BMW M May Build A High-Performance Off-Roader After All Soon

BMW appears to be warming to the idea of leaving the tarmac behind. The company already has tougher-looking SUV variants in its line-up and is understood to be working on a boxy, hard-edged 4×4 aimed at the Mercedes-Benz G-Class end of the market. Now the possibility of adding a full-fat M badge to something with proper ground clearance has been floated from the top.

In an interview with Australia’s CarExpert, BMW M boss Frank van Meel said he “could imagine” M on off-road products, pointing to motorsport disciplines beyond circuit racing. His reference to events such as the Paris-Dakar Rally signals the direction of travel: not just more power, but a performance brief that makes sense on loose surfaces, rutted tracks and high-speed gravel.

BMW hasn’t previously built a genuine high-performance off-roader in the way some rivals have, although it has flirted with the theme via concepts, including the Dune Taxi prototype shown in 2022. If an M off-roader does get the green light, it would most likely sit on the bones of BMW’s forthcoming G-Class rival, widely linked to an internal programme often referred to as G74.

Timing is the big question. The standard model isn’t expected until close to the end of the decade, with any M derivative likely arriving later once the core vehicle is established. Even so, the market is clearly shifting, with luxury brands increasingly blending rugged design cues, taller ride heights and performance intent—leaving BMW with a tempting gap to fill if it decides the M badge belongs in the mud as well as on the motorway.