Submitted 11/8/2009

As always, BMW is hard at work on its next M car, but this time, it won’t be an M3 or M5. A report out of the U.K. confirms that BMW is hard at work turning the next generation 135i into a high performance M machine. The report states that the new ‘entry level’ M has become the top priority at the M Division, which recently shuffled its management team and reprioritized its model lineup.

BMW believes that the smaller, more affordable M car will bring back customers who were priced out of the new M3’s range when it went up-market by replacing its inline 6 with a more powerful V8. More importantly, they also believe there are potential buyers that are looking for a modest upgrade from a 370Z-range sports car.

M Division Chief Kay Segler is championing the idea and believes it’s currently more important than creating an M competitor to the Audi R8. Segler was also recently involved in the production of the MINI Cooper S.

The M version of the 1 Series will most likely be based on the next generation 135i, sharing the turbocharged inline six, but adding more grunt and handling prowess. Deducing from the names of the M3 and M5, you could assume that BMW will name the upcoming M car the M1, but that may not be so, considering the M1 name was used by BMW’s 1980s super car. 135 M is another option, but there already is an ‘M’ sports package for the 135i which could cause confusion. Hence, the new M car has yet to be named.

What we do know is that the next generation 1 Series will go on sale next year as a 2011 model, so expect the new 1 Series M to debut a year or two after that as a 2012 or 2013 model. Hopefully BMW will produce something quick and light that is not too much more expensive than a Nissan 370Z.

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