Comparing the Performance of BMW M Cars in 2023

BMW initially created its M division to manage their racing teams in the 1960s. Slowly, BMW introduced the M brand to the broader market, creating some of the best cars in their history. What started with the M1 in the late 1970s had become a full range of current M cars, all representing the highest performance from each BMW model. But how do they compare to each other? Let’s look at the performance of BMW’s current M cars…

Table of Contents

What are M cars?

Anyone familiar with BMW will know that as of 2023, the brand has a confusing lineup of vehicles. Each model series has a few different specs, with the highest usually being ‘M Sport.’ This means you get a standard model with better visual features and some engineering extras like adaptive suspension. But above that spec sits the full ‘M’ versions. These are examples of BMW taking engineering to the next level and are designed for one thing – performance.

What does the current lineup look like?

In most regions, the model range at BMW consists of:

1 Series through to 8 series
X1 through to X7
BMW i Division
Z4

It can get confusing, and if you want to see a rundown of each division in more detail, I have extra posts covering each range. But let’s come back to the M division. As I mentioned, this sits above the standard range, so for example, where you have a 2 series, you also get the M2.

Not all BMW models have a full M car though – some have what we call an ‘M lite’ version, not a full M car but very close. Ask BMW purists about M lite models, and you’ll hear some strong opinions, but that is best left alone for another time.

I’m just going to focus on the full M cars today – and guiding my list, I’m using what BMW USA refer to as full M cars, as shown on their site here. This is also looking at the current range, so although we know a new M2 is coming, it’s not quite here yet, so only M versions of recent cars. These include:

M2
M3
M4
M5
M8 (coupe, gran coupe, and convertible)
X3 M
X4 M
X5 M
X6 M

You get some very different vehicles and very different prices within this range, but all share the M badge. And you’ll see that although they might look very different, they all have one thing in common – they are all incredibly fast.

Comparing M car performances

Now we’ve covered what the M division means, let’s get into things. The table below covers the primary performance stats for each vehicle, along with the starting prices (which will increase rapidly with options). Where cars have different variants, I’ve included those stats too. So if you want to see the M5 0 to 60 time or X3 M horsepower, you’re in the right place:

Model	Starting Price	Horsepower (BHP)	Torque (lb-ft)	0 to 60 time (s)
M2	$62,200	453	406	3.9
M3	$70,100	473	406	4.1
M3 Competition	$73,000	503	479	3.8
M3 Competition – xDrive	$77,100	503	479	3.4
M4	$72,000	473	406	4.1
M4 Competition	$74,900	503	479	3.8
M4 Competition – xDrive	$79,000	503	479	3.4
M4 Competition – xDrive Convertible	$86,500	503	479	3.6
M5 – xDrive	$103,700	600	553	3.2
M8 Competition – xDrive	$130,000	617	553	3.0
M8 Competition – xDrive Convertible	$139,500	617	553	3.1
M8 Competition – xDrive Gran Coupe	$130,000	617	553	3.0
X3 M	$70,100	473	457	3.9
X4 M	$73,600	473	457	3.9
X5 M	$106,100	600	553	3.8
X6 M	$109,600	600	553	3.8

You might have noticed a few things from the above list. Firstly, the M cars are separated into two sections based on their horsepower. The lower-spec vehicles share a similar 3 liter / 6 cylinder engine, and the higher-spec use a 4.4 liter V8. This also results in a pretty steep cost jump between some models – look at the M4 compared to M8, for example.

Why are there so many M cars?

Looking at the above list, if you’re a prospective customer, you might struggle to find which model is best for you – and you wouldn’t be alone there. In the past, if you wanted a fast and (relatively) affordable car you could drive every day, the M3 was a popular choice.

And that was pretty much it from BMW, you had a single model of M3, and your next option was either going up to the M5 or going for a comparable Audi or Mercedes. Now, you have three versions of the M3 and the same again from the M4. Why?

There are a few reasons. The main one is to cover more of the market, giving customers more choices and competing with more brands in the performance division. Looking back ten years, BMW only had 4 M cars in their lineup, and they were rear-wheel drive focused.

This meant if you wanted a slightly safer 4wd high performance, you had to go for an Audi RS model. BMW has recognized this; the result has been xDrive versions of every M car. More recently, with the rapid increase in SUV sales, that market sector has created customers who want the comfort of a large family vehicle that can rival the performance of an M3.

BMW also uses its M division as a showcase on the racetrack and as a mark of engineering excellence in their road cars. M cars compete in several touring car championships worldwide, and creating more M cars allows brand awareness to grow.

Why are there differences in M car performance?

If you have been lucky enough to own or drive a current M3 or M4, you’ll know that they aren’t exactly down on power. If anything, you won’t be able to use all that power unless you go onto a racetrack, which few owners will ever do. So you might be confused as to why BMW has over 600 hp in some of their M cars.

This comes back to BMW trying to compete in different market sectors, but it’s also a testament to the engineering skill within their M division. In the performance car world, numbers are king, and having that V8 in the specification list instead of an I6 can make all the difference to some owners.

It also means that you can charge a lot more for the vehicle, as seen in the comparison table. Before, BMW had a section of the market under $100,000, bringing in plenty of loyal owners with every new model release. But in the eyes of BMW, that meant they were losing potential owners who now had more to spend and also avoiding new customers at the higher price points.

It’s also a result of the success of Audi and Mercedes at the higher level too that probably drove BMW to create such cars as the M8 and the X6 M. Audi had immense success with the R8 both commercially and as a brand leader, and Mercedes have a string of cars in the +$100k range. Like it or not, BMW has expanded the lineup to try and compete…

What does the future hold?

The car industry is changing, and the move to electric-only is gathering speed. BMW has started this with cars such as the i8 and the newer i4, but we haven’t seen a full-on M car that removes the engine yet.

That isn’t to say BMW won’t succeed with an electric M car. The M brand isn’t all about the roaring engines; the technology and engineering go much further than that. We’ve seen with the likes of Tesla and vehicles such as the Porsche Taycan that electric cars can provide incredible performance, so whenever it arrives, BMW will hit a home run. But what happens next?

With the upcoming BMW XM, we are seeing more variety from BMW, and with the likes of the i4 M50 and the iX M60, BMW is coming ever closer to a fully electric M car. I don’t think we’ll see one in 2023, but it isn’t too far away…