40 BMWcar
FAVOURITE BMWS
W
e all love to dream,
and car enthusiasts
are especially prone to
spending hours putting
together mental lists of
the cars they would buy if they won the
National Lottery.
Choosing just three cars from the
entirety of BMW’s model range is an all
but impossible job given the breadth of
vehicle types available. So, I’ve chosen
to look at the problem from the point of
view of choosing something interesting to
use as an everyday car, adding an exciting
vehicle for the weekend and, finally, a
fantasy pick which, essentially, would just
be a car to sit and marvel at.
For my ideal daily driver, I’d like a car
that’s big and comfortable, great for long
distances, capable under all road and
weather conditions, decently stylish in an
understated sort of way and, finally, has a
decent turn of speed when needed.
GREAT ALL-ROUNDER
I think the car that best fits these
requirements is the X5. My preference
is for the second generation, E70 and,
being a true enthusiast at heart, it would
have to be an X5M. The E70 built on the
already stylish and very successful E53,
that it replaced in 2006, but added an
attractive degree of ‘softness’ to the exterior
which I really like. It also comes from an
era before the BMW design gurus started
really messing around with the kidney grille,
which is another serious plus point in my
view. The interior was a big step-up over
the predecessor, too; much more functional
with a cleaner, contemporary feel.
I’ve never actually owned an SUV, but
have driven many over the years. What I
enjoy about this type of vehicle – apart
from the elevated driving position – is
the impression of solidity. The X5 is a
big car, of course, but it doesn’t seem as
enormous as, say, an Audi Q7, and isn’t so
‘in your face’ as the Porsche Cayenne. And
then there’s the engine!
The S63, 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 is an
absolute powerhouse, pumping out nearly
550hp and developing a stonking 502lb
ft of torque; outputs that, thanks to the
permanent four-wheel-drive, are sufficient
to push this hefty beast to 62mph in well
under five seconds.
I know the ride can be on the harsh
side of firm, and that fuel consumption
and emissions are scary, but I think the
X5M is the sort of car we all need to
experience while we still can. What’s
more, as we’re operating in a ‘money noobject’ environment, running costs are
inconsequential, right?WEEKEND SPECIAL
My second choice is the BMW Z8; could
there be a better car for a weekend,
B-road blast? With bodywork designed
by Henrik Fisker – who cut his teeth at
BMW before moving on to Ford and Aston
Martin, then to create his own electric
vehicle company – only just over 5,700
Z8s were built between 2000 and 2003.
It’s an extremely rare car in the UK,
and I’ve actually never come across one
out on the road. Although, with perhaps
just 100 now registered in the UK, that’s
hardly surprising. This gloriously-styled,
all-aluminium roadster is powered by
the same M62, five-litre V8 that did such
sterling work in the E39 M5, so has the
performance to match its film-star looks.
The Scott Lempert-designed interior of
the car is a novel delight. The combination
of body-coloured dash, centre console
and door panelling, contrasting, hand-
stitched leather and smooth, aluminium
controls is wonderful enough. But then
there’s the fact that all the instrumentation
is clustered together in a slightly angled,
central pod. Even the steering wheel is a
minimalistic masterclass in style, with itsChris Graham picks the
three BMWs that he’d
have in his garage, if
money was no object
My dream
garage
The E70 X5M; a no-
nonsense and extremely
capable daily-driver.