23rd October 2010, 08:45
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2nd November 2010, 21:53
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| Team-BHP Support | We exit the U Bahn into a drizzly day. You pass BMW Welt which is essentially a mega showroom cum corporate entertainment centre. The honourable Yeti has covered it but I will be revisting this later We spy BMW's four cylinder building. This was used as a backdrop in the original movie Rollerball  The pudding bowl below houses the museum  No mistaking the building owner! Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 19:50. |
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2nd November 2010, 22:00
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| Team-BHP Support | We then cross the road after waiting for the lights on the highway to eventually change. This is Germany, you don't cheat the Red. Climb up the bank, take the stairs or if we had been smarter, take the overbridge through BMW Welt We are greeted by a gentle old girl hanging outside in the rain!  BMW 316- note single headlights Inside, we are greeted by her older sister - a BMW 1500. These establishd the modern BMW brand back in the late '60's   |
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2nd November 2010, 22:13
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| Team-BHP Support | We queue for our tickets and ready to roll 10 min, 8 euro's each. To view the museum, one enters the midlevel of the pudding bowl and then we go down gradually to basement level. The cherry on top of the pudding bowl is where the "art cars" are kept. More on that later. There is an art car on view in reception. These form part of the temporary exhibits as the cars travel around !! Our ticket is scanned and we enter. Our first stop is the bouncing beads, you would have seen in the F30 TV ads. It is awesome considernig , the number of motors synchronising the kinetic beads in formation.       Video will be added shortly Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 20:03. |
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2nd November 2010, 22:28
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| Team-BHP Support | The Beginning We walk into a side room which takes us into BMW's roots BMW started making aircraft engines. Their main speciality were 6 cylinder in line engines for high altitudes.  They then followed HM and built the Austin 7 - guess who is in relatively rude health! They also began designing and building motorbikes in parallel   |
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2nd November 2010, 22:48
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| Team-BHP Support | Wall of History We walk out and start walking down a ramp (sounds bit like Charlie and the Chocolate Family). Alongside, is a wall. four stories high, catalouging the bikes BMW have made (if it was a Jap bike company, the wall would be as high as the Burj al Arab)    |
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3rd November 2010, 07:57
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| Team-BHP Support | Lightweight We then descend further and veer left. This section talks about BMW's lightweight philosophy On the wall, is an M6 body in white   The darker panels show the Carbon Fibre The lighter ones show the aluminium Plenty of composite and carbon fibre within. Plenty of details about lightweight construction. Interesting comparison about how the 3 series construction has evolved in following PDF metal.pdf In the middle is a magnesium frame of a BMW 328. Welding magnesium and the use of this material was new in the 1930. BMW innovated and successfully used light weight construction to win the Mille Maglia.  Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 19:55. |
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3rd November 2010, 08:10
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| Team-BHP Support | The Mille Maglia and beyond We enter and meet the grand old lady herself. These cars are taken for a work out during heritage events. There is an area dedicated to the successes of the 328       Climb up the platform and we see the F1 cars  Hmm, our visit sponsor got there first!  We go behind and see the range of racing engines  BMW Sauber  An older generation  From a touring car Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 17:55. |
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3rd November 2010, 18:08
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| Team-BHP Support | We emerge decend on an overbridge. Below are classic convertible beauties    More on these a little later. Towards the end of the bridge are a stack of '70's cars. I will cover this later also We now enter the 7 - a tribute to the BMW luxury cars  BMW 326 - note my colleague posing as if in the drivers seat  BMW 501 - very rare but I liked its elegance - considered the fastest limo for its time (1950's) - 180 km/h!!!  BMW 3.3i L First sporty limo - totally outshadowed as a statement by the Merc S class during the 1970's  BMW 745i First turbo'd limo. Never made in right had drive since the turbo took up the space Outshadowed by the w126. I remember my neighbour Vijay, yes him, having a black 735i unless he was racing his Maserati around the place  BMW 750iL First german 12 cylinder limo -Jag got there first  BMW 730d - their first diesel limo  A montage of royal snouts Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 19:57. |
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3rd November 2010, 18:24
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| Team-BHP Support | We emerge out and pass through the variant section   Every variant's badge finds a place We then go into two rooms which delve into the DNA of BMW The engines BMW swear by the in line straight 6 despite being heavier than the norm. However that said, the four cylinder engines are the more greener ones.      I forgot to catalogue - which is what. It starts with the M20 which was smoother but cost not much more than the equivalent 4 cyl engine. The M52 and the double VANOS system and the latest range with electric water pumps etc. |
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3rd November 2010, 18:27
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| Team-BHP Support | ..and then we delve into the design   This is more interactive and has various small squares and interactive video's about the design philosophy Chris Bangle is given a lot of exposure |
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3rd November 2010, 18:37
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| Team-BHP Support | The Convertibles We walk down to the lowest floor. Not before a taking a detour about BMW's corporate history and learnt How they nearly went bust in 1959 and the Quandt family bought in and stood by them? How the "neu series" changed BMW's brand image for ever How they have expanded - BMW India gets a mention Some old memorabilia - like brochures, orientation of the new offices in the 1970 etc are on display. ..and now to the ground floor The topless beauties are on display  A 507 - more pictures taken from the 7 er gallery  The Z1 - pioneer of the Z frame suspension and drop down doors. One exists in Delhi   The Z8 - note reg no was 007 - I liked the fusion of german retro and yank tankSomething from the past BMW 315  BMW 328, there was also a Z3 but I never bothered!! Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 19:17. |
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3rd November 2010, 18:47
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| Team-BHP Support | Den Tourenwagen ....and now for some excitement This hall houses the BMW Touring cars. Feast your eyes E46 M3   E30 M3   E21 This used 4 cyl engines to reduce torsional stresses. Mercedes made a few indirect digs about this in their brochures I remember   BMW 2000 - I liked the simplicity of this. Remove the bumpers - put thin bucket seats, no roll cage   and finally, my all time favourite - the 3.0CSL batmobile   Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 23:32. |
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3rd November 2010, 19:15
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| Team-BHP Support | M for mmmmmmm We now walk into the M gallery first the engines The V10 and the V8   Then the cars The Original M1- built by Lamborghini - now owned by Audi which could have been owned by Porsche    The Ultimate Sleeper Car - The original BMW M5 before it became the russian gangster car of choice  The M6 for the sporting gentlemen   I love these cars - discreet performance Now for the masses - an old favourite - the original M3   ..and finally when BMW M cars became flash The M3 CSL- note wheelarch blister - I love it - am sure the old man will be hot footing it out there to polish it. If that happens, I guess it might rain   Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 19:59. |
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3rd November 2010, 19:23
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| Team-BHP Support | and finally, two cars that made BMW what it is  The BMW Isetta bubble car - postwar - the demand for economy cars helped BMW restart  The 2002 series - this car was the icing on the Neu Series cake - it defined the sporting image of BMW = "unbeatable BMW", the Ultimate Driving Machine, Surrounding the car are various stories about people who honeymooned with it, courted, moved house, did road trips Remember I mentioned a stack of 70's cars. This decade was the defining one when BMW expanded and built up its brand. Here are the key players - top view and bottom    Last edited by ajmat : 3rd November 2010 at 19:28. |
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