BMW M sales spike - Motoring
Not too long ago, BMW’s M performance division was focused purely on ‘core’ products, providing finely-honed performance versions of the German car-maker's mid-size 3 Series and large 5 Series. The move towards self-shifting began subtly at first, the automated manual SMG transmission first seen on the Euro-market E36-series M3 in 1996 as an option for those wanting to ape the sequential-shift craze emerging in touring cars at the time. By the time of the E60 5 Series and its two-door 6 Series sibling in the Noughties, the automated gearbox had become standard, with no manual option available outside North America. something that BMW M had once sworn against. This path was as much about lowering emissions as drawing big output numbers and upping mid-range torque, making the M cars more manageable on a day-to-day basis. Speaking at the local launch drive of the new BMW M5 Pure and Nighthawk limited-edition , BMW Australia General Manager Corporate Communications Lenore Fletcher highlighted the initial strength of the latest X5 and X6 M SUVs since their launch in... For the July year-to-date this year [2015] we have already sold 585,” Fletcher explained. While Fletcher would only suggest that the segment is “very competitive” when questioned on the price drop’s timing coinciding with the new Mercedes-AMG C 63's. Source: www.motoring.com.au
