27 May 2021

Only the best for Motorworld Munich: On 28 May, the showroom of the BMW Group opens within the new Experience Centre located in the Freimann district of Munich. Under the motto “The Car is the Star”, BMW presents iconic vehicles within a flexible spatial concept, including the legendary BMW 507 once owned by Elvis Presley and the iconic BMW M1. Motorworld has already opened up in the listed heritage halls of the former railway repair works. This is now being followed with “THE STUDIO by BMW”. The interactive stage provides entertainment because in tune with the BMW 507 you can immerse yourself in the 1950s and sing Elvis hits in a karaoke performance (depending on the pandemic situation). Product experts are at the Genius Bar to answer your questions. And anybody interested in classic cars can talk to history experts about the company’s automobile history on Fridays and Saturdays. “THE STUDIO by BMW” is open from 10.00 to 18.00 on Tuesdays to Saturdays. Entry to the entire complex is free of charge.

The big day came on the Tuesday after Whitsun: finally the real experience again after virtual substitute events – the BMW Museum opened up for the first time this year. A spectacular light show can be experienced every day up until 29 May 2021. At nine o’clock on the dot in the evening, a BMW M1 literally bursts out of the Museum Bowl. The ensemble of BMW Welt, the Four-Cylinder and the BMW Museum sparkle in the glow of this mise en scène, which reflects the enthusiasm of all the employees. The message: “We couldn’t wait to have you back with us again!”

Anybody interested in the market for modern classics shouldn’t miss the opportunity to view the latest clip in the series “Inside BMW Group Classic”. A hidden gem awaits you there. The experts regard the latest market prices for the first generation of the BMW 3 Series Compact as almost ridiculously low. The hatchback version of the popular third model generation of the BMW 3 Series – otherwise quite rightly popular – has a niche existence that is scarcely credible for such a cool car. The moniker “Pocket Rocket” highlights the combination of high-end engines, a slimline weight of 1.3 tons and rear-axle drive. Engines include a four-cylinder power pack with 16 valves generating 103 kW/140 hp mounted in the BMW 318ti Compact and the powerful 125 kW/170 hp inline six-cylinder engine installed in the BMW 323ti Compact. You can hardly get more sporting potential in this vehicle class. Incidentally, the showroom example in the video clip is the only BMW M3 Compact. A particularly powerful inline six-cylinder engine was mounted in the one-off special. Let’s be precise: the engine of the BMW M3 Coupé generating 236 kW/321 hp – the machine is a perfect fit.

14-year-old schoolboy Zeno Lang really set a hare running here. His letter to Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, yielded some deep insights into the brand history and design decisions at BMW. In his letter, Zeno expressed his concerns about the new, very prominent design of the BMW kidney-shaped grille, about which there is indeed a very spirited discussion going on at the moment. Oliver Zipse forwarded the thoughts of the young fan to Domagoj Dukec, Head of BMW Design. Dukec was so impressed that he organised a live call from BMW Group Classic in Munich. Together with TV moderator Matthias Malmedie (RTL 2 Motormagazin “Grip”), Dukec explained the history of the BMW kidney-shaped grille by highlighting model icons such as a BMW 328 from 1937, the “New Class” from the 1960s and a BMW 3 Series from 1990. It quickly emerged that the new design too has clear roots in the tradition of BMW. Later on, the Chief Designer explained exactly which ideas underpin the relevant individual design of the kidney-shaped grille in the latest models. The striking, vertically aligned kidneys of the new BMW 4 Series coupé, for example, are particularly effective in setting the model apart from other cars. And Domagoj Dukec also explained the development of a further trademark of BMW to Zeno Lang that the schoolboy had expressed his thoughts on: the twin headlamps with their famous focused perspective on the road.