how much of that is just down to there being more different "M" models being made? i'm sure "AMG" sales are also at record highs

 

In the article they claim the best-selling M car is the i4 M50 and attributed the success of sales of the entire subbrand to electrification. So like it or not, more people are buying M products because as EV's and hybrids they are considerably more accessible vehicles for international markets and their emissions taxes. The new M5 will be the same story.

 

M50 isn't an M car lol! Lord they just slap M on everything these days.......

Soon Audi is gonna be slapping RS on everything

 

lol that's rich... like quandt family rich

but that's the point i was trying to make, are they legitimately selling more "M cars" or is it mostly just because they're putting an M where it previously wouldn't (and shouldn't) have been... it'd be like if apple renamed every computer (laptop or desktop) a macbook pro, then suddenly apple is selling more macbook pros than ever!

 

Cars like the M340i and M550i have been around for almost a decade at this point. The matter of fact is that the best-selling one globally isn't any of those, it's an EV... and that's why we're getting more electrified vehicles as the mainstay of the brand like the new M5.

 

yes exactly, a car designed to maximize usability and practicality that weighs over 5000 lbs, aka the opposite of an "M car"

 

GM sells multiple vehicles with the 6.2 and a belt driven supercharger, and has done so continuously for the past 15 years. Dodge and Jeep have as well, until this year. You are a huge proponent, yet to my knowledge you've purchased none of them, nor added one to any of the vehicles you DO own. So it's a preference, but not a strong one.

 

Wow. I totally forgot that GM still has that 6.2 Superscharged motor available. And manual too. 321 per hr is impressive. And all from the factory. Kudos to General Motors

who else uses a supercharged motor?

 

Now that I think about just GM. Superchargers never seemed that popular in the modern era. Say 2004 onwards.

Audi had that supercharged V6 in the S4/S5 for a bit but that's like 2012 timeframe.

 

It went a bit later than that, and is in my 2018 Q7. That's around the time they started switching to the TTV6, with everything switched over by around 2020/2021.

I believe Jaguar, Land Rover and Lotus all still have supercharged cars in their lineups. Volvo technically has a supercharger on most of its lineup, but not really what we're talking about here.

Ford recently had the GT500 supercharged from the factory (and likely will again), and currently offers Mustang GTs with dealer-installed superchargers and full 36-month warranties. Of course Stellantis was putting the Hellcat into everything until just recently.

 

BMW has ruined the M brand completely where most ppl think that M40 or M50 are M cars.

The i4 M50 is the furthest from M car you can get.
They might be selling in Europe but not in US. My dealer begged me to take one as loaner when i was getting annual service done.

Unfortunately BMW no longer provides breakdown of M sales figures so nobody really knows if the true M cars actually sell that well.
These are X3M, X4M, X5M, X6M, XM, M2 / 3 / 4 / 5 and M8.
All the rest are just “M performance”

Everytime I visit my local dealer, they have several new ones sitting around so I don’t think any of the real M cars are flying off the lots.

 

Ford also currently sells the Raptor R with the same supercharged engine as the GT500(with some minor adaptations for truck use).

 

BMW's "It's close, but not a real M" marketing worked. Throw on something minor from a real M class like aero, larger wheels, and maybe some "tuned" suspension, slap an Msport badge on it and sell it to the masses. Full disclosure, I had a F36 Msport. It was a fun car, but it was high school football compared to the NFL of a full M class.

 

Not sure how I forgot about that, thanks!

 

Ah ok. I thought they dropped the SC V6 in 2017 or so.

Looks like I whiffed on manufacturers that still use SC's lol. There's more than I thought.