There are often times when we literally forget paying our respects to long-forgotten and iconic models that stand at the very basis of what we have today in the auto industry, and has inspired others to become better and better every day.

Such an iconic built that used to make our delight back in the 1970s is the one-and-only E25 BMW Turbo, built in just two models and destined for the 1972 Olympics. The model was recently highlighted by Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design.

At that time, such an extraordinary concept was out of its time, the 1972 BMW Turbo coming with an exceptionally-advanced and futuristic design and highlighted by the state-of-the-art aerodynamics and safety features.

A real inspiration for the development of other high-tech models of the 70s, the E25 Turbo came out with lots of gadgetries, like radar system which warned drivers of the tight curbs ahead, futuristic cabin, front and rear section filled with foam to absorb impact, and much more, which were considered at that time out of the ordinary and Sci-Fi.

As aforementioned, it later became a real inspiration for other BMW models, like the already iconic M1, with the design language also inspiring the future 8-Series. Overall, it was an amazing concept built to last, like all BMW models.

Under the hood, the E25 BMW Turbo Concept packed a massive turbocharged with 276 horsepower achieved at a mind-blowing 7,100 rpm. This would also allow a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, at a top speed of 250 km/h.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW Turbo Concept Gets Highlighted by Adrian van Hooydonk appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

As you may remember the stunning BMW Gran Coupe concept that was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show this year has been announced by various sources that it will be making into production.

That’s not the full story however, as since 2012 isn’t that far away, the Bavarians are treating us to some information on what should we be expecting from it by then.

For starters, we have confirmation on the production version of the BMW Gran Coupe to be coming in in the second quarter of 2012 from BMW’s chief of sales and marketing, Ian Robertson.

So far, so good, but there’s more information to come from the same Mr. Robertson and it raises an eyebrow for many. The BMW Gran Coupe will be wearing the 6 Series badge and more importantly, there will be a M6 version of it as well. This is frankly, great news but the dark side of it can be seen in suspicion that the current form of the BMW 6 Series Coupe will be dying off.

This is not confirmed in any way but there is little information on the matter so it’s still a possibility.

When it will be going into production the BMW Gran Coupe will rival models such as the Porsche Panamera, the Audi A7 and the next generation Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Upon its debut, Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW chief designer, claimed that Gran Coupe point to a particular model, to a sedan model with the presence of a 7 Series, but more dynamic, more sportive, oriented to the driver.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post News on the fate of the BMW Gran Coupe appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

A new BMW M5 is always going to be a car that will create a lot of expectations, a car that will meet those expectations and surpass them every time. This must be one of the reasons why the Bavarians are testing it round the Nurburgring so thoroughly.

With that in mind, every time a major manufacturer is putting an eagerly expected new model (and seriously now, is there anything you’re looking to more than the F10 M5?) somebody manages to snap some photos of it out in the wilds. Even though there is some camouflage on it, fanatics will still be able to tell other what to expect.

In the case of the 2011 F10 BMW M5 what you will be getting is a bulky M3 inspired front fascia, something expected as Adrian Van Hooydonk stated not long ago that future BMW’s will unify design in order to synchronize with global taste of the customers.

Other interesting looks of the car come with the hood that be one of those tight t-shirts that cover up a flexing muscle such as the massive engine that will be in the new M5 and the wheels this car is running on. Not bad, not bad at all.

Leaving looks aside, i have to say i’m quite thrilled at how flat the car is throughout this bend and how well it hits the apex, BMW will keep the M5 as a leader i’d say.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post More spyshots of the 2011 BMW M5 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

We’ve all been there, we all know the massive controversy that came along with Chris Bangle’s work at BMW and some still rejoice in knowing that something like the E60 5 Series will never happen again.

In all the Bavarians have announced that they will produce cars that from now on will synchronize with global taste of their customers.

Adrian Van Hooydonk, the man to whom Chris Bangle turned the reigns of BMW design over, stated that the company is looking to consolidate its design language and make its various model stylings more harmonious. Since he took over in 2009 we could see BMW concepts and cars have been looking as discrete, civilized and understated as any die-hard fan would approve of.

At the recent Beijing auto show, Van Hooydonk stated that consolidation is good for the brand because it gives a clearer image of what BMW is. He pointed to the new 5-Series sedan and the Gran Coupe concept as examples, saying they exhibited a more subtle use of the concave and convex, which probably means that while these cars are no longer as straight and boxy as freight locomotives they don’t upset people any more.

While some people rejoice more in this moment than in the launch of a new M5 we should mention that Chris Bangle’s controversial design ideas went into turning BMW from a sports saloon maker with occasional bleeps into coupes into a company with a very successful range of products, wearing a luxury selling crown.

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW design:what direction? appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.