BMW celebrates one millionth M vehicle with electric future in focus
The Munich plant produced its millionth high-performance BMW M car and announced plans to build the first fully-electric BMW M3 there.
BMW M reached a production milestone this week with the completion of its one-millionth high-performance vehicle. The milestone car, a BMW M3 finished in Fire Orange III, rolled off the assembly line at BMW Group Plant Munich, where it was formally handed over to Franciscus van Meel, chief executive of BMW M GmbH, by Peter Weber, who heads the Munich facility.
The announcement carries symbolic weight: the Munich plant, which has operated for more than 100 years, will also be the sole production site for the coming fully-electric BMW M3, the first performance model to use BMW M Neue Klasse technology. The electric M3 will be the second Neue Klasse model built in Munich.
A performance lineage meets electric transition
The one-millionth milestone arrives 40 years after the first BMW M3 reached the market, marking five decades of the M division’s focus on what van Meel described as combining “road and racetrack capabilities with everyday practicality.” The current M3 generation began production in Munich in 2020, creating what the company described as a strong emotional connection among plant workers to the model.
The fully-electric BMW M3 will continue that tradition at the same facility. Weber said the Munich plant takes pride in “actively shaping the future” of the M brand, according to the company statement.
Munich’s transformation to electric-only production
The Munich plant is undergoing a substantial overhaul to shift toward electric-vehicle manufacturing. From 2027 onwards, the site will produce only fully-electric models. BMW is investing approximately 650 million euros in the transformation, which includes a new body shop, a redesigned vehicle assembly line, and updated logistics infrastructure. These changes occupy roughly a third of the plant’s total area and have been implemented during ongoing production.
The overhaul required systematic digitalisation and close collaboration with development and supplier teams. Van Meel said the future product portfolio will be “continuously developed” based on Neue Klasse technology, “including fully-electric models, in line with our core brand promise.”
Key facts
- Production of the one-millionth BMW M vehicle occurred at BMW Group Plant Munich
- The milestone vehicle is a BMW M3 in Fire Orange III special paintwork
- The fully-electric BMW M3 will be manufactured exclusively at the Munich plant
- The Munich plant will produce only electric vehicles from 2027 onwards
- BMW is investing around 650 million euros in the plant’s transformation
This article was compiled by the CityLifeBytes editorial desk from the official announcements and reporting listed under Sources.
