The widespread electrification of the automobile is a splitting topic in the auto -enthusiast community. On the one hand, electric cars offer effortless acceleration. On the other hand, many believe that the interior combustion engine from the equation, which believe that an EV hardly drives as a “engine”. It is a topic that is impossible to ignore as a car manufacturer – especially if BMW M, a brand that is so strong on its motorsport heir literally The name of the brand. However, the electrification did not get a CEO of BMW M, Frank van Meel. Words that he shared with the press in Concorso d’Elanza Villa d’Este showed exactly the opposite.
BMW M has always been more than just a drive train
When it comes to BMW – and M cars such as the M3, especially the M3 – have always refuted sales and performance figures when it comes to replacing a beloved generation with the next big thing. Frank illustrates this dramatically by going through every generation of the M3 and the criticisms he has received. When the E36 M3 replaced the original four capsule E30 M3: “They had to have four -cylinder engines. Then we switched to six -cylinder, naturally sucked engines. And everyone said: ‘Why six? Why should I do it?’ But then everyone drove the car and we sold more than with the four-cylinder range. More weight on the front axis, weight distribution, “echoed the concerns of the day to pull to a V8.” But it was an M3 and it was like an M3 and everyone was happy, and we sold more than before. “The trend applies, as you can imagine, with the F80 and its turbocharged inline-Six.
“Now we are currently looking for a pure electric, which will actually drive better than all predecessors and as emotionally as its predecessors,” says Frank. It refers to the upcoming all -electric M3, which has already been tested at the Nürburgring. “It will be a typical M, it just gets much faster,” says van Meel. “It is even more precise and even faster than anything you saw before.” He draws another parallel to the introduction of M XDrive on the F90 M5. Frank says that it just doesn’t do justice to describe it as a all -wheel drive. It was always rear wheel drive with additional traction. “Everyone was afraid that the car would just go forward, no longer a rear dynamics. And then everyone noticed that it was more traction with the rear wheel drive,” he said.
For Van Meel’s honor, he scores some very good points. M -cars have always been used with different drive lines; The only true standard is probably the intangible “M-Nesse”. “Every time you sit in an M and drive an M, you say:” This is an M … I didn’t know exactly what I expected, but now that I am in the car, it is, and it’s just about emotions in motorsport, and this is more or less independent of the drive. “Anyone who has driven more than one or two M vehicles – especially the M -SUVs – will probably understand the feeling.
New class is built as the “perfect M car”
But the ability of BMW M to capture M-Nesse is not the only reason why Van Meel seems enthusiastic about BMW M EVS. BMWS upcoming new class (NCAR) models from new class (NCAR) are being penetrated from the ground up. In particular, the architecture is a bit of what BMW does today on a large scale. Above all, the current offers are the platform release with gasoline models (see i4, i5, i7). NK models “are built for the only purpose of the production of the perfect electric car”, says Frank, “and that they can be integrated into the entire establishment of the new class from the start,” and that they can be integrated in the driving dynamics, in reach, in everything we need for M in the NEE class. ” Frank continues if the M -DNA is not already taken into account from the beginning of the design of the platform, “it is sometimes impossible to add it.”
A large part of what the new class has set up as a real Stunner? BMW’s heart of joy. Frank says it’s a win-win situation; Each NK vehicle has the heart of joy and enjoys this inherent advantages. While Standard -NK cars have integrated many M functions, there is still a lot to do. “We can set everything to M to make the perfect M car,” he says. Output, cooling, charge and dynamics are the most important embroidery points. According to Frank, these finer details are “What does M, M.” from, M. “
He is the M -boss for a certain reason
It is difficult to deny that Frank Van Meel, CEO of BMW M, knows one or two things about what comes to life an M car. “I’m a racing driver, I’m a car type. I’m a crazy car type,” starts Frank. “What we are doing with electrification as soon as that comes onto the market will say that I didn’t see it.” “We will both offer,” says Frank. But he sees this as a good thing that ultimately benefits the customer. “We have the best benchmark in the house with the six -cylinder M3, and we push the borders there. On the other hand, we also have the electrified M3,” he says. “And maybe you just say: ‘I buy both.'” Maybe Frank. Perhaps.
