It was the slogan that brought me the first place. “The ultimate driving machine.” I do not know whether it was self -confidence, clarity or the fact that it only sounded cool, but there was something on this line. It planted the seed long before I ever drove a BMW. And when I finally did it? It was not a M -car or a motorway monster.
It was a 318i E30 – my little panda. It didn’t have much strength. To be honest, it didn’t even have that much reliability. But it was raw, it was fun and it was hellish. It had this honest mechanical feeling, this direct connection between the driver and machine that I had not felt in anything else. That was it. I was in there.
The aha moment
Then came the moment when it sealed: BMW European Delivery.
If you have ever done one, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t done it? I’m sorry that you missed the golden age. In the end I did it three times – be it better than the last. First was the E46 325i, then the twin turbo interference gulk of the E90 335i and finally the unforgettable 1 m coupé. Bring a brand new BMW in Munich, toured through the Alps, blew up the highway before he reached the Nurburgring-ES not just about the car. It was the experience. And man, BMW nailed that.
The BMW community. Period.
But it didn’t stop here. After the cars had come.
And frankly, that was the surprising turn. I hadn’t expected to find such a loyal, tight -meshed and really helpful group of owners and fans. Regardless of whether it was a advice in a forum, someone who was coding a car or only in a petrol station, fast thumbs are high-BMW people. In a way, it reminded me of Porsche’s crowd. Only fewer Ducktail spoilers and more E90s with real wheels.
Then there was the innovation. Until 2009, BMW was already deep in electrification projects – long before Tesla was cool or even really on the radar of another. The I Division, Project I, all this crazy concept work – it showed me that BMW played the long game. They not only made fast limousines. They imagined what came next.
Master of storytelling
And of course there is storytelling.
BMW knows how to tell a story through a car. The 2002. The E39 M5. The i8. Even something like the G87 m2 – you can feel the descent, the intention, the attitude. It’s baked. I come back to that again and again. It’s not just performance statistics or design details – it is the feeling that every car gives you. The way it becomes a chapter in her life.
I could continue. And to be honest, I’ll probably do it at some point. But now I would like to put the question to you:
What did you bring you to BMW? What was your moment? Your “Little Panda” or her motorway explosion or the first entrance to tell you that this was something else? Tell me. I would like to hear it.
