The BMW M2 is on its way to our streets quite soon, bringing with it the promise of motoring nirvana. But it also brings with it the hopes and dreams of many young enthusiasts and will absolutely be the catalyst to many young enthusiasts to become interested in the BMW brand. The BMW M2 will be that car for many young people, the car that begins a lifelong love affair with the Bavarian brand. BMW has had many of these cars over its one hundred year history. Cars like the E30 M3 and E46 M3 have played their part in sparking a desire for the brand in the hearts of many enthusiasts.
There aren’t many brands that have had that effect on people. BMW has done a very good job at attracting a young audience with many of its cars, a young audience that stays committed to the brand, regardless of how it changes, because of the feelings first felt about that first BMW. So which BMW did it for you, which car brought you over to the Bavarians and made you fall in love with the brand?
For me, it was a bit odd of a car. Many BMW enthusiasts will claim the E46 M3 or even the E30 M3, but the truth of the matter is that it’s rarely a car like that, that sparks a passion. Most people aren’t aware of the importance of those cars before getting into the brand, so it’s usually a car that someone’s parents had or a car that they saw on TV that sparks the initial interest. For me, it was the E38 BMW 7 Series in the movie “The Transporter”.
Looking back, the movie is corny and ridiculous, though I still love the driving scenes. There was something about watching Jason Statham pilot his black on black, six-speed manual E38 7 Series through narrow French streets. The car was so cool looking, so luxurious and so powerful, but it still had this elegance to the way it handled. It was still nimble and dynamic, despite its size and luxury. That told me something about the BMW brand, whether it was movie magic or not. It told me that, regardless of the style of car, BMW always made great handling machines, cars that could drive better than any other.
Ever since then, I’ve been interested in BMWs. I’ve studied the brand’s history, read everything I could about every new car, bought the first one I could afford and have been in love with it ever since. No one but us BMW enthusiasts understand the passion for the brand. My BMW is old, beaten and battered, with enough miles on it to have driven around the world almost 10 times. But no matter how tired and how beaten down it is, I’ll still love the damn thing.
That’s a love affair with a brand and with a car. BMW is able to capture that passion more than most brands could even hope to. So what’s the car that started it all for you?
