The first off-road vehicle from BMW M could be in the works according to the head of the performance department.
BMW’s M division has built a global following for its high-performance racing and street models. In addition to track-focused coupes, sedans and station wagons, it also sells high-performance SUVs – all with an emphasis on performance and speed on the road.
However, the German automaker is reportedly working on a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Land Rover Defender L663, which would be its first production model with serious off-road capability.
Upon request from Daily Sparkz If the M badge could be put on an off-roader, BMW M boss Frank van Meel said the idea wasn’t far-fetched.
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“I could imagine M on off-road products because if you come from racing, there is not only the WEC (World Endurance Championship) and the IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) (sports car categories), but also the Paris-Dakar (off-road rally),” explained Mr van Meel.
The Paris-Dakar – now known as “Dakar” because it no longer runs between the French and Senegalese capitals – pits extreme off-road buggies, cars, motorcycles and even trucks against each other on treacherous long-distance routes in the desert.
In 2026, Dacia (sold as Renault in Australia) won the vehicle class, typically SUVs and small cars, fending off factory-backed efforts from Toyota and Ford.
BMW has won the motorcycle class of the Dakar several times, while BMW’s own Mini only won the car category in 2021. Rival Audi launched an electric off-roader with extended range from 2022 to 2024.
“But as you know, at BMW we don’t have any off-road vehicles for the Paris-Dakar, although you can take an X5 – by the way, we offer X5 driving experiences in Namibia – so you can use our cars off-road,” Mr van Meel added.
“We also have an X5 M, but I don’t think that’s what your question was about.”
“I don’t think that (an off-road M model) is a contradiction because in the Paris-Dakar, if you look at the racing cars, they are also pretty performance-oriented cars. So if there was a segment like this, I wouldn’t say no.”
Although not yet confirmed, the rugged BMW – codenamed G74 – is expected to be built in the key US market and production will begin in 2029.
Although its powertrain is unknown, the G74 SUV will reportedly replace the V8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) XM in the lineup, which is expected to be in production by November 2028.
Mr van Meel’s comments are the result of another year of record M car sales, both in Australia – where they account for almost one in four BMW sales – and globally.
Sales growth was driven in part by the expansion of the hallowed M badge to more models, including BMWs with M packages and upgrades – such as the M240i – which is separate from the full-fledged M2 in the same model range.
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