Hot BMWs racing out of showroom

German giant BMW recorded a large growth in sales in 2010 according to figures released for the year.

The number of BMW M car sales rose by 14.2% to 16967 units. Overall, worldwide growth in demand for high-performance sports cars, M Sport packages, exclusive special options from BMW Individual as well as driving courses contributed to this positive development.

Strong growth is also anticipated for 2011 thanks to an extended M Sport package and BMW Individual product range and the launch of the BMW 1 Series M Coupé, which takes the company into a new vehicle segment.

Beyond this, the development of special task and security vehicles based on current BMW production models will also fall within the remit of BMW M GmbH in future.

The 14.2% global growth in new car registrations posted by the BMW AG subsidiary last year - which precisely matches the growth rate of the BMW Group as a whole - bears witness to the enduring fascination inspired by these high-performance cars.

The production phase-out of the BMW M5 and BMW M6 models was more than compensated for by a consistently high demand for the BMW M3 and the newly introduced all-wheel-drive models BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M.

Yet again the BMW M3 demonstrated its status as the most popular ambassador for the M ethos. Worldwide, 5729 units of the BMW M3 Coupé were sold, to which were added 2544 units of the BMW M3 Convertible and 1843 BMW M3 Saloons. Sales of the BMW X5 M and BMW X6 M totalled 2778 and 3082 respectively.

The most important single market in 2010 was once again the USA, where overall BMW M car sales rose by more than 6% to 6821. The number two sales region, as before, was the German domestic market with sales of 1716 cars, followed by Britain and Northern Ireland with 1264 units. The most dynamic growth by far was seen in the Chinese car market, where sales rose by 355% to 1088 units, making China the fourth-strongest market for BMW M cars.

In terms of sales of the M Sport packages BMW M GmbH also recorded positive growth. The model-specific development of aerodynamics, chassis, exterior and interior components lends attractive highlights to ultra-sporty driving pleasure, and the range of options on offer is steadily expanding.

The spectrum currently ranges from the BMW 1 Series to the BMW 7 Series, and also encompasses the BMW Z4 and the BMW X5. 2011 will see the BMW X3 and BMW X1 models added to the list.

In total, the number of M Sport packages produced in 2010 rose by 1% to 138800. The main market for M Sport packages was Britain and Northern Ireland, followed by Germany and the US. These markets once again posted a growth in figures for 2010, with the biggest percentage increases shown by the Korean car market (+ 411%) and China (+ 125%) and Russia (+ 107%).

BMW Individual boasts the strongest growth rates.

A significant jump in the demand for highly exclusive special options in the areas of bodywork paint, alloy wheels and interior fittings pushed up production figures for the BMW Individual business unit in 2010.

Over the course of the year, production was ramped up to 24155 options, with which the relevant cars were specifically enhanced based on personal preferences. This amounts to a growth rate of 47%.