The Engineer Behind Today’s Best M Cars

Earlier this week, BMW M introduced a brand new engineering boss in a single Alexander Karajlovic. Karajlovic takes over for a person named Dirk Häcker, a reputation you would possibly simply acknowledge in the event you’ve been paying fairly shut consideration. In truth, Häcker has been working at BMW longer than I’ve been alive, which isn’t one thing a man in his thirties will get to say fairly often. With an unimaginable 37-year tenure comes, maybe inevitably, a portfolio of labor that doesn’t simply communicate for itself, however for the model Häcker helped form — and, to some extent, for the person himself.

A Legacy of Management

Over the past decade or so, Häcker has stuffed numerous engineering management positions at BMW M. Main growth at M since 2015, he performed an integral function in shaping among the most superior M vehicles so far. Maybe tellingly, his tenure in management began in driving dynamics. What higher match for a future M engineering chief? Much more notably, Häcker is an skilled driver. He’s served as a long-term driving teacher for the BMW Driving Expertise — which tracks (no pun meant) along with his status on the firm for being a incredible driver. Which is probably one other fortuitous coincidence, as that’s precisely what Franciscus van Meel — BMW M CEO — requires from an individual doing the job Häcker ended up with.

Franciscus van Meel is one other exceptional coincidence in Häcker’s profession. The 2 met earlier than van Meel had come to BMW in 2014 — tedly someday within the mid-Nineties when van Meel was at Continental. So — van Meel was provider facet. Frank was working at Continental Automotive Companies on applied sciences just like the ESC. Van Meel as soon as instructed us that he developed the soundness management for the E46 M3 with Häcker. In response to individuals shut them, Häcker would unrelentingly push for higher and higher merchandise. There wasn’t any method of figuring out it on the time, however van Meel would then carry Häcker on almost 20 years later at BMW as a head of R&D.

Häcker’s first undertaking in his 11-year tenure as lead of BMW M engineering was formally the BMW M8. Nonetheless, when he began, he instructed us he wished to take the F90 M5 — then a brand new product — to new heights. The F90 M5 Competitors and F90 M5 CS adopted. Then we acquired the F87 M2 Competitors and M2 CS, G81 M3 Touring, M3/M4 CS and M4 CSL, and much more thrilling merchandise that we take pleasure in at present. Even some cooler ones that by no means noticed the manufacturing line. Normally, we suspect his behind the wheel expertise has loads to do with why all of these vehicles deal with and cease considerably higher than a automotive that dimension has any actual enterprise doing.

We did get the XM as properly, one thing we at all times used to carry up in conversations with him, as a method of poking enjoyable.

And we nonetheless have but to drive among the different issues Häcker developed. He labored on the aggressive Monitor Bundle for the prevailing G87 M2. He additionally developed the upcoming however formally unconfirmed M2 xDrive. Another fascinating wait-and-sees embrace the G84 M3 and ZA0 M3, each of that are on the best way however received’t hit the marketplace for one other few years. Identical goes for the X3 M and X4 M electrical. So if the M5 CS is any indicator, the perfect is but to return.

Dirk Häcker’s Lasting Affect and Private Anecdotes

Häcker’s identify pops up fairly recurrently in the event you have a look at our content material over the previous few years. It’s logical: his candid, soft-spoken nature and fluency in each technical jargon and its layperson equivalents made him a “go-to” for Horatiu, BMWBLOG’s Editor in Chief. “He by no means thought a query was foolish,” Horatiu instructed me. “Despite the fact that I’d at all times probe him on weight and dying of manuals.” He indulged Horatiu with private ardour initiatives, just like the M2 CSL dream BMW.

“He known as it the M2 CSL Armageddon Version, as a result of I put each single want of mine in it, one thing realistically not doable.” Being from Augsburg and an ardent supporter of the native soccer membership was one other private connection for Horatiu, an FC Augsburg jersey enjoyer. Arguably much more essential, Häcker at all times requested for suggestions. He’d bounce questions on electrical automotive racing, or which vehicles put a smile on Horatiu’s face.

Practically 4 a long time is objectively a very long time to do something. We’re glad Häcker selected to spend it with BMW, the place it’s clear his engineering skills and talent to speak passionately in regards to the vehicles all of us care a lot about weren’t wasted. Häcker performed an integral half in bringing arguably the perfect trendy M car to market — the M5 CS — and within the course of cemented his legacy with the automaker.

Farewell, Dirk Häcker — thanks for the vehicles, quotes, and every part in between. And listed here are among the movies we filmed collectively through the years: