BMW M division could go off-road, says boss

The first off-road vehicle from BMW M could be in the works, according to the boss of the performance division.

BMW’s M division has built a global following for its high-performance racing and road models, with track-focused coupes, sedans and wagons sold alongside potent SUVs – all with an emphasis on on-road performance and speed.

The German automaker, though, is reportedly working on a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and L663 Land Rover Defender, which would be its first production model with serious off-road capability.

When asked by CarExpert if the M badge could be applied to an off-roader, BMW M boss Frank van Meel said the idea isn’t far-fetched.

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“I could imagine M on off-road products, because if you come from racing there’s not only the WEC [World Endurance Championship] and IMSA [International Motor Sports Association] [sports car categories], but the Paris-Dakar [off-road rally],” Mr van Meel explained.

The Paris-Dakar – now known as ‘Dakar’, given it no longer takes place between the French and Senegalese capitals – sees extreme off-road buggies, cars, motorbikes and even trucks compete across treacherous, long-distance desert courses.

In 2026, the car class, typically SUVs and utes, was won by Dacia (sold as Renault in Australia), which fended off factory-backed efforts from Toyota and Ford.

BMW has won the motorcycle division of Dakar multiple times, while BMW-owned Mini has won the car category as recently as 2021. Rival Audi entered an extended-range electric off-roader from 2022 to 2024.

“But, as you know, we don’t have any off-road vehicles at BMW for Paris-Dakar, even though you can take an X5 – we offer driving experiences with the X5, by the way, in Namibia – so you can use our cars off-road,” Mr van Meel added.

“We do have an X5 M as well, but I don’t think that is where your question was heading.”

“I don’t think it’s [an off-road M model] a contradiction because, in Paris-Dakar, if you look at the race cars, they’re quite performance-driven cars as well. So, if there would be a segment like that, I wouldn’t say no.”

While not confirmed, the rugged BMW – codenamed G74 – is expected to be built in the key United States market, with production kicking off in 2029.

While its powertrain is not known, the G74 off-roader will reportedly replace the V8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) XM in the lineup, which is expected to be in production until November 2028.

Mr van Meel’s comments come off the back of another year of record M car sales, both in Australia – where they make up almost one in four BMW sales – and globally.

The sales growth has been driven, in part, by the expansion of the hallowed M badge onto more models, including BMWs with M packages and upgrades – such as the M240i, for example – which is separate from the full-blown M2 in the same lineup.

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