Munich Automobiles Service Centre

On the 18th December 2010 Munich Automobiles, the World’s first exclusive BMW M dealership, opened its own BMW Service Centre in the West of Singapore at 30 Tebans Gardens Crescent, providing service not only to the BMW M vehicles with their dedicated M workshop, but also to the full range of BMW cars here in Singapore.

As stated by Mr. Joel Chang, General Manager of Munich Automobiles: "BMW has always been synonymous with the ultimate driving experience. Being the world's first BMW M dealer, Munich Automobiles strives to exemplify this. Joy, to us, is sharing the prestige of M with our customers as an investment of joy. Our mission is to ensure that BMW drivers and their cars receive the finest care and attention they deserve. The establishment of a full after sales facility is part of our commitment towards ensuring customer satisfaction."

Munich Automobiles’ Service Centre is a real one-stop shop for your beloved BMW car: being an authorized service partner for all BMW and BMW M vehicles and also an authorized distributor of the entire range of genuine BMW, BMW Performance and BMW M Performance parts, your car will be taken care of like a queen with first class maintenance and the full range of BMW after sales services using only genuine BMW components. Once left in Munich Automobiles’ caring hands, your car will be serviced by BMW trained Specialists with the use of BMW Approved Diagnostic equipments and tools complying with BMW standards.
If warranty compliance is a concern to you, fear not: Munich Automobiles’ Service Centre honors all BMW manufacturer warranties and BMW warranty extensions offered at point of registration, including Performance Motors Limited service contracts.

The range of after sales solutions offered by this service centre include Fast Lane Service, service and maintenance repairs, handled by its fully-equipped work bays, body structural work with the latest state-of  the-art body repair bench and spray painting using environmental-friendly water-based paint.

Munich Automobiles also offers 24-hour roadside assistance which includes minor onsite repairs in Singapore and towing services in Singapore and Malaysia. Of course, existing BMW owners can be assured of a continued service history at this new facility.
While your beloved car is being taken care of at the service centre, you will be invited to relax and enjoy a drink at the lounge, which stars the BMW M clothes-wear collection, but also a wide range of BMW goodies, ranging from the scaled models of the fleet to after sales BMW rims and bucket seats, any of which could be yours and fitted onto your car on a whim.

With such services at your reach, it would be a shame to overlook this practical service centre, especially since the guys at Munich Automobiles, being probably some of the most enthusiastic BMW fans around, will gladly help you decide on the most appropriate service needs for your vehicle and dedicate their experience and passion to making your dream BMW become a reality without any worries nor fuss.

Munich Automobiles Service Centre

Location:            30 Teban Gardens Crescent Singapore 608927

Opening hours:   Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

                            Saturday, 8am to 12pm

Email:                 aftersales@munichauto.com.sg

Telephone:         +65 6566 7666

BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons comes to Singapore this July

Since 1975, renowned artists from all over the world have been transforming BMW automobiles into pieces of art, each personifying a particular period.

This year, the 17th BMW Art Car, created by celebrated pop artist Jeff Koons, will be showcased at the world’s first dedicated BMW M dealership, Munich Automobiles in Singapore from July 11 to 12.

For the past two years, the BMW Art Cars have visited museums around the globe as part of a world tour. Now the latest masterpiece has come to Singapore for a limited engagement.

Munich Automobiles BMW Service Centre Open House

Last weekend, Munich Automobiles, the world's first exclusive BMW M dealership, was holding an open doors event for its service centre.
For this occasion, the preparation bays at the rear of the dealership were taken over to feature some official sports bodykits that can be purchased and fitted on your BMW here at Munich Automobiles' service centre.

 

In addition to this, some very interesting attractions gave the guests better knowledge about how servicing diagnosis is done, showed off the benefits of polishing on a car's paint job, and explained the benefits of run-flat tyres.

This was my first time seeing a run-flat tyre in action (on a video) and these really are life savers! Puncturing a normal tyre at speeds around 90kph will send you on a spin that, unless you have finer driving skills, will probably send you hitting things left and right. The same situation with a run-flat tyre will only cause the car to swerve and most casual drivers will be able to take back control of the car before anything bad happens. To further show the difference between a normal and a run-flat tyre, two tyre sections were displayed for guests to stand on. The normal tyre, as expected, will crumble under a person's weight, whereas the run-flat will only slightly bend. All this thanks to a cunningly reinforced tyre wall!

Of course, the open doors being for the whole family, attractions and games were provided, such as slot cars racing and cone-dodging at the wheel of a radio controlled mini X5. For those with a sweet tooth, Munich Automobiles had a treat in the form of freshly-made Oreo ice-cream, which was very welcome as the sun was hitting hard outside.

This being a BMW M dealership, track junkies were also naturally provided for, and a Gran Turismo 5 lap challenge around the Nurburgring was set up, with the immersion in the driver's seat ensured by a bucket seat rig and force feedback steering wheel controller. The fastest racers were rewarded with BMW M clothes wear.

For the bigger kids, all the BMW M models were displayed, including the outstanding M3 GTS and its fiery orange gown.

Test drives were also offered, and it's with a big smile on my face that I signed up to drive the new 1 Series M Coupé.

After attending the 1 Series M Coupé launch in January, I had been itching to get behind the wheel of this beauty, and now that it is available in its right hand drive version, I just couldn't resist its call. With Kugan V., Marketing Director at Munich Automobiles gladly volunteering to be my co-pilot, I made my way to the white rocket waiting in front of the dealership.

Sitting in the semi-bucket seats, the car instantly makes you feel welcome, with a nice gripping alcantara steering wheel and daring speedometer and tachometer peering at you from behind the wheel. The six-speed manual shifter fits in your hand very naturally and it feels like this car is an extension of your body. There's no need to look left and right for the buttons to adjust the seating and rear view mirror settings as everything falls instinctively under your hands.

Press the start/stop button and its twin turbo 3.0 litre in-line 6 heart will snarl to life, the deep exhaust tune meaning business.

Snap the first gear into place and the rocket that is the 1 M Coupé will reward you with a firm kick in the bottom, sending you urgently shifting up as the red line approaches faster than expected on the rev-meter. Unleash the monster's fury with the second gear as excitement bypasses your brain and plays directly with your vocal chords to let out a call of triumph. Third gear makes you feel what an astronaut experiences when the shuttle leaves Earth, and you can clearly feel the kick of first turbo at 3,000rpm followed by another around 6,000rpm, when the second turbo spools up and powers you on. The fourth gear will make the German rocket break the speed of sound, leaving all the cars you overtake hear your speed-induced giggles a few minutes after seeing the 1M Coupé's tail lights disappear on the horizon. After shifting up to light speed in fifth gear, I suddenly realized that I was going at speed I dare not mention, and had to cool off the gas pedal, leaving the final sixth gear at rest. Ludicrous speed is not meant for local roads. Besides, I was already nearing the end of the island and had to turn around. As much as reaching high speeds as fast as a jet fighter might bring up an amazing feeling of joy and satisfaction, being able to keep the speed in check and come to a stop quickly is even more important, as you never know when a slow-moving object might show up in front of you. The 1M Coupé does an admirable job in this field, giving a trustful and powerful braking delivered with a good feel through the right pedal.

Last but definitely not least, driving this car might give you the feeling of being strapped on a rocket engine, it so happens that this rocket sticks to the road and follows your every thoughts as if on rails, making the 1M Coupé the perfect toy for the track where, I am sure, it delivers ample satisfaction flawlessly, every single time.

As for its use on normal, open roads? I personally think that the driver will need an awesome mind-job to refrain from breaking the law-imposed speed limits. I know I would hardly be able to resist the 1M Coupé's need for speed. Then again, even considering this, if I had had the money, I would have signed for one on the spot. Yes, that car is that amazing!

Singapore will soon see all 20 of the very limited stock of 1M Coupés on the road, but if you really want one, head down to Munich Automobiles right away, I heard rumors they might have been able to obtain a handful more from the headquarters in Germany...

After parking back the 1M Coupé in front of the BMW M dealership, I realized I had a very hard time returning the keys of this car, but sadly, the staff wouldn't let me go home with the white rocket...

Munich Automobiles BMW Service Centre Open House in Singapore (May 21-22)

Open to the general public, Munich Automobiles, the world's first exclusive BMW M dealer, will host its inaugural BMW Service Centre Open House for car enthusiasts and their families on May 21 & 22, 2011 (10am-6pm) in true BMW M style. 

The Open House will feature special activities for everyone in the family, including full racing-simulators, remote-controlled cars and a crash-course in BMW automobile servicing. All visitors will also have the unique opportunity to win the latest iPad2. For the true motoring enthusiasts out there, be one of the first to view the highly acclaimed, latest iteration of the fabled ‘M’ character in the BMW Concept M5 after its first and only public unveiling a few weeks ago at Auto Shanghai 2011. 

The first 500 BMW owners who bring in their vehicles to the Munich Automobiles during the Open House will receive a 25% discount voucher applicable for service and maintenance packages exclusively at Munich Automobiles (30 Teban Gardens Crescent, Singapore 608927).

BMW M5 Concept Unveiling

Do you remember when, as a kid, you saw this toy on a magazine which you felt would be the one toy that would fill your dreams and be your best toy ever? Then you would head down to the toy store and see the plaything in question and it totally blew your mind to a point where you had to get your hands on it for your life to have a meaning. With this toy you’d be top of the class; with this toy all the other kids would look up to you; with this toy you’d be the King of the Playground.

After many years, I’ve once again encountered such a toy. A big boy’s toy called the BMW M5 Concept, also referred to as F10.

Welcome to Munich Automobiles, the World’s first exclusive BMW M dealership for the second unveiling of the M5 Concept. As the guests streamed in, everyone’s gazes kept jumping to the mysterious car, dressed in black cloth. Even hidden, the car’s aura was palpable, and it seemed that under the cover was resting not a vehicle, but a monster. Here and there, members of Munich Automobiles and BMW Asia were torturing the guests by dropping hints about the car without revealing much at the same time. “The M5 has always been a very exciting model, with every generation breaking new barriers and setting new benchmarks. BMW always manages to show that there is always better with every new M5 that comes out. After the last generation, I couldn’t see what more could be done, but with the F10 they did it again” teased Neil Fiorentinos, the Managing Director of BMW Asia, with a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. That, unfortunately, did not help me deal with the waiting at all, and the M5 concept, protected by glass barriers, would not reveal anything. Getting close to it for a sneak peek under the cloth wasn’t an option, all there was left to do was to endure the torture of the BMW team and wait.

Finally, after an excruciating long time, Mr. Kugan Vyravanathan, Marketing Manager at Munich Automobiles, called for everyone’s attention. All discussions suddenly ceased and before the guests realized, they were all standing around the car, waiting. Mr. Joel Chang, Executive Director of Munich Automobiles then took the limelight to introduce the BMW M dealership, before passing the invitees’ attention to Mr. Neil Fiorentinos, Managing Director of BMW Asia, who explained the story behind the M5: Eberhard von Kuenheim, BMW’s board chairman, used to drive a turbocharged 7 series and he was a man with a reputation of having a heavy foot. His body guards and their 535, unfortunately, had a hard time keeping up with him, thus they asked BMW M to help them build a car that could follow their employer's 7 series, and even outperform it if possible. In answer to their desperate call, BMW M took the 5 series chassis and in a mere four weeks, the E28 M5 was born. Now, five generations later, the F10 is in its last stages of development and graced us with its presence in its concept state, on this particular evening.

Enough with history though, as Mr. Fiorentinos, with the help of Mr. Brian Watts, BMW M’s General Manager Sales and Marketing and M5 expert are about to unveil the F10.

The cloth slid off, revealing the muscular lines of the M5 concept and I have to say, even after seeing the official released pictures, I was not ready for the car to look this good. Pardon the cliché, but the F10 really looks fast even when static. From the wide air intakes, the curves on the hood that extend to the rear view mirrors and run along the car, the muscular yet subtle flared arches, to the quad exhaust, the M5 is spectacular in every way. Wearing gunmetal like a queen wears a crown, the F10 and its black five twin-spoke rims parading its big slotted and drilled brake discs looks monstrous yet classy, the perfect car for a businessman who likes to slip out of his office to enjoy a rewarding drive. Or one who just enjoys annihilating its competitors not only in business but also on the black top.

On the technical side, BMW M once again crafted a new chassis for the 5 series’ evil sister, and after a precise development and rigorous tests on the North Loop of the Nurburgring, we can expect the M5 to stick to the road like a leech, while its weight-saving, custom made brakes deliver constant yet durable stopping power, even after extended lapping sessions on one of the World's most demanding racetrack that is the 'ring.

As rumors go, this new version of the M5 will say goodbye to its predecessor's V10, and its engine bay will now be sporting a 4.4 litre V8 featuring M TwinPower Turbo Technology; the same power plant that gives life to the X5M and X6M, but with a more refined tune that should boast 550hp (or more?).

Faithful to the M spirit and its “no compromise” motto, this high-revving eight cylinder engine will give a constant power delivery along the power band all the while being more nature friendly with a 25% reduction of fuel consumption and emissions. Such prowess of more power for less fuel consumption is a great example of how technology trickles down from the race track to the road, as in the racing world a such a recipe is the key to a winning strategy that overpowers the competitors on the asphalt but also in the pits with a more powerful yet frugal engine that requires less fuel stops.

Transmission-wise, the F10 will drop the previous generation's unloved seven-speed SMG transmission and power will be delivered to the rear wheel through a seven-speed M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic that offers blazing fast gear shifts and precise gear selection. Of course, handling such power means a lot of work must be done on the rear axle for the car to be drivable, thus the new M5’s rear differential received its share of attention: the multi-plate lock system is now amazingly accurate and fast, making sure that wheel spin caused by different grip conditions such as wet road is not likely to occur on its watch, allowing the best vehicle stability and dynamics in any driving condition.

According to Mr. Brian Watts, the M5 (which he refers to as his baby) is about 90% production ready as of today, and still has extensive testing and development to go through before in car hit the roads, somewhere near August. I definitely look forward to that!

Thanks to all the team at BMW Asia and Munich Automobiles for letting me encounter this outstanding car up close and personal.