BMW have confirmed that they expect to add 40 new or revised models to their line-up, as well as Rolls-Royce, and MINI, over just the next two years — 20 in 2017 alone.
Do not underestimate the scale of these numbers. Imagine if McDonald's announced 40 new burgers, or Redband announced 40 new models of gum boot (possibly with bands coloured in a hue that isn't red). And those are relatively small things — a world away from the enormous and complex task of producing a whole entire car or a motorbike.
Details around the announcement were published in the manufacturer's annual report that they released this month. If you're the kind of person who loves leafing through anorak details and pages of numbers, feel free to download it here and have some fun.
“We intend to launch more than 40 new and revised models of our three premium brands on the market during 2017 and 2018,” said BMW Chief Executive Harald Kruger at the marque's annual press conference in Munich.
“The new product offensive began successfully with the launch of the new 5 Series in February, further raising the bar in the business sedan segment.”
The confirmation comes off the back of a big year of success for the brand, where they managed to sell 2,367,603 vehicles — displaying a 5.3 per cent growth over 2015. Among the immediate cars to consider in this mix is the X2, scheduled to roll out towards the end of this year, with a revised X3 is coming, and an all-new mega-luxury X7 is also rumoured to surface in the coming years.
Another big target outlined in the report is the brand's push for electric cars — with aims to sell 100,000 of them globally in 2017. A tall ask, given that it took them the last three years to break the six-figure marker with their existing electric and plug-in models. Taking that technology and spreading it out to more of BMW's mainstream models (like the X3) will help their cause.
“Between the launch of the BMWi3 in 2013 and 2016, we sold more than 100,000 BMWi models and BMW plug-in hybrid models. In 2017, we intend to go one better: this year alone, we aim to deliver a further 100,000 electrified vehicles,” the report says.
“In 2017, we will release two more models: the BMW 5 Series iPerformance and the MINI Countryman. These will be followed in 2018 by the BMWi8 Roadster. A year later, we will launch an all-electric MINI and in 2020, an all-electric BMW X3.”
Some decry the advent of electric cars as the death of motoring. But, I think we're in for a heck of a fight between BMW and their key rivals. Pass the popcorn.