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      01-22-2021, 04:58 AM   #86
Boss330
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Law View Post
You have a point about the nomenclature, but it would be unfair to the legacies of the E12 M535i, the E28 M535i, and especially to the E24 M635CSi to draw direct comparisons to something like a modern X2 M35i, even if the nomenclature of the latter is inspired by the former.

We'll start with the heavy hitter, the M635CSi, which was through-and-through, a full-fledged M-car. Let's make sure we understand its history so that this car is not misunderstood as a touted-up 635CSi (it wasn't, it was the E28 M5's two-door sibling).
It was powered by the M88/S38 motorsport inline six that descends from the BMW M1 supercar (and ultimately from the 3.0CSL if you keep tracing back the lineage) and sent power to the rear wheels through a Getrag 5-speed and a limited slip differential.
In some markets, it was badged simply as an M6, which more accurately reflects what it really was IMO because it was the GT Coupe counterpart to the E28 M5.



Skip to 2:30 to see Formula One champion Nelson Piquet get behind the wheel and share his thoughts on the M635CSi/M6.



Now the E12 & E28 M535i get brought up a lot and obviously there are different opinions surrounding this. Given that the M535i first came out some 40 years ago (when the market was vastly different on nearly every level), there's many points that can be argued for and against the case that these are the predecessors to today's "quasi-M" products.
On the one hand, yes, they were not full M cars, did not have motorsport engines, and were 'only' slightly upgraded and performance-enhanced versions of their more plebeian sibling models.
But on the other hand, they were slightly more special and were produced not necessarily to fill market niches, but to test the waters and pave the foundation for the actual full M-Cars that would come later. For example, the E12 M535i had properly special & unique upholstery and equipment such as Recaro seats & BBS alloys and E28 M535i 's that were equipped with manual gearboxes were dogleg transmissions, not exactly a soccer mom's car!
Of course, one could also argue that a transaxle CUV platform that can hang with yesteryear's sports cars is indeed an incredible feat.

So take it for what it's worth but I just thought it was worth bringing to light some of the details surrounding the E12, E28, and E24 since oversimplification of their legacies would be a grave injustice to them (especially the M6).
I agree that in the case of the M635CSi that it was a "proper" M car, but still badged as a M635 in Europe (M6 in the US).

My main intention was to point out that BMW M history actually started with Mxxx models, not MX models (apart from the M1) as it seems there's a lot of very short memories or lack of knowledge of the history some times...

And to be fair, I think we should compare apples with apples, which would be the M535i vs the M550i. To me the M550i represents the same basic qualities that the M535 did back in the day. Different times calls for different measures, but the concept is still basically the same.

When it comes to the SUV/SAV/CUV models. Back in the days BMW did not make those models in either BMW AG or BMW M versions. What BMW M did back in the day was to take models from their AG lineup and modify/improve. same they do today.

I am NOT a fan of the FWD based AG or M-Performance models and would have preferred BMW didn't manufacture either of them...

But making money on volume models helps create room and budgets for M2CS, M5CS, M3/4CS-CLS etc IMO.

BTW, every new M3 generation has been met with negativity after the E30. The E36 M3 was to bland looking after the E30. The E46 was too big and heavy. The E9x was way too heavy, had a V8 and had poor brakes. The F8x was deemed to become a disaster for BMW M because it didn't look as good as the E9x, had a leaf blower exhaust note and not a proper M engine as the E9x had (at the same time forgetting that the S50-S54 and other previous M engines all where based on production engines).

Today, all of these M3s (and M4) are considered worthy M cars by most
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