BMW sticks to F1

SUPERCARS and people-movers are off the menu at BMW. It says it is more focused on Formula One than creating a road-going supercar. And family vans are not part of its core business.

Even so, expect changes as the German carmaker works hard to take the attack to its main rival, Mercedes-Benz.

BMW board member and product chief Burkhard Goschel says the company will be doing some product tweaking for showrooms.

"We have talked about a so-called room-functional concept, which is not a people-mover but a car with a lot of viability and space," Goschel says.

"The new X5, which is going on to the market soon, will have an optional seven seats, but a people-mover is not our business."

Though the X5 is getting additions to its arsenal for a battle with the Mercedes-Benz ML, GL and R-Class wagons, BMW is opting out of the supercar war, focusing instead on its F1 campaign to promote the brand.

BMW will maintain its M-car efforts, but it will not produce high-end supercars such as the Mercedes McLaren SLR and Bugatti Veyron.

The company is not ruling out a replacement for the limited-edition Z8 roadster, which starred as a James Bond car, but Goschel says the supercar market had been over-estimated and (tongue in cheek) says the company already has a supercar.

"We have a very good sports car. It is becoming successful and it has only one seat. We are spending a lot of money for three drivers," he says.

"There are a lot of high-end sports cars and in our opinion there are too many.

"They are losing money. It's not a profitable business.

"We feel very comfortable with going F1 racing and with the other sports cars we are building."

He admits BMW might have a different attitude if it were not in Formula One.

"You don't see a supercar every day but you see the F1 cars every two weeks," he says.

The company's engineers are also being put to the test in the environmental area, and they are aiming to introduce brake energy recovery technology next year.

Goschel believes hydrogen-fuel cell cars, including the hydrogen-petrol internal combustion engine, are the right way to go, but he says the issue of hydrogen storage remains critical.

"It's difficult. It takes time to change the system. We are working strongly on hydrogen-fuel cells. It will grow up, but how fast I don't know.

"The issue is storing hydrogen. You need about 10kg for a good range. It should be in liquid form but some issues over storage in cars has to be solved," he says.