Skip advert
Advertisement

BMW M’s 50th Anniversary celebrations kick off with new badge and historic colour options

It’s a big year for BMW M, so to begin the celebrations, it’s bringing back some iconic heritage cues

BMW M is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2022, so it’s got a big year planned to make the most of it. Yet before we see the all-new and bespoke XM – the performance brand’s first plug-in hybrid – a new generation of M2 and even the rumoured return of the CSL nomenclature, the party will begin with the reintroduction of the heritage Motorsport roundel, as well as some of the iconic M-car colour options of the past. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The motorsport roundel itself was introduced in 1972 alongside the formal establishment of BMW Motorsport GmbH as it was known then. The iconic blue, violet and red colour combination was created by then BMW interior designer Wolfgang Seehaus. It represented BMW in blue, motorsport in red, with violet included as a combination of the two. 

The original roundel was first shown on a 1973 3.0 CSL competition car, and will be optional on all BMW M and M Sport models built in the 2022 model year – an apt celebration of the anniversary.

Alongside the new badge, BMW will also reintroduce a range of historical racing colour options across various M models. These will include some of our favourites from over the years with Dakar Yellow, Imola Red, Fire Orange and Daytona Violet adding to an already diverse and colourful range. 

Some, if not all, of these colour options are already available under BMW’s Individual colour scheme programme, but will be made available at a lower price point, and without the extra lead time required for models to go through the custom colour process. 

So on the back of some impressive form in 2020 and 2021, BMW M’s 50th anniversary year looks like it’ll be even more colourful in every sense. An M4 CSL in Macao Blue with some dusty gold wheels? Where do we sign?

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Forget the M5 Touring, the BMW Speedtop is the ultimate V8 estate
BMW Concept Speedtop
News

Forget the M5 Touring, the BMW Speedtop is the ultimate V8 estate

The ultra-exclusive BMW Concept Speedtop makes an M5 Touring look ordinary, and we've taken a closer look at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show
29 Oct 2025
BMW's cheapest performance car now has Audi RS3 power for £13,000 less
BMW M240i xDrive
News

BMW's cheapest performance car now has Audi RS3 power for £13,000 less

Munich’s popular 3-litre straight-six has been given an update for 2026, making BMW’s M-lite range even more competitive than before
24 Sep 2025
The EU is considering banning carbonfibre, but BMW has other ideas
BMW natural fibre composite
News

The EU is considering banning carbonfibre, but BMW has other ideas

BMW has developed a new type of eco-friendly composite, just as European Parliament has proposed limiting the use of carbonfibre in road cars
23 Jun 2025
Best BMW M cars – the ultimate driving machines
Best BMW M cars
Best cars

Best BMW M cars – the ultimate driving machines

M is one of the fastest letters in the motoring alphabet. We pick our favourites from over 50 years of BMW M icons
20 Jun 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The best eras for performance cars ranked: which decade came out on top for thrills?
evo eras
Opinion

The best eras for performance cars ranked: which decade came out on top for thrills?

We've taken a cross section of every decade of performance cars and the verdict is in. It might surprise you.
2 Nov 2025
Alpine A110 R Ultime review – Ferrari money for a four-cylinder, but it might be worth it
Alpine A110 R Ultime – front
Reviews

Alpine A110 R Ultime review – Ferrari money for a four-cylinder, but it might be worth it

The A110 is going out with a 340bhp bang in the shape of the highly tuned, hardcore R Ultime. Unsurprisingly, the ultimate A110 looks right at home on…
4 Nov 2025
Four fun used hot hatches that should hold their value
Used hot hatches
News

Four fun used hot hatches that should hold their value

Fast fun cars that won’t break the bank, to buy or when it comes time to sell
29 Oct 2025