Wednesday, November 17, 2010

BMW World Singapore

"Discover the icons that have changed the automobile history. Glimpse the future with today's concept cars. Welcome the arrival of the most ground breaking technologies. Preview the latest lifestyle collection." - BMW

My trip to Singapore was made more worth it with the timing of the BMW World Singapore Expo at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The halls of the convention center was transformed into a world of BMW prestige through the years. Starting from their classics like the 8 series to this year's concept car the BMW Gina "Light Visionary". One may find himself dreaming. I did. Nevertheless, below are the machines I admired most at the show.

Outside the expo lobby you are already welcomed by several BMWs like this one. the 120i convertible is bringing summer to the streets. On day time the sun reflects across the hood's contour while at night, city lights rebound off its signature muscular profile. When the soft top is open, the focus shifts to the wide and elegant rear. When closed, the impact is compact and powerful.

Every BMW is a classic car in the making and I say classic is sexy and so is the 507! This is a beautiful car. It is well-proportioned, refined and visually harmonious. It is a shape of classic grace and timeless elegance manufactured between 1956-1959. The sassy roadster featured a V8 engine that can deliver an output power of 150hp and can reach the speed of 60mph in 10 seconds.

I'm a big fan of crossovers and SUVs! though not the head turner, the event was also the Asia premiere of the all new X3. Now this is a choice for a sharp-driving car that wears the right badge for school-run kudos. Some ability off-road should you need it that runs in excellent diesel engine. It has a 6-speed automatic, a strong 3.0 L, six-cylinder engine, and a nicer and more roomy interior than in past models. Looking at it already feels big, how much more when you hold the wheels!

Are you a free spirit? well i am, at least that's what I tell myself!lol Now open yourself to the joys of the Z4 roadster! The successor to the original Z3 is one of the more intriguing sports car available today. It features traditional characteristics such as a front-engine/rear-drive layout, a hunkered-down stance, a long hood and rearward positioning of driver and passenger. While the first Z4 featured a traditional soft top, the current Z4 model has a sleek retractable hardtop that makes this fun-loving roadster a more viable all-year car choice. The result is a grand touring coupe and roadster, and one of the most rounded sports cars money can buy.

A motorbike is not much of my choice for a daily transportation but i would say YES driving one of these on the road for try outs. The German marque well known for its automobiles actually has its roots in motorcycles. BMW's first motorcycle, the R32, debuted in 1923 and since then the company has been known for premium motorcycles that can go long distances with its recent offerings geared towards younger and faster riders.

The highlight of the show is the Gina, a fabric-skinned shape-shifting sports car concept built by the prestige BMW auto designers. The visionary model's outer skin, which is made entirely out of textile fabric that's pulled taut around a frame of metal and carbon fiber wires. The skeleton of the car is controlled by electro-hydraulic devices and can actually move and change shape beneath the fabric skin. For instance, the headlights of the concept can be exposed or hidden by the skin just like blinking eyes! and the hood opens from the center as the fabric parts to expose the engine. This futuristic design shows how BMW thinks outside of the box when it comes to the materials that make up a car and also how the car relates to the driver.

Hovering the show with my buddies Doyzkie, Reymond, and lovely couple Jill and Pio.