Motoring: BMW; Peugeot; and footballers’ cars
WHEN BMW launched its Motorsport division in 1972 it probably had little idea that 40 years later it would be responsible for some of the most eagerly-anticipated vehicles in the world.
The (in)famous M-badged vehicles are recognised for their peak performance and characterised by their modified engines, transmissions, interior and exterior trim levels and cutting-edge aerodynamics.
But above all else, they’re cool. A status enhanced by the fact all the ‘ems’ are tested and tuned at the company’s private facilities at the world-famous the Nürburgring racing circuit.
BMW also loves its M fans because they are very loyal customers and will return to the brand time and time again because quite simply, they offer the best of all worlds.
Imagine how few cars there are that double as a race-track hooligan at weekends and then convert to an impeccably mannered four-door family saloon for the rest of the week.
Maybe instead of ‘M’ they should bear the letters ‘J’ and ‘K’ – not after the agents in the Men in Black (although they’re cool as well), but rather Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic anti-hero Jekyll and Hyde.
All this brings us to the latest incarnations to bear the famous badge, the M4 coupe and the M3 saloon.
BMW bills the pair as offering the perfect balance in terms of overall concept; a combination of high power, low weight and driving pleasure.
Both cars feature new six-cylinder high-revving, turbocharged in-line engines, which the company – in keeping with the overall M concept – says combines the best of both worlds.
They also feature track-ready components including a special engine oil supply system, a sophisticated cooling concept, a six-speed manual gearbox with new throttle blipping function, the option of a seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic and Launch Control, a rear-wheel drive chassis with Active M Differential, aluminium suspension elements to ensure sharper dynamics, electric power steering with three settings and lightweight engineering where weight has been shed in all the right places to ensure optimum performance.
BMW does all this even though it is savvy enough to know that the nearest the cars might ever get to a race track is when their owner watches the Grand Prix on TV.
However, it is uncompromising in its approach and true M fans know that having these facilities is what makes the cars stand head and shoulders about the competition.
Not that the cars are mere stripped down racers. All feature strong design elements with sumptuous levels of interior fittings, most ergonomically-designed to create a real sporting ambience.
The cars go on sale on Saturday (June 21) and are priced at £56,175 OTR for the M3 saloon and £56,635 OTR for the M4 coupé.
BMW UK confidently expects to sell 1,000 BMW M4 coupés and 180 M3 saloons in their first full year of sales – levels probably inconceivable four decades ago but an indication of how market trends have evolved.
Not surprising then that rivals Audi and Mercedes have also climbed aboard the ‘badge express’ over the years with their respective RS and AMG badges and why Jaguar Land Rover has now joined the party with the announcement this week that it is establishing its own skunk works – although with typical British understatement it describes this as a Special Operations division.
Whether this means we will soon be seeing another ‘badge’ in the market place or whether it will stick to its ‘R’ suffix remains to be seen. How about the Jaguar ‘GROWL’ or the Land Rover ‘GRUNT’? Maybe not.
Small but perfectly formed: the new Peugeot 108
AT the other end of the market, the small but perfectly formed Peugeot 108 promises to sell in massive quantities – at least that’s what the French manufacturer will be hoping for.
Its succession of small, versatile hatchbacks have proved immensely popular down
the years and in their own way, found an audience as eager as any M fan.
The blend of practicality and performance has proved hard to beat, which is why the new 108 has a strong legacy to live up to.
Peugeot has sensibly opted for evolution rather than revolution and incorporated a series of enhancements over its predecessor – the hugely popular 107 – to create an urban runabout that’s exceptionally user-friendly and build for the rigors of day-to-day motoring.
It has a bigger boot than the outgoing model with a capacity of 196 litres against the 139 litres on the Peugeot 107. Peugeot has also made the boost sill 20mm lower for easier loading of the weekly shop.
Gone is the solid parcel shelf – a staple of the traditional hatchback – replaced by a neat fabric cover which conveniently lies flat against the inside of the tailgate glass when the boot is open. As the boot is pulled down, the cover cleverly pivots to the horizontal, hiding whatever is below. The hatchback itself now features twin gas struts for additional stability when open, compared to the single support on the 107.
To aid reversing, the manufacturer has fitted a camera into the rear bumper, just above the number plate. It is standard on the two highest trim levels in the range, Allure and Feline.
The rear bench seat splits 50:50 for additional practicality, and each side can be folded using a separate fabric handle accessible from the boot. The handles are the only component of the 107 carried over to the new car. Two rear seat ISOFIX child seat fixing points are standard on all models.
Available in three and five-door body styles, the new car, despite its increased luggage capacity has almost identical cabin measurements to the 107. The driver’s seat is now height-adjustable on all but the entry level, while comfort and support levels have also been improved.
On all but the Access trim level the car comes with a multi-function steering wheel, while for comfort, air conditioning is standard on three out of the four trim levels, including – for the first time – climate control on top spec Feline models.
Three Lions on the shirt… Lamborghini in the garage
ON the eve of English football’s most important game since the last World Cup, a finance company catering for some of the Premier League’s top players has predicted that win or lose, footballers appearing in the Brazil tournament are set to splash massive amounts on the latest luxury cars.
Magnitude Finance, which specialises in funding prestige vehicles, has 13 of the England squad on its books and is preparing a range of finance packages ready for the end of the tournament regardless of whether players receive their win bonuses, which are understood to be in the region of £350,000 per player.
The most popular cars being lined up include the Range Rover Autobiography and more extreme supercars such as Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadsters and Ferrari 458 Spiders.
Director at Magnitude Finance, Tim Marlow, said: “From the proposals we’re putting together, it promises to be the largest amount of finance provided for our footballer clientele during a summer – regardless of how England fair in Brazil.
“Many of the England squad and Premiership-based players representing other nations are looking to buy new cars either to mark a good tournament or a treat after a long season.
“They’ll have a lot of time on their hands in between matches and we know they like to browse cars on the web and play around with the finance figures which is why we developed an online calculator to let them configure accurate quotes for the make and model of every luxury car that’s available.”
The firm then provides a concierge service that tailors the quote to the individual’s circumstances and preferences with a view to getting the acceptance in place ready for the transaction.
“For example, one option we’ll create will have a large deposit – the highest we’ve received was £80,000 on a £120,000 Bentley Flying Spur – while others will look for an interest-only deal over a short term of two years so they can change their car more regularly,” added Marlow.
Magnitude Finance has funded over 10 vehicles for one of the current England players giving him a credit line of more than £500,000 so he can buy whatever he wants with finance pre-arranged.
His fleet includes an Aston Martin Vanquish at £210,000, a range of American 4x4s including most recently a Cadillac Escalade, a £248,000 Ferrari 458 Italia and a Range Rover Autobiography at £110,000.
And here was us thinking it was all about pride in wearing the Three Lions.
Drive safely (even if we win).
