Relatively young in comparison to its mother company, the BMW M Division hit the ground running with the very first M1 in 1978. Since then, it has evolved at a staggering pace to very quickly lead the market in terms of performance perfectly amalgamated with sheer luxury and stunning good looks. It may be that true racing brands like Ferrari boast more aggressive drivers, while Mercedes-Benz is hard to beat when it comes to lavish interiors and ride comfort. But, while BMW’s standard range manages to bring these elements together well, the M Division takes it to a whole other level.
M is for mad performance
Every model bearing the M badge is equipped with a monstrous powertrain, from the smaller M2 through to the full-size M8, and even the larger utes like the X5 and X6 get M variants. This gives each vehicle impressive sprint times, with the top-of-the-range M8 Gran Coupe going from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering three seconds in its Competition guise. This is thanks to its insanely powerful twin-turbo V8 engine throwing out 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque (617 hp with the Competition pack). The X6 M gets the same engine, but due to its larger size and height, as well as its greater weight, it isn’t quite as quick, making the same sprint in 3.8 seconds at best. But power alone doesn’t make for great performance, and the master engineers at BMW know this all too well.
Just as much, if not more, attention is paid to handling and the fun factor. Even the larger configurations are designed to manage sharp corners without slowing to a crawl, but it’s the nimble compact coupes and convertibles from the M2 and M4 series that really cash in on this. Unfortunately, this does come at the cost of ride comfort, with the smaller model struggling to live up to the brand’s reputation on less than perfect roads. The larger M8 and the crossover options easily deliver velvety rides without sacrificing much in terms of fun.
The classic BMW models that have received M-performance makeovers include:
- M2 Competition Coupe
- M4 Coupe or Convertible
- M5 Sedan
- M8 Coupe, Gran Coupe, or Convertible
- X3 M
- X4 M
- X5 M
- X6 M
You really can have it all
While there may be a small sacrifice here or there to maximize on performance, BMW is more than willing to take on a fight that many other automakers consider to be futile. Despite 600 plus ponies raging under the hood, these works of art manage to be just as gorgeous inside as they are on the outside. Whether dressed in faux leather or the real deal, the cabins are always flawlessly crafted. And, those in the back seat don’t have to suffer as you’d expect in a sports car, at least in the larger models. And it’s not just about keeping your rear ends comfortable; your eyes and ears are tantalized with a host of available features and a top-notch sound system.
Safety is also a priority for the German manufacturer. Though no car with this kind of price tag is ever subjected to crash testing, you will always have peace of mind. No less than six airbags come standard on the four-seater configurations, and advanced driver aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision avoidance tech with pedestrian detection, and BMW’s automatic emergency assistance in the rare case that you somehow manage to subvert all these countermeasures.
High investment, high value
BMWs don’t come cheap, but the M-Performance models are even more exclusive. However, for how much you pay, you get remarkable value. And the automaker has made magnificent strides in fine-tuning its engines to deliver not just optimum performance figures, but also ever-improving fuel economy estimates. You’ll never get the mpg of an economical daily commuter, of course, but you no longer have to spend as much on gas per year as you do just to get your sports car off the showroom floor.
That said, there are a handful of cars in this range that could arguably be called… affordable? The M2 in its base-model configuration comes in under the $60k mark, while the M4 is just shy of $70k MSRP. Both the X3 M and X4 M range from around $70k – $75k, but the rest of the M-Sport options will most likely cost you over six figures. Despite this, you’re likely to see quite a few vehicles bearing the M badge in the USA. The European manufacturer has reaffirmed its commitment to the market with its expanding range of models, and we are excited to see how many of these machines will get an M-makeover, too.