BMW M3, how many units have been sold over its 35 years of history?

You probably already know that the BMW M3 is one of the most legendary models on the market, and since the BMW M3 E30 arrived in 1986, the Bavarian brand has not stopped reaping success. The BMW M3 has been and remains one of the most sought-after and popular sports cars in the world. Now, the brand’s sports division, BMW M, has made public the units sold of each generation.

Besides publishing the units sold of the BMW M3 throughout its history, BMW has also wanted to look ahead, making some subtle estimates of what the sales of the new BMW M3 and BMW M4 could be. The first generation of the BMW M3, the E30, began production in 1986 and was available until 1991. During that time, 18,000 units were sold. With the arrival of the second generation, the BMW M3 E36, success increased and it reached 71,000 units built over a period of seven years.

These are the total sales of the BMW M3 generations

The third generation, the BMW M3 E46, began production in 2000 and was available until 2006. During this period, 86,000 units were marketed. With the arrival of the fourth generation, BMW M3 E92, the Bavarian brand experienced a slight drop in sales, selling only 66,000 units over six years. In contrast, the fifth generation, the BMW M3 F80, managed to sell 111,000 units, also over six years.

Now, with the arrival of the sixth generation of the BMW M3, a new era opens up. Initially, three variants of the new BMW M3 and BMW M4 will be available. The flagship is expected to be the BMW M3 Competition with M xDrive all-wheel drive and could account for 60% of sales. Meanwhile, the standard BMW Competition is forecast to represent 28% of sales, and the entry-level BMW M3 will be the only one available with a six-speed manual gearbox, accounting for 12% of sales.

As for the new BMW M4, it is worth noting that the BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive all-wheel drive will probably account for around 63% of sales, placing it well ahead of the front-wheel-drive BMW M4 Competition Coupé, which will achieve 29% of sales. However, demand for the entry-level BMW M4 Coupé, available with a manual gearbox, will represent only 8% of total sales.