P64
Interview
BMW MOTORRAD CEO DR. MARKUS SCHRAMM
and we are very successful
in terms of managing the split
between manufacturing any given
model ourselves, or offshore.
Don't forget the engine in the new
F 850 GS is produced in China
already by Loncin, and they also
produce the scooters in their en-
tirety. We are very happy with our
cooperation with them, and with
TVS in India. I think the balance
is always important to find—it's
not necessary to do everything
offshore to get a competitively
priced model built to our exacting
standards of quality.
Do you foresee making M-
versions of the F 850 platform,
to give extra prestige and per-
formance to the middleweight
sector?
We have announced that we
will have an M-package for the S
1000 RR, and I can tell you now
we are not doing this only for one
segment! There will be others—
although that wasn't the plan five
months ago [when he took over
as CEO—Ed]. So, we not only
made a very quick decision, we
also introduced it technically-
wise very quickly, so that we
have available the M-package
with M-options and M-Perfor-
mance Parts for the launch of the
new S 1000 RR. Then after this
we will expand the M-concept
step-by-step—as I said, we won't
do this just for one package, or
one model.
A high-performance ver-
sion of the M-concept applied
to the middleweight 850cc
segment, would be to make
a supercharged Kompressor
version giving maximum per-
formance in the middleweight
segment, combined with light
weight. The Kompressor con-
cept is very much a key part of
BMW's traditions, which you
allowed Kawasaki to steal from
you! We've heard rumors from
time to time about a modern
Kompressor BMW, but never
seen any such product. Is this
something that BMW is looking
at?
No, sorry. We are not con-
sidering a Kompressor model. I
think we are not lacking power
in our engines, so that is a clear
I'm convinced
that the next
generation
of battery
technology,
which is due
around 2021,
will result in
many more
real-world EV
products for
customers,
and we are
therefore in a
good position
at BMW."
