BMW sales suffered a slight setback in 2025: deliveries fell 1.4% to 2,169,761 units. However, if you look at the glass half full, the last 12 months have been strong for the M division. Deliveries of M Performance and full-fat M vehicles rose 3.3% to 213,457 units. It was the 14th consecutive year that BMW M set a new annual sales record.
At the same time, 2025 was the seventh consecutive year in which BMW M left its competitors behind. That’s an interesting claim considering Audi Sport and Mercedes-AMG haven’t released their sales figures yet. Still, BMW says the M division has “significantly” outperformed its main rivals.
Interesting fact: Almost one in ten cars with the roundel sold last year was either an M Performance or an M model. These vehicles accounted for 9.8% of BMW’s total deliveries, with the United States accounting for the majority of deliveries. With more than 72,000 sales, it was the largest single market. Other strong regions included Canada, Germany, Korea, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Interestingly, China recorded the highest year-on-year growth.
As the successor to the i4 M60, the i4 M50 was no longer at the top of the sales charts. After three consecutive years at number 1, the electric M Performance model was dethroned by a gasoline-powered car. The X3 M50, also an M Lite model, became BMW M’s best-selling product last year.
As far as full-fat M cars go, it’s no surprise that the M2 comes out on top. After all, the “G87” is M’s most affordable offering. BMW is also highlighting “tremendous sales increases” for the M5 Sedan and M5 Touring in 2025, the first full year of sales for the “G90” and “G99.”
What lies ahead? M boss Frank van Meel confirms that the strategy will not 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 sure that an electric M3 is on the way.
Spy shots have all but confirmed an electric X3 M, while reports suggest BMW will launch an X5 M without a combustion engine. We also wouldn’t rule out M versions of the recently discovered iX4, as well as a possible performance variant of the unannounced i3 Touring. Don’t rely on M Performance diesel engines anymore, as the previous M340d and M440d models are the last of their kind.
