BMW continues marching onwards towards something. Does BMW know what it that something is? Who knows.
The brand is, on the one hand, embracing electric vehicles and hybrids, and on the other hand is firing out as many new M cars as they possibly can. Perhaps behind the scenes in Munich there is some sort of massive petrol versus electric power struggle and BMW continues to totter unevenly to one side, or the other, depending on who got into the office earliest on any given morning.
Whilst speculating on the goings on at BMW are an endless source of confusion, we must instead deal with facts and actualities, namely, the cars BMW currently make.
There was a time, for probably ten or fifteen years, that BMW had a nearly unbeatable car in every sector. The E39 5-Series was the ultimate executive car; the E46 3-Series was the definitive small executive saloon/coupe; the BMW X5 was the original premium SUV and so on.
BMW’s batting record is not quite as strong these days – swaying consumer preferences; tightening regulations; the public’s ever growing hatred of cars, have all made things more difficult. For every excellent 1-Series, there is a duff M3, for every genuinely exciting M2, there is an underwhelming X7, for way-ahead-of-the-curve i8, there is the X4.
So the range, of BMW’s cars has increased. The brand is capable both of making truly world-beating cars such as the M5 CS, and other horribly-judged creations such as the XM. And yes, while some of BMW’s more ‘choice’ creations are products of vastly-different social and consumer desires, not all is lost.
Look past the headline grabbing M and BMW electric cars, and you’ll discover a cadre of perhaps the best cars the brand has made in decades.
These BMWs, these dutiful workhorses, are out there doing what BMW’s do best. They are comfortable, refined, fast, fun to drive, and all feature impressive engines.
These include models such as the M340i, which is a classic BMW for the modern era if there ever was one. It features a six cylinder (albeit turbocharged) engine, rear wheel drive, 380 bhp and 370 lb ft of torque. It also has a decent chassis and is available in both saloon and estate body styles. For a modern BMW, it is also relatively modestly-styled and is quite discreet.
Whilst some like to harp on about the loss of the ‘classic BMW’, in doing this, these people are overlooking perhaps the most-BMW BMW available.
What makes the M340i and M340d impressive, is that whilst the M cars of the current 3 and 4 series are aimed as 911 rivals – something arguably they never will be – the lesser ‘M-lite’ 340i/340d hold station and see off all rivals from Audi and Mercedes, as the 3-Series has done for eons.
Another highlight is the bigger M550i. Whilst the F90-generation BMW M5 is a real beast, and probably the best M5 since the E39-generation car of the early 2000s, the lesser M550i is perhaps as much BMW as any practical person may ever need. What do you get? A twin-turbocharged V8, one of the best interiors on the market, 523 bhp and 553 lb ft of torque, and a chassis that can handle both.
The result? An Uber-competent, V8 powered, big BMW saloon, that can see of mostly anything else on the road whilst remaining quiet, comfortable and easy to live with. You’ll get less attention from the police and those on the other side of the law, compared to an M5 owner, and you’ll also get better fuel economy, lower insurance and one of the ultimate Q-cars of recent years.
Perhaps that is the crux of this. BMW’s constant refinement of both six-cylinder and V8 engines has resulted in some of the greatest engines we’ve ever seen; they’re powerful, torquey and compliant with emissions regs. The masterstroke BMW has pulled is to transplant these engines into as many models as possible, which results in a range of BMWs that are fast, meticulously-engineered and fun to own and drive. BMW has created, not a few, but a whole generation of Q-cars and perhaps that’s the brand getting back to basics, in a more serious manner than we’ve ever given them credit for.
BMW’s are billed as the Ultimate Driving Machine, and perhaps its time we gave them credit where credit is due. Those boys and girls in Munich are still churning out BMWs as good as they’ve ever been.
Kerbside 