What Started Your Passion For BMW?

[MalibuM3]

Same here. Just having my driver‘s license for a few months, I traded in my first car (VW) for my RWD BMW E30. Back in 1994 owning a 1986 E30 in decent shape was a thing, especially in a small town with young folks driving around mostly in boring econo sh*tboxes. I have learned a lot about driving physics during my ownership. I have hit the ditch multiple times.
To be honest, I have lost connection with BMW during the Bangle era because of the quirky design and didn‘t like their interior design and quality until the G20 has been launched back in 2018.

[RM7]

Well, E9x and E6x mostly got me interested after driving them, but when it came around to it and I got an Fx, I was fairly disappointed in the driving dynamics. They'd watered them down significantly with the F. Some of their stuff has been in consideration for my recent purchases, like possibly an M2, but when it comes down to it they lose out for various reasons...mostly because they've gotten away from the dynamics.

[fmzip]

Back in 1990 when BMW came out with the 850, I was 24 at the time. It was my dream car, love at first sight. Lines were perfect, massive V12, total droolfest.




Fast forward 32 years and several BMW's in between (E36,E46,E39) I now own an M850i. Never in a million years would I had thought this dream would become a reality. Extremely grateful to say the least!



Prior to this although I loved my twinscrew supercharge E46, the E39 530 sport was the best sedan. Drove that car 240K miles as pictured below

[jmg]

Originally Posted by fmzip

Back in 1990 when BMW came out with the 850, I was 24 at the time. It was my dream car, love at first sight. Lines were perfect, massive V12, total droolfest.




Fast forward 32 years and several BMW's in between (E36,E46,E39) I now own an M850i. Never in a million years would I had thought this dream would become a reality. Extremely grateful to say the least!



Prior to this although I loved my twinscrew supercharge E46, the E39 530 sport was the best sedan. Drove that car 240K miles as pictured below

I was basically an office errand boy just out of college and my boss had a red 8 series just like that one. It was the late 90's towards the end of the 8 series run, but I had never seen one in person. My jaw hit the floor when he pulled up in it. I can honestly say it was very motivating to have a goal to be able to afford a new BMW one day. The i8 came out and I thought that it would be my only chance to get a "8" series. I came very close to getting one but in the end it was just too difficult to get in and out, as cool as the doors were. The current 8 series looks great, but it will probably have to wait until my track itch has been scratched and I can afford both a track car and nice touring car!

If they ever bring back pop-up headlights though, I might have to sell a kidney for an M850i or M8!

[fmzip]

Originally Posted by jmg

If they ever bring back pop-up headlights though, I might have to sell a kidney for an M850i or M8!

Those pop up headlights were killer! Great story

[Llarry]

Mine originally dates back to 1962-63, when as a callow youth I was exposed to Road & Track magazine. Porsche! Ferrari! Aston-Martin! And this little sort of unassuming German make BMW. That planted the seed.

Fast forward to 1974 and I was stationed in Taiwan by the Navy and could buy a Euro-spec car at duty-free prices. A 2002 at US$5,200 was really too much for a young sailor to afford, but I dreamed.

A series of Japanese-brand cars ensued, culminating in a Acura Legend in 1990 -- what I would describe as my first reasonably upscale car. In 1994 I was about to be remarried to a woman who had a minivan and thought that now is the time to get something sporty. Say, a 300ZX. But BMWs had traction control for better winter capability. I bought a 1994 325is 5-speed with sport package and was hooked. In late 2021 I bought my tenth new BMW, which I love.

[Soul Coughing]

My father bought a new black 1998 BMW E39 528i when I was a kid. It was his first luxury car. I will never forget the smell and feeling being in the car as a 15 year old. It was so smooth on the highway, handled well, and the inline 6 sounded so good, even with a 4 speed slush box. The love of BMW started there and continues today!

[Socal_R8]

I blame Speed Racer....as someone who was born in the 70's, watching Speed Racer everyday ingrained a deep love of cars in my tiny little head...
I've been obsessed with cars ever since

[KRS_SN]

I had a Toyota rav4 and a vw golf in 2012. A neighbour was raving about his 320d and how Toyota and vw were nothing against the bimmer etc.
I traded the Toyota for a 320d and wow!
Since then a succession of them currently a g05 x5 and f15 x5.

[eire42]

For me it’s been either Audi or BMW and BMW has been the outright winner for me the last 3 purchases. I’m fortunate that I currently have my dream car, an M5 Competition. But 3 years are almost up and I have an Alpina B8 about to cross the Atlantic. Fun times!

[baege]

when i was a teenager, my boss at my first job at a grocery store was a cool young dude and he drove a beautiful 320i manual

that planted the seed of a BMW being something to aspire to

the first time he took me for a spin I was hooked on the driving experience, when he upgraded to a 635csi coupe and took a ramp at high speed, I was even more hooked

I've only had 3 bmw's (out of 20 plus cars), 2007 E86 Si manual, 2018 M240ixdrive and 2020 M2 Competition manual, but the cars definitely speak to me.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Onesie

I don’t remember exactly what started it.
But I can tell you what ended it…

F30?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Onesie

I don’t remember exactly what started it.
But I can tell you what ended it…

I know what would restart my passion for BMW...

A Retromod E30.

No TV screen. No mouse. No driver aid crap. No turbo(s). Quad setup of Hella H4/H1 glass-globes. Semi-Sharknose. Forward-folding hood. Big greenhouse with big windows. Big properly-placed mirrors. Manual/RWD. N52 drivetrain. Exact copy of the dashboard.

Okay, dream over.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Onesie

No, it wasn’t you…

Open their website and find out…

All kinds of UGLY...

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by SoCal_NSX

I blame Speed Racer....as someone who was born in the 70's, watching Speed Racer everyday ingrained a deep love of cars in my tiny little head...
I've been obsessed with cars ever since

I think mine started right around this time too. I think it certainly cemented my love for cars.

[Bking60]

A 13 yr old friend stole his aunt's 1973 5 series and drove it aggressively. I had only been in station wagons and VWs before that. Awesome.

[Jbrown7403]

I think it started with this poster on my bedroom wall back in the early 80s (probably purchased at Spencer’s gifts at the shopping mall

[fmzip]

Originally Posted by Jbrown7403

I think it started with this poster on my bedroom wall back in the early 80s (probably purchased at Spencer’s gifts at the shopping mall

I remember flipping through the poster rack back in the day!

[chassis]

Originally Posted by Jbrown7403

I think it started with this poster on my bedroom wall back in the early 80s (probably purchased at Spencer’s gifts at the shopping mall

Yep the M1 is in my personal early BMW story as well. Saw one in Munich in the early 1980s. It amazed me, as did every 911 I saw at that time.

[Coconut]

I was never into BMW’s and I’m still not. It was the culmination of BMW finally having a gem of an engine with its B58, reliable 8ZF transmission, smaller size and acceptable interior design that I found myself getting a G42 2023 M240xi.

[Suvorovo]

My friend had a bunch of BMWs, helped him work on some. I really liked how technical BMWs are and what they need in maintenance to run properly and be excellent cars. I do a lot of trouble shooting at work. I guess I'll do some more of that as a hobby.

No passion, I just love the DIY community, availability of information/software and parts. Where else can you get over 300 horsepower for 10-20k? Not willing to spend the big bucks on a Porche/M3/AMG. American muscle cars look like they're out of a toy box. What's the point of a big V8 when it has to move 4000+ pounds?

[erickonphoenix]

I worked at an indy shop where we worked on VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsches. My favorite was the Porsches but I was a junior tech so never got to work on those much. Typically I was relegated to the VWs and the Audi's but occasionally I got to work on a BMW and that was always a treat.

I promised myself I'd get one when I could afford it, I'm on my fourth one.