BMW M has produced its one-millionth high-performance vehicle, marking a significant production benchmark 54 years after the motorsport division's founding in 1972 and 40 years after the debut of the iconic M3.
The milestone car is a BMW M3 Competition finished in striking BMW Individual Fire Orange III, which rolled off the line at the BMW Group’s main plant in Munich. Plant Director Peter Weber formally handed the keys to BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel during a ceremony celebrating the achievement. The Fire Orange III hue carries its own heritage within the lineup, famously adorning the 2013 M3 Lime Rock Park Edition.
The milestone was achieved counting only standalone, full-blooded M vehicles and not entry-tier M Performance models. Across four decades and multiple generations, the M3 badge alone accounts for roughly a quarter of the one-million total, cementing its role as the anchor of the performance division.
While the celebration honoured over five decades of high-output combustion engines, the event served as a bridge to a major manufacturing shift. BMW confirmed that the Munich facility is currently undergoing a €650 million ($1.037 billion CAD) transformation, retooling a third of the century-old footprint with a new body shop and modernized assembly equipment. By 2027, Munich will exclusively produce fully electric vehicles.
The all-electric M3
Leading that high-voltage transition will be the first all-electric BMW M3, built on the company's next-generation Neue Klasse architecture. Assembled alongside the forthcoming electric i3 sedan, the battery-powered M3 will incorporate a advanced multi-motor powertrain featuring dedicated electric motors at each wheel and an intelligent front-axle disconnect function to allow pure rear-wheel-drive operation.
Early prototype images reveal styling heavily influenced by the M Concept Neue Klasse, including distinctive vertically stacked bumper lighting.
Despite Munich’s shift to an all-electric lineup, purists need not panic. BMW M confirmed it is not abandoning gas power entirely. A next-generation combustion M3 featuring a mild-hybrid version of the twin-turbocharged 3.0L S58 inline-six engine will be sold alongside the new electric model, though assembly will take place outside the Munich plant.
For now, the current-generation M3 Competition remains a formidable benchmark, delivering 523 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque through an ei8ght-speed automatic transmission and xDrive all-wheel drive. Sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, it represents the peak of Munich-built combustion heritage before the site pivots to an electric future.