Bitesize History: BMW Isetta in less than 5 minutes!

The Isetta, a micro car that holds a very special place in the hearts of many was the success story of 1950s BMW. Whether they know it or not, even the most un-savvy car person will recognise the Isetta at first glance because of its distinctive bubble car, ‘egg on wheels’ design, indicating how successful and important this little car is to BMW. Putting the Isetta into context, BMW was a struggling company in the 1950s, recovering from post-war economics. This meant that it was more affordable to licence the design of a small, low cost vehicle attractive to a wide audience.  BMW turned to the Italian designer Renzo Rivolta to licence his bubble car and in 1955 the BMW Isetta hit the road, rescuing BMW from an uncertain future.

Cheeky, lovable and economical the Isetta yielded positive sales for a beleaguered BMW. Accommodating two adults, the little bubble car was initially powered by the BMW R25 motorcycle engine, a single cylinder four stroke producing a whole twelve horsepower. Two years later the Isetta 300 model was introduced, this time with a 300cc engine, which pushed sales up further to over 30,000 units. BMW tweaked the Isetta in many other ways from Iso’s Italian model, including headlights fixed separately on the side of the car. The Moto Coupe DeLux came after the 300 model, known for its sliding window feature, and was followed by a four seat version, the Isetta 600 which also benefitted from a 600cc engine.

The Isetta was a friendly face, literally, and was originally available only in a single colour known as paint scheme number one, but one of the most popular exterior colour arrangements was the two-tone Japan Red (a BMW Individual colour now) and Feather White combination. Other factory colours included Bavarian Blue and Birch Green. It was this colourful character that fed the success of the Isetta, making it a coveted car among enthusiasts across the board nowadays. Fully restored Isetta’s don’t come cheap and usually cost upwards of £20,000. Many present day owners often opt to spray their Isetta a colour of their choice, with pastel colours increasingly popular. For any future Isetta owner’s reference, BMW produced factory colours that would be very en vogue now, such as Cornflower Blue, Crème and Light Grey.

Unique in more ways than one, the Isetta played a significant role in the history of BMW but unlike most BMW’s, has a few unique differences. For instance, the Isetta was missing a crucial feature that makes a BMW unmistakable - the Kidney Grilles. Moreover, the very fact that the Isetta was a licenced design may make some people question the true heritage of the beloved Isetta. However, the use of BMW’s own motorcycle engines along with changes to suspension and the crankshaft by BMW engineers make this bubble car every bit BMW.  

The significance of the Isetta cannot be underestimated. By the end of its production life, BMW produced over 160,000 Isetta’s, bringing BMW to the masses and raising the profile of the manufacturer both in Germany and further afield. However, demand for a more conventional car took force in the early 1960s and BMW decided to wrap up its production of the Isetta in 1962 and focus on its family sized saloon cars, vehicles that would underpin the future direction of the manufacturer. The charming Isetta was integral to this evolution of the brand and brought BMW into contention for many more affluent purchasers. The Isetta is and always be iconic, a car prized by aficionados sixty years on and the pride and joy of those lucky enough to own one.

The Future's Bright, the Future's Autonomous.

From the evolutionary three series, to the trail blazing i3, BMW have always been ahead of the curve and their thirst for pioneering technology has always put them at the forefront of engineering triumphs. One hundred years on from the company’s foundation, the BMW that we admire and aspire to so much, has briefed us with their sensational plans for the future, to excite us and most importantly drive our dreams of mobility forward. The vision they speak of encompasses AI-like technology, autonomous driving modes, geometric shape shifting bodies and a space where we not only drive our cars, but also live in them.

While we may not see a car that resembles the Vision Concept for some time, the themes that BMW talk about are very much upon us at present with Connected Drive facilities in every new BMW and the availability of driver aids such as Park Assist, Lane Departure Warning System and Active Cruise Control. The integration of such an advanced form of cruise control already allows the driver to cruise almost autonomously as the car adapts to the conditions on the road ahead, keeping at a safe distance to the car in front, accelerating and breaking when needed.

However, with their future vision, BMW seek to completely reimagine how we understand our relationship with the car. We are evolving into an era where we move from captain in command to owners of an autonomous piece of technology designed to make our commutes safer while our levels of vehicle connectivity increase. Some avid BMW enthusiasts may find this troubling - how does the traditional rear wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution format fare in a world of self-driving cars? Yes, there is the ability to take back control of the car with the Boost mode, but will we see a rise in demand for these features to be overridden or will BMW’s vision allow us the freedom to enjoy the ultimate driving machine as we wish? Perhaps the advance to self-driving cars will permit new and more exciting ways for us as drivers to engage with the car. These are all hypothesis, but only time will tell.

In the mean time, what does this mean for the millions of BMWs already in existence? We already know that certain models have achieved the ‘modern classic’ accolade, but perhaps even more will notice an appreciation in their value as the gap between manual to autonomous mobility increases. Sure the value of a F10 520d may not change drastically, but perhaps the more rare six cylinder models might, as they become an endangered species in the world of lower C02 emissions. On the flip side, what will become of the first generation of autonomous cars that hit the classifieds? None of us are strangers to vehicle depreciation, but early adopters seem to know all too well the kind of losses there can be when trading in their quirky car for the next one. Maybe this is the time for those who were afraid to take the plunge straight away to pick up a bargain.

Regardless of how we feel about autonomous cars, there can be no doubt that they are on their way and BMW have promised their vision will ‘make our hearts beat faster’. So far they have kept their promise to us bringing some of the most respected and fun driving cars of all time, and I trust that whatever new car lands in the showrooms will be the same. 

Fuelling up on BMW history

From classics to classic concepts, the BMW museum in Munich does not disappoint even the most discerning of BMW enthusiasts/ historian! Hope you enjoy my photos below:

A glimpse of my time at the BMW Halle #IAA2015!

On your marks, get set, go! 

Throwback Thursday at AutoMadame HQ...

BMW 1993/1994 brochure

No matter where I go, I always stumble across something BMW-esque. While sifting through boxes that had been in storage for the last four years, I stumbled across a piece of BMW literature from 1993/1994. The forty-five page brochure was a summation of what had recently been achieved by the company and what was anticipated for the future, with the introduction titled 'mobility and the future'. BMW have always been synonymous with progressive technology and redefining the automotive landscape, so coming across this brochure more than twenty years after it was published  was an interesting experience. 

Just to summarise how much has changed since this brochure was published, in 1994 the entire BMW range could be summarised on an A4 page. The BMW range consisted of only four numbers; 3, 5, 7 and 8 Series and only one letter, M. Now the BMW range has more than five hundred individual models and  five letters (well, technically six) that prefix models; M, X, Z, GT and i.  The huge increase in models tells a lot about what has happened in the last twenty years or so. BMW have grown as a company to provide a vehicle for every possible need. 1 and 2 Series for young, aspirational individuals and families, X for those eager for the four wheel drive experience, M for the sports car and i for the environmentally conscious, early adopter type. And so it goes. 

Technical data for the 1993/1994 BMW range.

I expected to feel nostalgia while flicking through this brochure but what I was not prepared for was to read some sort of prediction... The similarity in language and ideas portrayed was uncanny to current BMW rhetoric.  Perhaps that seems obvious; all good companies endeavour to follow the same marketing line in order to create a timeless brand. However, I did not expect to read about electric vehicles in a brochure more than twenty years old, when electric vehicles are still met with scepticism in the twenty-first century and when BMW only brought their first electric car to market in November 2013. To give you an idea of what I read,  BMW stated:

"We are constantly working to improve mobility in every possible way.  

The E1 reflects our ideas in even more concrete form - a short-distance vehicle with enough room for four people and an environmentally sound propulsion concept. 

This vehicle can be driven by an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, or even by a hybrid system with an ultra-fuel efficient internal-combustion engine feeding the batteries for the electric motor."

If you know anything about the current BMW range, you will find this spooky. The E1 Concept was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show (the home of all great car launches) in 1991. A purpose built electric car, the E1 was powered by sodium-nickel chloride batteries, with a reputed electric range of 100 miles, staggering for the time. The E1 was a design and engineering study carried out by BMW Technik and was not produced for public consumption.

BMW E1 Concept

In 2013, twenty years on from the print of this brochure, BMW launched its first wholly electric vehicle, the BMW i3. The i3, a compact hatchback smaller in size than the 1 Series, using lithium-ion batteries and driven by an electric motor producing 170hp, propelling the car from 0 - 62mph in 7.6 seconds, is also a purpose built electric vehicle like the E1. Also like the E1, the i3 has an electric range of up to 100 miles and carries four people. Can you see the growing number of similarities? 

Furthermore, the i3 is also available in a hybrid set up, albeit not in the usual sense. The small two-cylinder petrol engine is designed to charge the batteries rather than drive the wheels . This model, named the Range Extender, is designed for those with 'Range Anxiety'.  With the Range Extender, the electric range of the car is reportedly up to 180 miles. Like the above quotation from the 1993/1994 brochure, the E1 and i3 both share a hybrid set up with an internal combustion engine feeding the batteries.

BMW i3 in Laurus Grey

So how has this design study evolved with the development of the BMW i range? Well, besides from the differences in batteries used by each car and of course design, the i3 features numerous technological breakthroughs, which you would expect given the time that has lapsed between the two vehicles. For instance, the i3 features a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) structure, making the car extremely light, countering the additional weight caused by the batteries and  enabling the nimble drive of the vehicle. This is the first time CFRP has been used to such extent by BMW, and by any manufacturer. 

Moreover, the magnitude of this achievement is underpinned by the fact that the CFRP is produced at a carbon-neutral factory in Moses Lake Washington, which is powered by hydro electric thus eliminating any detrimental environmental effects caused by production. The success of the BMW i brand, which we can see has its roots in the E1 Concept, can be measured by the numerous awards the i3 has received including Auto Express's 'Best Green Car' of 2014 and the fact that customers cannot get these cars quick enough.

BMW i3 CFRP Structure

As I have alluded, the i3 mirrors many of the original goals of the E1.   And my gasps when reading through this now vintage BMW brochure, were totally justified. But the biggest question this raises is why did BMW wait until 2013 before launching electric vehicles when they had already gained huge insist through R&D with the E1?

A few possible reasons why:

1. BMW were waiting for the market to be 'electric-ready'.

2. Vested interests elsewhere: the development of diesel engines 
became priority with improved turbo-charging and inter-cooling. Over the years BMW have pushed the boundaries with their diesel engines producing the likes of the X5 M50d, a 3.0 litre diesel engine with three turbos working in series to produce maximum output while remaining somewhat more economical than a petrol equivalent. Further to the development of diesel engines, BMW have employed a host of technologies in all of their vehicles, known as Efficient Dynamics,  including lightweight engineering, brake regeneration, twin-power turbo technology among other technologies to improve consumption and reduce emissions since 2007, in addition to the introduction of hybrid models known as Active Hybrids (which have not seen huge uptake).

3. Changing government regulation surrounding carbon emissions in recent years have meant that manufacturers have had to develop electric vehicles as improvements to ICE vehicles were essentially exhausted.

4. Recent breakthroughs in battery technology, particularly in personal handheld devices has filtered down to electric vehicles, improving battery longevity, safety and environmental soundness.

5. Cost: it was simply too expensive to be economically viable to continue with the design study in the early nineties. 'Teething problems' such as the issue surrounding the safety of the battery pack used in the E1 could have been enough to simply rule out any further development in the immediate future.

6. BMW chose to place resource on the Clean Energy project, which saw the development of the Hydrogen 7, a car that burns hydrogen in an internal combustion engine where the only emission produced is water. This project has since been put on the back burner.

Regardless of what the reason or reasons may be, if anything is to be learned from this exercise, it is that when BMW make a commitment, they keep their word. In 1993 they wanted to improve mobility in every possible way. In 2015 they argue that:

"BMW i is a comprehensive and groundbreaking concept for sustainable mobility. It represents visionary electric vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design and a new definition of premium, defined by sustainability."

It is clear that this idea of improved mobility has transcended into present day BMWs and many parallels can be drawn between the E1 and the i3. Even if you do not get excited about electric vehicles like I do, it is exciting to think that possible design studies and concepts now may some day become reality for the driver. 

Here is to hoarding and finding old memorabilia that excites your inner geek, who knows what I will find next!

What We Know About the ALL NEW 7 Series

BMW have been keeping the ALL NEW 7 Series under wraps for some time now, but like all good publicists do, they have leaked certain features to tease us... Anticipation has been building as the Frankfurt Motor Show draws closer where the new 7 Series will be launched this September...

Traditionally the 7 Series has been the flagship model within the BMW range and Munich like to highlight their latest technology on this model. In 1980 BMW was the first company to integrate an on-board computer and temperature gauge into its cars. In 2001 BMW introduced its iDrive system on the E65 7 Series, a computer system used to control secondary functions within the car with one controller - a huge step forward in terms of in-car technology and interior ergonomics. On-board computers have been standard on newly-built cars for years and the iDrive system now common on all new BMW models has been replicated by many manufacturers, with Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar being notable examples. In other words, what is released on the 7 Series filters down through the range meaning that at some point in the future, anyone looking for an entry-level model can expect to see some of this technology.

Naturally, with each generation of 7 Series BMW are under immense pressure to out-do their own achievements, to introduce features that will inevitably become status-quo on future generations of automobile and to impress their critics and ultimately the customers who drive the car. The question is, what will the 2015 model bring to the the table for automotive technology? Understandably the company wish to maintain a certain amount of hush-hush surrounding these unique features but as the launch becomes imminent, BMW have released photographs which give away a few details. Allow me to illustrate...

Looking closely, past the vast 'swirls' designed to throw us, corona rings are visible and we can see the new headlight design wrapping around the front section of the car

Again in this photo we can see the wrap-round headlights not dissimilar from the 3/ 4 & X5 Models. The model shown in these photographs is indeed the long wheelbase however we can see the newly designed C-pillar and sweeping roofline...

As mentioned before the 7 Series is synonymous with the iDrive system. In the next generation of the BMW 7 Series, the iDrive operating system’s monitor comes in Touch Display form for the first time. This means customers will also be able to operate the system in the same way as the smartphones and tablets that they have become used to.

The Touch technology is also featured on the centre console replacing buttons typically used for heated seats and air-conditioning.

In addition, the new 7 Series builds upon the existing Multi-function Instrument Panel Display with more detailed navigation information.

Thanks to the BMW EfficientLightweight strategy, the new BMW 7 Series line-up will tip the scales up to 130 kilograms lighter than the outgoing generation of models. At its heart is a body structure with a Carbon Core based on the transfer of technology from the development of the BMW i models.

The use of CFRP – whose material properties lend themselves to use in the passenger cell areas exposed to heavy loads – increases torsional rigidity and strength.

The new BMW 7 Series is the world’s first series-produced car that owners will be able to manoeuvre in or out of parking spaces or garages without anyone at the wheel. The remote control parking option thus allows drivers to access extremely tight parking spaces. Using the likewise newly developed BMW Display Key, the driver can prompt the car to enter or exit a parking space fully automatically.

Now we just have to wait for more details and the launch itself in September, which I am hugely excited about! :-) Photos thanks to BMW AG.

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A Very Short Introduction to BMW's First Electric Car - the 1602 Electric

Now that the BMW i3 is in its second year of production, where did BMW begin with their electric vehicle research? This short video by the Munich automakers reveals the origins of their present-day electric vehicles.