BMW Motorsport (M) GmbH Gesellschaft für individuelle Automobile was established in 1972 and was initially staffed by eight employees. The division, sometimes referred to as M-Technik, was tasked with developing the company's already successful racing programme.
The division's first project was to race tune the BMW 3.0 CSL. The first vehicle to bear the famous 'M' designation was the M1, developed as a successor to the CSL on the track. However, series rules required that 400 'production' examples were required for homologation. As a result the BMW M roadcar was launched to the world at the 1978 Paris Motor Show.
One year later in 1979 the first modern M car was revealed to the public: the BMW M535i. Based on the first car to wear the '5-Series' designation, the M535i set the 'M' template for the next thirty years: an everyday saloon transformed into a race car for the road. The car sported a 3.5 litre engine, front and rear spoilers, Recaro branded sports seats, a limited-slip differential, and the famous 'M stripe' badge. Only ever intended as a low volume production run, 1410 examples were produced between 1979 and 1981.
BMW Motorsport's success on the race track continued in 1983, when the division's four cylinder turbo engine propelled Nelson Piquet's Brabhams to the F1 World Championship.
In 1985 the BMW E28 M5 was launched. Developing 286 bhp from an evolution of the M88 engine from M1, the car also featured electric windows, central locking and light alloys. The mixture of performance and refinement was an innovation to the marketplace, and represented a huge gamble by BMW.
In 1986 the BMW M3 was unleashed upon the world. The E30 variant developed 192 bhp from a 4 cylinder engine, covered 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds, and could reach 143 mph. At the time the car was considered a revelation and even today many consider it a benchmark by which performance and driving pleasure are measured.
By 1988 demand for 'M' cars had swelled the GmbH workforce to 400 strong.
Thirty-five years after BMW M GmbH's inception, and twenty-one years after the original version, the fourth generation BMW M3 (E92) was launched. The latest M3 offers twice as many cylinders as the orignal and nearly double the power.
Since 1979, with the exception of the 7-Series and the X-Series, all BMW models have been subject to the Motorsport treatment. Furthermore, it is now possible to purchase a BMW vehicle with styling cues and handling tweaks developed by Motorsport division, without the vehicle acutally earning a full designation, e.g. BMW 335i M-Sport. This expansion of the 'M' brand illustrates the continuing desiribility and visibility of M cars to the public and it's appetite to buy into the M-culture.