BMW South Africa delights fans with another thrilling BMW M Fest!
The most anticipated live event for South Africa’s adoring BMW M fans reached a crescendo on Sunday, 16 October, again confirming the BMW M Fest hosted at Johannesburg’s Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit as the biggest BMW M Festival in the world with 25,000 tickets sold!
More than 25,000* BMW fans headed to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg this past weekend to celebrate 50 Years of M with BMW South Africa in true South African style. In recognition of the love for the BMW M badge in South Africa, the official proceedings kicked off on Thursday, 13 October with the world premiere of the new BMW M2 during the media programme.
It was during this day that the first-ever BMW XM and the BMW M4 CSL were revealed for the first time, too, in South Africa. The BMW M4 CSL is the fastest series production BMW around the famed Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit. Produced in a limited production run of 1,000 units only, all examples destined for South Africa have already been snapped up.
The 338kW/550Nm BMW M2 and the first-ever BMW XM will be available in South Africa from the second quarter of 2023.
The 2022 BMW M Fest stepped up a notch on Saturday, 15 October, which was the first public day of the event. Over the weekend, guests could see the new BMW M2, first-ever BMW XM, and BMW M4 CSL in the metal; see some of South Africa’s hottest talent on two stages; drive their dream BMWs; or – for the lucky few – be driven by South Africa’s recently-crowned DTM champion, Sheldon van der Linde.
Taking the thrill to another level on the Red Bull skidpan were some of South Africa’s top spinning athletes (and their signature Gusheshes) displaying their precision driving skills and fearlessness for the fans. They were joined by Red Bull Drift Brothers Johannes and Elias Hountondji who had brought their specially-prepared BMW M4 Competitions to South Africa, all the way from Germany, to mesmerise the local crowds with their showmanship.
Alongside the BMWs on display (both classic and brand-new future classics) there was also the chance to purchase items from the special 50 Years of M Collection in the BMW Lifestyle Collection store; engage with guests ranging from Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M Gmbh to Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in the M talks sessions; or entertain the younger M fans in the Kids’ Zone. There really was something for everyone at this year’s M Fest.
More than 100 BMWs were sold over the weekend from the M Fest pop-up dealership, while a total of 17,800 driving experiences were enjoyed by guests. A whopping 8,500 fans were taken around the famous Kyalami circuit on hot laps over the two days.
Peter van Binsbergen commented: “BMW and BMW M are special to our customers and fans here in South Africa. One in five BMWs sold in South Africa bears an M badge, and this market is a consistent global top performer for BMW M High Performance and M Performance models.
“Here, we can show that M, as well as being the most powerful letter in the world, also stands for emotion. It is about more than the cars, and a showcase such as the BMW M Fest is the perfect platform to share this joy with our customers.”
The 2022 BMW M Fest was powered by Shell V-Power, alongside headline sponsors Goodyear, Puma, and Red Bull.
*Free entry to 8,823 minors under 16.
