BMW Australia will offer buyers the opportunity to personalise their BMW M vehicle with special BMW Motorsport badging next year as part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of BMW M.
The badging will feature the classic BMW Motorsport emblem, which features shifted semicircles in the colours of blue, violet and red, and will replace the conventional BMW logo on the front, rear and wheel hubs.
It will be available for the BMW M3, M4, M5, X3 M, X4 M, X5 M, X6 M and M8 from March 2022 production. The logo was first used in 1973 on a race car developed by BMW Motorsport, which was established a year earlier.
The three-colour combination from the BMW Motorsport emblem later appeared in the BMW M logo with its stripes slanted to the right and leaning on the letter M – a version of which is still used today – to coincide with the debut of the fabled BMW M1 in 1978.
That car was the only M high-performance production vehicle to bear the historic motor sport emblem in addition to the logo featuring the three colour stripes. In both logos, blue stands for BMW, red symbolises racing and violet expresses a connection between the two.
In the meantime, violet has given way to dark blue, and BMW Motorsport has been operating under the name BMW M GmbH since 1993.
“With the classic ‘BMW Motorsport’ emblem, we would like to share our joy about the anniversary of BMW M GmbH with the fans of the brand,” BMW M chairman Franciscus Meel said.
“We have a great year ahead of us, which will be celebrated with unique product highlights and exciting performances. The M has long been considered the strongest letter in the world, and in our company’s anniversary year it is stronger than ever.”
BMW M is aiming for another highly successful year in 2021 ahead of its 50th anniversary. Last year saw the brand achieve record sales and strengthen its global market leadership position first achieved in 2019.
M registrations in Australia last year were also up 7.9 per cent, and Australia is one of world’s leading markets for BMW’s high-performance division with one in five vehicles sold wearing an M badge.
Growth in BMW M’s 50th anniversary year will be fuelled once again by significant product highlights. This includes launch of the first-ever BMW M3 Touring during the course of 2022, while fans can also look forward to a special model from the BMW M4 Coupé series.
The successor model to the renowned BMW M2 model is also already at an advanced stage of its series development process. In parallel, electrification of the BMW M brand is also progressing rapidly.
Anniversary celebrations are also planned for May 2022 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Northern Italy, followed by the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Great Britain and the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California.
The 24-hour race at the Nürburgring is additionally a welcome occasion for BMW M to reflect on its own successful history with fans while setting the tone for a thrilling future.
For further information, please contact your local BMW dealer.
