BMW Isn't Building a Hypercar Anytime Soon
There’s no new BMW M1 in development.
While Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz are busy developing limited edition hypercars, BMW is choosing to focus on producing high-performance cars for the masses. Speaking to the Australian media, BMW’s M Division boss, Frank Van Meel, confirmed no halo sports car is in development and there isn’t likely to be one anytime soon. “We are trying to make cars for customers, and trying to reach as many customers as possible – but to build a car for 200 people would not be our main target,” he said. Van Meel admitted him and his team does dream of building such a flagship, but the company “would rather have an armada of fast vessels to attack a broader range of possible customers groups.”
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In fact, BMW isn’t even really looking at the supercar market, like the Audi R8 and Mercedes-AMG GT. Although it is capable of building its own unique platform to compete with those models, Van Meel doesn’t see the need for M to make such a very niche product.
“I think also M is the ultimate driving machine, and I don’t need something to make clear that we really are the ultimate driving machine,” he added. “We have the M2 to the X6 M to say that – I don’t need a halo car to bring out the message. I don’t feel the need to have a halo car.”
So for now, we can expect the BMW M8 to sit on top of the brand’s range for quite some time. As for a successor to the BMW M1? Don’t hold your breath.
[Source: CarAdvice]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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If they built the car in the picture, it would definitely sell