The BMW M division registered record sales in 2022, despite the German group’s overall sales dipping year on year. So, what was the best-selling M division car last year?

The BMW M division marked its 50th anniversary with a record sales year, registering as many as 177257 units across its performance portfolio globally in 2022. That figure represents an impressive 8.4% increase compared with 2021. So, which model was the strongest seller for the division?

Well, the German group has revealed the i4 M50 was the best-selling BMW M automobile (remember, the division is responsible for both the M Performance and full-fat M line-ups) in 2022, marking the performance arm’s “successful start into the age of electric mobility”. Unfortunately, the company opted not to release an exact sales figure for the i40 M50.

“The best-selling BMW M automobile of 2022 is the all-electric BMW i4 M50. For us, this is a clear signal that the unique M feeling has arrived in the world of electrified vehicles,” said Timo Resch, Head of Customer, Brand and Sales at BMW M GmbH, with the brand adding the vehicle’s driving dynamics proved to be a “real crowd-puller right from the outset”.

As a reminder, the all-wheel-drive i4 M50 boasts an electric motor on each axle, which together generate maximum peak outputs of 400 kW and 795 Nm. According to BMW, the battery-powered fastback will hit 100 kph from standstill in 3.9 seconds, before topping out at 225 kph. In South Africa, it is priced from R1 637 900 (January 2023).

The i40 M50 was the M division’s strongest seller globally in 2022…

“The new sales record for BMW M Automobiles is based on our successful presence in a broad range of vehicle segments. With our wide-ranging product portfolio, we are also ideally positioned for the future,” Resch added.

Yes, BMW M says its year-on-year sales growth was “also based on sales successes in a wide range of vehicle segments”. Last year saw the debut of a number of fresh BMW M products, including the M240i xDrive, the 2nd-generation M2 coupé, the XM and the M3 Touring, while the M3 and M4 continued to pull in sales in what the firm describes as a “core segment”. The Munich-based automaker’s high-performance division added its X-badged models likewise put in an “exceptionally strong performance”.

The “most important” single market for BMW M in 2022 was the United States of America, followed by the German domestic market and then the United Kingdom. It’s not clear where South Africa – traditionally also a strong M market – ranked last year.

“The enthusiasm of the M community for emotionally powerful performance on the road and on the racetrack has carried us through the entire anniversary year. This is also expressed in a new sales record for BMW M automobiles, which gives us a positive outlook for 2023,” said Franciscus van Meel, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH.

So, what’s on the cards for 2023? Well, BMW M promises it will continue its “product offensive” with market launches of models such as the aforementioned XM (its first electrified high-performance vehicle) and the fully electric i7 M70. The new M3 CS has finally also been confirmed for a debut on the last weekend of January 2023 as part of the 24-hour race at Daytona.

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