Bucket Seat: BMW M5 CS

What's that noise coming over the hill from Munich? It's those crazy Bavarians again! That's what! BMW have unleashed the most powerful production car they have ever made in the form of the new BMW M5 CS. This super saloon spits out figures that just boggles the mind, for example a 0-100km/h time of just 3 seconds! For a four-door saloon! That is mental! Obviously with the CS being a special model in the BMW ranks, there will be a limited number of models produced with South Africa only being allocated 5 and you can bet your bottom dollar that these things will sell like hotcakes, even with the fact that the price tag of them will be well beyond the R3 million mark. 

The BMW M5 CS is powered by a 4.4-ltires V8 engine, that produces a whopping 467kW of power and delivers 750Nm break your neck on take off torque, making this the most powerful car in the history of BMW M. The M5 CS comes standard with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the MxDrive all-wheel-drive system like the Competition model which offers the option of a 2WD mode for pure rear-wheel drive, also makes for more fun driving around the corners if you want to hang the back out. 

As mentioned before, the 0-100km/h time is 3.0 seconds, but the 0-200km/h time is 10.3 seconds with the top speed electronically limited to 305km/h. I'm not sure if the South African models will differ with ours normally being governed to 250km/h. The BMW CS has large 20" M forged wheels with a unique Y-spoke which is Gold in colour, these are wrapped around Pirelli P Zero Corsa track tyres which come standard on the car. The CS has M Carbon ceramic brakes with red callipers also as standard. Other key noticeable differences on the M5 CS are the Gold bronze accents on the hootlid and gill bar, as well as around the grille, carbon fibre rear spoiler carbon fibre rear diffuser and exterior mirror caps in carbon fibre. With the LCI headlamps , the L-shaped light tube on the M5 CS illuminates in yellow instead of white. Most vents and splitters are in carbon fibre as well. 

Stepping insider the M5 CS, The steering wheel is covered in Alcantara with center marker in red, which harks back to the classic race cars, the shift paddles are carbon fibre. CS Badge on the front passenger side, all head restraint show outline of the legendary Nurburgring and all a lot of light weight design aesthetics to make the car as light as possible. The seats at M Carbon for front driver and passenger with the rear seats being individual bucket-style sports seats.

This car is a beast of note and everything about it just shouts performance, it really is a remarkable piece of engineering from BMW which will have many frothing at the mouth just by looking at it. We can't wait to see one in the metal. 

Bucket Seat: BMW G20 330d

A few weeks back, before the COVID19 pandemic arrived in South Africa, I was in Johannesburg and got the opportunity to sample the latest diesel offering in the BMW G20 line up, the 330d. The 330d has always had a low-key cult following as the then "range topping" diesel diesel engine, I say then because this isn't the last diesel variant for the 3 series with an even meaner M340d on the way. Never the less, I was still equally excited to drive this one, the torque offering on it is mad but with the combined luxury, fuel efficiency you get in a diesel model and level of comfort this could potentially be the recipe for one of the best models in the entire 3 Series line-up. What better place to put it to the test than the hustle and bustle of the Johannesburg highways. 

DESIGN

The 330d design remains the same as the rest of the G20 line-up, no added design features like the M340i, those enhancements are saved for the upcoming M340d. The spec I had was damn beautiful if you ask me though, it featured the M Sport package with optional 19" bi-colour rims and the stand our was definitely the colour, Dravit Grey, an optional extra BMW individual paint that is worth every cent. The finish is a dull gloss that just makes the car that more eye catching as you get this matte silhouette drive pass you if you happen to be seeing it go by. There's not much more I can add to the design of the car as I've exhausted all topics about it in my previous reviews but the attention to detail in the G20 model compared to those of the past really blows my mind. Even though the vehicle is mass produced, the quality of the product you getting does not feel like it was part of a molded assembly line, that just churns out the same thing 200 times a day. There definitely feels like there was a lot more human element involved in the building of this car even if there wasn't. 

PERFORMANCE

The part where everyone would be interested, how much power does this new engine produce? Well firstly lets get the capacity correct, quite a few people asked me if this is also 2.0L engine like the 330i, no it is not, the 330d still remains a 3.0L twin-power turbo diesel engine as before, it posts 195kW and a staggering 580Nm of torque. The engine is lively and torque happy, getting you from a stand still to 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds! Not bad for a family saloon if you ask me, it picks up speed well with the top speed electronically governed to 250, not like you can achieve that speed here on an open road but the car is solid. BMW claim a fuel efficiency of 5.5L per 100km which would be hard to achieve especially in Johannesburg traffic, but you can average around the 6L per 100km mark which for a 3.0L engine is damn good. Bare in mind when you do get heavy on the foot, so does the fuel consumption but its worth it in the end. 

COMFORT

The cabin size of the new 3 Series is generous, heck this trip it was 3 guys, suit cases and a golf bag. All of which fitted into the car without breaking a sweat, some thinking was required into making it work but nothing that took too much time or hurt the brain. The back seats of the BMW feature a 60/40 split to gain entry to the tailgate, dropping the 40 split enabled us to slide the clubs through to the cabin, while still leaving passenger number 3 with 60% of the back seat to sit in comfort. The suitcases fitted in the rest of the 480L luggage capacity. One tiny grip would be that the boot height is a tad bit lower than before, not sure the reason but it's probably for overall design but getting big bulky things into there is not the easiest. Interior spec wise, again, another top drawer effort from the guys at BMW SA, the interior was leather venasca in Cognac, a light brown beige tone which is usually chosen for the luxury package but blended well with the Dravit grey interior. I'm a big fan of brown interiors in general so loved this look in the car. 

TECHNOLOGY

Tech wise it came with all the fancy bells and whistles but I found myself using some of the functions that are exclusive to the new 3 Series a lot more this time around. That reverse assistant, my I didn't realise how handy it would be until I drove a 3 Series, the AirBnB we stayed at had a parking bay at 90 degrees after entering the gate, getting in, pretty easy after making some quick steering maneuvers, because of the size of the car, getting out wasn't as easy. No problem, slap it into reverse select the reverse assistant and it does it for you while you fix your hair or see what from breakfast is still stuck in your teeth, all whilst controlling the speed with the brake pedal. Another feature which has been out for some time now, the self park assist which seems to work even better now without having you drive back and forth with the car trying to get it to recognize an empty bay which it can fit at, it almost does it by itself without you even engaging the function, thus speeding up the process tenfold making sure you get into that bay as quick as possible. 

VERDICT

Overall, this has been the fourth variant of BMW's G20 3 Series and one of my favourites by far, why? Well the engine does what it says, a well balance diesel motor that offers you great performance with a decent fuel consumption. On long trips the 330d will be epic, but as I demonstrated driving around town, it wasn't too bad either. People will underestimate the normal guise, but it will keep up with some other serious machinery on the road. If this model performs so well, I cannot imagine how the M340d will be, still remains to be seen if BMW opt to bring that model down but I got a good hunch they will do. The only other model that might persuade me from getting the 330d would be the 330e, the plug-in hybrid model which again no indication of BMW SA bringing it to the country. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	3.0L Twin-Power Turbo Diesel
Gear Box	8 Speed Steptronic
Torque	580Nm
Power	195kW
Consumption	5.5L/100km
Price	R783,300*

*Base Price

Bucket Seat: BMW M2 Competition - First Impressions

When it comes to "pocket rocket" performance cars, one doesn't look to far from the BMW M2, as it has everything a motor sport enthusiast would need in a small sized performance sedan/coupe. But when the M2 was released, there was already a lot pressure on it to deliver, following in the footsteps of the much praised 1M was not going to be easy and while it did do a great job, many felt that there was that margin for improvement as you could get the M240i and still have as much fun with it as well. Obviously this got to the engineers in BMW and what that transpired to is the BMW M2 Competition. 

Like the M3, M4 and recently announced M5 Competition, the baby in the stable gets a beefed up version of the M Performance variant and boy does it sounds good!  The M2 Competition will feature a new six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology based on the power unit from the BMW M3/M4. So essentially they doing what they did with the 1M, giving it the 3L motor from the M3, tweaking it to suit the M2 frame and wheelbase and all this results to 302kW and 500Nm of torque! The claimed 0-100km/h time is 4.2 seconds which is about 0.1 seconds faster than a standard M2 but a buyer of the M2 Competition would know that you're not just buying this car for straight line speed. 

The car features high-precision CFRP strut and bulkhead strut for increased front section rigidity, a new cooling system, including new front skirt and larger, redesigned BMW kidney in high-gloss black. The car also has a new dual exhaust system with two electronically controlled flaps to optimise noise on them. The cars true potential lies on the track, where it was made for. In terms of design, it might not look that much distinctive to the normal M2 but subtle differences do make the cars appearance more sporty. Like the front angled scoops which help with aerodynamics as well as air intake for cooling. New multi-spoke Competition rims. The large kidney grilles as mentioned before and a fatter rear diffuser which adds to the cars bulky appearance and gives it a more aggressive look. 

The M2 Competition will be available in SA from September this year, no indication on the price yet but be expected to cough out over a million for this one. Is it worth it? Well if you look at the cars it's competing against, the RS3 Sedan comes to mind and the CLA45 which the new one hasn't been released yet, and after this move by BMW you can bank on a CLA45S model coming. But overall, yes, BMW had a good car with the M2, and for those who felt it was lacking, this should be the remedy it needed. The car looks great, figures on paper are great and I'm sure it will be stellar to drive. Love it or hate it, I can guarantee you that order books will be filling up fast for this one. 

Bucket Seat: 2017 BMW X3

When the BMW X3 was first launched back in 2003, it was a bit of a misfit for many, at the time the need for a mid sized SUV, wasn't that popular simply because there was very little that the market offered. But then people slowly started warming to the idea and actually began appreciating what the X3 was and realised it was more of a SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) and since the demand for this sort of vehicle has grown in leaps and bounds with many manufacturers taking to it and offering models of their own. 

This week BMW lifted the covers of their new X3 which is due to hit local shores by November this year, albeit not a very close kept secret as leaked images hit the internet a few hours before the live launch. I think BMW need to invest in better security but I suppose it creates hype for their product in it's own way. Getting back to the car, design wise, BMW have continued with the trend set by the 7 Series with hexagonal lights with sharp edges, bring in the X line, the iconic kidney grilles are large and prominent on the front and below finishing of the front end is a mean diffuser with LED fog lamps and large air intakes. 

The rest of the car is sculpted very similar to that of the smaller X1 and bigger X5 with it rounded of at the rear with larger tail lights that look quite cool with the inner LED pattern. The new X3 will be made available in three packages, the base xLine, Luxury Line and M Sport package. As customer preferences go, its obvious that the M Sport package would be the favourite for the lot, but for me I'm liking the Luxury line, with its chrome finishing and the multi-spoke rims and interior trimmings of dark oak wood and light leather seats options. 

Speaking of the interior, as per the exterior design, a lot of the elements from the 7 series can be found inside, most notably the previous in-dash infotainment screen now protrudes from the dash and is a large 10.2-inch touchscreen display with the added option for gesture control. Also offered as an optional extra in the interior is a 12.3-inch instrument  cluster and a full-colour heads up display. Storage areas in the cabin have increased in size and with the ergonomic design, general space in the cabin has increased for the passengers. 

 Seeing that the X3 is derived directly from it's sedan counter-part, the 3 Series, I expect this SAV to do quite well when it goes on sale later this year. What makes this new X3 even more special is that from April next year, it will be built and made in South Africa at BMW's Rosslyn plant which will stop production of the 3 Series and begin manufacturing of the new X3. It's a bitter-sweet moment for BMW SA as the 3 Series has been so long synonymous with the Rosslyn plant but as I said in the beginning, SAV's are becoming more and more the sort after vehicle for the consumer, be it a secondary car, a moms car or a general all rounder, more often than not you will find one in the garage of every 3rd or 4th house hold in a street. 

Bucket Seat: BMW 6 Series GT

After BMW released images on the up coming 8 Series Concept, all seemed right in the world. The brand had finally shook off the weirdness that a previous designer *cough* Chris Bangle *cough* left with them. The cars they were producing were stunning, elegant and sporty but then late last week something dreadful happened, something that many couldn't fathom why or what could have provoked this but it did happen. At first I thought it was some sort of joke and a really good render from one of the German Automobile magazines, as they do tend to do this sort of thing quite often but on closer inspection, it wasn't a render, it looked like a legit car, and it was the 6 Series GT. 

Now take everything what you know about the 6 Series since it's rebirth in 2004, even with Bangle at the helm of design, the car still looked great. It was a super coupe, if I may call it that, something that exudes luxury but in a sports form. It then progressed into the modern day Sports Coupe but still kept that rich luxury associated with the car and then BMW released the creme da ala creme, the 6 Series Gran Coupe, which for me still remains one of the best cars that they have produced. Now after stopping production of the 6 Series Coupe and Gran Coupe, they gone and slapped a GT badge to this much famed model. 

Look, it saddens me to an extent to see the 6 Series go down this mundane line but I shot myself in the foot before with the 5 Series GT, I recall calling it the Quasimodo of the BMW line up but then I actually got my ass into one and to say I was left red faced is an understatement. That car blew me away from what it had to offer, on the inside it was a limousine, everything crafted to perfection, the seats were like sofas, the carpet was like thick shaggy pile carpet, finishes and fixtures were of high quality. It was as close to a Rolls Royce a BMW has come to, it's almost as if they designed the inside of the car first then sort of just made do with something on the outside. The engine wasn't too shabby either as I had the 3.0 liter 535iGT so it had a lot of grunt, it needed it to log around that big chassis. 

Which brings me to the new BMW 6 Series GT, yes I don't exactly approve of what is basically a 5 Series GT getting re-badged into the 6 Series line but at the same time I know what what to expect from this car and I'm 99% sure it's going to blow me away as well. There's been a tonne of negative press coming out from this model and while the introduction of this piece might seem that way as well , I'm going to try and flip the coin on it and say this could be a game changer in the battle between the German giants. None of the auto-manufacturers have a car like the GT in their stable, yes Audi does have the A7 but it's more of a sports fast back than a GT car. The GT has a raised ride height and a spacious cabin similar to that of an SUV but all the luxuries of the super saloon. While it may not be aesthetically pleasing on the outside, once inside it could have you feeling like Royalty.