Quote:
Originally Posted by yousefnjr
Disagree, I'm on my 2nd one. Arguably this is one of the last cars they made "for us" (6MT, NA I6, no adaptive BS, under 3,000 lb for non-m...). If you like driving, the Z is a great partner. If you're into things like that cheesy RR commercial you posted (great car too I'm sure) I can see how it misses the mark  |
I do love driving, and the fact I'm about to hit BMW #41 in just over 20 years shows just how much. I'm not totally BMW biased, but I have some of the greatest memories in life thanks to them. I've also had my fair share of awful ones too, and give credit and critique where it's due. I've had amazing cars other than BMW's and some truly awful ones too (W124 MB 500E left me partially deaf and torn up when the voltage regulator went bad and the battery under the seat behind me exploded like a grenade). lThat RR video may be cheesy, most great marketing usually is in some manner, but it's a success by all accounts.
E85/6 (non M) featured that lovely first iteration of electric steering and the unfortunate side effect of massive rear toe change that couldn't be kept in check on anything but a flat surface traveling straight ahead. The interior was a let down and the paint finish is probably the lowest point of QC in recent memory. The M's took care of the steering issue and finally gave the car a soul, the LCI tidied up the aesthetics, but i wouldn't put it in the top 5 of BMW's last hits for "us". I think several options from the first Gen 1er and some other models (S54 powered M Shoe please) are far more deserving of even the top 10 spots.
I've been pondering off and on for a couple of weeks thinking about "what qualities make a BMW a BMW?" and hearing what others think it means. BMW just turned 100 and there is so much diverse history with the brand. From the Dixi, 328, Baroque Angels, 507 and lesser known 503, "Big 6's", most notably the American Bavaria Version, E9 3.0Cs's, E12 M535i, '02's (including the turbo), M1, E30, E31 and E32 with V12's, E34 that brought back the V8, Z8, James Bond in a tiny BMW roadster tooling around Cuba, the E65 that made 3/4 of the civilized world go silent and vomit a little at the same time. So many cars, so much diversity, I have to ask, not what makes a BMW a BMW, but rather, when is a BMW not a BMW?