Susanne Klatten owns 12.5% of BMW, is the 68th richest woman in the world, and the richest woman in Germany. So why is she headline news this week? Apparently Ms. Klatten, pictured above, has learned a difficult personal and business lesson: don’t become a victim of blackmail.

The whole incident does bring up a good point, which is how does a wealthy auto executive stay clear of drama and sketchy affairs? No doubt she’s hired a crisis management consultant. She is probably in the right to be coming out and exposing the embarrassing affair. It does make one wonder just how many executives in her position stand to lose or may make decisions based on blackmailer by elicit lovers or poor business partnerships.

All the worse is that a regularly private person is now put on public scrutiny.

(more…)

If you head down to your local Department of Economic Security, High School, or even Barnes & Noble bookseller, you will find a great many references to career descriptions ranging from fire fighter to nurse practitioner. But for a lucky few people in the world, with incredible drive and passion, there exists no article in those books. I’m talking about the career of race car driver. 

One might imagine the life of a racing driver to be one of great excitement, riches, and even sex appeal. But that is not the case for everyone who enters the field of auto racing.

Enter James Hunt. (more…)

While we normally don’t report on new product announcement, the BMW M3 Convertible stands to be the best car BMW has released in the last few years. It’s a powerful combination of powertrain and luxury sportscar handling. It’s also one of the more restrained car designs from BMW in the last 5 years, which we warmly welcome. Hopefully BMW will let BeyondtheKM drive one soon so we can give you the full scoop!

(more…)

No, it’s not April 1st. BMW’s engineers have done something seen only in Back to the Future: using pollution to fuel a car. Looking nothing like a modified DeLorean, the modified BMW 7 series has the ability to consume pollutants that typically occur in in their Hydrogen 7 model. The Hydrogen 7 model normal creates little pollution because the main resultant is water.
(more…)

The latest innovation to stop foul play on the street

BMW has announced the first details of the new Canine Repellent Alloy Protection system. Designed to stop dogs fouling against the sparkling alloys of new BMW cars, the innovative Canine Repellent Alloy Protection system (C.R.A.P.) is the latest offering in the BMW EfficientDynamics programme.

(more…)

British Justice? BMW Official Speeds, Lies, Taxpayers Pay.

BMW boss jailed over speeding charge lie

Thomas Moser, the finance director of the BMW-owned Mini factory in Oxford, has been jailed for six weeks for lying to police after being clocked speeding at 101 mph.

Moser (48) was given three opportunities to change his story, but declined. He was consequently jailed for perjury after claiming falsely that his 19-year-old son had been driving the Mini at twice the 50 mph speed limit.
He is the latest in a growing number of motorists who try to illegally ‘swap points’ to keep their licences clean or escape a ban.
(more…)

Enjoy!

The new Tii reminds us of yesteryear.

It is easy to be critical of BMW in recent years, with the “Bangle Butt” from the 7 to the flared side panels on the Z4. Then there’s iDrive. A much needed concept, but originally flawed in so many ways. BeyondtheKM.com has long been critical of these design ideas, in part because they pay too little attention to past design, and in part because they are going to “mainstream” and “un-Teutonic” with their designs. Recent designs are too radically changed.

(more…)

So BMW USA announced today that one of the famed “3 Tenors”, Pacido Domingo, is getting a free ride in the new BMW Hydrogen 7. It’s unclear why BMW has chosen him for their latest pro-Hydrogen alternative fuel advertising. Will Britney Spears be next? Maybe she will find it an easier time to strap her children into the car seats of a 7…

From BMW’s illustrious Press Group (we will try to dig up a picture)

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – October 2, 2007… World-renowned opera singer-conductor Placido Domingo will be given the keys to a BMW Hydrogen 7 – the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan – for his everyday use, BMW announced today. Widely regarded as the greatest operatic artist of modern times, Domingo joins several other preeminent figures in entertainment, government, the environment and more, as the latest person to drive the BMW Hydrogen 7 on U.S. roadways as a part of the BMW Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program, designed to help the company in its mission to build widespread support of hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
(more…)

For your weekend enjoyment:

While reading an article from LeftLane News, we got quite a laugh after learning that many of America’s youth (the young-ish looking people with tattoos and iPods stuck to their ears) don’t recognize the Land Rover brand as British, nor do they recogize a competing brand, Lexus, as Japanese!

The article follows:

“58.4 percent of U.S. college students surveyed by Anderson Analytics believe Land Rover is an American brand. Only 18.5 percent of respondents correctly identified the marque as British.

(more…)

Few carmakers enjoy the kind of brand loyalty that BMW enjoys. BMW has been in the states since 1975. Since that time, the cars have evolved and have set themselves apart and technology innovators.

BMW has come under criticism during the tenure of chief designer Chris Bangle. This tenure has been the single biggest disgrace to BMW since 1975. That’s not to say that every vehicle since his arrival has been terrible. The E46 3 series was a solid and non-revolutionary design. But in 2002, he introduced the most radical change ever seen at BMW. The 2002 7 series was criticized roundly as being ugly in the front and absolutely hideous in the back. So bad was this design that it has since been labeled the “Bangle Butt”. The latest 7 series is less drastic, but the influence of Bangle remains clear.

Most recently this influence can been seen in the redesigned BMW 3 series. Oddly, the redesign didn’t just cover the exterior of the car but the interior as well. We drove the 2007 BMW 328i and found it to be a well engineered, if painfully redesigned automobile.
(more…)