Bimmer gazing by the poolside

The economy may be bad, but one look at Makati’s streets and you’ll know it’s not as bad as it is pictured in the papers.

You may even be surprised if you try counting and find that there are now more luxury cars in the metropolis than three or four years ago when the economy was said to be in the pink of health. Well, you can’t blame Filipinos with money to spare. They’ll spend it where their passions lie.

Thus, the recent decision of German carmaker BMW to become more agressive in the Philippine market comes as no surprise. Filipinos love quality, and for BMW, quality is Job No.1.

Fans of these ultimate driving machines had the rare chance to see the company’s new model offerings recently at the poolside of the Hotel Inter-Continental. Six Bimmers in their full splendor were displayed, for the sight and touch of those who wanted to experience quality up close.

Among those displayed were the new members of the BMW 3-series, namely the 325iA sedan, 325Ci coupé and 325iA touring; the new entrant in the 5-series, the "pang-executive" 530iA sedan; the sexy Z3 siblings, one coupé and one convertible; and this writer’s dream car – the P8.5-million M5 sports sedan, which has enough power under the hood of five average cars.

Carlo Nakpil, who’s in charge of marketing communication for Prestige Cars Makati, said these vehicles are now available at their dealership in Pasong Tamo.

Prestige Makati, he said, originally wanted to include two of BMW’s hottest offerings – the Z8 convertible and the X5 sport activity vehicle – but they failed to be released from the pier on time.

The Z8 was James Bond’s car in The World Is Not Enough, a "super car" with an eight-cylinder, 400-horse-power engine that can leave any driver and his passengers breathless. The X5, on the other hand, is BMW’s bet in the luxury Sports UtilityVehicle market. It is fast becoming the favorite of American and European celebrities.

Of course not everyone invited (yes, the event was by-invitation-only) to the BMW’s poolside show was there to buy a Bimmer. Many just came to admire the cars, warm the comfy seats, grip the leather steering wheel and imagine cruising on the autobahn while listening to Mozart.

In these hard times, we’re still free to dream.