BMW sales suffered a minor setback in 2025, with deliveries dropping by 1.4% to 2,169,761 units. Looking at the glass half full, however, the past 12 months were strong for the M division. Shipments of M Performance and full-fat M cars climbed by 3.3%, reaching 213,457 units. It marked the 14th consecutive year in which BMW M set a new annual sales record.
At the same time, 2025 was the seventh year in a row that BMW M outperformed its rivals. That’s an interesting claim, given that Audi Sport and Mercedes-AMG have yet to publish their sales figures. Nevertheless, BMW says the M division outsold its main competitors by a “considerable margin.”
Fun fact: Nearly one in 10 cars wearing the roundel sold last year were either M Performance or M models. These vehicles accounted for 9.8% of BMW’s total shipments, with the United States doing the heavy lifting. It was the largest single market, racking up more than 72,000 sales. Other strong regions included Canada, Germany, Korea, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Interestingly, China posted the highest year-over-year growth.
Succeeded by the i4 M60, the i4 M50 no longer topped the sales charts. After three consecutive years at #1, the electric M Performance model was dethroned by a gas-powered car. Also an M Lite model, the X3 M50 emerged as BMW M’s best-selling product last year.
As for full-fat M cars, it comes as no surprise that the M2 led the pack. After all, the “G87” is M’s most affordable offering. BMW also highlights “enormous sales increases” for the M5 Sedan and M5 Touring in 2025, the first full year on sale for the “G90” and “G99.”
What lies ahead? M boss Frank van Meel reiterates that the strategy won’t change. BMW’s high-performance division will continue to offer gasoline, plug-in hybrid, and electric models. The next-generation M3 “G84” has already been confirmed with an inline-six, and we know for a fact that an electric M3 is on the way.
Spy shots have all but confirmed an electric X3 M, while reports point to BMW launching an X5 M without a combustion engine. We also wouldn’t rule out M versions of the recently spotted iX4, as well as a possible performance variant of the unannounced i3 Touring. Don’t count on M Performance diesels anymore, as the outgoing M340d and M440d are the last of the breed.