German Car Zone

lol !

Re: Preview: 2009 BMW four-door GT - Today, 09:20 AM
Hi! Long-time lurker, first-time poster! I've really enjoyed many threads, especially when Eni and Scott toss in a few morsel of info just to whet our appetites.

Regarding the GT, I have few questions:
1) I remember BMWUSA's chief Jim O'Donnell(?) mentioning that the release of the new 7er will take a hit because of the current financial 'downturn' (if that's not an understatement, I don't know what is!). How does that affect the development and timeline for milestones for the new GT? Granted it'll probably priced at a higher strata than the 7er and those with money will still have money for toys, but I'm sure that'll definitely play into the minds of development and marketing team. I've tried to dig up the article where O'donnell talks about his concerns, but to no avail.
2) When are we going to see some prototypes cruising around?
Which leads to my next question...
3) At what stage of development is the project currently in?

Even though being able to own this car is a pipe dream for me, I would love to see this materialize since it's one of my favorite designs to come out Munich in awhile, and the fact that Gerard Richter is helming this project says so much of the expected driving dynamics.

While these questions are really directed to Bimmer insiders (Scott/Eni...wink, wink), if anybody has any insight, it'd be appreciated.

~HF_fan

Sounds like a spy from the competition to me??? First post and want to know development stage??? Maybe im cynical…

'Spy from the competition'?? Aren't you guys taking posts on this forum a bit too seriously. LOL. Besides, i doubt Scott/Eni have or can give out the kind of information the 'competition' REALLY NEEDS. lol

Haha! No, not quite, even though I am getting rather close to double-O status, i'm pretty horrible at poker, and my drink of choice is either a beer or single-malt scotch, and not shaken martini

All kidding aside, no, I am not a spy. It would be rather naive of me to think Eni/Scott would spill the beans on this or any other future projects. I'm not interested in trade secrets from Eni or Scott because that would cost them their respective necks, and we'd potentially lose rather valuable members from this community. If my questions are asking for something potentially sensitive, I'm sure Eni and Scott have the good sense not to answer or just answer what they can. If they cannot answer at all, well, they won't.

But I am curious as a car enthusiast. I did not realize that I would have to defend my character or intent, but I do understand yours or anybody's reluctance cynicism, etc. Now why would a longtime observer ("lurker" just sounds a bit devious, doesn't it?) suddenly pose a question? Well, I'm busy and my time is of great value to me. I figured if I have something worthy to ask and contribute, I would post. Up until now, I figured this to be the first worthy question. I rather my posts contain something of worth or substance, otherwise why should I post at all if what I contribute will not lead to a meaningful discussion. It's just a waste of time on my part as well as others. Now explicitly inferring that I'm a spy, well, that's your perogative. If there's a hazing/paddling ceremony that I missed, well please point me towards the correct direction.

A bit of playful sarcasm from me near the end there, but there's no way I can prove or disprove that i am a "wolf in sheep's clothes" to you.

Now, after that lengthy dissertation of myself and my intent, regarding the GT, I absolutely love the lines, inside and out, of this vehicle and am curious to know the status. It reminds me of the aggressive look that harks back to the 6er E24, esp. with it's shark nose. When I was kid, my dad got a model of an E24 from his business trip to Germany, and I've loved BMWs since then. It has been pretty quiet on the GT front even though BMW has prototypes of the 5er and the F5 (progressive sedan) that are tooling round town, but nothing of the GT/8er. Since this is supposedly the new flagship in the line-up, i can't help but not be curious how BMW responds to the current financial situation. I mean, the new 7er looks so good on paper and in pics, that it could still carry the flagship mantle well enough, but this car as well as the new 7er set the tone for the next wave in BMW.

And speaking of the 6er, where does the next generation 6er (F13?) come into play relative to the GT/8er in the Bimmer line-up? Will it be akin to how MB positions the new E-class coupe to the CL?

HF, it's all good and i don't think you should take ghusheshe's post too seriously...

I'm also sure EnI or SCOTT will soon give you some reply.

:d

Haha! Yeah, i was debating if he was somewhat serious or not. If he was kidding, well, i think i have egg on my face! Sometimes you just can't discern tones/inflections on a message board. That being said, can't wait for their response!

Cheers!
~HF_fan

LOL never mind me... its 32 degrees here in Cape Town... the sun is getting to my head.. I was kidding..

i doubt that BMW is going to build this car.... or anything too vulgar other than the 7 the 6 the X5 and the X6. IF they didnt come out with the CSL M3, then why would they produce a car thats even more irresponsible (in terms of conservation). Correct me if Im mistaken, but i have a feeling the X6 isnt doing well in terms of sales.

I see them going far more "green" in the near future, with lighter more efficient vehicles...

Just my opinion, do you agree???

Plus I thought the four door coupe concept was a design study, that we find highly present in the 7 series...

Well, I think they became rather serious about producing this design study, especially since Herr Gerard Richter, the former head of BMW Motorsport, is supposedly at the helm based on articles I've read on various automotive blogs in the past. Just having that guy on board sets the bar for this car pretty high, and speaks rather highly about where BMW sees itself.

A side note: I, too, hope that BMW does return more to their roots in respect to designing lighter weight cars with smaller, efficient but potent powertrains. I was rather disappointed to find out that a US-spec 128i, the spiritual successor to the 2002, is 3252 lbs. For the sake of perspective, a 328i is 3340 lbs., for a difference of about 90 lbs! I am pretty confident that "Efficient Dynamics" is not a gimmick amongst the current engineers, but the mantra that permeates throughout the entire line-up. Something along the lines of a modern E9 3.0 CS would be so lovely. Hell, I'd take the risk of a subprime loan just to get that! But I would also love to see a Bimmer with the exterior and interior along the lines of the CS Concept. I swear, i stared at the lines of that machine for hours on end when photos of it were released in 2007. I was truly enamored.

http://l.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.co...ept_cs_1_x.jpg