The crew over at Car&Driver magazine recently sat down for a chat with the president of BMW’s M division, Friedrich Nitschke, who had some very interesting things to say about the sub-brand’s future products.
While Nitschke made it clear that the upcoming M135i that was displayed in concept trim at the Geneva Motor Show this March won’t be coming to the United States, he confirmed that the six-cylinder turbocharged hatch will be offered in the rest of the world with optional all-wheel drive as well as a choice of manual and automatic transmissions.
What could come to the States is an M Performance version of the 7-Series saloon to compete against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class AMG and Audi S8 models. Nitschke told the publication that the company is considering the development of such a model.
When asked about the possibility of offering the diesel-powered M550d in the U.S., the BMW M boss said that while it would be an option, “at the moment, according to our market research, the numbers wouldn’t be sufficient”.
And how about M versions of the upcoming i3 hatchback and i8 hybrid sportscar? Not a chance says Nitschke. “The i brand offers the sportiest gas-saving cars, while M GmbH offers the most-efficient sporting cars,” he told the magazine.
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