BMW stays on track with M

German luxury automaker sets the pace with its high performance models

The BMW Group blurred the boundary between the real and virtual just ahead of Auto China 2016, transforming Beijing's racetrack into a giant cybergame for an M night on Sunday.

During the gala, the all new BMW M2 Coupe, which is specially designed to appeal to younger drivers, joined the race on the track and steered the audience's senses.

Born with racing DNA since 1972, the BMW M remains a leading position in high performance car segments.

"BMW M had an outstanding year in 2015," said Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for the sales and marketing for BMW, Sales Channels BMW Group. "Since 2010, sales of M and M Performance vehicles have approximately quadrupled."

The German luxury brand saw nearly 40 percent growth globally last year in the combined sales of BMW M and BMW M Performance vehicles.

"I am delighted that we have so many BMW M fans in this market. Over the course of the next few years, we will be expanding the BMW M product portfolio," Robertson said.

The all-new BMW M760Li, which expands the M product portfolio into luxury sedans, is making its Asian premiere at the auto show, beside the launch of the all new BMW M2 Coupe in the Chinese market.

The M Performance family has embraced a new member in China, the new BMW X4 M40i, which is a flagship X4 model. It exhibits not only the multi-purpose capability of a Sports Activity Coupe , but also a sports car's dynamic performance.

BMW M strategy

The purebred BMW M automobiles are those combining race car technologies with advanced powertrains and chassis originating from motorsports, and transfer race car technology into production vehicles. Applying a philosophy of "form follows function", the M products also inject dynamic driving pleasure into everyday driving.

All of the products are tested at the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany, and up to 80 percent of the parts are newly designed or re-engineered. Tuned to react swiftly, M engines stand for maximum performance and superlative efficiency. "At the top of the pyramid, there are the BMW M automobiles - the essence of motorsport engineering for the road," said Frank van Meel, president of BMW M Division.

BMW M Performance automobile lines up between BMW cars and BMW M cars. Built by M GmbH based on the racing heir and high-performance cars, it combines special tuning to meet driver demands with high performance and everyday functionality.

The BMW M team elevates the technologies and design to increase the sportiness and power of the M Performance models.

"High-performance, efficient BMW M vehicles, which bring the flair of motorsport to the roads. All BMW M vehicles share one thing in common - their impressive driving dynamics," Robertson said.

"We see growth potential in M Performance. In the future, M Performance will have a significantly wider share in our model portfolio," he continued.

The BMW M Sport Package offers an extensive exterior and interior look typical of M cars, which is also applied on mass-produced BMWs to bring out the outstanding M-specific sporty feeling.

So far, nine BMW M models and three M Performance models have been launched in the Chinese market, from the compact segment to SUVs. The BMW M Day, an annual event for M fans, will set off again this June. The innovative M drive experience that covers the entire M lineup will be available nationwide.

The popular BMW Driver's Training program will see an even higher upgrade by adding new excitements such as racetrack driving and drifting courses.

The BMW M operations, such as the BMW Driver's Training program, M Sport Package, Individual customization and Special Task Vehicles, are available for Chinese customers and nearly 30,000 have participated in the Driver's Training program.

haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/25/2016 page5)