The head of BMW’s M division has suggested the brand’s kilowatt war with Mercedes-AMG will continue unabated, saying “don’t expect a power limit”.
Speaking to whichcar.com.au, BMW M CEO Markus Flasch hinted there isn’t a gentleman’s agreement in place with rivals in terms of power limits. And that means there’s virtually no ceiling.
“Power is nothing without control, right? And if there isn’t something with too much power, it’s just a question of how you tune in and hone into a car, and how you make it accessible,” he told the publication.
“You look 10, 15 years back and if you imagined 625 hp [460 kW] in a saloon car, you’d probably be scared. Now, I can give an M5 this 625 hp and only drive to my mom, in winter, and she’d still be okay.
“It’s all just a question of how you incorporate it into a package that makes it accessible for everyone, and this is what M has always been brilliant in. Don’t expect a power limit,” Flasch said.
As the Austrian-born executive points out above, the F90-generation M5 Competition generates 460 kW, which is some 10 units more than the Mercedes-AMG E63 S that arrived before it. This is but one example of the ongoing power wars between the two firms.
Still, Flasch says his favourite M car is the smaller M2 CS.
“It’s a very crisp and pure package. Manual stick shift. Basically, M4 technology in a more compact package. For me, this is probably my next company car after the M8 and X6 M. It’s got to be the M2 CS,” he said.
