BMW Answers Cadillac’s Vsport, Audi’s S Line With MPA Cars

When Cadillac brought out their Vsport editions, cars that have higher performance than stock models but not quite the full-tilt performance offered in the V versions, some saw it as a watering down of the V brand. Now BMW appears to be following Cadillac's lead with M Performance Automobiles, or MPA. MPA cars will have greater horsepower and a more sporting driving experience but they won't have all of the chassis and performance mods that the top of the line M high performance models have. They also won't have the high price tags of the M cars. The idea is to offer enthusiasts a moderately priced model with more performance than the base car.

The MPA lineup will be introduced in the U.S. when the M235i goes on sale next month. The coupe is BMW's new entry level car in the U.S. market, replacing the 1 Series two door. The MPA subbrand was launched earlier in Europe with diesel models that are not offered in the U.S.

Cadillac and BMW aren't the only car companies trying to slice the high performance sausage a little thinner. Audi offers S Line versions of many of its cars, a step above their regular cars in terms of performance, but a step down from their top performing RS cars.

"The tradeoff is the core M models are developed for use on the racetrack, but you can use the car daily," said Friedrich Nitschke, global head of the M subbrand. "We are not so focused with the MPAs. We add horsepower, but in the M we develop our own engine and our own suspension and most of the parts."

The MPA versions will have revised interiors, performance tuning, a stiffer suspension and bigger brakes to go with exterior trim including a front apron. Door sills will have aluminum plates inscribed with the model designation.

The MPA cars will be used to appeal to younger buyers. Oliver Ganser, product strategy manager for BMW North America, said that the average buyer of a M car is five years younger than a typical BMW customer. BMW hopes that the M235i will attract even younger buyers "who will be brand ambassadors and appeal to the real enthusiasts that we have," Ganser said.

Nitschke would not say whether the United States will get additional MPA models. BMW will measure how well the M235i sells, Nitschke said before evaluating other MPA models for America. The U.S. is currently the M subbrand's biggest market, representing 40% of the ~30,000 M cars sold around the world in 2013, followed by 20% in both Germany and the United Kingdom. That 30,000 figure was an increase of 15% from the previous year. With the redesigned M3 and the new M4 going on sale this spring, Nitschke expects an even greater increase this year.

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