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BMW M Eyes Standalone Models

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In the world of performance luxury automobiles, the old saying holds as true as anywhere. BMW’s M division burst onto the scene in the late 70s with the Lamborgini-built M1 which was followed by the first performance-derivative road car, the M535i. The rest is history.

Not long after M cars started selling in droves, Mercedes-Benz tuner AMG was made into an official sub-brand by the three-pointed star, and then came Audi Quattro GMBH and more alphabet soup.

Now that AMG has released the GT, the shoe is on the other foot. Don’t expect M to back down when challenged by the cross-town rival.

A Matter of Lineage

If you’re asking “AMG-GT, so what?” the importance of AMG’s new pointy pony car is that it’s not based on anything Mercedes currently builds. Traditionally, M cars have been based on existing models.

Giving M free reign to build whatever they want is, ahem, intriguing to say the least. The last time that happened, we got the M1.

You might be expecting a halo car then. It makes sense that a division like M would want to produce something all-conquering given carte blanche, but that doesn’t sound like the plan to hear M boss Markus Flasch tell it. He says that hypercars are costly design exercises without much ROI.

BMW-faithful will recognize the 2002 and CSL concept cars the company has turned out in recent years, and it sounds like these are closer to what we could see from M as a standalone model.

A modern-day take on the 2002, for example, would probably get the attention of more than a few enthusiasts. Actually, just please build the concept car, M. Thank you.

Return to M-ness

It makes sense that in the age of numb electronic steering and lane-departure warnings, what every consumer wants from an M car is not the same.

We believe this move could enable M to create something truly raw once again. A car for the enthusiast who refuses to embrace paddle shifters, even if they are faster. A car that doesn’t have to compromise.

M cars have always been about conviction. But to build an E30 M3 today would never sit well with consumers. Hence, we have an M3 that delivers outstanding performance, gobs of power and lavish interior appointments, but it is a compromise.

It’s not the “race car for the road” of generations past. More a road car on steroids.

What M will choose to do, we cannot say. This entire thing could be a farce. One model or five might be built. But we want to believe that a standalone M car might do away with some of the fluff that’s been piled onto current M models and deliver a return to basics.

With, for example, a clutch pedal and no rev-matching feature perhaps. Or at least the option to disable it (we’re looking at you, M2).

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Testing Autonomous Cars With Motion-Sickness Tech

While safety is the number one concern of those working on autonomous cars, there’s another hurdle that self-driving car engineers are working on — alleviating motion sickness. The German automotive company, Volkswagen, is taking necessary steps to address the potential issues of self-driving cars causing passengers to become nauseous.

Maybe you haven’t thought about motion sickness as an issue when riding in an autonomous vehicle, but if you give it some more thought, it makes sense.

Have you ever felt nauseous riding shotgun after looking down at your phone for an extended period of time? It’s the same principle here. When the body can’t anticipate change in speed and/or direction and take time to make necessary adaptations, the result can be a queasy feeling, or worse.

Drivers can more readily adapt their bodies to avoid motion sickness while driving, but if no one is driving, that’s one more person in the car who is susceptible to feeling nauseous.

Research Now, Enact Later

Though our favorite BMW engineers are working towards a fully autonomous vehicle, the mainstream reveal of fully autonomous vehicles is still at least a decade away. One of the biggest hurdles will be legislation after the technology fully rolls out. However, VW is thinking ahead and working to prevent nausea from putting a barrier between people and self-driving cars.

So how are they doing this? VW is performing tests by having passengers watch a video on a tablet while a car takes a 20-minute drive around a track. The passenger is connected to sensors that detect changes in heart rate, skin temperature and changes in skin tone.

These test subjects say they didn’t think they were particularly sensitive to motion sickness in the past, but they admitted to feeling the effects of it after only a few minutes of watching the video on the tablet while the car moved.

Researchers are exploring the potential of using adjustable seats that can react to driving changes. Another thought would be to install an LED light strip on the door panel that illuminates in green and red, which would provide a visual cue for the passenger to expect braking or acceleration.

Forward Thinking

While these early tests and studies are helpful, they will only pave the way for more thorough, in-depth experiments. For example, Jaguar has already begun some research into autonomous motion-sickness tech, too. Perhaps we’ll see Bimmers with this technology in the near future!

Even with the mainstream future of self-driving cars a decade away, we might eventually thank VW for developing anti-sickness tech for our favorite German cars.

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5 Tips for Nailing Your First Summer Project Car

The weather is warm, the sun is shining, school is out, and that all means one thing. Summer is officially here, and that means it’s the perfect time to start a new car project. If this summer is going to showcase your first project car, here are some tips and tricks to help you nail your first summer project car.

1. Beware of Rust

If you’re looking for a budget project car, remember one golden rule: beware of rust. You may find a spot or two here and there — it happens with older cars, no matter how well they’re taken care of — but don’t take on a tremendous rust restoration job as your first project.

It’ll cost you a ton of money and chances are high that you’ll give up half-way through because it’s too much for a beginner to handle. Plus, if you pick up a project car that’s got rust on the frame, you might as well take it to the junkyard. Beware of rust when choosing your new project.

2. Stick To Your Budget

Project cars aren’t cheap but that doesn’t mean you should mortgage your house to rebuild your project — unless you’re planning on living in it, and we don’t recommend that. Set yourself a budget — either monthly or per paycheck, whatever works best for you. — and stick to it, within reason.

If the part you need is on sale and it’s a little bit over your budget for the period, feel free to buy it, especially if the price will be back to normal by the time your budget resets. For the most part, though, stick to your budget and don’t empty the bank trying to rebuild your summer project car.

3. Choose an Easy Build

Don’t pick the most complicated — or the newest — car to restore for your summer project. A lot of more modern cars rely on computers and advanced electronics that it seems like you need a degree in electrical engineering to figure out. Start with something simple, like:

  • Scion xB – The exterior is kind of goofy looking, but the engine is easy to work on and easy to boost.
  • Lexus SC 300 — You can pick up a used early to mid-90s Lexus for less than $7,000, and they’re fantastic beginner resto cars.
  • Any Honda Civic — There are so many aftermarket parts for the Honda Civic that you won’t even know where to start.

Start with something easy and work your way up to the more complicated projects as you gain experience and confidence.

4. Make a Plan

Now that you’ve got your project car on-hand, it’s time to start planning out your project. What do you want to do first — get it running, modify the engine, or improve the exterior?

Write out the big steps first, then break each of these down into smaller projects. If you want to get it running, for example, the first thing you need to do is figure out why it’s not.

5. Don’t Just Bolt Things On

We mentioned bolt-ons for the Honda Civic and while the parts might fit that doesn’t mean you should just start bolting on every add-on that crosses your path.

There’s no guarantee that your stock engine will survive the extra power of a supercharger or turbo, even if you install it correctly. Work up to major power modifications slowly, and make sure that you aren’t going to blow up your engine the first time you rev it up.

Don’t Rush, and Enjoy Yourself

Don’t rush through your project car this summer, especially if it’s the first one you’ve ever done. Enjoy it, because while you may work on new projects over the years, you will never work on your very first summer project car ever again.

The Ultimate BMW Forum