their passion for M,” he said.

Apart from the chance to drag race a few of the latest M cars and test out their handling on a twisty course, guests got a close-up look at “50 Jahre” models (German for “50 years”) that come with special livery to mark the 50th anniversary, as well as a different take on BMW’s classic badge with racing colours surrounding its circular emblem.

The brand also launched its first electric car at the event. The i4 M50, a twin-motor 4-door coupe that costs S$412,888 with Certificate Of Entitlement, boasts 544 horsepower and accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds – making it as quick as the M3 Competition, perhaps the most famous BMW M car.

M prides itself on building powerful, evocative engines with 6 or 8 cylinders, but Nielsen, who describes himself as a petrolhead, said it is evolving to stay relevant.

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“The intention here is not to try to convince someone who is a firm believer in the straight-6 or the V8 that this is not working any more, because of course it is. We have 50 years’ experience proving that. But now we have this wonderful addendum that fits into the future,” he said.

“Even with the changing environment, M is still moving with the times.”