German Car Zone

Yeah, core audience ... The real question is: is it really the same as it was eg. 20 or 15 years ago? According to the latest moves & decisions it makes me think it isn't. BMW marketing dept. should know the secret. BMW is moving more to the hard-core luxury, and away from hard-core sports. Although still having an edge over the competitors in sporty character department.

Z4 M ... Most M models are sold in US market ... New Z4 will be built in Germany ... So, it won't be very profitable in US market - if Euro remains as strong or becomes even stronger vs. US Dollar.

M GmbH is too small & too focused to be able to work on all possible M variants ... Priorities are very crucial. M3 sedan, coupe & cabrio. M5 sedan. M6 coupe & cabrio. I'm sure M5 Touring will be axed n the next generation. As perhaps will be the Z4 hardtop-roadster. Also no M7. But X5 M & X6 M, and later the supercoupe based on new Z8 hardtop roadster.

Funny times ...

Can't foucking believe it, why the fouck making zillion of pachidermic x shits if it's not to developp true BMWs ?? Hell in 5 years or so Mercedes will be a sportier brand than BMW.

Pretty dumb, I was looking forward to M3 CSL!

Does this mean real X5 M and X6 M or just M developed but differently badged X5 and X6?

Seems to me that the new M CEO is rather an idiot instead of adequate man for that position...

No M3 CSL? No Z4 M?

x 100000000000000

Idiotism, no matter which reasons for that he can provide. Period.

$100 there is a M3 CSL...

If not... BMW need to change there motto from Sheer Driving Pleasure...

This all depends on what BMW has in store for the tii brand which I feel gives BMW a whole new avenue of performance philosophy without having to be overly constrained by a highly specific and vociferously touted M ethos. As noble as its intentions may be - the well known attributes of high-revving engines coupled with manual transmissions in a sportily tuned chassis may have BMW marketers painted into a corner. The M badge needs to be more universally applicable in the way that AMG is without getting the current proponents of the M philosophy in a big fat huffy. BMW need an X6M more than they need a CSL right now. However depressing that thought may live with me.

So who knows; maybe some clever marketing can give us tii badged 135i's and E92 coupes?

I can understand BMW dropping the M-Z4. I mean, the car lags behind the M3 with 3 years or so when it comes to engine output. Therefore a Z4-35tii is much better than wasting the M badge on a car that doesn't excite people like the M5 and M3 does.

Speechless

Z4 M ....

BMW already has difficulties with S65 engine supply due high demand for existing M3 models. I just can't imagine adding another model featuring S65 engine ... I guess that was one of the reasons why also the M3 Touring was axed.

They could wait until the new M3-specific engine is ready, and introduce Z4 M later - if there will be enough demand, and financial aspects of the products will be satisfactory.

Mind this time around the M version was introduced at facelift, not earlier! Again: due the short supply of M3 engines.