The Targa Top actually stems from the idea of the E64 Cabrio especially in it's unique butress design allowing a flat vertical window which can be lowered. The Targa of the new 6er Coupe uses the same idea but the rear glasshouse from the quarter lights to the rear windscreen are all one piece. The roof forms the butress and floats on the glasshouse - The closest example I can use would be the Ferrari 599 for the idea with the Hoffmeister kink cut out on the C-pillar . The Targa is a complete glass roof section that splits and slides backwards over the rear screen so the entire centre of the car is open to the elements. it actually looks impressive and could follow through to production. The top has been patented for future use. Additional targa ideas are in plan for the 1er and 3er. I see you went back to look at old posts , recommended to recent new members so you can actually see what has come true , I would not be doing this if I was bullshitting you. If you look at the old posts I believe from 2005 , the Beginning of the GT or as it was known RFK and you can see how that project has progressed since it's conception , an idea is one thing but to make it a reality it has to go through a refinement process it is the same for every car and every manufacturer. Z8 replacement was axed because BMW invested in the development of it's new platform formula that begun with the F01 and of course "Efficient Dynamics". Today "Efficient Dynamics" generates much more profit than a one off supercar would have done . At the end of the day we are a business and we have to make money , plus Efficient Dynamics is of benefit to the consumer. If you look at the X6 statement I made , I believe 2006 you can see it all the Twin Turbo V8 , Hybrid and course M Variant. The terms "Desert" and "Ice" are simply used to describe interior and exterior Concepts and if you look we offer Vermillion Red that is as red as a sun set or a leather that looks like the golden sands of Namibia. The new 5er F10 exterior and interior trims were supplied from the business world , the exterior like a perfectly tailored suit and the interior like a modern or classic office environment. When you see the color and trim people present their ideas there is a lot of ideas on the board , suit fabrics , high tech or classic work environments it is their definition on where to take the concept to communicate their ideas and thoughts. And it works... 6er does not need an MPV , There is a 6er Sport Activity Coupe it is called the "X6". and as for a front wheel drive 6er ? The only FWD will be variant of the City car which takes it's concept from the i-Setta and the BMW Z13 and these will be BMW Sub-Brand models. 1 through 7 remain RWD now and for the future. I should point out that these 6er ideas were suggested after the establishment of the current E63 in the market. Although some ideas have evaporated and placed on hiatus since the economic downturn.
Just to make it clear... it's still April 1st over here in California, so my acronym definition for Targa was pure fiction. Thank you Betty for the quick history lesson. Very informative! As for the purpose of a targa top.. I imagine it might have been created to offer a similar experience to a convertible/cabriolet without the extensive re-engineering required to tuck-away the entire roof. That's just a guess though...
Now that you mention it, this is what Wikipedia has to say about a Targa: Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The rear window can be fixed or removable, making it a convertible-type vehicle. In common usage, any piece of metal or trim which rises up from the side of a car and continues in an uninterrupted line over the roof and down the other side may be called a targa band, targa bar or a wrapover band. Targa tops are different from T-tops, which have a solid, non-removable bar running between the top of the windscreen and the rear roll-bar. The word targa first came into use from the 1965 Porsche 911 Targa Looks like the info in the Porsche museum is correct according to Wikipedia Because for the 911, imo, it's the best looking version. Maybe a 6er Targa ends up being better looking than the coupé as well. Never understood why they don't make a Targa Turbo. Would be so cool... Anyways...just look at it: :icondrool:icondrool Nice one :t-cheers:
But it was 7 minutes past midday when you posted that, which where I come from is 7 minutes too late. Not sure about the first Targa, but for the Porsche 911 Targa it was to get around predicted safety regualtions in the U.S. which never came.
Yeah, that may be so, but not everything revolves around you. So that means I wasn't too late. That's fairly interesting..and it makes sense with the lack of popularity for Targa's compared to Convertibles/Cabrio's these days. But with this new trend of flexible modular chassis, and creating as many viable variants from one core model, having a coupe, soft-top convertible, hard-top convertible, targa top, 4-door coupe, station wagon, Grand Tourer, SAV, SAC, roadster and a shooting brake all off one modular chassis may be the most profitable way to go. :t-hands:
Well, not really revolving around me but I presume being Australian you would abide by the "midday" rule. It seems you've truly become American by ignoring this.
NAH, I won't be fooled again like the old days. X4, Z2, new Z8, new Z3, X2, etc etc. This is nothing more than an attempt to create maximum discussion = publicity. Half of them will never see the light of day. In fact the next 6er could be only the coupe and convertible.
I don't agree that there will only be a coupe and a convertible, but there are a few things in here that I will believe when I see them. The M6 GTS for one.
I hope SCOTT posts the April update this weekend as he told us, to see what´s comming from the next 6er range, I´m particulary interested in the 6er Gran Coupe and the price it will be soild for, to see if it will compete against the CLS or will be a class above.
Ditto. I bought my 645Ci sight unseen, and I knew I would love it. Starving for info, photos about the next gen 6er...
Are there any performance specifics you can share with us at this point about the engine? There has been a lot of speculation about it but it would be nice to hear some facts.
I'm quoting myself, how lame is that? Scott: please, any news on the M 50 D? Or any other performance diesel besides the x35d you can get from your local dealer?
