BMW M Gets New CEO - Ex-Audi Quattro Head Franciscus van Meel

The Automotive Enthusiast · 09-23-2014, 12:30 PM

Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

BMW M GmbH will get a new chairman from 1 January 2015, with Franciscus van Meel taking over from retiring chief Dr. Friedrich Nitschke.

The appointment is notable because van Meel, 48, joins BMW after leading Audi’s quattro GmbH division – and has not even joined BMW Group yet: his first day is 1 October.

Van Meel has worked at Audi AG since 1996, in chassis development and technical management, becoming MD of quattro GmbH in 2012.

However, earlier this year, van Meel was reportedly stood down from leading quattro and reassigned to Audi’s Chinese division, after rumours emerged of a fallout with Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg over the direction of the new Audi R8. It seems BMW has taken advantage of Audi’s internal strife and poached the former rising star.

It’s a fond farewell for Nitschke, who’s worked at BMW Group for 36 years. He worked up through the company and first came to the public eye in 2007 when he took over vehicle development for MINI. In 2011, he became BMW M GmbH Chairman, creating the BMW M Performance Automobiles division and also leading the new turbo V8 M3 saloon and M4 Coupe.

Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of Management for Development, said: “The position of M GmbH on the market has never been better in the company’s history and it continues to achieve sales record after sales record.

“Friedrich Nitschke has done outstanding work over the past years and has made a crucial contribution to the success of the company. The entire Board of Management of BMW AG would like to express its gratitude to him.”

source: http://www.motoringresearch.com/car-...ion-0923949788

///mawana · 09-23-2014, 12:37 PM

Here comes AWD Ms!

1MOREMOD · 09-23-2014, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///mawana

Here comes AWD Ms!

duvinclunk · 09-23-2014, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///mawana

Here comes AWD Ms!

And 80/20 weight distribution.

Josefinoe · 09-23-2014, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///mawana

Here comes AWD Ms!

I really hope this never happens, it was enough with the v8s being taken away, not the fun please

VMRWheels · 09-23-2014, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///mawana

Here comes AWD Ms!

Or options of AWD or RWD (similar to M235i - I know not necessarily a real "M" car)

ShocknAwe · 09-23-2014, 06:41 PM

If you have the option of both, neither will be spectacular.

cgm1978 · 09-23-2014, 07:08 PM

It would have been better to promote someone from M division.

Diver · 09-23-2014, 07:10 PM

I bet he turns out to be a very competent executive and a real car guy.

Mdecisive · 09-23-2014, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

BMW M GmbH will get a new chairman from 1 January 2015, with Franciscus van Meel taking over from retiring chief Dr. Friedrich Nitschke.

The appointment is notable because van Meel, 48, joins BMW after leading Audi’s quattro GmbH division – and has not even joined BMW Group yet: his first day is 1 October.

Van Meel has worked at Audi AG since 1996, in chassis development and technical management, becoming MD of quattro GmbH in 2012.

However, earlier this year, van Meel was reportedly stood down from leading quattro and reassigned to Audi’s Chinese division, after rumours emerged of a fallout with Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg over the direction of the new Audi R8. It seems BMW has taken advantage of Audi’s internal strife and poached the former rising star.

It’s a fond farewell for Nitschke, who’s worked at BMW Group for 36 years. He worked up through the company and first came to the public eye in 2007 when he took over vehicle development for MINI. In 2011, he became BMW M GmbH Chairman, creating the BMW M Performance Automobiles division and also leading the new turbo V8 M3 saloon and M4 Coupe.

Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of Management for Development, said: “The position of M GmbH on the market has never been better in the company’s history and it continues to achieve sales record after sales record.

“Friedrich Nitschke has done outstanding work over the past years and has made a crucial contribution to the success of the company. The entire Board of Management of BMW AG would like to express its gratitude to him.”

source: http://www.motoringresearch.com/car-...ion-0923949788

Turbo v8 m3 and m4 saloon?

jstnstr · 09-23-2014, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdecisive

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

BMW M GmbH will get a new chairman from 1 January 2015, with Franciscus van Meel taking over from retiring chief Dr. Friedrich Nitschke.

The appointment is notable because van Meel, 48, joins BMW after leading Audi’s quattro GmbH division – and has not even joined BMW Group yet: his first day is 1 October.

Van Meel has worked at Audi AG since 1996, in chassis development and technical management, becoming MD of quattro GmbH in 2012.

However, earlier this year, van Meel was reportedly stood down from leading quattro and reassigned to Audi’s Chinese division, after rumours emerged of a fallout with Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg over the direction of the new Audi R8. It seems BMW has taken advantage of Audi’s internal strife and poached the former rising star.

It’s a fond farewell for Nitschke, who’s worked at BMW Group for 36 years. He worked up through the company and first came to the public eye in 2007 when he took over vehicle development for MINI. In 2011, he became BMW M GmbH Chairman, creating the BMW M Performance Automobiles division and also leading the new turbo V8 M3 saloon and M4 Coupe.

Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of Management for Development, said: “The position of M GmbH on the market has never been better in the company’s history and it continues to achieve sales record after sales record.

“Friedrich Nitschke has done outstanding work over the past years and has made a crucial contribution to the success of the company. The entire Board of Management of BMW AG would like to express its gratitude to him.”

source: http://www.motoringresearch.com/car-...ion-0923949788

Turbo v8 m3 and m4 saloon?

That's what the hell I was wondering about. Say WHAT?

e92_bryan · 09-23-2014, 07:15 PM

Why would they pick some one from another company that has different views of what a performance car is

ShocknAwe · 09-23-2014, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdecisive

Turbo v8 m3 and m4 saloon?

I'd say misprint. They just built the S55, plus the comment was about the old M boss.

VCP · 09-23-2014, 07:21 PM

Yeah, very mixed feelings here. I would have rather heard that he was not liking the Audi product any more over leaving due to bickering. He may be an Audi man for life, know what I mean.

bwco · 09-23-2014, 07:25 PM

If it's not a misprint, are we gonna see the turbo 4.4L V8 stuff'd in the M3/4?

VCP · 09-23-2014, 07:29 PM

Right after it becomes BMW Kwattro

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwco

If it's not a misprint, are we gonna see the turbo 4.4L V8 stuff'd in the M3/4?

IEDEI · 09-23-2014, 07:32 PM

this guy sucked at Audi....not he's gonna screw up M....fail.

aajami · 09-23-2014, 07:42 PM

This is me reading WAY too much into these paragraphs, but they scare me for the following reasons:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

Van Meel has worked at Audi AG since 1996, in chassis development and technical management, becoming MD of quattro GmbH in 2012.

While they make great cars, Audi chassis aren't known to be as nimble as BMW's. Would hate to see sacrifices be made to handling in order to accommodate AWD cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

However, earlier this year, van Meel was reportedly stood down from leading quattro and reassigned to Audi’s Chinese division, after rumours emerged of a fallout with Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg over the direction of the new Audi R8. It seems BMW has taken advantage of Audi’s internal strife and poached the former rising star.

I don't know what kind of arguments were happening over the direction of the new R8. But I do know that it's shedding weight and staying naturally-aspirated (at least the V10 model is). If Ulrich was the one pushing for that direction, then you assume Van Meel was pushing for something other than lightening the weight and keeping the engine NA, which is bad news.

Anyway, I guess time will tell. Given how far car product pipelines run, we likely won't see his influence for a number of years.

VCP · 09-23-2014, 07:42 PM

Do one thing, and do it right!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

If you have the option of both, neither will be spectacular.

kdbryce · 09-23-2014, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mdecisive

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

BMW M GmbH will get a new chairman from 1 January 2015, with Franciscus van Meel taking over from retiring chief Dr. Friedrich Nitschke.

The appointment is notable because van Meel, 48, joins BMW after leading Audi’s quattro GmbH division – and has not even joined BMW Group yet: his first day is 1 October.

Van Meel has worked at Audi AG since 1996, in chassis development and technical management, becoming MD of quattro GmbH in 2012.

However, earlier this year, van Meel was reportedly stood down from leading quattro and reassigned to Audi’s Chinese division, after rumours emerged of a fallout with Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg over the direction of the new Audi R8. It seems BMW has taken advantage of Audi’s internal strife and poached the former rising star.

It’s a fond farewell for Nitschke, who’s worked at BMW Group for 36 years. He worked up through the company and first came to the public eye in 2007 when he took over vehicle development for MINI. In 2011, he became BMW M GmbH Chairman, creating the BMW M Performance Automobiles division and also leading the new turbo V8 M3 saloon and M4 Coupe.

Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of Management for Development, said: “The position of M GmbH on the market has never been better in the company’s history and it continues to achieve sales record after sales record.

“Friedrich Nitschke has done outstanding work over the past years and has made a crucial contribution to the success of the company. The entire Board of Management of BMW AG would like to express its gratitude to him.”

source: http://www.motoringresearch.com/car-...ion-0923949788

Turbo v8 m3 and m4 saloon?

+1 I was just gonna say.

The long haul · 09-23-2014, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IEDEI

this guy sucked at Audi....not he's gonna screw up M....fail.

Is that even possible? I mean...
No M is perfect what am I saying.

Jblack4083 · 09-23-2014, 08:05 PM

At first i was like "damn here go the AWD boring sounding BMWs" but now that I'm thinking of it, he will probably take advantage of being freed from Audi's AWD / cookie-cutter culture.

It's not like M was going in a great direction anyway lol. Either way you cut it, we're headed toward an all turbo, all wheel drive, M lineup.

09-23-2014, 12:37 PM	#2
///mawana Lieutenant 80 Rep 564 Posts Drives: e90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Prosper, TX iTrader: (0)	Here comes AWD Ms! __________________ 2015 K46 S1KRR 2008 E90 M3
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09-23-2014, 06:41 PM	#7
ShocknAwe 1Addict 3657 Rep 8,183 Posts Drives: E82 Mutt, M57 X5D Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	If you have the option of both, neither will be spectacular. __________________ 2010 E82 1 Series M Clone Hydra Performance augmented OEM+
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09-23-2014, 07:08 PM	#8
cgm1978 Private 4 Rep 64 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW E92 sport package Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: usa iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 328i Coupe ... [0.00]	It would have been better to promote someone from M division.
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09-23-2014, 07:10 PM	#9
Diver Brigadier General 506 Rep 3,445 Posts Drives: Black '12 135i - Sold Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	I bet he turns out to be a very competent executive and a real car guy. __________________ See my photography at http://ronscubadiver.wordpress.com
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09-23-2014, 07:15 PM	#12
e92_bryan First Lieutenant 130 Rep 346 Posts Drives: ‘11 e92 328 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: So cal iTrader: (0)	Why would they pick some one from another company that has different views of what a performance car is
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09-23-2014, 07:21 PM	#14
VCP Colonel 1389 Rep 2,335 Posts Drives: M4GTS BSM/F90comp/BSM M2CS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	Yeah, very mixed feelings here. I would have rather heard that he was not liking the Audi product any more over leaving due to bickering. He may be an Audi man for life, know what I mean.
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09-23-2014, 07:25 PM	#15
bwco Second Lieutenant 12 Rep 252 Posts Drives: 535i xDrive Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (0)	If it's not a misprint, are we gonna see the turbo 4.4L V8 stuff'd in the M3/4?
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09-23-2014, 07:32 PM	#17
IEDEI Banned 1136 Rep 4,686 Posts Drives: L'Orange Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Brooklyn, NYC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW 1M [8.40]	this guy sucked at Audi....not he's gonna screw up M....fail.
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09-23-2014, 08:05 PM	#22
Jblack4083 Captain 118 Rep 888 Posts Drives: E46 ///M3 JB/CB Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Queens, NYC iTrader: (0)	At first i was like "damn here go the AWD boring sounding BMWs" but now that I'm thinking of it, he will probably take advantage of being freed from Audi's AWD / cookie-cutter culture. It's not like M was going in a great direction anyway lol. Either way you cut it, we're headed toward an all turbo, all wheel drive, M lineup.
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