By Nichola Beckford

BMW M cars are already in demand by automotive enthusiasts worldwide, but they’re not exactly thin on the ground. If you want one, you can stroll into your local dealer and get one. This one you can’t. Why?

Because it’s an even more special version of an already special car, the 50 Jahre BMW M4. Only 3,000 of these will be made and you’re looking at the only one on Jamaican soil, and possibly, anywhere in the Caribbean.

The BMW M Division (M for motorsport) was solidified on May 24, 1972, creating BMW M GmbH. While the first M products were a supercar — the M1 in 1978 and a hotter version of a luxury sedan — the M5 in 1984, it wasn’t until the E30 M3 came along in 1986 and got things started. Win after race win didn’t exactly ingratiate the first M3 with the public.

While it’s highly regarded now, the original M3 built as a race car and sold only to the general public to satisfy rules wasn’t a sales success. The mantra of bringing motorsport performance to everyday roads was toned down when M tried again in 1998 with the E36 M3. It worked and cemented the M formula that continues to this day marking the M3 and M4 synonymous with high performance in the premium segment and the most successful model series in the history of BMW M.

The current G82 M3/4 courted controversy immediately upon release due to their massive front grille. This had little impact on sales as in 2021 BMW M posted record sales of 163,542 units, 13.4 percent over the previous years. At the end of that year it meant a doubling of sales over a five year period.

The 50 Jahre BMW M4, or BMW M4 50th Anniversary of BMW M edition is the M’s present to itself and fans of its style of fast sedans. The base begins with the competition variant of the M3 or M4. With two or four doors, buyers already get 510bhp and 479lb/ft of torque from a twin-turbocharged three-litre inline six-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. 60mph can be dispatched in 3.5 seconds, and the quarter mile disappears next in 12 seconds on the way to a top speed of 180mph. All while delivering the legendary M handling from the M differential and adaptive M suspension.

Having already potent numbers there’s little necessity to move the performance bar any higher.

So how does one differentiate the 50 Jahre BMW M4 from the rest?

The first is colour. Several of the paint options available are throwback to the previous generations of M3, in this case Macao Blue, originally found on the very first M3. Chinese buyers get colours that relate to the fact that M’s 50th anniversary is also the Chinese Year of the Tiger.

Americans will also have a range of colours from their history with the M3. The wheels are staggered with 19-inch on the front and 20-inch on the rears. The forged M wheels are debuting in matte colours Orbit Grey and Gold Bronze, the latter colour on our local example.

The sea of carbon fibre that is the roof of the 50 Jahre BMW M4 continues on its inside. Once past the keyless access it’s the familiar M4 interior, just a bit more special. Signifying what the car is first are the door sill panels that proudly proclaim Edition 50 Jahre BMW M. Then, if one can look past the M carbon bucket seats, they’ll notice the M4 Edition 50 Jahre BMW M stitched into the headrest section of both the heated front seats. And for those who would further question the provenance of the vehicle, then there’s a metal plaque on the carbon fibre and Alcantara trimmed centre console that says M4 Edition 50 Jahre BMW M.

In 2020, the auction sales record for an M3 was broken when a 1988 example was sold on American auction site, Bring a Trailer for a final sale price of USD$255,000. New or old, special M cars continue to hold the interest of performance junkies all over the world.