The world of BMW M is confusing, but it’s about to get a little simpler, as BMW M Boss Frank van Meel has confirmed there will no longer be “standard” M models and that Competition derivatives will become the new normal.
As reported by Car Throttle, van Meel addressed the media at the international launch of the new BMW i5 on how the high-performance division wants to simplify the M lineup. Currently, M Performance derivatives, like the M340i and i4 M50, are the entry to the M sub-brand, with full-fat M models available in base, Competition, CS, and CSL derivatives, in the case of the BMW 4 Series and M4 families.
Competition models were meant to be slightly more hardcore versions of the core M lineup, which had softened to buyers’ tastes over the years. According to van Meel, BMW M “introduced the competition layer, which actually now has become the new normal.”