The BMW Group has achieved a new manufacturing milestone, with the one-millionth M car rolling off the German marque’s Plant Munich assembly line.
The BMW Group has announced the production of the one-millionth M car at its Plant Munich facility in Germany. The facility has manufactured vehicles for over 100 years and now accounts for more than five decades of M Performance BMW assembly.
The milestone vehicle is a G80-generation M3 sedan finished in Individual Fire Orange III paintwork, which made its debut on the BMW E92 M3 GTS in 2010. This reveal occurs six years after the G80 M3 first hit the production line. Head of BMW Group Plant Munich, Peter Weber, presented the high-performance car to the performance division CEO Franciscus van Meel during a ceremony. The current-generation model features a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six, producing 375 kW and 650 N.m of torque. BMW pairs this with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and specialised xDrive all-wheel drive system.
By comparison, the incoming M350 xDrive produces 326 kW and 580 N.m of torque. Similarly, it features an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission with xDrive. This model leads the initial lineup for South Africa until the new M3 arrives.
“BMW M combines road and racetrack capabilities with everyday practicality,” states Van Meel. “The one-millionth BMW M vehicle shows that customers still appreciate these values 40 years after the market launch of the first BMW M3.”
A change of times for BMW’s Munich production facility
BMW will transition Plant Munich exclusively to fully electric vehicle production starting in 2027. This renovation includes the assembly of the electric BMW i3 in M configuration. The company has pledged to invest €2 billion (est. R37.4 trillion) across two German facilities to prepare for the G50 iteration and its EV counterpart. The Munich plant receives €650 million (R12.15 trillion) of this total investment to optimise electric vehicle manufacturing.
