Print Español

BMW M Series History

M. The most powerful letter in the world.






The History of the M Series from BMW

BMW M. High-performance vehicles with racing oriented performance features and everyday suitabilityfor top-level, unrestricted, no-limits driving pleasure atthe pinnacle of technical engineering.






1972
Foundation of BMW Motorsport GmbH - a side that cut its teeth in racing joins forces as a power team.



1973 - 1980
Victory laurels for the first BMW 3.0 CSL race car, six-time winner of the Touring Car European Championship and top of the international touring car scene for the entire decade. The pro-car racing series created especially for the BMW M1 won over millions of spectators and even the Formula One elite. Overall series champions were Niki Lauda (1979) and Nelson Piquet (1980)



1975
BMW Art Cars.
Promoting the evolution from car as "objet d'art" to car as driver of art is part of BMW's cultural mission. And so came about, in 1975, the idea for a BMW Art Car Collection, which began with vehicles from BMW Motorsport.


1978
BMW M1 - a dream on wheels.
The BMW M1 - founding father and eponym of the BMW M cars. 

The BMW M1 kicked off the career of the letter "M", destined to become synonymous with high performance and success in both the motor-sport and product areas.



1979
Pop artist Andy Warhol turns the M1 into a work of art.






1981
The golden days of the BMW 6 Series Coupé begin with a mercurial 630-day climb to the peak of worldwide motor sport.

Its success is evinced by numerous European and touring car championships, and Grand Prix victories.


1983
Crowning glory for BMW Motorsport.
BMW wins the Formula One World Championship with a Brabham BMW, driven by Nelson Piquet. Paul Rosche and his team were responsible for the drive system in this victorious vehicle, coaxing a good 790 bhp from the BMW F1 turbo engine.




1984
BMW M 635 CSi.
"The BMW M1's handsome brother" is the perfect embodiment of elegance and power on wheels.



1984
BMW M5.
"A wolf in sheep's clothing" takes the stage. Start with a limousine, cross it with a race car and christen the offspring BMW M5 - a fun car and transport in one.


1986
BMW M3.
"Super 3 Series, high-flyer and racing machine," the first BMW M3 emerges as the first parallel series-production and motor-sport development. It's a wild car that looks the part through and through, as demonstrated time and again by Roberto Ravaglia and others in the motor-sport arena.


1988
BMW M5.
The second generation: "The M5 grows up" and, in so doing, reaches whole new levels of power. Its further-developed 24-valve, six-cylinder inline engine - an engineering masterpiece in itself - is later joined by the first BMW 6-speed gearbox and an adaptive M chassis.



1992
BMW M3
"The M3 gentleman" - be more than you appear to be is now the motto behind the BMW M cars. The unfettered primeval power of the BMW M3 321 bhp, however, makes clear where this BMW belongs.



1992
BMW 850 CSI.
The sports coupé with sex appeal, it's impossible not to watch as it drives by. In terms of both concept and appearance, the BMW 850 CSi is the most elegant of all BMW M cars.


1997
BMW M Roadster.
"More animal than machine," the BMW M Roadster attacks the road like a beast. Its broader-than-average track and low centre of gravity create a driving experience that can scarcely be bettered.

SMG.
Early 1997, BMW M GmbH introduces the sequential M gearbox (SMG) to the BMW M3, marking a world first.


1998
BMW M Coupé.
"The 321-bhp happy pill" - the BMW M Coupé revives the great BMW two-seater sports-car tradition.



1998
BMW M5.
"Noblesse oblige" - the third M5 is among the most powerful cars ever built by BMW. A BMW M car is, for the first time, driven by an eight-cylinder engine (400 bhp).



2000
BMW M3 Coupé.
The powerful front spoiler and integrated oil cooler are unmistakable, as is the classically harmonious coupé design with characteristic BMW M3 side-gill feature. The strongest 343-bhp six-cylinder suction engine in the world offers an authentic BMW M3 driving experience.



2001
BMW M3 Convertible.
For many, the most beautiful way to enjoy a real open-air driving experience.

Introduction of SMG Drivelogic in the BMW M3 - sporty, Formula-One-style gear changes.

BMW M3 GTR .
"America's best!" With its 450-bhp engine, the BMW M3 GTR is overall winner in its very first year in the American Le Mans Series.


2003
BMW M3 CSL .
Pure racing allure: Intelligent lightweight construction and a high-tech materials mix, purist design features and a 3.25-litre inline six-cylinder engine capable of 360 bhp and 370 Nm tell you all you need to know about the BMW M3 CSL.




2005
BMW M5 Sedan.
A thoroughbred sports car and a luxurious sedan: As a high-performance limousine, the BMW M5 embodies some apparent contradictions. The high-revolution 5.0-litre, 507-bhp V10 engine coupled with 7-speed SMG Drivelogic
- a world first which offers extremely short shift times
- drives the BMW M5 to new highs in performance.

BMW M6 Coupé.
Concentrated power and breath-taking beauty: As an exclusive high-performance sports coupé, the BMW M6 is the next logical, seamless step in the BMW M tradition. The use of lightweight construction materials, such as Formula-One-style carbon fiber, places the BMW M6 and its 3.37 kg/bhp power-to-weight ratio at the absolute pinnacle of the sports-coupé class.

2006
BMW Z4 M Roadster and Z4 M Coupé.
Talk of high performance must make mention of the M. The BMW Z4 M Roadster and the BMW Z4 M Coupé are the essence of dynamism. They are driven to extraordinary performance levels by a 252 kW (343 bhp) inline six-cylinder engine with a top revolution speed of 8,000 rpm.

2006
BMW M6 Convertible.
High performance has rarely been so attractive: the allure of the BMW M6 Convertible lies in the perfect interplay of utmost exclusivity and thoroughbred motor-sport genes. The result is a sports car with style.


2007
BMW M5 Touring.
A powerhouse worthy of its name, the BMW M5 Touring has an engine output characteristic of an M car. Not only that - it is spacious enough to meet the needs of any situation.

BMW M3 Coupé.
An athletic air and a legendary reputation. For four generations, the BMW M3 has embodied the very soul of motor sport. Thanks to the high-revolution BMW M concept, the 420-bhp V8 engine reaches a top revolution speed of 8,400 rpm with ease and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

2008
M Double Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic (M DKG).
With two transmission structures the M DKG transfers engine power to the road without the slightest disruption to tractive force.

BMW M3 Sedan.
No compromise on power, dynamism or responsiveness. Yet there's no compromise on everyday functionality either: this is a premium saloon that offers a real sense of space for all passengers, comprehensively equipped and finished to the highest standards of craftsmanship. The new BMW M3 Saloon brings the philosophy of "work hard, play hard" to life like no other car.

BMW M3 Convertible.
The new BMW M3 Convertible is a car to get excited about in every sense. It offers an inimitably sporty open-top driving experience, with a rich engine note and a high degree of everyday practicality.



2009
BMW X5 M / X6 M.
The first time carrying over the high performance character into the segment of all-wheel-drive BMW X models. With innovative technologies such as the M TwinPower Turbo engine with 408 kW (555 hp) both models are setting new standards in their class in terms of dynamic performance, lateral dynamics, steering behavior, short stopping distances and efficiency.

Click Here to return to the Schomp BMW M Homepage