BMW M sales boss Jörg Bartels said nothing is off the table for the performance division, despite the fact that an M4 Gran Coupe model is not seen as possible at the moment.
“I will say again what the boss of BMW M has stated in the past – all BMWs are eligible for an M model. We will see how Audi and Mercedes go with that,” Bartels was quoted as saying by Australia’s Car Advice.
BMW will launch an all-new X1 in 2015 and the model is expected to spawn a performance model from the BMW M division, similar to what the performance unit has done with the BMW X5 M and X6 M. A small performance SUV from BMW would compete with Audi’s RS Q3 (scheduled for a facelift in 2015) and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG.
The second-generation BMW X1 will be based on the same modular front-wheel drive architecture as the 2-Series Active Tourer, boasting a similar configuration with the Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, with front- and all-wheel drive versions on offer.
The new BMW X1 should arrive in the first half of 2015, around the same time with the facelifted BMW 1-Series.
By Dan Mihalascu
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