BMW clocks up record profit in 2015

German top-of-the-range carmaker BMW said Wednesday it clocked up record sales and profits in 2015 and would celebrate its centenary this year by increasing its dividend payout to shareholders.

"The BMW group achieved its sixth record-breaking year in succession in 2015, posting new highs to date for sales volumes, revenues and profit, despite a volatile market environment," the carmaker said in a statement.

Net profit rose by 10 percent to 6.4 billion euros ($7.0 billion) in 2015 and, to mark the group's centenary, BMW planned to pay an increased dividend of 3.20 euros per ordinary share and 3.22 euros per preferred share, the statement said.

For the previous year, shareholders had been paid dividends of 2.90 euros and 2.92 euros respectively.

"We have met all of our ambitious targets for the financial year," said chief executive Harald Krueger, calling the results "another set of impressive figures in BMW's centenary year."

BMW celebrated its 100th birthday earlier this week, throwing a lavish party in its home city of Munich.

Leading its rival Daimler-Benz in units sold, and with giant Volkswagen damaged by the emissions scandal, BMW remains in pole position at the high end of the auto industry and is seen as a symbol of German engineering prowess.

In terms of the total number of vehicles, unit sales were up 6.1 percent at a new record of 2.247 million vehicles worldwide last year.