BMW confesses to scrapping a supercar for XM SUV

The BMW XM became the M division’s second standalone production car after the M1, but it didn’t have to be a crossover.

According to Steve Saxty, an automotive historian from UK, BMW had initially considered an ideological successor to the M1. The mid-engined supercar was envisioned on the same technological base as the i8, but with a ton of added power and aggression. It was to be called “I16”.

The development was 95% complete, but the company CEO at the time decided to scrap it over demand concerns. Back in the Covid year of 2020, a part-electric SUV seemed like a far more viable product to release than a niche supercar. The I16 never saw the light of day.