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It's interesting that BMW seems content for the next 3-4 with this current M lineup. While the next M5 may be coming, it caters to an upscale luxury market not the enthusiast market.
I think in the past BMW felt they could get away with offering nothing to the enthusiast market for a year or two. This may have been true in the past due to a lack of competition, but is no longer the case today with ample challengers coming from many directions.
For instance, I have an E46 M3 I bought just a year ago because I wasn't impressed with the E92 M3 after coming out of a Z4M coupe. I looked hard until I found a pristine non-sunroof ZCP Alpine White on Cinnamon example. This car appealed to me far more than any E92 M3. Now after a year I still love the car and plan to keep it long term, but also want to add an even more focused sports car with more power.
Looking across the BMW lineup at present and for the near future there is absolutely nothing for me. Therefore BMW is turning people like me towards other brands.
When I think about my options for the near future in the under 70 thousand dollar range, they consist of:
1. 997.1 GT3
2. 997.1 turbo
3. 997.2 C2S
4. Or god forbid maybe some american uber muscle like the GT500 or potentially the upcoming Z28 Camaro
I think BMW needs something that can compare with these cars at their higher thrill level sooner rather than later. Likely in the form of some sort of 1M CSL or M3 CSL type car in the next year or two. Otherwise those like me aren't going to be patient forever.
Also there is the fact of SCOTT26 mentioning that the next gen 1M and M3 will have more hardcore versions later in their life cycles to emulate Porsche and its GT3 apparently. This makes me even more unlikely to be willing to buy BMW at the time of the next gen M releases.
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