What is the BMW M Series? – Tallahassee, FL

 New BMW M Series in Tallahassee, FL

BMW contends that “M” is the most powerful letter in the world. If that is indeed true, it is only because the German automaker made it so. In the hands of BMW, “M” actually means “motorsport,” and it symbolizes the company’s commitment to merging top-notch luxury with racing-oriented performance.

The “M” concept eventually came about when BMW achieved great success with its racing program in the 1960s. In 1972, it became official: BMW M GmbH became one of the company’s subsidiaries, established with 35 employees and dedicated to producing higher-performance variants of some of its vehicles. This included modifying the powertrains for more output, sport-tuning the suspensions, introducing aerodynamic features for boosting overall performance, and making exterior modifications to set them apart from the original vehicles.

 The First BMW M

The first-ever M-badged car was the M1, which made its debut at the 1978 Paris Motor Show. However, it was the 1979 release of the M535i that began to reflect BMW’s intention to produce performance-oriented versions of their domestic models; the M535i was modeled after the 5-Series mid-size sedan. Within the first two decades of its existence, BMW M had ballooned to over 400 employees, and it is now an integral part of the parent company’s dominance in the automotive world.

 BMW M Cars for sale near Thomasville, GA

The most popular M models have been the variants based on BMW’s best-selling models: the 3-Series compact sedan and the aforementioned 5-Series. The variants are aptly named the M3 and the M5, respectively. The M3 and M5 are part of a current line-up that includes the M2 (after the 2-Series compact coupe), the M4 (after the 4-Series compact coupe/convertible), the M6 (after the 6-Series grand-tourer coupe/convertible), the X5 M (after the X5 mid-size crossover SUV), and the X6 M (after the X6 mid-size crossover coupe).