Franciscus van Meel, the CEO of BMW M, said in a recent interview to Car Sales that his division has around 30 new vehicles planned for launch before 2029. He also shared some insights on what to expect in terms of drivetrains and tech.
According to him, the M versions of the BMW X5, X6 and X7 will all be refreshed within this period. Same goes for the M3 and M5, as well as the luxurious 7-Series sedan and the all-electric iX3.
Asked about EVs, van Meel responded that the company stayed faithful to its electrification strategy. Furthermore, he mentioned a quad-engine supercar that had already begun its driving tests. He also said that the current six- and eight-cylinder engines would continue getting updates, and hinted that developing brand-new engines wasn’t out of the question, either.
Asked about the biggest challenges the M division was facing, he promptly mentioned the dilemma of manual transmission. On the one hand, most drivers already realize how modern automatic transmissions are superior to the stick shift in torque and most other aspects. On the other hand, the demand for manual persists despite everything. As a temporary solution, BMW M will offer its first EVs with an imitated manual gearbox, but there’s only so much it can do until rowing your own gears becomes a thing of the past –per van Meel, at least.
One of the most intriguing bits of the interview mentions BMW’s ambition to penetrate ultra-luxury vehicle market in 2027. All specifics are being kept secret, but there are hints that the company is considering a body-on-frame off-roader to rival the Mercedes G-Class.
