Discover One of the Largest BMW Private Collection in Central Europe

Miloš Vránek’s passion for BMW cars started in 1968. Currently, he owns the most numerous private collection of historical BMWs in Central Europe which includes really precious classic cars. Now, they have their own open-space museum, probably the second largest in Europe after that one in Münich.

At the beginning, let’s make a step back. In 1968, Miloš Vránek bought his first BMW. “It was the 326 Cabrio made in the thirties. I was impressed by its design and purity. A year after, I renovated it, sold it and bought almost a new BMW 1800. I did not have enough money, so my grandma supported me at that time. I can say that thanks to her I have been working with these cars for whole my life,” says Miloš Vránek.

 

He has remained loyal to the brand since these first experiences. He learned how to renovate, varnish and repair the BMWs, and he became famous in the community of BMW owners. After the fall of communism in his country in 1989, Miloš Vránek with his sons Pavel and Miloš founded the first authorized BMW dealership in the former Czechoslovakia.

The success of the company also enabled him to expand the fleet of BMW veterans. Now, some of them can be seen and admired in the new museum in Brno.

The exhibited collection is like a window to the BMW history. It starts with the first car made by the brand – BMW Dixi (1928). “What you can see is the original condition of the Dixi. It is really well-preserved, which is not usual for such old cars. Therefore, we will not renovate this BMW, it would destroy the spirit,” explains the collection owner. In the past, the car was used by French hippies and acted in a movie. Moreover, very recently Miloš Vránek found and bought another Dixi, maybe even better-preserved, with the original upholstery, paint, devices and, also, mess under its seats. “Finding such an old car in such a good condition, it is like catching a big rare fish,” he says.

Most of the other BMWs in the collection, of course, are renovated and look like they have just left a factory. For example, the BMW 327 Cabrio (1937) should be mentioned. It conquers roads and streets around Europe and attends veterans’ meetings regularly. The BMW 329, also made in 1937, is one of those with a body delivered by the Drauz-Werken company from Heilbron. It is assumed that only six of these cars have survived to this day. Then, the afterwar models are not missing, like for instance, the legendary Isetta or BMW 700. The “Neue Klasse” is represented, for example, by the BMW 1602 (1967).

“Now we would like to focus more on youngtimers, too. We want to show the whole history of the brand models,” adds Miloš Vránek.

In his garage, there are other cars being renovated at the moment, and the collection is still growing.

 

 

 

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Which to Buy: BMW i8 Roadster or Audi R8 V10 Spyder?

This is very much a comparison of past versus future. Both of these cars represent the best of where they come from. The BMW i8 Roadster is the convertible supercar that showcases just how bright the future of cars is. However, the Audi R8 V10 Spyder is also a convertible supercar but one that represents the best of where we came from. They’re both also around the same price, at least once you get into that pricing territory, with the i8 Roadster starting at $163,000 and the Audi R8 V10 Spyder starting at $177,000. So which one would you rather buy, the future or the past?

Let’s start with specs. The BMW i8 Roadster is a mid-engine plug-in hybrid supercar. It has a carbon fiber passenger cell, like an F1 car, and lightweight thermoplastic body panels. Its powertrain consists of a 1.5 liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine and an electric motor mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox that power the rear wheels and makes 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. While an additional electric motor powers the front wheels, to give it true, real-time torque vectoring all-wheel drive, and makes an additional 141 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The i8 Roadster get nail 60 mph in the high three-second — low four-second range. So it’s properly quick.

As for the Audi R8 V0 Spyder, we’re talking about the standard version, not the more potent ‘V10 Plus’ version. So that sports a mid-engine, naturally-aspirated 5.2 liter V10 that makes 540 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. That V10 breathes free without any fancy turbochargers and screams to 8,250 rpm. It’s a proper engine. That wonderful engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and powers all four wheels, via Quattro all-wheel drive. The R8 V10 Spyder can nail 60 mph in about 3.2 seconds, so it’s a bit quicker than the i8 Roadster. It also has a much higher top speed of 198 mph, while the i8 Roadster can only do 155 mph.

As far as looks, the BMW i8 Roadster is certainly the high-tech, futuristic looking car of the two. It’s a stunning machine that looks like it came form the year 2055. While the Audi R8 Spyder is more of a traditional mid-engine supercar in its styling. It’s a great looking car but it’s a bit reserved by supercar standards. It’s hard to choose between these two because they’re both stunning cars. I think it would depend on the day for me. If I wanted to cruise more and go in style, I’d take the BMW i8 Roadster. If I wanted a serious driving machine with a bit more thrills, I’d take the R8 Spyder.

On the inside, these two cars are oddly revered. It’s the BMW i8 Roadster that has the more traditional car interior, one that’s more subdued. While the Audi R8 V10 Spyder has the more high-tech looking cabin. The Audi’s Virtual Cockpit is more techy and stylish that the i8’s gauges and its interior overall just seems a bit more techy than the i8’s. It also seems a bit more special, with its diamond quilted leather seats. Having said that, the i8 Roadster does have a really nice interior, especially with the orange highlights.

Choosing between these two is really choosing between two philosophical differences. The BMW i8 Roadster is a car for the trend-setter, the person who wants something that plows forward, something unique and forward thinking. While the Audi R8 V10 Spyder is for someone who wants something purer, more visceral. They want to feel the speed and performance through their hands, feet and butt and hear that spine-tingling, free-breathing V10.

I’ve driven neither, so I can’t personally say which is better. Our own Horatiu has driven both and says it’s too hard to choose because they’re both so different. The BMW i8 Roadster is a supercar for the mind, as it engages the question of what a supercar is to become. The Audi R8 Spyder is a car for the heart, as it engages the inner enthusiast and is a highlight reel of where we’ve been. Which do you buy? Simply put, whichever one excites you more.

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Blackrock College wins Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play

Front: John Ferriter, Chairman of Leinster Golf with Brian Cosgrove, Director of Golf at Killeen and Team Managers, Conor Harte and Andrea Fitzgerald. Back (l to r): Ronan Cowhey, Cathal French, Rory Reid, Robert Abernety, Shane Brosnan and Robert O’Callaghan.Photo: Ronan Quinlan

Blackrock College claimed the Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play title with a convincing ten-hole win over Avondale Community College at Killeen Golf Club.

The champions beat Naas CBS by eight holes in the semi-finals as Avondale defeated Scoil Na mBraithre Kilkenny by seven holes.

But there was no stopping them in the final as Ronan Cowhey, Cathal French, Rory Reid, Robert Abernethy, Shane Brosnan and Robert O’Callaghan led their school to victory

Robert Abernethy (Blackrock)

Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play Killeen 2018 Robert Abernethy (Blackrock) Photo: Ronan Quinlan Issued on behalf of Leinster Golf - no fee for editorial use. https://ift.tt/1NPqfFA

Ronan Cowhey (Blackrock)

Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play Killeen 2018 Ronan Cowhey (Blackrock) Photo: Ronan Quinlan Issued on behalf of Leinster Golf - no fee for editorial use. https://ift.tt/1NPqfFA

Cathal French (Blackrock)

Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play Killeen 2018 Cathal French (Blackrock) Photo: Ronan Quinlan Issued on behalf of Leinster Golf - no fee for editorial use. https://ift.tt/1NPqfFA

Rory Reid (Blackrock)

Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play Killeen 2018 Rory Reid (Blackrock) Photo: Ronan Quinlan Issued on behalf of Leinster Golf - no fee for editorial use. https://ift.tt/1NPqfFA

Team Managers, Conor Harte and Andrea Fitzgerald.

Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play Killeen 2018 The winning team from Blackrock College… John Ferriter, Chairman of Leinster Golf with Team Managers, Conor Harte and Andrea Fitzgerald. Photo: Ronan Quinlan Issued on behalf of Leinster Golf - no fee for editorial use. https://ift.tt/1NPqfFA

Leinster Inter Schools League Match Play

Final 

• Blackrock College beat Avondale Community College by 10 holes

Semi-Finals

• Blackrock College beat Naas CBS 8 holes
• Avondale Community College beat Scoil Na mBraithre Kilkenny 7 holes.

Round 2

• Blackrock College bt Templeogue College 7up; 
• Naas CBS bt Ashbourne Community School 5up; 
• Avondale Community College bt Coláiste Bhríde 1up; 
• Scoil na mBráithre bt Coláiste Mhuire 1up

Round 1

• Blackrock College bt St. Michael’s College 5up; 
• Templeogue College bt St. Vincent’s College 1up; 
• Naas CBS bt Coláiste Phadraig 11up; 
• Ashbourne Community College bt Coláiste na hInse; 
• Coláiste Bhríde bt St Peter's Collge 5up; 
• Avondale Community College bt St. Gerard’s School 3up; 
• Scoil na mBráithre bt Borris Vocational School 21up; 
• Coláiste Mhuire bt Cistercian College 12up.

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VIDEO: BMW i8 Roadster is stunning

Our own Horatiu was on hand at the launch of the BMW i8 Roadster in the breathtakingly beautiful Majorca. So we know what it’s all about and we know just how exciting it can be. But, as Horatiu said, the new i8 Roadster is about being seen and to see it on the move you need to see it in video. So check out this new video from Shmee.

In this video review, we get to see the i8 Roadster as it moves through the stunning scenery and then your realizing, it’s not moving through the scenery, it’s part of it. The BMW i8 Roadster, especially in its E-Copper color scheme, is every bit as stunning as the scenery it’s enveloped by. The original pre-LCI BMW i8 was already great looking but adding its LCI facelift styling bits, including the hood vents, and the lack of roof and the i8 Roadster becomes a knockout.

Even the interior, thanks in no small part to its new orange highlights, even looks far better with the top down. Its interior was probably the largest design complaint of the original i8. Not that it’s bad, which it isn’t by any means, but it’s a tad too sober when compared to its futuristic exterior styling. But dropping the top allows it to immediately feel more exciting and premium.

But the absolute best part of its topless nature is the noise. The BMW i8 Roadster’s 1.5 liter turbo-triple actually makes a surprisingly good noise, despite some of it being a bit artificial, and it’s better to listen to than many enthusiasts initially anticipate. Dropping the roof, though, makes it better, louder and more visceral from the driver’s seat.

So listening to that little three-cylinder engine, feeling the instant rush of torque and power from its hybrid powertrain experiencing the new i8 are all comprehensively improved by cutting the roof off. Which makes the BMW i8 Roadster is one of the most exciting car in the Bavarian brand’s current lineup.

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