BMW has built its one-millionth M vehicle, and the milestone car is a Fire Orange III BMW M3 produced at the automaker’s historic Munich plant. The G80 M3 was officially handed over during a ceremony at the factory, marking a major milestone more than five decades after BMW Motorsport GmbH was founded.
BMW Builds Its Millionth M Car in Munich
Peter Weber, head of the Munich Plant, handed the milestone M3 to Frank van Meel, the mayor of M Town. The special G80 wears Fire Orange III, a distinctive color available through BMW’s Individual catalog.
The one-millionth M vehicle arrives more than 50 years after BMW Motorsport GmbH was established and 40 years after the original M3 E30 went on sale.
Production of the G80 M3 began at BMW’s oldest factory in 2020. However, Munich is transitioning into an electric-only production site, changing the plant’s relationship with the M3 when it comes to combustion-powered models.
The Next BMW M3 Is Set for a Major Production Shift
The BMW M3 ZA0, which was teased earlier today, is scheduled to be built at Munich starting in 2027. Meanwhile, the next-generation 3 Series with a combustion engine has already been confirmed for production at BMW’s Plant Dingolfing.
Production of the G50’s gasoline-powered models, including the M350 xDrive, is scheduled to begin there next month. That makes Dingolfing a likely candidate for the next gas-powered M3, although BMW has not officially announced where the combustion-engined successor will be assembled.
The upcoming inline-six-powered G84 could therefore follow its lesser 3 Series siblings to Dingolfing. For now, that remains unconfirmed by BMW.
The G80 M3 Has More Time in Production
The one-millionth M3 built in Munich represents a notable moment for the factory’s combustion-powered M3 era. The next electric M3 will carry the name forward at the historic plant, while the gas-powered version is expected to continue elsewhere in Bavaria.
Production of the G80 is expected to continue until later in 2027. Its long-roof G81 sibling is also expected to remain in production for a while longer.
BMW M3 G84 Could Add Mild-Hybrid Technology
The next gas-powered M3 is rumored to take a different approach to its drivetrain. According to sources cited in the report, the G84 could be offered exclusively with xDrive and an automatic transmission, potentially ending the rear-wheel-drive and manual-transmission combination long associated with the M3.
BMW has not confirmed those details. Current reports point to an evolution of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter S58 engine with mild-hybrid assistance and an automatic transmission.
M2 Leads BMW’s True M Car Sales
Despite the M3’s importance to BMW’s performance lineup, it was not the best-selling true M car last year. That distinction went to the M2.
When M Performance models are included, the X3 M50 was the top seller. The M Lite crossover ended a three-year streak led by the i4 M50/M60.
Across both M Performance and M vehicles, 2025 was BMW’s strongest year ever. Combined deliveries increased 3.3% to 213,457 units, enough to set a sales record for the 14th consecutive year.
BMW M Sales Fell Through June 2026
BMW may not set another record in 2026. Demand for M and M Performance vehicles through June was down 6%.
The M2, M3 and M4 were also on a hiatus in Europe as BMW worked to make their engines Euro 7 compliant through the adoption of its new M Ignite Pre-Chamber Ignition technology. Sales could now be rebounding as the models return to customers.
BMW’s one-millionth milestone refers specifically to actual M cars, rather than the broader group of M Performance vehicles.
