Munich , the capital of Bavaria, is the headquarters of the German automobile manufacturer BMW . Here, next to the Olympic Park, it has its museum and also the largest showroom called BMW Welt , where it also sells Rolls-Royce and Mini cars. The journey on the D5 and A93 highways takes approximately 3.5 hours (from Prague) and is 380 km long. The whole trip can be easily done in one day and you can combine the visit with the transport museum – Deutsches Muzeum Verkehrszentrum , which is also located in Munich near the center.
The dominant feature of the museum building is the concrete hemisphere, where the Rolls-Royce brand exhibition is located. On its roof, the BMW logo is visible only from the observation tower of the Olympic Park. You can see the first 4 exhibits in front of the cash desk. The cars on display change from time to time, currently there is a 3.3 Li sedan, an older type 502 and an interwar 335 . Right next to the cash desk is a study of the two-tone Turbo concept, which was presented at the Olympic Games and became a springboard for the construction of the M1 supercar. In addition, you can take pictures of some of the cars displayed on the lowest floor, where the exhibition of sports roadsters is located. Behind the entrance is a visualization made of balls, which gradually shapes the most famous silhouettes of BMW cars, from modern sedans to the bubble Isetta . There are also exhibits from the beginnings of the company, as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, motorcycles and subsequently cars . The motorcycles are all displayed behind a glass wall in four rows. Next to them, you will also see the first 3/15 type passenger car and van.
The next exhibition takes you to the department of development and production of bodywork and technical components, which is seamlessly followed by two exhibited single-seater formula cars and the historic aerodynamic special Superleggera . And since the museum is focused not only on cars and motorcycles, but also on the technical merits of the car company, an overview of the engine from the V10 for Formula 1, through the engine for the racing boat to the jet aircraft engine follows in the next room. All of them can be viewed really closely and their technique can be admired. The direction of the tour will eventually lead you to the footbridge above the ground floor and you will get a chance to take pictures of other roadster models. In addition, opposite you is one specimen of specially painted cars from the BMW Art series. The models from the 1970s, rather unhappily suspended above each other, follow.
However, everything is compensated immediately when you get to the room of row 3 . As it is the most important for the car company, it has a special place here. Its predecessor, the 1600 model, and the first E21 model stand side by side. The iconic E30 generation is here in two copies. A white convertible and a dark blue station wagon with all-wheel drive. Both of these body variants and the 4×4 drive premiered in the second generation. The popular E36 series is represented by a dark green coupe and a yellow short Compact model. The bright red E46 sedan completes the 3 series display. When you see all the cars together like this, you feel really sorry that most of the owners bought them in drab gray, silver or black. Very imaginative is the secondary presentation of the labels from the rear of the cars, which are hung at different heights according to the decade in which they were made. The 700 Coupé model, which today's fans rarely know, stands separately.
In the opposite room, you will have the opportunity to admire the one-track jewels once again, because this is where the racing motorcycles are located. Even BMW does not miss the opportunity to show us a development clay model, here specifically the BMW 3 Series E90 , a motorcycle and also a model of the interior. The floor under the model is glass and you have the opportunity to look through the glass roof into the interior of the Vision Efficientdynamics concept, which is located one floor below. As you can see, all the time the car company does not refrain from hinting at what else you can look forward to during the exhibition. The concept, which heralded the arrival of the i8 model, naturally takes pride of place in the room, surrounded by other ground-breaking types of cars and motorcycles, of which the beautiful blue 3.0 CSi coupe stands out. The side room reserved for itself a convertible prototype based on the 8 series coupe.
Then you find yourself with roadsters that you could already see from the cash registers. You can't miss the Z3 and Z8 models in the same shades in which they were etched in the memory of Bond viewers with Pierce Brosnan (by the way, his motorcycle from the Hong Kong rooftop chase is also in the museum). Next to them stands the ground-breaking Z1 with retractable doors, but the most attention-grabbing BMW 507 , from which the art of designer Albrecht von Goertz can still be felt today. The company also makes several pre-war convertibles. From them, you move to the Motorsport department, which does not deal with participation in the Dakar, but shows the most important circuit specials. The classic 2002 Ti sedan, the brutal "batmobile" 3.0 CSL with a massive bodykit, the 320 special from the E21 series, the DTM version of the popular M3 E30 and finally the special from the E46 series.
It is already clear to you that you are progressing to the golden nail of the museum. You have yet to see the 1500 sedan, but you can already see the hall of fame of the M series through the passage. It is very clever to display the motors by magnetic markers on the floor, which when stepped on will trigger the sound of the motor into the speakers. Too bad it's so quiet. But it just inevitably draws you to the cars that made BMW what it is for many fans to this day. The uncouth and still the only M1 supersport, the elegant original M635 CSi , the lightweight first generation M5 E28 , the iconic M3 E30 , the uncompromising M3 CSL E46 and the M Roadster . They are all beautiful, shiny and you want to jump into them. But for the longest time, everyone stares and takes pictures of the only king. The BMW M3 E30 is definitely the brand's most famous car, the most desirable, the most mystical, and when it's in bright red on BBS wheels, it's irresistible.
It is very difficult to leave the M sports division room. But if you manage to do it, you can see a bicycle or the side of a carbon fiber track car. Next is a room lit by beautiful retro chandeliers and just two cars in it, a cute BMW Isetta that saved the car company from bankruptcy in the 1950s and a beautiful orange 2002 Ti with additional headlights. Suddenly you have an urgent desire to be Björn Waldegaard and drive one of these around the Rally Monte Carlo special stages. After the last copies, you really don't want to take the spiral walkway back to the checkouts. Fortunately, there is still an exhibition of Rolls-Royce cars . The old Ghost , Silver Shadow , Silver Cloud and Corniche luxury limousines have an incredibly luxurious feel, although their equipment is less than that of today's city car. The end of the exhibition is dedicated to the modern Ghost , Wraith and Phantom types, and although they are still the height of luxury, it is very difficult to imagine members of the British royal family in them, unlike the old ones.
When you leave the museum building, you can walk over the footbridge to the modern BMW Welt building. In the curved front pavilion, BMW presents itself as an expanding and developing company. The main pavilion is focused directly as a BMW , Rolls-Royce and Mini car dealership. You can view all car models very closely, try out the seats and buy a number of branded souvenirs. It wasn't until I got to the dealership that I realized that it was the first X series I'd seen all day. But to be honest, I didn't miss them at all in the museum. I also got the great opportunity to compare the 3 Series GT and the 4 Series Gran Coupé live. Even if you stoned me, I still don't see much difference. The Mini exhibition was the most driver-oriented. Sports Cooper S and John Cooper Works models and a non-stop rush on the go-kart simulator. I was amused by the new Mini , which had "this is new" signs stuck all over the body (remember the Skoda Favorit commercial from 1993 ?).
Although I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the BMW brand, I literally sat on my… pelvic bone from the museum and had to admit that this car company has given us many cars that are fantastic. You may not like their current model range or the reputation of some BMW owners, but visit the museum anyway. It's worth it.
Photo: Jan Růžička / Tuner #2
Author's album: Flickr
