BMW to amble into S-MAX territory as well?

Our antenna at SMAXOC HQ are twitching again.

After reporting about Audi/VAG finally waking up and taking notice of a 'drivers MPV' niche that Ford's clever chaps such as Peter Horbury have known about for nearly a decade now. It seems that another German manufacturer has also risen from its slumber, scratched its behind and is ambling across to see what all the fuss is about.

Although described as a "five seater", remember the S-MAX prototype SAV project was originally a five seater as well, I wonder if this isn't the start of something more meaningful from the polo neck wearers in Munich. Naturally there is lots of eco-dual-fuel-hybrid-plug-in mutterings to keep the EU Green wonks happy - I just wonder if there will be an M-series version as well for the discerning Petrolhead that also happens to have to shift the family around. A perennial problem, just because you become a parent doesn't mean you should lose the will to live, wear beige and give up all the pleasures in life.

This raises two questions in my mind:
1. At which point will Ford UK finally release a manual 240PS petrol version of the S-MAX? This wonderful rare beast has been available to our friends in Europe for quite a while now but not in the UK as yet. It seems that Right Hand Drive conversion is proving a bit too challenging for Ford in the current economic climate. Please feel free to pester them here.

and 2. Should the lads in Dagenham think about acquiring a full time "performance" wing, such as Mercedes and AMG, and as LandRover have just done with Bowler, the mentalists that came up with the Wildcat. It's not that far to Northampton, really, is it?

Just so that those out there know, the team here at SMAXOC are always available for test drives, don't be shy now.

Keep SMAXOC-ing and Carry On
Zozzer




BMW UK say this
http://www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/index/F45...tSource=banner

Car journo point of view
http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/bmw-...nveiled/263884