BMW has gone on report a number of occasions to say {that a} supercar is just not a precedence. With Neue Klasse across the nook, the corporate has greater fish to fry. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply particular fashions separate from the common lineup are off the desk. When the Speedtop was authorised for manufacturing, we speculated that its success might encourage higher-ups to greenlight different limited-run fashions.
We’re now pleased to report that our hunch was legitimate. In an interview with BMWBLOG, Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President of Buyer, Model, and Gross sales at M, confirmed that BMW’s small-series group has secured a slot for an M mannequin:
“We’re discussing issues, however we have to discover the suitable time to do it. Be assured, we share the identical dream and fervour. We’ve been speaking with Adrian van Hooydonk [Head of BMW Group Design] and the group who does the small collection planning, and there’s a slot reserved for BMW M.”
She didn’t present specifics, and it’s unlikely to reach anytime quickly given the aforementioned priorities. However when it does, it ought to be a correct efficiency automotive. Whereas the Skytop and Speedtop are M8s with the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 “S63” engine, each lean extra towards grand touring. Notably, the hanging targa and coupe duo don’t put on M badges.
No matter is within the pipeline is prone to be cheaper than the three.0 CSL, which had an unconfirmed price ticket of €750,000. For comparability, the Skytop and Speedtop weren’t fairly as cost-prohibitive, however at €500,000, they have been removed from inexpensive. Even so, BMW had no bother discovering consumers for each the three.0 CSL and the Skytop. The order books stay open for the Speedtop capturing brake, although it’s solely been a couple of month because the reveal.
In the identical interview, Sylvia hinted that BMW M is eyeing untapped segments:
“We at all times consider the place there may be potential markets for the longer term. Many occasions, we’re doing this along with our [BMW] AG colleagues as a result of we’d like some base automotive to then flip it right into a high-performance mannequin. There are some concepts we’re discussing with our AG colleagues for the time being.”
It’s too early to say whether or not these concepts are tied to the small-series program, however it’s clear BMW is cooking up one thing particular to enrich its core M lineup. It most likely received’t arrive in the present day or tomorrow, so endurance will probably be key. Logic tells us any future limited-run fashions would even be based mostly on current merchandise.
Growing a brand new automobile from scratch to promote only some dozen, or perhaps a few hundred, models isn’t financially viable. That’s why BMW stays reluctant to construct one other supercar as a follow-up to the M1. Lovers are conscious that the mid-engine E26 had a troubled path to manufacturing within the late Seventies, following Lamborghini’s withdrawal on account of monetary difficulties. The closest BMW got here was with the M Imaginative and prescient Subsequent, however it in the end axed the electrified supercar.
