Under the guidance of Frank Van Mewl, the BMW M Division in Garching has posted yet another record sales year. In a statement issued by BMW, the performance cars of BMW M GmbH sold 102,780 cars in 2018, an increase of 27.2 percent over the previous year. BMW M says that the 100,000 sales mark was projected to be reached in 2o20.
The sales numbers include also the M Performance Automobile sub-division which offers models in the gap between the standard series and the full-fledged M cars. Top sellers in the MPA category include the BMW X3 M40i (19,670 units).
The top seller of M car was the BMW M2, the compact sportscar which has become the darling of the BMW world. BMW sold 13,731 units of the M2 and its follower, the M2 Competition. Another top seller for the brand was the new F90 M5 with 7,823 units.
2019 will start under the leadership of a new M boss. As of September 2018, Markus Flasch is the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M, replacing Franciscus Van Meel. Austrian-born Flasch has taken over the BMW Group subsidiary for ultra-sporty high-end vehicles from Franciscus van Meel, while van Meel will head the BMW Group’s “Total Vehicle” development unit.
Motorsports enthusiast Flasch was until recently the head of development for the new BMW 8 Series models and was previously responsible for quality management for BMW Group vehicles in the upper-luxury class segment.
This year will also bring some exciting new M models. The year will kick off with the BMW X3 M and X4 M, followed by the M5 CS, the new M8 Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe, and their competition models. The third-generation X5 M will also be launched and we will potentially also see a concept version of the upcoming M3/M4.
First Flach-engineered models are likely arriving past 2020, but according to our sources, the future is bright at the M Division.
