BMW M CEO talks about the future

Markus Flasch, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH, has revealed his views on the future of the M performance lineup. According to him, the cars will continue to gain engine power, while manual transmissions will only remain on select markets.

The company considers actively implementing hybrid solutions to further increase powertrain efficiency without harming the environment. According to Mr. Flasch, modern electronic control systems make such complex cars easier to and more enjoyable to drive than they could ever hope to be ten or fifteen years ago.

BMW M is currently focusing on delivering its new M3 and M4 models, which remain scheduled for premiere in late 2020 and launch in 2021. Both cars will sport AWD systems similar to the M xDrive used in the latest M5. This includes the multi-plate clutch on the front axle and the Drift Mode.

As far as the transmissions are concerned, manual will only remain an option in the USA where it is still relatively popular, while the other markets will get automatic.