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BMW is phasing out its M Competition badge, folding that hardware and punch into standard M cars. The move follows buyer behaviour: most customers simply choose the hotter spec, so BMW M will now build its base cars to that level from the off. In effect, future M models will wear the power and kit that made the Competition badge popular, without the extra label.
The simplified hierarchy will focus on three rungs: the regular M (now with former Competition output and features), the more focused CS, and the ultra-purist CSL. That means the ladder reads power, then poise, then pared-back track intent, rather than a scatter of overlapping trims. As BMW M boss Frank van Meel put it, when more than four in five buyers go straight to the higher state of tune, it makes sense to make that the default.
It isn’t a light-switch change across every badge just yet. For 2026, the M3 and M4 still offer Competition (rear-drive or xDrive), with outputs stepping up from the standard car. The X5 M also retains its Competition specification. By contrast, the latest M2 and the incoming M5 skip a Competition variant altogether, signalling where the range is heading as new generations arrive.
BMW has confirmed the direction of travel, noting that the information is accurate even as certain current models bridge the transition. For drivers, the upshot is simple: the entry point into M ownership gains more muscle and kit, while CS and CSL concentrate on weight-saving, chassis precision and lap-time focus. Fewer badges, cleaner choices, and an M garage that reads with more clarity than before.
