The Current issue of Fast Company magazine (despite the name, it's about business, not cars) has an
interesting article about the role of
the "M" brand within the BMW empire.
While we here in the U.S. enjoy the standard M-series cars as much as car nuts anywhere else, it turns out we're soon
to get an interesting service of BMW's M Division - its Individual program. Launched at the Geneva Auto Show in 1992,
the Individual program offers extreme personalization
of your new BMW, including such custom features as exotic paint
schemes, a variety of leather upholstery, antique wood trim, DVD players, photocopiers, minifridges - almost anything
you can imagine, all covered by a full factory warranty.
The Individual program is offered in Europe and Asia across the full range of BMWs. According to Fast Company and
others, the Individual program is coming to the U.S. market, as
soon as they can streamline the ordering process throught the dealer network.
In Europe, Individual is broken down into different levels of customization, ranging from special edition cars in
production runs of 5 to 1,000, through personalized cars (like the 650i cab pictured) built right on the flexible
M-series production line, all the way to full custom special commissions for customers for whom money is no
object.
After all, why should the aftermarket tuners have all the fun?
