M division would like to develop own car
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Inside Line reports that BMW's M division wants to play with the other kids and develop its own car, but it's got to wait on parent BMW to say Alles klar. This isn't new; they've been public about the desire for at least two years. The holdup, naturally, is that bean-and-spreadsheet wielding boogeyman named The Business Case: any in-house M offering has to feed the profit motive before getting the okay.
Sure, Audi has its R8, but that was made easier because of the Lamborghini link. The real template for this is Mercedes-Benz's AMG, which created the SLS on its own, and on its own chassis. The sales success of that car must surely have the folks at M anxious to fabricate a proper challenger.
When we talked to former M Division head Dr. Kay Segler, he spoke about pushing the 1 Series M through without dilution in spite of frequent reservations about its business case. We haven't heard the same talk yet from the department's current head, so, using a different template, it could be time for M engineers to start turning wrenches in their spare time: the IS-F began as an after-hours project, and in effect so did the Pagani Zonda. Give us the M1 Hommage, guys. Or feel free to do even better...
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Just the Facts:
Albert Biermann of BMW says the high-performance M division would like to develop its own car.
Biermann says the job of the division is to "sell emotion and fun," whatever the engine.
MUNICH, Germany — Albert Biermann, head of product development told Inside Line that BMW's M performance division would like to develop its own car. "From an engineering perspective we have the skills and we'd love to do it," he said. "We've discussed it several times but we've never been able to make the business case. Everything we do has to make money."
The engineer claimed that M was also ready to adapt to the development of alternative powertrains. "Our job is to sell emotion and fun, using the technology that's socially acceptable at the time. Whether that's a combustion engine or an electric motor, we don't care."
The new M5 swaps a V10 for a twin-turbo V8 and Biermann expects this trend to continue. "It's about employing the right technology at the right time and we're on a steep learning curve with turbos. We're getting damn close to matching the response of a naturally aspirated engine but with much lower fuel consumption."
While engine efficiency will improve, Biermann signaled the end of the horsepower race. "We cannot just keep adding power," he said. "M is not selling horsepower; that's not what we're about."
He also refused to rule out developing a diesel M car. "We'd never say never if the technology becomes available, but right now we don't have the diesel technology to match the responsiveness of the new M5."
Inside Line says: Let's hope they make the business case — a latter-day M1 to take on the Audi R8 could be just what BMW needs.
https://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/23/...velop-own-car/
https://www.insideline.com/bmw/bmw-m...s-own-car.html
