Bucket Seat: BMW - The Next 100 Years

This week saw the BMW Group celebrate 100 years of existence, the German automobile manufacturer celebrated this feat by hosting a grand conference in Munich, inviting the worlds press to take a lot at what they've achieved in those 100 years and oh my, have they achieved a lot. Almost every car made by BMW is distinguishable and unique in it's own way, with sporty elegance fused with luxury, the only way they know how to do it. 

There were some stand out models that they produced from the M1 to the i8, they have been challenging themselves to push the boundaries in motoring and turn visions into reality. Last year they change the face of motoring when they launched to their BMWi fully electric range world wide, which was the first by a major motor manufacturer, showing that they not only believe in their products but have faith in the market to go along with them.

We've seen all of this, now this week the world got a glimpse into what the next 100 years have in store for BMW. A big talking point of recent was autonomous vehicles and their part they play in the future, BMW's unveiled their Vision Concept which showcases what the minds in Germany are thinking. Obviously things will change in the next 100 years but it is a good indication into what the public can expect. 

The car looks something straight from the future, clean lines, futuristic styling, suicide style scisscor doors which leads into a fresh new interior with hardly much in it at all. The steering wheel looks like something that belongs in a gaming console, the entire windscreen is interactive, displaying information for the drive like the speed, the temperature, objects on the road, etc. The car looks magnificent and if that's an indication into where the Group is going, I can only foresee more exciting developments for the future. 

It's not often that brands get recognised by their competitors but such is the competition, fellow German manufacturers Mercedes Benz took time to wish BMW well on their centenary with full page adverts in most of the media. It was tongue and cheek with them commenting on BMW being their only real competition, take that Audi and also Porsche acknowledged this milestone. It's this type of healthy competitiveness is what the consumer needs, because of this the manufacturers are forced give us the best at a price that is affordable. Exciting time lie ahead n the motoring world and I'm glad I get to sample it. 

Bucket Seat: The new BMW 7 Series

Couple weeks back BMW lifted the covers on the much anticipated new 7 series, being the flagship model from the German manufacturer, a lot of what the car has to offer now will be filtered into future models. The car has changed a lot from concept stages which is sad as I quite liked the look of the Vision, it was bold and different where as the new 7 doesn't look that much different from its predecessor, okay it is slightly bigger and bolder but not striking like the concept. Guess I'm just upset about that part. 

But its good to see BMW didn't drop most of the gadgets and cool stuff, hand gestures are a real thing, touch control aircon, laser lights, remote control park which is damn cool! The body structure is made from a new carbon fibre re-inforced plastic compound that has reduced weight of the car significantly, almost by 130kgs! An all new engine line up which includes a 740e plug in hybrid.

Being bigger, the cars comforts levels have been improved with increased space for passengers. Staying on the inside, as always there will be a host of interior trims, colours and textures to chose from. There is an executive lounge option for the car that comes with automatic 4 zone air conditioning, electrically adjustable seats with massage functionality with a foot rest. Other features include a fold out table, extra cup holders and a removable 7" tablet that fits onto the center console and controls all the functions stated.

Anyway as cool as the back may sound, its up front is where the action is. Gesture control as mentioned before is a big one, for now it's limited to things such as audio control and phone calls. The infotainment screen is now touch sensitive so you can control it like an iPad. Standard iDrive toggles will still be available if you chose to still do things the old school way.

There's still loads to this car that I haven't even begun to talk about and I'm sure there's more we will learn about it as we wait for local launch which could be early next year. As much as I am disappointed with the cars exterior design, there's no denying that they have made up for it in abundance every where else. Like I said, most of what we seeing here will be phased into the BMW's of the future as BMW Group's Senior Vice President, Adiran van Hooydonk said "At BMW we believe the future can be predicted most effectively if we're helping to shape it. The primary objective in the development of the new car was to create a vision of modern luxury and to exceed our customers expectations."

                     

Bucket Seat: BMW 228i Convertible

When BMW launched the 2 series, it was a whole new model with a sense of individuality to it, they didn't want it to be just a 1 series with a boot like the previous 1 series coupe. Yes while it still may have been based on the 1 series, the 2 series was different in many ways. The styling was quite different with much longer and sleeker head lights, the car itself seemed a bit lower in height and of course the redesigned boot and rear headlights. The car looked like a mini racer and with the various packages offered by BMW, the customer had plenty to chose from . 

Funnily enough one of the most sold models is the range topping 235i, which was the star in the infamous BMW Drift Mob video, might I add that it was shot on our shores in Cape Town. I was never lucky enough to get the 2 Series coupe to test but upon my recent visit to the Mother City, I was handed the keys to the BMW 228i Convertible, its like the coupe but with an optional roof. I must add that the thought did cross my mind to re-create the Drift Mob video but on second thought I knew it would land me in a lot of trouble with the authorities. 

Comfort

The car is a 4 seater, almost all the time I was there, there were 4 people in the car. It's a bit of a squeeze, especially for the passengers sitting in the back but all in all we manged to fit. I'm sure if you asked the guys who sat in the back, their answer might differentiate to mine but I thought majority of the time we were comfortably seated in the car. Ride quality is good, even though the car looks low, it isn't that much as perceived. The seats are fully adjustable should you require specific seating positions and when there are less passengers in the car you can sit however you like, just not like an idiot where you half sleeping. Even though the car came with a fabric roof, there was little to none noise when closed, and even when open, the deflection of the wind kept the chill out and allowed us to enjoy the sun...okay since it was winter we had to turn on the heater a bit.

Storage

I'll be honest, I thought our luggage was never going to fit but the boot did well, 335 liters  manged to fit 4 fully packed cabin sized bags in the trunk along with 2 nap sacks. Being a fabric roof, it also didn't require half the boot to fold into, so merely pulling down the level in the boot which minimized the boot space by a fraction, bringing it down to 280 liters and that was all that it took to drop the top. Then again the car seems like a cruiser weekend car, but if its just for two people you can event stash some of your extra baggage on the back seats.

Power

It seems that I always tend to get this engine from BMW, whether its on the 3 series, 4 series, and now the 2 series. Not that there's anything wrong with the "28i", I personally feel its one of their best engines. It gives a little bit of both worlds, which is fuel economy and power when needed. The 2 Series 228i packs 180kW and 350Nm of torque, that power along with its small and well balanced chassis is more than enough power to send you smiling side ways into a bend. The car is extremely agile and at times felt like a Mini. Because of its size it makes it feel like a go-kart but the distinct BMW flair and luxury is still pretty evident, it was much enjoyed testing this cars abilities on Chapmans peak drive in Sports mode, just aim and accelerate and watch it devour those turns!

Control

As I said above, control on this car is something else, its size and turning circle gives you confidence to attack bends more aggressively. Although the car is known for drifting, it doesn't feel like you will lose your back end easily, maybe in Sport Plus mode with the traction control off it might be a different story but from Eco mode up to Sport, it holds its own very well. The 50/50 weight distribution is spot on with this car, like I said earlier, that go-kart feel when driving just escalates the drivers senses when driving. Things change when you drop the top tough, immediately you want to slow things down to 60Kph which ultimately helps with your fuel bill! Not that handling is affected without the roof, wind noise and enjoying the environment you're plays a big part of it too.

Extras

This particular model came with most of the toys, front and rear PDC's, full screen satellite navigation. BMW Connected drive which came handy on more than one occasion. Harman Kardon sound ensured the quality of sound was not distorted even with the roof down. The luxury kit came with some great finishes, such as the oak trim and cream leather as well as the turbine rims and chrome edgings. It's one of my favourite packages from BMW and looks great on any of their models.

Verdict

I'm not the biggest fan of sunroofs or convertibles but this car might have changed that for me. Its small, nimble but quite a good looking car as well. Many people who saw the car fell in love with it and I can understand why, it has a certain charm to it and while everyone preference might be the M Sport kit, I am personally a big lover of the detail in the luxury kits BMW offer. Driving with the roof down was an amazing experience, even in winter, it also made it great for the budding photographers I had seated in the back, no roof meant they could capture much of the areas we were driving through in greater detail. Another thing with the roof down, you're guaranteed to be checked out by the people you pass, heck! a lady seated in the Ferrari was also checking this car out! So it goes to show, size doesn't always matter!

Specifications

• 2 litre, 4 cylinder twin scroll turbo charged engine
• 8 speed Sport Automatic Transmission Steptronic
• 180kW
• 350Nm torque
• Consumption: 6.6ltr/ 100km
• Top Speed: 250kph
• 0-100kph: 5.8 seconds 
• Price: R484 800 (excluding extras)