Recent headlines (like this and this) have stirred excitement among enthusiasts, suggesting that a BMW M supercar is officially in the works. The spark for this speculation came after an interview with Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President for BMW M customers, brand, and sales, who shared some insight into the division’s future plans. However, allow us to set the record straight: while BMW M has big plans ahead, a supercar is not one of them — at least not yet.
Here’s what Neubauer actually said: “[BMW’s] strategy is to have a series of small-series additions that we offer to the markets. There will be something coming at Villa d’Este this year, and probably some future small-series editions with the ‘M’ designation.” She continued, emphasizing that, “Halo models have that positive spillover effect on the brand and on the product portfolio. You’re making a certain customer group very, very happy with these dream cars. Even those that cannot afford the car, they admire the brand. This will be part of our future road map as well.”
When asked about the idea of a dream car, Neubauer added: “That question you asked about a dream car? You can trust us, we are working on it internally to make that happen one day. Are we dreaming of dream cars, and is BMW M a very entrepreneurial company where you can really make things happen? Yes, let’s wait for the right time.”
Some publications, however, jumped the gun and rushed to “confirm” that a BMW M supercar is imminent. But according to our sources — and in the spirit of clarity, especially when BMW itself can’t publicly correct every rumor — the reality is different.
The Hypercar That Almost Happened (But Didn’t)
First, there is no BMW supercar currently in development, neither from BMW AG nor from the M division. It’s true that, in the past, BMW explored the idea of a hypercar producing around 1,300 horsepower, this is not the BMW i16 project everyone wrote about. We were told the hypercar project was 99% ready from a business perspective. However, with market conditions shifting — particularly in the EV hypercar segment where vehicles priced above one million euros are not easy to sell — the board ultimately decided to pull the plug.
Second, within BMW M itself, there is no active supercar project underway either, at least based on our reliable sources. Enthusiasm for such a halo car certainly exists among the engineers and leadership, but none of the business cases proposed so far have made enough sense to greenlight a project.
What’s Next for BMW M? Think Special Models, Not Supercars
What Neubauer most likely hinted at is the internal desire for a dream car within BMW M, a passion that has surfaced repeatedly over the years. But more realistically, she was referencing future limited-edition M models, like the usual CS and CSL lineup, and/or beyond. Thanks to the flexibility of the CLAR platform — which supports vehicles ranging in size from the M2, to the M3/M4, and even to the M5 and M8 — BMW M could create exclusive variants using familiar underpinnings.
If anything, we expect the next steps to involve smaller, highly exclusive editions of their most popular performance cars, such as the M2, M3, or M4. But from that to declaring that a full-blown BMW M supercar is happening? That’s a major leap — and not one supported by current facts.
As always, we’ll continue to monitor developments inside BMW M. For now, though, any talk of a new BMW M supercar remains just that — talk. [Top Photo provided by Steve Saxty “BMW by Design” books and BMW]
