All Entries Tagged With: "BMW"
Audi versus… A4 Advert Showcases Rivals
By Gunnar Heinrich :: YouTube
GOT to hand it to ‘em, Audi has some cheek.
Aside from Hyundai and GM which only use vague verbal or written references to their competition, Audi actually let us a visualize its marketplace rivals by showcasing their models stacked against the other guys.
In this particular advert, the Audi A4 squares off against the Lexus IS, Mercedes C-Class, and BMW 3-Series. Apparently, the A4 claims to be bigger and more fuel efficient than any of its contemporaries.
It doesn’t hurt that we can differentiate the two by noticing the Audi in diamond black and the rest trimmed in a grey-ish beige.
This spot reminds us of another rivalry that was recently exploited for one side’s publicity efforts…
eBay Watch: 1985 BMW 735i
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG eBay Motors
FINDING an 80s BMW 7-Series whose very tyres haven’t seen their last millimeter of tread scrubbed is, sadly, a challenge.
This is especially true of the great e32 gen. (1987-1994) which have largely led very hard lives judging by the sickly, three digit dogs that proliferate the Internet.
Truly sad.
That’s what makes this mint Californian example such a find. A 1985 BMW 735i, it’s part of the original e23 generation 7’s that the Bavarians sold from 1977 through 1986.
As some of you recall from our filmed road test of the 733i from 2007, the classic e23’s road manners seem downright wooden by today’s highly assisted standards. And yet, a well maintained example exudes a classic Black Forest charm that is, to many, the very heart and soul of the roundel.
Considering that this particular sedan hails from (typically) dry California, has only 154K miles on the odometer, a loved interior and exterior, plus the original radio (!), and is selling for a reasonable buy-it-now price of $3,995, this seems an offer too good to be true.
Apparently others agree, as the vintage 7er has 15 bids as this post goes to post. As always, caveat emptor. Any car with low miles can suffer from a slew of problems that are every bit as detrimental to the vehicle’s welfare and – your wallet – as those that are driven hard.
Should Volvo Make a Convertible? Yes!
By Gunnar Heinrich
HOW I adored the original Volvo C70.
Perhaps it was Pininfarina’s masterful tailoring that silkened those Swedish curves. Or, maybe, it was Porsche’s rumored influence behind the spirited, turbocharged Inline-5 cylinder motor.
No, it had to be the polished scent of Volvo leather as it was tanned and oiled circa 1999.
Or – and this really could be it – it was summertime. In SoCal.
The weather was warm. And the coral blue on cream just seemed so perfect. When we pulled up to the Shutters in Santa Monica, the valet paid our ride an honest compliment after just tending to the tutto rosso F355 that had preceded us.
The C70 really was Volvo’s masterful coup.
And no one bought it.
Well, that’s not quite true. You do see a few of the 1st gen. C70s on the road, de temps en temps. But truly, between BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and even Saab, few considered putting $40K down on a Volvo convertible 10 years ago.
You bought a Volvo for safety. For family. For utility with comfort. Not for fun-in-the-sun. And so it was: the C70 languished in anonymity while BMW took orders for the 3er drop top.
The C70 -gasp- wasn’t even perfect.
Based on the original 850/S70, Volvo suffered engineering setbacks from the start; pulling on the convertible’s launch time and again like a seized caliper.
The power roofs failed. Often.
Those five pot engines leaked oil.
And despite the “Drive Safely” marketing, the loss in structural rigidity meant the C70s weren’t that safe.
Add salt to the wound, a decade on, there are so few examples that aren’t dog-eared from hard use. Generally, the first generation C70s lived thankless lives as rough ‘n tumble commuters.
Thankfully, neither poor sales nor defects stopped Volvo from producing a second generation C70 convertible and now a third.
Both penned by Pininfarina and constructed by Pininfarina’s unit in Sweden; the latest hardtop-droptops improved on previous foibles while reminding us that, yes, Sweden’s other car company is versatile, dynamic, luxurious and not just for hauling kids ‘n gear to practice.
Given the choice that people have in spending $40-$55K on a 2+2 topless tourer (would you like German or Japanese?), it’s right that Volvo makes a convertible.
Fat Cat Capsizing: BMW TV Brings Drama With 7er Crash Testing
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG via YouTube
DRAMA. Intensity. Crumple zonage.
It never occurred to me that when I drove the ‘09 (F01) BMW 750Li, that there was the potential of high velocity impact. I didn’t want to really, such as it is a painful premise even in theory.
Of course accidents can happen and if/when they do it’s nice to know that the car maker’s got your back…along with everything else.
From this footage via BMW TV, the 7-Series driver and passengers would benefit from probably the best impact protection this side of a Mercedes S-Class. Notice how in an offset frontal, the roofline past the A-pillar doesn’t even appear to have a crease.
That long bonnet’s got the job covered, danke.
BMW 3er GT? The Uncontrollable Four Wheel Slide Into Brand Extension Oblivion
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG AutoBild via BMWBlog
HOW many sub niches can a car company possibly entertain?
BMW’s brought us the X6 – it’s bulbous form’s a stretch for many Bimmerphiles, to be sure. And now the 5er GT, a useful concept at creating a luxurious chariot for long distance cruising.
But a 3-Series GranTurismo? Really?
Bear in mind, that for those who likes hatches – there’s already the 1er 5-door on sale in Europe.
Is GT just that moniker which will replace the old “Touring” “Estate” or “Station Wagon” tags?
It seems like auto makers are at pains to call stretched five door versions of their sedans as anything but…I challenge you to think of a m.y. ‘10 car (other than a Volvo) that’s referred to as a “wagon”.
If rumors prove true, and those Auto Bilders are right, matters in Munich may just be slipping out of hand.
Remember the core, BMW!
What Makes a Jaguar, “A Jag-u-ar”?
- The essential elements of Jaguar design
- Ian Callum’s team should avoid Germanification
- Keep the sex please, Jaguar’s British
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG Jaguar Cars
NO, seriously.
What makes a Jaguar a “Jag-wharr” “Jag-u-ar” or a “Shagwharr, baby, yeah!” ?
Coming down from the summer’s high of witnessing the troubled Brit car maker launch something – anything – that could be considered exciting, fresh, and new, yours is compelled to pick up a fresh blogger’s grenade, pull the pin and…
Can’t throw it. Won’t.
The world needs Jaguar now more than ever. We need a car company that promises to deliver what we’ll call the “everyday exotic”.
“Everyday” meaning a car that’s produced in some volume with a wide range of engine and trim options that inevitably includes a low-spec variant that has a euro-zone friendly diesel engine and an interior trimmed in velour.
By “exotic”, I refer to an automobile that makes your hand stand on end or at least prompts a second, lasting glance.
Neither BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus are in the business of building everday head-turners.
The latest generation 5er, E-Class, and GS and their higher and lower stablemates are quite doomed to automotive anonymity thanks in large part to their ubiquity and that they share the same design elements from like-minded studios.
Jaguar’s team, led by the talented Ian Callum, is badly tempted to follow this terribly efficient Teutonic trend. They’re prepared to sacrifice the marque’s quintessentially British heritage by playing ze Germans’ game; borrowing heavily from Audi’s middle-of-the-road German aesthetic while pitching an emphasis on technology.
Technology isn’t sexy. Sleek, lean, power and grace is. Which brings us nicely back to our nugget: what makes a Jaguar, a Jaguar?
It’s sex appeal, ladies and gentlemen.
Time’s up. Throw the grenade!
Knight Rider Themed BMW 7er Spot
By Gunnar Heinrich | YouTube
OKAY, I’ll admit it.
In the beginning, this video post had me fooled. I actually considered – for a moment (!) – that back in the day (1982 to be more or less on target) BMW actually negotiated the rights to use the Knight Rider Theme song and open narration to synch with this TV spot.
_
The signature duh-denahnahnah-duh-denahnahnah - seemed to perfectly suit our technologically equipped (E23) 7er driving through some mysterious, post-doomsday automotive landscape (they must’ve filmed this last year) somewhere in the desert.
The eclipsing sun, the misty (desert) fog, the clearly 80s purple blues and yellow reds. It’s so perfectly plausible. The haunting narrators VO’s perfectly match that self-righteous pitch that we’ve come to expect from B.M.W. advertising.
And then, about 0:23, we see the driver adjust his seat and the audio for the seat control is a telephone being dialed. Pop! Goes the illusion… and a little bit of pride along with it.
Very clever. And nicely done. The musical synchronization is poetry in motion at the flip of the wheel during a the high speed maneuver at 0:43.
Sharks among whales, my friends. Sharks among whales.
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