宝马M部门老板Frank van Meel在北美车展期间透露了未来新车的更多细节。他承认，1系M轿跑车并不像想象的那样受欢迎，其替代车型只有M2轿跑车，该车很可能会在今年9月的法兰克福车展首次亮相。该车可能会搭载3.0升六缸涡轮增压引擎，功率约为279千瓦/380马力。新车采用侵略性车身，包括更大轮圈，刹车盘和四排气尾管。另外，他透露，M部门有意开发X3和X4 M版车型，这两款车将采用类似X5 M和X6 M的设计。虽然先前有消息称，未来的M版车型将可选装全轮驱动，但Meel表示，所有M车型仍将采用后轮驱动，车厂将开发新技术提升牵引力以避免转向不足。M家族未来还将进一步扩大，将推出定位在M版之下的车型，类似奔驰最近发布的AMG Sport系列。这位高管同时表示，由于手动版车型销量不断下降，未来将逐渐退出市场。他同时否认将推出M版i系列车型，但这两个品牌会共享包括碳纤维在内的某些技术。另外，宝马采用UKL1前驱平台的车型不会增加M版车型，同时在短时间内，宝马也不会推出搭载四缸引擎的M版车型，不过车厂正在开发采用电动涡轮增压器的M车型。
BMW says X3 M & X4 M could happen, all-wheel drive M models planned, no M version of i8
BMW M chief Frank van Meel has shed some light in Detroit about the division's future plans.
Speaking to Autocar, Van Meel acknowledged he has a soft spot for the 1-Series M Coupe and that he would "love to do something in the direction of again". Needless to say, the model's successor can only be the M2 Coupe already spied testing and likely to debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It will probably use a six-cylinder 3.0-liter turbo engine with around 380 HP (279 kW) wrapped around in a more aggressive body with beefier wheels, larger brakes and a quad exhaust.
Interestingly, van Meel went on to say he sees a business case in building M versions of the X3 and X4 duo in the same vein as the X5 M & X6 M siblings.
As previously specified in a few reports, future M models will get an optional all-wheel drive system but van Meel said all M models will remain RWD-biased and the new tech will primarily be used to improve traction as a method to avoid understeer.
According to BMW M's boss, the M Performance lineup will be expanded and is going to act like a solution for a high-end model slotted underneath the fully-fledged M version, just like Mercedes-Benz is doing with the newly founded AMG Sport series.
van Meel says manual transmissions are on their way to retirement as sales are dropping so there's no reason to continue offering them over the long term. He also ruled out the possibility of seeing an M-badged "i" model but the two will share technology, such as carbon fiber. Don't expect a front-wheel drive M model riding on the company's UKL1 platform but an M Performance version could happen as long as they can "can make it sharp enough." In addition, van Meel said four-cylinder M models are not in the "short term" pipeline while electric turbocharging is being investigated for future Ms.