BMW Forums
04-01-2010, 03:05 AM
Filed under: Motorsports (http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/), Performance (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/), BMW (http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/concepttii630.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/#8)
BMW Concept 1 Series Tii - Click above for high-res image gallery
There was a time, not too long ago, when a BMW (http://www.autoblog.com/make/bmw/) M-badged vehicle was feared. In the late 1990s, the E36 M3 Coupe was often regarded as the best-handling two-door on the planet and its sibling, the E36 M3 Sedan, was the fastest four-door in showrooms. The droptop M Roadster offered a viable alternative to a Porsche 911 (http://www.autoblog.com/model/911) Cabriolet, while the bad-to-the bone E39 M5 ran without peers thanks to its 400-horsepower V8 .
Today's M models offer excellent performance, but the bar has been raised so high that cheaper upstarts like Mitsubishi (http://www.autoblog.com/make/mitsubishi/) and Subaru (http://www.autoblog.com/make/subaru/) can give them a run for the money on tracks, not to mention surging premium competitors like Audi (http://www.autoblog.com/make/audi/) and arch rival, Mercedes-Benz (http://www.autoblog.com/make/mercedes-benz/) and their AMG offerings. Kay Segler, the new chief of BMW's performance-oriented M brand, has taken notice. However, instead of pushing the well-respected division to the head of the pack with even greater levels of performance, Segler says it is time to rethink what his division stands for - meaning BMW M may no longer offer the fastest or most powerful cars possible.
"The measurement of 0 to 100 (km/h) isn't as much a thrill anymore," Segler tells TheDetroitBureau.com (http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2010/03/shifting-gears-bmw%E2%80%99s-m-division-%20wants-to-redefine-performance/). He goes on to explain that it's how a car feels via the driver's "butt-o-meter" matters more. Furthermore, he says the performance M brand needs to shift directions. "We want to make M young again." Segler's goal "is to go towards affordability and freshness." Those are big changes considering the current M lineup represents the flagship of each model range - priced accordingly - along with gigantic SUVs like the 5,368-pound X5 M (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/x5+m). Undeterred by the news, we are still holding our breath for a production version of the Concept 1 Series Tii (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/21/bmw-135i-tii-up-against-v8-supercar-f1-racer-at-australian-gran/).
Gallery: BMW Concept 1 Series tii (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii08_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii09_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii10_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii11_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii12_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)
[Source: The Detroit Bureau (http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2010/03/shifting-gears-bmw%E2%80%99s-m-division-%20wants-to-redefine-performance/)]BMW M looking to be more youthful, get more affordable? (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19420933/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/concepttii630.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/#8)
BMW Concept 1 Series Tii - Click above for high-res image gallery
There was a time, not too long ago, when a BMW (http://www.autoblog.com/make/bmw/) M-badged vehicle was feared. In the late 1990s, the E36 M3 Coupe was often regarded as the best-handling two-door on the planet and its sibling, the E36 M3 Sedan, was the fastest four-door in showrooms. The droptop M Roadster offered a viable alternative to a Porsche 911 (http://www.autoblog.com/model/911) Cabriolet, while the bad-to-the bone E39 M5 ran without peers thanks to its 400-horsepower V8 .
Today's M models offer excellent performance, but the bar has been raised so high that cheaper upstarts like Mitsubishi (http://www.autoblog.com/make/mitsubishi/) and Subaru (http://www.autoblog.com/make/subaru/) can give them a run for the money on tracks, not to mention surging premium competitors like Audi (http://www.autoblog.com/make/audi/) and arch rival, Mercedes-Benz (http://www.autoblog.com/make/mercedes-benz/) and their AMG offerings. Kay Segler, the new chief of BMW's performance-oriented M brand, has taken notice. However, instead of pushing the well-respected division to the head of the pack with even greater levels of performance, Segler says it is time to rethink what his division stands for - meaning BMW M may no longer offer the fastest or most powerful cars possible.
"The measurement of 0 to 100 (km/h) isn't as much a thrill anymore," Segler tells TheDetroitBureau.com (http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2010/03/shifting-gears-bmw%E2%80%99s-m-division-%20wants-to-redefine-performance/). He goes on to explain that it's how a car feels via the driver's "butt-o-meter" matters more. Furthermore, he says the performance M brand needs to shift directions. "We want to make M young again." Segler's goal "is to go towards affordability and freshness." Those are big changes considering the current M lineup represents the flagship of each model range - priced accordingly - along with gigantic SUVs like the 5,368-pound X5 M (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/x5+m). Undeterred by the news, we are still holding our breath for a production version of the Concept 1 Series Tii (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/21/bmw-135i-tii-up-against-v8-supercar-f1-racer-at-australian-gran/).
Gallery: BMW Concept 1 Series tii (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii08_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii09_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii10_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii11_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/10/concept_1er_tii12_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-concept-1-series-tii-1/low/)
[Source: The Detroit Bureau (http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2010/03/shifting-gears-bmw%E2%80%99s-m-division-%20wants-to-redefine-performance/)]BMW M looking to be more youthful, get more affordable? (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19420933/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/#comments)
Read more... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/31/bmw-m-looking-to-be-more-youthful-get-more-affordable/)