Wednesday 22nd July 2015

Two BMW debuts at Monterey

A pair of concepts will grace the finely manicured lawns at Monterey - start speculating!

---

Good news, a guess the concept before they announce the concept game! The assorted motoring events of Pebble Beach are now just a couple of weeks away, where the world's most exclusive and expensive cars are exhibited, revealed and raced in front of very wealthy audience. Wearing bad trousers.

This please. All of this please BMW

As part of the celebrations, BMW has announced it will reveal "two world premier [sic] concept cars" at the BMW Villa. Because why just have a stand when you could have a frickin' BMW Villa? Given the press conference will include speeches from Karim Habib (BMW's Design Director) and Dirk Haecker, VP of R&D for M Division, we can assume these will be fairly significant concepts.

Already though we have a couple of clues. The image accompanying the release from BMW was a steering wheel that looks near identical to that seen on the recent CSL Hommage concept. But could that be a world 'premier' when it was seen at Villa d'Este?

You'll remember also BMW announced the 'CSL Homage livery' (note the one 'm') earlier this year, with a Z4 GT3 painted in a gloriously evocative paint scheme as part of the 40th celebrations. Could the second car be the M6 GT3 that will replace the Z4 next year? Painted in the CSL Homage colours for old time's sake, obviously.

But there are plenty more possibilities too. Officially describing the new vehicles as concept cars implies it won't be a race ready competition car. A few are suggesting the M4 GTS may finally be confirmed at a concept stage. The M5 has had its little 30th birthday shindig, and the M2 is surely significant enough to wait for Frankfurt. Perhaps it will be the fully fledged 2 Series Gran Tourer M car that soccer Moms across America must be clamouring for. Alright, that's a little silly. Any more educated guesses readily welcomed!

 

 

[British Beef]

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

[Ares]

Yes the M3, M4, M5, M6, i8, i3, entirely RWD saloon range, every range having 300bhp range toppers not including the M-cars.... All so dull.

Please someone give me a.....erm......Audi? Volvo?

[British Beef]

They used to make cars with engines that had racing pedigree, V10 screamers, V8s with manual boxes, and the best Straight 6s in the world.

Today they do hybrids, overweight GTs and very fast cars with auto boxes and engine sound generators from the hifi. Fast yes, but like a Tesla dull to drive.

I just think what they used to make was far more exciting and in tune with what I want compared with what they currently offer.

[Ares]

British Beef said:

They used to make cars with engines that had racing pedigree, V10 screamers, V8s with manual boxes, and the best Straight 6s in the world.

Today they do hybrids, overweight GTs and very fast cars with auto boxes and engine sound generators from the hifi. Fast yes, but like a Tesla dull to drive.

I just think what they used to make was far more exciting and in tune with what I want compared with what they currently offer.

Mmmmmmm....... They once made a V10. They still make V8s with manual gearboxes (they, along with the rest of the world) have done away with the old and slow 'H' pattern gearstick - at least they still offer manual gears in M cars, some competitors are true Auto only), and they still make arguably the best straight 6s in the world (what current I6 is there that is better than the 35i/40i engine, or the M3/M4 engine?)

I think they have as many engines today with racing pedigrees than any other time? And their prime 'M' car (M3/M4 is significantly lighter than it's peers at under 1500kg?.... They are also one of the few successfully reducing weight in road cars).

We can all have halcyon memories of manual clutches, H-gate gear shifts, no-ABS, etc etc.....but we would whinge if our performance cars didn't embrace performance technology just because beards don't like modern innovation.

[cerb4.5lee]

British Beef said:

They used to make cars with engines that had racing pedigree, V10 screamers, V8s with manual boxes, and the best Straight 6s in the world.

Today they do hybrids, overweight GTs and very fast cars with auto boxes and engine sound generators from the hifi. Fast yes, but like a Tesla dull to drive.

I just think what they used to make was far more exciting and in tune with what I want compared with what they currently offer.

Agree and things aren't as good as they used to be with cars nowadays that's for sure.

Emissions, turbo's, silly two pedal gearboxes with daft paddles and crappy electric steering rule the day sadly and I am in the old school camp for sure.

[Ares]

cerb4.5lee said:

British Beef said:

They used to make cars with engines that had racing pedigree, V10 screamers, V8s with manual boxes, and the best Straight 6s in the world.

Today they do hybrids, overweight GTs and very fast cars with auto boxes and engine sound generators from the hifi. Fast yes, but like a Tesla dull to drive.

I just think what they used to make was far more exciting and in tune with what I want compared with what they currently offer.

Agree and things aren't as good as they used to be with cars nowadays that's for sure.

Emissions, turbo's, silly two pedal gearboxes with daft paddles and crappy electric steering rule the day sadly and I am in the old school camp for sure.

Alas thats the world, EU laws, Tree-hugger and advanced technology. Nothing really to do with, or unique to BMW.

At least BMW are, in part, rebelling and trying to stop the rot with weight reduction.

[daytona365]

Is this the new BMW 'retro' ? Why can't everyday modern BMW's have just a spark of this kind of excitement and design flair......Like they used to ?!

[D200]

British Beef said:

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

Yes

Along with Audi, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Honda, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, VW to name just a few

Everyone should boycott all these dull manufactures and buy…. Porsches, Lotus’s, McLarens and Ferrari’s?

[Ares]

D200 said:

British Beef said:

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

Yes

Along with Audi, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Honda, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, VW to name just a few

Everyone should boycott all these dull manufactures and buy…. Porsches, Lotus’s, McLarens and Ferrari’s?

No Porsches have become dull as well remember. Diesels. SUVs. Heavy Saloons. Mini-SUVs etc. Boycott them as well.

[D200]

Ares said:

D200 said:

British Beef said:

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

Yes

Along with Audi, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Honda, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, VW to name just a few

Everyone should boycott all these dull manufactures and buy…. Porsches, Lotus’s, McLarens and Ferrari’s?

No Porsches have become dull as well remember. Diesels. SUVs. Heavy Saloons. Mini-SUVs etc. Boycott them as well.

True

Apologies they should also be boycotted

Some McLarens are missing that 'something' so they may need to be boycotted also

Just get the bus

[Ares]

D200 said:

Ares said:

D200 said:

British Beef said:

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

Yes

Along with Audi, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Honda, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, VW to name just a few

Everyone should boycott all these dull manufactures and buy…. Porsches, Lotus’s, McLarens and Ferrari’s?

No Porsches have become dull as well remember. Diesels. SUVs. Heavy Saloons. Mini-SUVs etc. Boycott them as well.

True

Apologies they should also be boycotted

Some McLarens are missing that 'something' so they may need to be boycotted also

Just get the bus

....and any turbo Ferrari. They're st now too.

[fatboy b]

[405dogvan]

British Beef said:

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

BMW have had their pants taken-down as the car wanted by aspiring types - that's now an Audi - they're clearly just throwing out models until something magically happens and the badge-brigade reform behind the blue/white roundel.

Might take a while tho - all that chrome and SLine badging is a strong draw for people with better credit ratings than IQs...

[D200]

405dogvan said:

British Beef said:

BMW seem to specialise more and more in exotic concept cars and dull road cars.

BMW have had their pants taken-down as the car wanted by aspiring types - that's now an Audi - they're clearly just throwing out models until something magically happens and the badge-brigade reform behind the blue/white roundel.

Might take a while tho - all that chrome and SLine badging is a strong draw for people with better credit ratings than IQs...

100% Agreed as the above posts state.

DULL fake boring wannabe cars made by Bmw (and all the others listed Inc Porsches Ferraris and McLarens) should be boycotted and avoided at all costs