Drive Your Dream Blog

Most car companies are burning the midnight oil to figure out the next great innovation that will help save the world from exorbitant gas prices (oh, and turn a tidy profit in the process). By now, you’ve heard of all the buzz words: hybrid, diesel hybrid, fuel cell, etc.

Basically, the BMW GINA is revolutionary because it does not have rigid body panels made of metal or plastic. Instead, the BMW GINA body is made of fabric stretched over a frame of metal and carbon fiber wires. The skeleton of the car has hydraulic controls that allow it to change shape.

What are the benefits of this design?

• Fuel efficiency. Subtract the typical weight of plastic or metal body panels and the car is much lighter without compromising safety.
• Personalization. Imagine instantly changing the color or shape of your car by simply changing the fabric “skin” or manipulating the hydraulics. Imagine a dash that displayed only the controls you needed as you needed them?
• Excitement. Regardless of whether the concept ever becomes a production car, BMW has shown that they think broadly about what’s possible. A glimpse into their design studios is exciting, no matter how you feel about this particular concept.

“BMW has always been a leader in engineering innovation,” claims Ron Sturgeon, the owner of a firm that offers luxury car rentals in Dallas-Fort Worth.”

“I admire their ability to think in ways that challenge the basic assumptions about car making. Doing it differently is the first step toward doing it better and part of what keeps BMW at the pinnacle of the luxury car world,” insists Mr. Sturgeon, the owner of a Dallas exotic car sharing club.

Special thanks to John Neff at Autoblog for the tip about this new BMW concept car. John posted an excellent story on the concept yesterday that includes a link to a BMW Gina video. The video is the best way to get an appreciation of how innovative BMW new concept car really is.

I don’t expect to see anything like it come to production for a long time. However, I like they way they think at BMW design. The concept car now resides at the BMW museum in Munich. What do you think of GINA?

Written by G.D. Gregory. If you are interested in having me write stories for you or seeing my portfolio, please contact me at ggpsu@yahoo.com.

It’s been 30 years since BMW released the M1 sports car, and to mark the occasion, BMW Group Design revealed its new concept car at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2008 concept show in Lake Como, Italy. The new concept car is called the M1 Homage, and it earns its name. Check out a set of nice hi res photos of the new M1 from Alex Nunez at Autoblog.

Michael Rose at Great Cars has an excellent recap of the classics and concepts that made this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza a fantastic show.

“The original BMW M1 was an amazing car,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of an exotic car rental company in Dallas. “There were less than 500 built, which makes it a pretty hot collector’s item.”

Because of the original M1’s scarcity, it isn’t often seen cruising around town or in the garage of your local elite car club. This rare car was the result of a joint venture between BMW and Lamborghini during the late 1970s. Turbocharged racing versions of the car toyed with the 850 horsepower mark.

Some of the ways that the BMW M1 Homage pays tribute to its much-loved ancestor is by featuring an orange and black paint scheme, hood air vents, twin rear logos, and rear louvers. The exterior dimensions of the M1 Homage also perfectly match those of the original M1; however, the new concept car has a longer wheel base.

Other exterior features that might be familiar to fans of the original M1 include the profile of the front grill and headlights that are only visible when they’re on. Unfortunately, the M1 Homage is a concept car, and BMW has not made any firm commitment to produce the vehicle.

Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW Group board member, explained the idea behind the M1 Homage in Canadian Driver, an auto blog: “Drawing inspiration from your own past and thereby reinventing yourself – that is exactly what the BMW M1 Homage demonstrates in impressive style.”

Even if you can’t drive the original M1 or an M1 Homage, you can still drive a BMW. Besides the obvious, though for many of us, unattainable, option of owning an exotic, classic, or luxury car, there are some other great ways to drive your dream vehicle.

One way to make your automotive dreams happen is to join an exotic car club or participate in a dream tour, where you can drive your dream car and four other exotic, classic, or luxury vehicles in a single day. And there’s always the very popular option of exotic car rental.

“We do have a 2007 BMW M6 Convertible,” says Sturgeon, who also owns a Dallas exotic car club. “The BMW M6 delivers all the power and performance that you’d expect from BMW’s M series.”

The BMW M6 rental has 500 horsepower and manages 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. Now that convertible weather has arrived in Dallas, the BMW M5 should be a popular rental car.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

This sleek auto comes with a minor facelift and some new options. New to the front bumper spoiler area is an additional horizontal trim bar giving the front end a wider appearance. The headlights now use clear glass and use transparent glass panels to cover the turn lights.

This new model sports a new cockpit look design with more elegant door panels and easier to reach window buttons. New for the first time, is a HUD, or heads-up-display to enhance that “cockpit” feel. The 530i will have an aggressive 3.5L 272HP power plant accelerating you from 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds; while the 525i will have a 3.0L generating 218HP and the 523i will have a 2.5L. Transmission options are a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic for the 530i.

Not yet available in the US, I’d be willing to say when it does finally hit our shores you can probably bet you’ll see one at DFWEliteAutoRental.com very shortly after. Sporty yet elegant, this is sure to be a very nice ride for the night on the town!

It’s an odd pairing when BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroen formed their initial partnership. BMW, a German conglomerate building premium performance and luxury automobiles and controlling a couple small but iconic British marques, and PSA, a grouping of two run-of-the-mill mass-production French brands. Their products don’t overlap much, but the all but total lack of competition is probably what helps them get along. No competition means no threat.Now the two groups are looking at expanding their cooperation along the lines of their current partnership.

PSA developed and builds the engines for the Mini, the French firm imparting their expertise with small engines on their Bavarian friends who are more adept at high-output performance powerplants. PSA and BMW are now undertaking a study to assess new ways the two can collaborate, and if they both like the findings, we may see Peugeot-Citroen engines in other BMW products, and maybe vice-versa.

Now isn’t it so much nicer when the Germans and the French get along?

DFW Elite Auto Rental has the nation’s first BMW M6 Convertible available for rent! The black, 500 hp convertible arrived last week and awaiting it’s first lucky customer!

Specs on the M6 Convertible:

• 5.0-liter V-10 Engine
• 500 hp
• 7-speed SMG Transmission
• 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds
• $105,000 m.s.r.p.