I am attending Joy Does Not Compromise M Event. Have Questions for M Division?

[BMWDavid]

First of all let me say thanks for the continued support I have received for years on this forum. EuroCars Online (originally BMWs Online) would not be the success it is today without the support of true enthusiasts like you. Recently I won an international BMW Sales competition, The Power of M. BMW M is sending me to Marseille and Miramas, France for the experience of a lifetime. The event takes place from September 7th to the 9th.

I received my invitation from Dr. Segler, President of BMW M GmbH, and Brian Watts, General Manager Sales and Marketing BMW M, which included an itinerary of amazing events. Attached is a summary of the events. As you can see by the itinerary they couldn't have put it better, "Joy does not compromise".

I would like to share this experience with the community that has supported me. Since I will be at the M test facility in Miramas, it will be a unique opportunity to speak directly to the M Division about the future of M. I will do my best to get answers to questions like whether or not the e90 M3 will be continued in the next generation.

If you have questions about the future of M please post them here and I will provide a detailed account upon my return.

Thanks again and best regards,

[Xelloss]

With the integration of turbos in current and future M platforms, What is then the future of M division's classically held belief of the "high revving concept?"

[ucla1995]

Very very cool

[aajami]

Thanks for soliciting the audience, David. My questions generally reflect the angst that many purists have been feeling as of late, but they're not intended to be confrontational. That said, ask them if there's a car in BMW's lineup that they won't slap the M badge onto. I know that BMW needs to compete with the likes of the Cayenne and the M63, but really? An M-badge on TWO 2+ ton trucks? And now a rumored X4M? Ask them why M cars are heavier than their non-M equivalents. Doesn't this go against the division's mantra? And finally, ask them why they're choosing to abandon engineering high-revving, free-breathing engines in favor of FI technology, which is perceived by many to be a cheap way to gain performance at the expense of the excitement that comes with NA engines.

[Jason]

Please post SERIOUS QUESTIONS ONLY.

David is nice enough to be gathering up questions to take with him, let's not make him slog through pages of sarcastic questions.

[richardg]

Originally Posted by Xelloss

With the integration of turbos in current and future M platforms, What is then the future of M division's classically held belief of the "high revving concept?"

Please do ask this.

[BMWDavid]

Originally Posted by Xelloss

With the integration of turbos in current and future M platforms, What is then the future of M division's classically held belief of the "high revving concept?"

This is a good question. I wonder this myself. A BMW V8 revving up over 8000 rpms is a beautiful sound indeed. Although the turbo developed by BMW for F1 was said to have produced 1300 horses from a 1.5 liter 4 cyl turbo. I'm sure BMW M won't let us down.

[MistaVauros]

Definitely, please ask about their decision to go with FI over NA for the next-gen ///M3.

Congrats, David! You're the man!

[I Wanna go Fast!]

Ask them what the goal of the new M3 is. The E92 was built to beat the 911 around the ring.

Is the new M3 going to be faster than_________. (example, cts-v)

[adc]

First of all, congratulations!

Some advice: if you do end up with an M car and some free time, I suggest you head North on N85 "Route Napoleon" (starts in Nice), it is one of the best driving roads in the world, bar none. Even driving 50 miles on it is worth it. Then you can head West again towards Canyon du Verdon (aka the French Grand Canyon) and make your way back to Marseille if that's your origin point. (Of course you can do all this in reverse direction too).

And my question: In a couple of years I'm thinking of changing my operating mode from the single-car jack-of-all-trades M3 I currently own to a set of 2 cars: a nice BMW daily driver + a more track-focused (raw) sports car. Does the M division intend to build me the latter, or will I have to shop Porsche/Lotus/Caterham?

This is not meant as a slight, I'm simply curious and hoping to stay in the BMW family.

[bavarian06]

what were they thinking when they created the x6 and x5 M? -.-

[piloto]

1. Is there a future for a true 3-pedal manual transmission in future M products?
2. Who do they see as their main competitor in the next 5 years?
3. What is their strategy to maintain and increase their market share profitably? Will this mean increased sharing of parts with "common" BMWs in a effort to reduce development and production costs?
4. What is the biggest threat to the M division? Emissions regulations? Cost?
5. What opportunities do they see for M in the next 5 years (e.g. did they see the X5/X6M as a chance to grow the brand and increase its capital to enable them to invest more in the next 1M/M3/M5?

[erio]

Congratulations!

It would be nice to know if it's true that the DCT will not be available for the 1M. This was mentioned here and on bimmerfile.

[Bubbles]

Any idea if the M division will move away from the floating caliper design?

[Richbot]

I'd also like to know the answer to adc's question about a track-focused car within the BMW family. Right now they've got nothing in the US, and even the GTS barely qualifies as a track car. Some scaffolding and a bigger engine doesn't really make me quiver with anticipation when the car still weighs 3500lbs.

Originally Posted by bavarian06

what were they thinking when they created the x6 and x5 M? -.-

I think we know the answer to this question already. They were thinking "we're going to sell a buttload of these in Russia and it'd be dumb to not sell a bigass SUV in the USA after going to all that development trouble"

[signes]

Originally Posted by david06M3

This is a good question. I wonder this myself. A BMW V8 revving up over 8000 rpms is a beautiful sound indeed. Although the turbo developed by BMW for F1 was said to have produced 1300 horses from a 1.5 liter 4 cyl turbo. I'm sure BMW M won't let us down.

Over 1500bhp in qualifying trim...

Originally Posted by adc

And my question: In a couple of years I'm thinking of changing my operating mode from the single-car jack-of-all-trades M3 I currently own to a set of 2 cars: a nice BMW daily driver + a more track-focused (raw) sports car. Does the M division intend to build me the latter, or will I have to shop Porsche/Lotus/Caterham?

This is not meant as a slight, I'm simply curious and hoping to stay in the BMW family.

Same question here - is the 1 series effectively going to be carrying the M3 mantle in the sense of a light(er) weight, more aggressive track oriented car?

[ianbiz]

Are the ///M badged cars officially no longer true sports cars, but cars that can be really sporty and still comfortable? or something along those lines...

Do you feel like you betrayed the ///M badge by breaking 3 fundamentals; 1. being all NA power, 2. offering a 6spd, 3. only RWD.

Will there ever be another BMW similar to the E30M3?

[ianbiz]

Originally Posted by bavarian06

what were they thinking when they created the x6 and x5 M? -.-

Huge profits $$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Richbot]

Originally Posted by ianbiz

Are the ///M badged cars officially no longer true sports cars, but cars that can be really sporty and still comfortable? or something along those lines...

The E30 M3 was a leather-lined, stereo and a/c-equipped, 4-seat saloon car with a nice-sized trunk. The fact that it turned out to be a homologation special doesn't change the fact that it was never a track-focused car, not in street form anyway. The E28 M5 predated it anyway, and it represents the "true" M philosophy better, IMO.

[02fireman]

Congrats and have fun....I will talk to you soon once BMW makes up my mind for me on my 1M/M3 choice!

[mdosu]

all i ask is for you to take pictures.

[AMOCHOSTO]

Please do try to find out about the future of M3 Sedans. Also if the future M3 will loose some weight relative to the E9X series M3's.