Board Torque

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As we went into lockdown four and a half months ago, who would have thought that at the beginning of August we would still have clouds of uncertainty hanging over our mask covered faces, and that possibly the only Rally Plaques we will see for 2020 are for the NHS “Stay Home Rally” and for the Classics for Carers “The National Stay at Home Motor Show”. I have both adorning spaces in my office, along with some of the E60 M5 goodies that I have been quietly working on in the very rare few minutes of off time late at night that I haven’t been working, as revealed in the first of our BMW Car Club Podcasts!

As I write this month’s Board Torque, I am mindful that mid-July is the time of year that I would have been typically worrying about the final arrangements for our traditional National Festival that should be taking place next month, had we not elected as a board representing you as our members, to re-think the event and give ourselves the time to re-invent, change it up, re-vitalise and re-brand for 2021 as BMW Sommerfest. The thoughts and options, possibilities and potential locations are still under review, but barring any long term cessation of mass public gatherings, this should be on the Calendar for 2021 with a date to be set as soon as we practically can, given that 2021 is probably going to be even more full of events crammed with special plans to make up for the lack of these in 2020.

Lockdown has unfortunately meant that even normal dialogues between myself and our supporters within the building that I quite reverently refer to as The Citadel, more correctly known as “Summit One” or BMW UK’s Corporate headquarters, have also been at an alltime low, primarily due to them being furloughed, such that plans both with them and for cars on loan for our MLife features have also been furloughed. I am happy to report that communication channels are once more flowing and the plans are being made. It seems that either great minds think alike (or fools seldom differ), as I mentioned my plan for the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC in November (assuming it does go ahead), we have been offered a pre-launch, accessorized G22 4 Series for its UK debut invoking the theme of the 2 door coupe evolution. As such, with the space available, we can go back through the E9, E31, E46, E92 and F32 with the G22 as the headliner. We have also been invited to attend the UK press event in mid-October for the new 4 Series (see last month’s Straight Six) which coincides with the latest iteration of the M5 at the same event. BMW Car Club GB have been asked to put on a display of heritage vehicles, so when I mentioned my thoughts for the November show, they immediately jumped at echoing the thought for the press event. I will be looking for some cars for both the press day (location in mid-Oxfordshire) and the NEC, so if any of you have cars that fit the bill and interested in either or both, please contact me via the Club office or directly.

Changing gears, I find myself wondering how soon is too soon to start sowing seeds in a young mind? My grandson (our first) is now just 15 months old, not too young to have his fist BMW, right? So, he now has the Motorsport version of BMW’s Baby Racer, in white with M colour graphics, working head and tail lights and a nicely padded seat – he loves it as can be seen by his broad grin when he is being pushed along. He clearly recognizes the roundel as he has to touch it every time the car comes out, and now when he comes over into our “bubble”, he has to be taken to touch all of the four body roundels on the X2, each in turn (bonnet, tailgate and on both D-post ) and bonnet and tailgate on the X5. Wheels are out of bounds in case of brake dust. A car club shirt has the same effect, the roundel has to be touched - he has not yet been allowed into the man

cave to see the M5, but it will come! So his second BMW is now on order, ceased production but I managed through BMW UK, to get one of the last four in Europe and possibly globally, a BMW i8 Spyder electric powered ride-in-car, to be stored in the man-cave until his second birthday. So, my answer is “It’s never too soon!”

There’s a good segue into another thought about electric cars, not so much hybrid but full electric. I am sure that most of you would agree that most of the cars (sorry, even Tesla) for me just don’t look to have any character and appeal and however green they might be (never mind the fuels that have to be burned to generate the power to re-charge them) I have no desire to own one. From a BMW perspective, yes, the i3 is quirky and is sort of fun to drive – I love the challenge of driving and ending up with more range than you started with, the i8 was definitely appealing but not very practical, but have you seen the 02 Reminiscence Concept Rendering? Now there’s something that I am sure would sell to lovers of 60’s-70’s classic styling, a practical 4 seater that actually looks like it would be fun right from the get-go, classic style with 21st Century technology, so much so that even Richard Stern might be persuaded to have them in the 02 Register if BMW was to go ahead and develop the concept! Here are some pictures to whet your appetite.