Before we have had a chance to get our heads around the supremely weird 5 Series GT hatchback, crossover, tall-sedan thing-a-ma-bob, BMW has confirmed that it's going to bring the weirdness to the 3-series line.
Inside Line has the full details and some illustrations of the vehicle that's set to come to the U.S. in 2001. Who exactly will buy the 3 Series GT instead of an X1 or X3 or 3-series sedan or wagon is an open question.
After this morning's leak of the official photos, the BMW X1 didn't seem like much of a secret anymore. With than in mind, an official press release was sent out this afternoon with a few details on the upcoming crossover.
It's definitely headed to the U.S., but not until 2011. The X1 will offer both rear- and all-wheel drive and a variety of engines. Although BMW said the X1 will offer one gas and three diesel powerplants in Europe, it said the specific engine configuration of the U.S. model has not been decided yet. Sounds like BMW is waiting to see if diesels catch on, so far it hasn't been promising.
Official-looking photos of the upcoming 2010 BMW X1 have found their way to the internet and they do little to resolve the debate surrounding why this vehicle exists. Essentially a crossover version of the BMW X3, which is also a crossover, the X1 appears to have even less space and more tepid performance. Sound good to you?
Audi has released its latest Multi-Media Interface (MMI), which is set to debut in the 2010 A3, TT and R8. The updated system gets an improved screen resolution and an "unmatched" route calculation thanks to a new processor clocked at 600MHz. The radio-navigation system, version E, will be able to read 32 gig SD memory cards.
Operation-wise, the driver and passenger can scroll vertically, horizontally and now even along the route. The "optical parking assistant" feature is also new, which displays the distance the front and rear is from an object on top of the standard Audi-o bleeps.
The system is estimated to start at $3,200, and you can check out the full release here.
BMW has improved its navigation "Search" feature to provide online access to up-to-date fuel prices, weather forecasts and, for those looking for a constant reminder of how much money they're losing, the major stock indices as well.
New and existing nav subscribers will have to purchase the optional BMW Assist Convenience Plan on BMW Assist and BMW Navigation system-equipped 2009 and 2010 models to get the service.
Like most automakers, BMW maintains a design studio in Southern California. It's tucked away in the Los Angeles suburb of Newbury Park, so few in the area know it even exists. It's cranked out numerous car designs over the years and its former head, Adrian Van Hooydonk is now the head of BMW design in Germany.
Unlike most satellite design studios, however, BMW Designworks also does contract work for companies outside the automotive industry. Boats, planes, coffee makers, you name a consumer product and Designworks probably has a drawing of it on the walls somewhere. Most of those drawing are rarely seen, but BMW has just posted an in-depth tour of the facility that gives a pretty detailed look at how the studio functions.
There's some good insight into the world of design and how BMW sees its place within that world. If anything, the series might give you a little background on some of the company's more controversial designs and how they made it through the design process.
Following on the heels of yesterday's leaked photos of the new M Sport package for the BMW 7 Series comes an official announcement from BMW. In addition to the new M Sport package, the 2010 7 Series will add two new diesel options (in Europe, of course) as well as optional all-wheel drive.
As we predicted, the M Sport package is essentially a cosmetic upgrade that includes revised front and rear fascias, shadowline trim and new double-spoke wheels. There's also an exclusive new Carbon Black Metallic color available with the package along with a few interior upgrades.
The 740d and 730d models are for Europe only at this point, but given the 730d's low-emissions profile, it could theoretically make it to the U.S. Such a move would have been unheard of before, but new fuel economy rules may force BMW to start offering the big 7 with smaller, more efficient power plants.
And finally, there's the addition of BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system. It will be available on both long- and short-wheelbase versions of the 750i and is essentially the same system already found in the 3 and 5 Series sedans.
The ever elusive BMW M7 has yet to surface, so for now you'll have to be satisfied with a Motorsport appearance package. We have yet to see any official mention of the upcoming option, but these recently unearthed photos appear to show what such a sedan might look like.
Unlike the real M-cars, the M Sport package isn't expected to add much in the way of performance. A slightly more aggressive set of tires and wheels may help a little, but we would be surprised to see any actual horsepower upgrades. If anything, the new package will reinstate BMW's reputation as a designer of interesting factory wheels. Looking at the current 7 Series sport wheels, we weren't sure the company had it in it anymore.
Remember that Jesse James hydrogen speed record we told you about last week? Well, it turns out it wasn't quite as legitimate as we were told. Louise Ann Noeth, known as "Landspeed Louise" for her years of coverage of the dry lakes scene, sent out a release today detailing several problems with James' "record".
"The claim is without merit since the activities were conducted without benefit of any motorsports sanctioning authority. The vehicle was neither inspected, nor certified and all the timing personnel were on the James TV payroll," she noted.
"World speed records require two runs over a one-mile course within one hour. James was 5,148 feet short -- being timed one-way for a total of 132 feet; he made only three or four passes over an eight to ten-hour period. Any world record holder will tell you it's quite a technical feat to hold speed for a full mile."
So whether you agree with Landspeed Louise or not, she knows her stuff. At the very least, it's reason enough to question the record, that is, if anybody really cares about Jesse James anymore.
You hear guys talking about "chipping" their cars for more power all the time. What you can't be sure of is how much of their bluster is BS and how much is for real.
To clear things up a little, our resident turbo expert Engineering Editor Jay Kavanagh put our recently-reflashed long-term 135i on a dyno to get some hard numbers.
And his conclusion? Turbocharged cars are fun to play with if you know what you're doing. How does an extra 55-horsepower sound? Click the link to see the full breakdown complete with dyno sheets.
You know BMW was so dying to get Hasselhoff for this little teaser shot of the upcoming X1 SUV. Instead, they settled for some faceless blur in the background, which or course goes perfectly with the oddly blurred X1 that's seemingly gliding over the sand. Thankfully all the bikini-clad beach goers in the area were blissfully unaware of the approaching crossover SUV.
If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.
Wedged between the high-volume entry-level cars and the big-dollar flagships, these midsize sedans are the often overlooked middle children of the luxury sedan world. But as Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton explains in our latest comparison test, they deserve more attention.
They're too fast, to comfortable and too good looking to ignore and choosing a winner wasn't easy. Their performance figures were all close and when it came to features and price, each car had its own strengths. In the end, there was clear winner though. It was fast in a straight line and solid through turns, and it just so happened to have been the least expensive of the three.
Sales of the BMW 3-series really picked up in the United States when purchase (or rather lease) of at least one was made mandatory for every man, woman, child and mountain lion in Southern California. Sometimes you see three or four of them driving around stacked on top of each other just to make room for them all.
And so it should come as no surprise that last month BMW of North America sold its 2 millionth 3-series in the United States. It took the company five generations of the 3 over the course of more than 30 years to get it done. Okay sure, that's only twice the number of Impalas Chevrolet sold in1965. But still, the 3 is the model on which the modern BMW has been built.
This sort of monumental milestone calls for a meaningless contest! Which is the best generation of the 3-series? A special prize will be awarded to anyone who can sincerely claim that the 1978 320i is the finest example of the breed.* Make the jump and make your voice count.
* No actual prize will be rewarded for anything at all.
Writing about the best used performance cars for $5,000 was a challenge. At that price point, you're either going to get lucky and find a gem, or get unlucky and end up shelling out another $5,000 to keep a basket case running.
So with that in mind, we decided to bump the price floor to $10K to start and see what we could find. The talent pool is much deeper for sure, although the possibility of a clunker is still there if you're not careful.
So take a look at our list and see what you think. Anything we missed?
Yes, that's its official name: Z4 sDrive 35i. Makes no sense, but the Germans often don't. Get past that, however, and the new Z4 isn't so hard to understand. Test Director Dan Edmunds discovered that this Z4 is about more than just its new retractable hardtop, it's a real performance roadster. It's also a real expensive roadster too, but Dan seems to think it's worth it.
Microsoft has released this video in conjunction with this morning's E3 press conference. Not a huge amount to see here in terms of gameplay, other than the aforementioned Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10. Ample face time for the Ford GT, too. And there's drifting -- courtesy of an E92 M3 and a 370Z.
No, there is not a word missing in the title. They're called the BMW M3 Edition models. Maybe it's a bad translation, or there really isn't a good translation, either way it's an odd name for what looks like a pretty cool, although mildly upgraded, set of M3s.
Available in four colors -- Alpine White, Black, Dakar Yellow and Monte Carlo Blue -- all cars features dark chrome grill insets, side gills and exhaust tips along with black hood scoops and side mirror caps. The interiors get contrasting stitching on the seats and door panels in varying colors depending on the exterior.
A lowered suspension (-0.4") and unique 19-inch wheels are also standard. The light alloy, double-spoke wheels come in a variety of finishes including polished with white accents. Thankfully, that option is limited to black, white and blue versions only.
BMW says the M3 Edition models will be available worldwide starting in July. Strangely enough, that doesn't always include the U.S., but given the fact that these cars are nothing more than a minor cosmetic trim package, there's a good chance we'll get them too.
Take a night lap (or several) around the Nordschleife with the Tischner E46 BMW M3 in the 2009 Nurburgring 24 Hour Race.
Or, after the jump, go for some daytime laps with Subaru's factory drivers in a current-gen STI. You even get to watch them shifting in these clips. Or just experience what it's like to be standing at Dottinger Hohe at night with your hand-held camera pointed at the straightaway as really fast cars go by.
So you thought the BMW 5 Series GT was pointless? Well behold the upcoming 2012 BMW X1, a tall wagon-type thing designed to fit in the slender crevice that exists between the 3 Series wagon and X3 SUV.
Sounds like a mighty small space to occupy, but BMW seems to think it's worth having yet another model wedged into its quickly expanding lineup. Contributor Matt Davis got some time behind the wheel of an early prototype and came away impressed with the vehicle's solid handling and usable room. But even he couldn't see the point of the thing. Will anybody?
For the first time in nearly two years, the average price of diesel fuel has fallen below regular gas. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), it's a "traditional" spring inversion that occurs in the U.S., but there's no doubt that BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen will try to take advantage of the new pricing structure.
All three automakers took the plunge and introduced new diesel models in the last year, but apart from strong sales of Volkswagen's TDI cars, sales have been disappointing. As Bill Visnic points out on AutoObserver, several other manufacturers had diesel programs in the works, but shelved them when got prices plunged.
Now that prices have evened out, and stricter CAFE regulations are on the way, there are some incentives to get those programs moving again. Hard to tell if consumers would respnod at this point, but it seems like it's worth another try given refined and quiet modern diesel engines have become.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
Same company, two very different convertibles. OK, not exactly the same company, but close enough. At $32,700, the 2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible is the cheaper of the two by a wide margin, even with more than $5,000 worth of options. Although the 2009 BMW 128i is the company's entry-level convertible, it topped $37,000 with a sport package and not much else.
On the track, their personalities were about as close as their prices, although the performance gap was surprisingly small. The more powerful BMW pulled slightly ahead in the straight-line performance categories, while the Mini excelled on the skid pad and in the slalom. Braking was the only test in which both cars turned in strong performances.
So in other words, picking a favorite between these two is about your performance priorities and the size of your wallet. We'll let you judge the styling on your own. Full track numbers and video after the jump.
The Associated Press is reporting that both BMW and General Motors intend to skip this fall's Tokyo auto show. Both companies said they made the decision to save money.
"It is unprecedented to see such a large number of carmakers not coming to the motor show. It's disappointing," said Kazusa Yoshino, a spokeswoman for the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, which sponsors the biennial auto event in October.
There are only 4 foreign automakers committed to the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show at this point: Ferrari, Hyundai, Kia and Lotus.
We showed you a few pictures of the 2010 BMW 5 Series GT earlier, and now we have the full release on BMW's oddly-shaped people mover. Most of the details were expected, but there are a few surprises.
Most notable is the introduction of an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission. With a direct drive sixth gear and two overdrive gears, it should give the 550i GT decent mileage even with its 4.4-liter, twin turbo V8.
Another first, at least on a U.S. model, is a regenerative braking system. It allows the alternator to cycle on and off which reduces load on the engine and theoretically saves gas. The 5 Series GT is still a huge vehicle though, so don't expect impressive mileage numbers.
Although it's labeled as a 5 Series, the GT borrows heavily from the 7 Series when it comes to its suspension setup. The GT adopts essentially the same three-link setup up front and the 7's multilink configuration in back. BMW's integral Active Steering is also featured on the GT so the rear wheels are capable of turning up to 3 degrees to improve steering response.
BMW says it expects to have the 5 Series Gran Turismo in U.S. dealers by the end of this year with a price between $65,000 and $70,000.
Photographs of the upcoming 5-series GT have leaked out ahead of the, er, thing's presumed reveal at this fall's Frankfurt auto show.
And, sadly, it has not gotten any prettier on the road from concept to production. French car magazine L'Automobile had photos first. We expect more information to be revealed in the coming days on this bizarre mash-up of sedan, wagon, crossover and toothpaste tube.
It's hard to imagine that the 5-series GT won't be offered with a twin-turbo inline six or a twin-turbo V8, at least for the U.S. market. All-wheel-drive will almost certainly be an option too.
For now, have a look at these photos -- if you dare.
They should have named it k-Drive or something, because BMW's new iDrive is a big departure from previous iterations of this navigation controller. BMW has transformed iDrive from the butt of automotive jokes into a useful tool to access in-vehicle navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings.
Preliminary reports suggested that the new iDrive's major improvement was the addition of switches on the periphery of the rotary controller, in a similar fashion as Audi's MMI. But these switches are the least of its accomplishments. The new iDrive's excellent usability and screen flow are the big stories.
Our shooters in Germany finally caught a glimpse of the 2011 BMW 6 Series. Sporting a soft convertible top and BMW's now trademark camouflage swirls, the big coupe looks as though it's sticking with its current shape and size.
A good thing? We'll reserve judgment on the styling at this point. For now, we'll be content just listening to this early prototype running the Nurburgring as it sounds quite healthy. And let's face it, the 6 Series needs a healthy motor to move that much weight around.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
Last May, the newly introduced Jaguar XF surprised us. It went head to head with the best midsize luxury sedans from Germany and came out on top. It was fast, comfortable and surprisingly competent through turns, but of course, that was the top-of-the-line supercharged model.
For 2010, the Jaguar XF gets a pair of all-new 5.0-liter V8s: one normally aspirated in the XF Premium, the other supercharged in the new XFR. We'll test an XFR soon, but today Inside Line is the first to take the new non-supercharged 5.0-liter-powered 2010 Jaguar XF Premium to the test track. Rated at 385 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque it's not quite as powerful as the former 4.2-liter supercharged V8, but it's close.
To see just how close, we brought back a 2009 BMW 550i to see how the new Jag stacks up when it's not getting help from a supercharger. Given that the BMW is giving up 25 hp and 20 lb-ft of torque, we expected a close contest - and got one.
"The research project AMULETT (the German acronym for "Active mobile accident avoidance and mitigation of accident effects through cooperative data acquisition and tracking technology") involves vehicles communicating with a radio transponder..."
Usain Bolt, the current world record holder in the men's 100-meter dash, crashed his BMW M3 in Jamaica yesterday. He suffered only minor injuries, but his M3 looks pretty well toasted.
Our crack team of engineers put our long-term 2009 BMW 750i on a dynomometer recently to see just how much power the big Bimmer's twin turbo V8 produces. It's rated from the factory at 400-horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, but as several dyno runs confirmed, it's probably makes a bit more than that at the crank.
The upcoming 2010 BMW X1 was spotted recently during filming of a commercial. Not surprisingly, it looks much like the X1 concept that was shown at the 2008 Paris Auto Show last fall.
We were hoping for some measure of improvement in the styling department. As is, the BMW X1 isn't really giving us to much to get excited about. We'll see how it looks when it shows up in the States this fall.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're running a feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
Don't get bent out of shape just yet. We know this isn't exactly a fair fight. The BMW M3 sedan requires a whole G6-worth of extra cash to bring it home, but hear us out. This is less of heads-up battle than it is a look at how much the extra $25K gets you when it comes to performance sedans.
With the soon-to-be-defunct G8 GXP, spending $42,000 puts you in one of the best Pontiac muscle cars ever. It's a missile in a straight line and surprising capable when you throw it around a little. Doesn't look half bad either.
The BMW M3 is a legend, and for good reason. It takes what is arguably the best sports sedan ever and turns it up three or four notches. That includes the price, however, and now that it's well into the $60s, we can't help but wonder if it's really worth the cash.
Disregard the number on their stickers and these cars aren't so far apart. Both have V8s up front and six-speed transmissions that send over 400 horsepower to their rear wheels. The bigger Pontiac weighs a little more, but its V8 levels the playing field with an extra 120 pound-feet of torque.
So is the BMW $25k faster? Or is the Pontiac the smart buy here? Check out the numbers and decide for yourself.
The all-new $86,255 BMW X5 M may have 555-horsepower, but it's not the most powerful X5 BMW has ever built.
When the X5 first came out, BMW wanted to prove that it was more than your average SUV underneath the skin. So it wedged a 6.0-liter V12 from one of its LeMans prototypes into an X5. It produced 750-horsepower and made the X5 sound like no other SUV you've ever heard.
BMW announced pricing for the 2010 X5 M and X6 M today, and as we expected they are sickenly expensive. As in, we'll never be able to afford them expensive.
The 2010 BMW X5 M will run you a cool $86,255 while the X6 M will command a slight premium of $89,725 for its oddness.
There's been considerable talk lately about some early build 2010 Chevrolet Camaros that arrived at dealer lots with weights attached to their brake calipers. After much speculation, Camaro5 got an official answer from GM. Spokesman John Fitzpatrick said the weights were added as a damper to reduce noise and only early build cars would need them.
Sounds like an odd engineering change at the last minute, but as our own Dan Edmunds pointed out just yesterday, BMW apparently had a similar issue with the 1 Series. Turns out that our 135i long-term car has some extra mass added to its calipers as well (green arrow), most likely for the same reason as the Camaro.
BMW has come up with a new scheme to make even more money, and it is quite brilliant.
Currently, new BMW's are covered for 4 years or 50,000 miles when it comes to maintenance. That includes everything from brake pads and wiper blades to oil changes, but not fuel or tires.
Naturally, customers get used to this kind of carefree ownership, so why not offer them the chance to continue such a privileged existence? For a fee naturally.
Yes, for a mere $1,395 to $2,995 depending on the model, owners can extend the covered maintenance period to 6 years or 100,000 miles from the car's original in-service date. It's transferable and offered to any BMW still in the first five years or 60,000 miles of its service life.
A good deal? Probably not, at least in terms of money saved, but there is some undeniable satisfaction in knowing that you won't have to pay anything additional for the first six years of ownership, if you're into that kind of thing.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we're running a feature on Straightline called "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
These are the big guns from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Well, not the biggest guns, but with prices near or above the $100,000 range, they're big enough. The BMW 750Li is all-new for 2009 and looking better than ever. Its 400-horsepower twin-turbo V8 makes it the closest thing to a "Motorsport" 7 Series we have ever seen. The Mercedes-Benz S550 is getting a face-lift next year, but the current model has held up well. And with a 382-horsepower V8 of its own, it doesn't give up much to the new BMW.
One look at the track numbers and you'll be amazed what these 2.25-ton sedans can do. From 13-second quarter-mile sprints to 110-foot stops from 60 mph, these two sedans are perfect examples of what can be accomplished when money is no object. Full details after the jump.
Sales of BMW's 335d sedan and xDrive 35d are off to a slow start. According to Edmunds.com data, the 335d comprises about 1% of current 3 Series sales while the xDrive 35d is only slightly better at roughly 7-8% of X5 sales.
According to a report in Automotive News, BMW only expects to sell about 3,000 diesel models total this year. BMW of North America CEO Jim O'Donnell told the industry trade paper that sales "haven't taken off" largely because the brand hasn't advertised them much.
Volkswagen is having much better luck with its Jetta TDI model. The diesel models currently make up 30% of sedan sales and 50% of Jetta wagon sales. The company is expecting similar results for its upcoming sixth-generation Golf TDI that will go on sale later this year.
And it turns out that the X5 M has the same 20-inch wheels as the X6 M. Similarly, the front seating areas are indistinguishable. So as on the non-Motorsport versions, the differences come down to sheet metal, seat count and cargo capacity. You already know our preference.
After BMW officials waded through a grim economic status update, noting that the company will continue to maximize liquidity and cut costs through 2009, Ludwig Wilisch, head of the Motorsport division, got down to the business of introducing the 2010 BMW X6 M, which we've already written about in detail. The 2010 BMW X5 M was nowhere to be found; its official debut is two weeks from now in Shanghai.
The engine is the story on the X6 M, as the Motorsport engineers started with the block of the 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine in the current BMW 750i and made modifications from there. The turbos are twin-scroll on the M-tuned V8, and there's that innovative two-piece single exhaust manifold. Really, it's a completely different engine now, though it retains the reverse-flow design (with the turbos in the vee), which explains the 555 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque.
Still, says Wilisch, "our philosophy is that the chassis must always be faster than the engine -- a big challenge I can tell you, on an SAV."
To that end, the M engineers retuned the car's Active Roll Stabilization system and fitted stiffer rear axle mounts and upgraded control arm bushings. Plus, the BMW X6 M sits 0.4 inch lower than the normal X6.
Come fall 2009, we'll see how well the Motorsport engineers fared with this first-ever M-badged SUV. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor
#NYIAS This is it, the most powerful SUV BMW has ever built. Actually, the 2010 BMW X6 M is officially called a Sport Activity Coupe, but we know better than to fall for that nomenclature.
We also know that it has a ton of motor thanks to a more powerful version of the twin turbo 4.4-liter V8 offered in the standard X6. Does 555-horsepower interest you? Check out our full story for the rest of the specs on this rival to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S.
The car is a lot more complicated electronic device than any iPod you can imagine. When you're behind the steering wheel, there's a lot of stuff on the menu: ventilation controls, audio entertainment options, navigation system, calibrations for the powertrain and chassis. It's no wonder that car designers have been trying to figure out what to do about operating all this stuff.
Designers have long recognized that a simple touch-panel display possesses superior Human Machine Interface (HMI) qualities, yet they continue to seek a more elegant solution than the customary computer screen jammed in the middle of the dashboard. This is what led BMW to bring us iDrive in 2001, followed subsequently by Audi's MMI and Mercedes-Benz's COMAND. Now even Lexus is headed down this route to the remote-control device, replacing its widely admired touch-panel display with its Remote Touch interface for the 2010 Lexus RX.
Long rumored and somewhat grudgingly anticipated, the 2010 BMW X6 M will finally make its world debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show in April.
No BMW SUV has ever officially carried a Motorsport badge and many of the engineers within the company thought that was a good thing. "The Motorsport badge is reserved for our sportiest vehicles, and that doesn't include SUVs," they would say.
Apparently those guys got fired because BMW officially announced the imminent debut of the high-performance X6. Other than noting that the X6 M "will utilize several new engine, drivetrain, and suspension technologies," BMW didn't disclose any details. Look for more info April 4.
Small cars were all the rage six months ago. Now dealers can't get them off their lots. Of course, they can't really get anything off their lots, but let's not mix up too many issues here.
Hard to tell who's right here. Sure, we probably don't need quite so many full-size SUVs, but does anybody really want to drive a compact hatchback? Maybe when they're 25 and poor, but what about when they're 35 and doing well for themselves?
Everyone always uses Europe as an example, but you know what rich people in Europe drive? S-Class sedans, and 7 Series sedans and A8s. And if they're really rich - Jeep Grand Cherokees. So yeah, they drive small cars when they have to, not because they really want to.
A race is kind of like a physics test, a high-speed evaluation of automotive machinery. But the best thing about sports car racing is, there isn't just one right answer.
The 12 Hours of Sebring provide a worthwhile reminder, as a surprising number of different exam booklets were submitted for the 57th running of the annual, twelve-hour endurance race in Florida. This road-racing event is part of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), one of the few racing championships that is about cars, not just money. In comparison, Formula 1 and NASCAR look like one-make spec-car series, where the only way to tell the cars apart is by color and sponsorship decals.
The Audi R15 TDI earned the gold medal in this particular physics test by narrowly winning the race by just 22.279 seconds over the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP with which it had rubbed fenders for virtually the entire 12 hours. But the Acura ARX-02a, BMW M3 GT2, and Lola B09/86-Mazda MZR-R also came up with some interesting answers.
Leave it to BMW to come up with a naming convention as nonsensical as sDrive35i. Clearly it means a rear-wheel drive roadster with a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine, but it doesn't really roll off the tongue now does it?
Beyond the new name, the 2009 Z4 has also been given a much more serious look, one that BMW hopes will put it in the same league as the Porsche Boxster. Does it stand a chance of getting the attention of serious enthusiast buyers looking for something with a hardtop? That's the question Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton set out to answer in our latest first drive.
It looks like the Brabham Racing BT92. The name might sound familiar, but Jack Brabham had nothing to do with it. This modified version of the E92 M3 was built by Michael Trick and an overqualified team of engineers. It's a nearly race-spec car with 494-horsepower on tap and a curb weight of 3,142 pounds.
Contributor Matt Davis took it for a spin to find out if it's worth the price. It's not, of course, but it's still fun to see what can be done with a big budget and one of the best sportscars in the world as a starting point.
BMW announced today that it completed an engineering demonstration in Philadelphia that validates the use of HD Radio to broadcast "advanced traffic information" -- as well as explains why the company continues to support a technology that few people care or even know about.
The demo was conducted in November by BMW and its HD Radio technology partner, Clear Channel Total Traffic Network, using a new protocol that provides "real-time, high-speed broadcast of traffic information." According to BMW, the technology will allow vehicles to gauge "current and predicted traffic patterns, speeds and flows almost instantaneously."
The proof-of-concept was carried out in a 5 Series equipped with custom hardware and software that cruised the entire Philly metro area while BMW techs monitored HD Radio coverage and the accuracy of traffic info. BMW claims that the high-speed data transfer provided by HD Radio made it possible to transmit traffic info to the test vehicle in just 14 seconds throughout the metro area during rush hour.
We knew there had to be a reason why BMW and other automakers continue to offer HD Radio even though most car buyers are either oblivious to it or underwhelmed by it.
We were hoping that the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo concept would be better-looking in person. It is not. Instead of growing on us, it kind of creeped us out the closer we looked. Not since the 7 Series from 2002 have we stared so long and appreciated so little.
Those proportions don't get any better when you're standing there in person and the interior is an odd mix of fabrics and colors that defy explanation. It doesn't even appear all that roomy in back either.
The unique dual hatch in back could be useful if the ceiling in your garage is less than 6 feet high. Otherwise, we don't see why you would use the smaller opening over the larger one.
It looks like there's a good chunk of space available, although according to BMW it's only 20.1 cubic feet with the rear seats slid forward. So yeah, it's barely bigger than the trunk of a large sedan, How innovative. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
BMW is developing a navigation system that "learns" owners' driving habits and analyzes a car's current location to predict where the driver may want to go next. Called ILENA, an acronym for Intelligent Learning Navigation, BMW claims it has 80 percent accuracy in guessing the car's next possible destination, which is displayed on the nav screen.
In addition to the convenience factor, BMW claims ILENA increases efficiency since the car's computer and systems will be able to automatically adjust performance and power relative to the next-destination info it gathers, which can lower driving costs by between 5 and 10 percent.
But BMW owners will have to decide if the small savings and convenience ILENA offers is worth giving up a large amount of privacy, and they'll have time to decide since BMW says the system won't be road-ready for about five years or so.
Hmm...probably not the way the BMW X 1 engineers planned it back in Munich. Oh well, once you've augured yourself into a snow bank in the middle of nowhere there aren't too many options.
In this case, a call to the Volkwagen Tiguan that was along for comparison was all it took to get the new BMW sport utility free. I'm sure there's a joke in there about Xdrive versus 4Motion, but we'll leave that up to you.
In a speech at the Washington D.C. auto show on Tuesday, Tom Bologa, BMW North America's VP of Engineering, confirmed that the company is considering smaller engines for its U.S. lineup. "We are investigating bringing a new generation of four-cylinder engines to the U.S., each with an impressive mix of efficiency, cleanliness and performance," Bologa said.
He also confirmed the development of a pure electric car as part of BMW's Project i plan. The Mini E, which rolls out this spring, is the first leg of the project. "Based on the experience, we intend to bring to market an entirely newly designed vehicle featuring an electric drive system in the first half of the next decade," Bologa confirmed.
As far as hybrids go, Bologa said BMW considers them part of the future, but sees only limited applications. "We do not yet see them as optimum for the way Americans drive and our transportation and living culture."
BMW is currently looking into building a line of small, ultra efficient city cars to deal with new emissions requirements and city congestion taxes. Apparently Bangle's ideas for the cars conflicted with those of his deputy, Adrian van Hooydonk as well as BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer.
With little support for his ideas on such a large design project, Bangle decided it was time to move on. He may remain involved with BMW through consulting work at the company's Designworks USA, however, so it appears as though it was a somewhat amicable split.
Last week I had a couple hours to kill in Munich, and when I stepped out of the U-bahn station in Karlsplatz, there was a whole dealership devoted to the redesigned 2009 BMW 7 Series, or in German, der Neue BMW 7er. Yet, the first thing I saw was not the new 7 Series, but a 1996 BMW 750iL with a 007 license plate. A bunch of dents on the driver door suggest this particular sedan might have been involved in the actual filming of the car chase in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Watch a video clip of the Bond 750iL car chase and see more photos of this unusual dealership (also home to a 1987 BMW 735i) after the jump.
Chris Bangle, the Ohio-born, beard-sportin' Chief of Design at BMW, has resigned according to a report in Automotive News. Mr. Bangle is widely known for controversial designs that he labeled progressive and revolutionary. Others often used labels like ugly and misshapen.
According to the report, Bangle is leaving to pursue interests outside the automotive industry. Adrian van Hooydonk, the current number two in BMW's design department, will succeed Bangle. Automotive News
BMW wants to ensure the warmest possible reception for the 2009 BMW 335d and 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d, so the company has made it impossible for you to make the number one most aggravating mistake: accidentally refueling your diesel vehicle with gasoline.
In a recent press release, BMW notes that --
The Incorrect Fuelling Protection System fitted to all BMW diesel-powered models is designed to allow only filler nozzles for diesel fuel to enter the filler neck. The filler neck of these models is fitted with a locking system that can only be released by a standardized diesel filler nozzle. An unleaded gasoline nozzle with its smaller diameter cannot make the same connection and its access is blocked.
Apparently, the company isn't just targeting American drivers who may be unaccustomed to using the diesel pump, noting that Germany's automobile association reports an average of 5,000 "misfueling" incidents each year.
Today's episode of automaker teaser video is brought to you by the word, cutesy.
BMW has been working for some time on a wagon-esque, minivan-like, crossover-type vehicle that it likes to call PAS for progressive activity sedan. And now it's released on the web this adorable cartoon of a vehicle that we fear will be something less than adorable. It's a sort of tall wagon thing with adjustable rear seats and a cargo hold that can be accessed via a full-sized hatchback or through a smaller hatch within a hatch should the weather be too cold to expose passengers to a momentary blast of the outside. We're imagining the end result of all this passenger and cargo packaging rethinking (the video points out BMW has thought about this quite a lot) will end up looking a bit like a bloodless X6. But we'll see at March's Geneva auto show, where we expect to see the concept in person.
Until then, sit back and enjoy this silly interlude, because as '90's girly band Veruca Salt once observed, "Can't fight the teaser."
An alert Edmunds employee caught this 2011 BMW 5 Series prototype on the streets of L.A. recently. Like most of the 5 Series prototypes we've seen before, this car was covered nose to tail in camouflage so there's not much to see.
If anything, these shots give some impression of the car's overall size and stance thanks to the various cars surrounding the prototype. We're not expecting anything dramatic with this new 5 Series, so the fact that it blended in quite easily is no surprise.
With the horsepower wars seemingly coming to an end, this could be one of BMW's most concerted efforts yet to show off its much talked about "Efficient Dynamics" idea. Don't expect to see a two-mode hybrid drivetrain in this car, but we've heard rumors of a few other groundbreaking technologies that could make their world debut in this upcoming sedan. Expect to see an official debut sometime in 2010.
Apparently, the only thing more graceful and clever than the two-piece, aluminum retractable hardtop on the 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster is a human acrobat. His specialty was fabric and for two minutes he twisted and contorted in a fabric sash suspended from the ceiling of Detroit's Cobo Center. Perhaps he was mocking the old Z4's fabric top. When the sheet came off the 2009 Z4, he disappeared into the rafters.
Alongside the simplicity of a man in a unitard is the complexity of the post-flame-surfaced Z4 Roadster. Still, the addition of retractable metal panels hasn't visibly fattened up the tail, though as you'll read in our full story on the 2009 BMW Z4 Roadster, the car has put on over 200 pounds. Then again, with the 300-hp, twin-turbo inline-6 now the top engine choice, the extra poundage might not matter.
The hard-top 2009 BMW Z4 goes on sale this spring. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor
So Detroit is hurting and the Asian automakers are pulling out of Detroit. So what's left?
Plenty of room for the Europeans apparently. There will be no less than ten world debuts from the other side of the pond at this year's show, a sign that although our market is down, it's can still make or break a new product for most manufacturers. Here's a rundown of what the German et al. will have on display next week.
You may have already seen the sales totals for December, and 2008 as a whole. If not, here's a summary: not good. For a more detailed look, check out the industry wide 2008 sales analysis over at AutoObserver.
We assembled something a little different though. Instead of assessing the big picture, we looked at the sales numbers for individual models. Which new models flopped, which old models recovered, that sort of thing. Some of the results we expected, others were a little more eye opening. See for yourself after the jump.
The 3 Series refresh is out and the 2009 7 Series is on its way, so the 2011 BMW 5 Series is the next logical step in the automaker's product plan. We've seen various 5-Series sedan prototypes before, but this is the best look yet at the wagon.
There's nothing unexpectedly different about the shape. It follows the same path it always has with nicely rounded D-pillars and relatively thin C-pillars which keep it from looking too bulky.
In profile, it appears as though this 5 Series will have some fairly spacious rear seats. The roof looks tall and the doors appear larger than usual. We know that BMW is also working on what it calls its Progressive Activity Sedan which takes the tall-roof idea to the extreme, so it's possible that some of the same thinking has been incorporated into the 5 Series wagon.
Don't expect to see the final product for quite some time. The 2011 BMW 5 Series is still at least a year away from an official unveil, so this wagon may not show up until late 2010.
According to the UK's Car magazine, BMW will be dropping the M Division straight 6 engine. Widely regarded as one of the all-time great engines, it will be sorely missed. Car doesn't get into as to why this is occurring, but I'm sure it's emission and/or gas mileage related.
For lovers of Bimmer inline sixes, they will remain; just not in its most macho form.
I've often wondered why BMW didn't offer an AWD version of their premium 7 Series sedan. I guess a number of potential BMW customers have also wondered the same thing, as they ended up buying Mercedes S-Class 4Matics and Audi A8 Quattros.
This year BMW will have an answer for those considering alternate brand AWD models: a 7 Series xDrive, which will arrive in late 2009. Unlike other xDrive BMWs, this 7 Series will have a 30:70 front-to-rear power split (other AWD BMWs have a 40:60 front-to-rear power split), thereby retaining more of a RWD feeling when driving. The car will also get a slightly higher ground clearance; and Hill Descent Control, a feature usually reserved for off-road oriented vehicles.
BMW will use the 2009 NAIAS to debut their all-new Z4 sports car. The new Z-car (sorry Nissan) has grown a bit, softened the styling a tad, and has added a folding hardtop. Power will come from the existing 3.0 6-cylinder engines. The naturally-aspirated sDrive30i puts out 255 hp, and the twin-turbo sDrive35i offers 300 hp. The base model (I hate those silly names) will come with either a 6-speed manual of 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. The twin-turbo will be offered with the 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch tranny.
I've never been a fan of the Z3 or Z4 in terms of styling. This one, now with numerous 7-Series styling cues, is better than the past models, but it's still not my cup of tea. Hopefully my mind will be changed once I see it in the flesh.
We've already driven the 2009 BMW 750i and the redesigned 7 Series made its official debut in Paris. But we haven't yet driven the extended-wheelbase 2009 BMW 750Li, and BMW had one here at its booth in L.A.
The 750Li is pretty much what you'd expect: It rides on a 126.4-inch wheelbase (5.5 inches longer than the 750i's) and has 44.3 inches of rear legroom (an increase of 5.9 inches). With the extra room, chances a 750Li will have more humans (and likely heavier ones at that) riding in back, so BMW equips a self-leveling rear air suspension as standard on the LWB 7 Series.
We walked by the BMW outpost at least a half dozen times and at no point were all four outboard seats in the 750Li vacant for longer than 10 seconds. (The same was true of the 750i in the booth until it was confined behind a plexiglass wall.) People weren't taking photos, either. They were stretched out to the point of dozing off. We checked, and the car's rump didn't droop a bit under their weight.
Sure, we're all at the L.A. auto show to see all the brand-spanking-new cars, but a few manufacturers chose to display some greats from their past. Here are some of the gems. My favorite is the Jag. -- James Riswick, Automotive Editor
BMW's 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged diesel straight-6 has earned much critical acclaim in Europe, and now the company will really and truly offer it in the U.S. Show up at your BMW dealer in December and you'll be able to buy both the 2009 BMW 335d and 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d. And that's it in all 50 states. Both meet the BIN 5 standard using a pair of AdBlue urea tanks.
AdBlue injection systems aren't cheap, of course, so we're not surprised the $44,725 335d costs about $4 grand more than a manual-shift 335i while offering similar performance -- BMW's 0-60 claim for the diesel 3 Series is 6 seconds flat. EPA stats are 23/36. That's all with a six-speed automatic, the only transmission available on the 335d.
The 2009 X5 xDrive35d, er, diesel X5, comes in at $52,025, but since the base X5 lacks the company's twin-turbo gasoline inline-6, the price jump is easier to swallow. BMW says the diesel X5 will hit 60 mph in 6.8 seconds -- as quick as the V8 X5. Rated at 19 city/26 highway, it's vastly more efficient than any other BMW X5 past or present. Additionally, as Auto Observer reported last week, both diesels qualify for a tax credit.
Save for a couple guys diving under the X5's hood to spot the AdBlue tanks, the cutely electric Mini E and redesigned 7 Series got most of the attention at the BMW booth. But we're much more interested in the diesel Bimmers. Like BMW's gasoline twin-turbo six, the 2,993cc engine in these cars uses both a small and a large turbocharger to create a vast spread of torque, peaking at 425 lb-ft from 1,750-2,250 rpm.
Now that it's 50-state-certified, the remaining question mark is sales volume. As the quickest (probably) and most efficient member of the X5 family, the X5 xDrive35d is an easy sell. But given how good the 335i is, the pricier 335d might not be.
The spreading Wall Street financial crisis is beginning to affect what we will see offered here and around the world--and sooner rather than later. No market is going to get by untouched. Even those OPEC and other oil-rich countries will see some sort of negative effect as it pertains to vehicle choices. AutoObserver has an excellent article on how automakers are addressing this situation:
Finally! Finally an automaker (BMW) is trying to make sense out of the various in-vehicle computer operating systems. As it now stands, each automaker has their own OS. To make that more "real-world," imagine if every car and truck used a different threading and sizing system for all their nuts and bolts. That's essentially what you have here with the on-board OSs. It's just plain crazy!
With a standard open-source Linux platform--much like what the SAE did with the standardization of nuts and bolts decades back--you would be able to develop software that could be used in a multitude of vehicles, and would not be brand-specific. Imagine what that would do to bringing down costs! This would be a win-win for everyone; from software develops, to automakers, and finally to the customers.
While this idea is still being debated among automakers, and is still years away from being a reality, the benefits should be obvious to everyone. So my hat is off to BMW, and to Goggle and Wind River, who are also of the team developing this, for getting this long overdue idea moving forward.
In a somewhat related story, Inside Line has something up on the latest BMW 7-Series iDrive: BMW's iDrive Revived
Can you imagine if BMW--who has been raked over the coals--regarding their incredibly complex iDrive, could develop a simple system that could be easily understood by everyone? That in itself would be worth the effort!
It's well known that racing has contributed heavily to the design and engineering of vehicles that you and I drive. With that thought in mind the LA Auto Show will feature a display of what future race cars might be like in 2025, what they may offer in terms of technology and safety; and ultimately, how that might be applied to ordinary cars sometime in the future.
The designs are part of the fifth annual Los Angeles Auto Show's Design Challenge, where studios including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are pitted against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design.
Looks like there may indeed be some truth to a possible new entry-level Porsche. Not too long ago Straightline reported that there may be a new 4-cylinder model (Porsche and BMW may be considering 4-cylinder engines), possibly a Boxster or perhaps even a 911. Now there is this latest rumor that adds credibility to the fact that Porsche is thinking of offering a less expensive model to their lineup.
This rumor, however, suggests a small hatch, and that it may be developed with VW, and targeted at the BMW 1-Series hatch. What's not clear (actually there's a lot that's not clear at this point) is whether VW will also get a variant of this model. That was the case with the original 914, in that both Porsche and VW sold versions of this car.
The hardtop-convertible battle is going to heat up shortly, as the American and European luxury carmakers will shortly also have Lexus and Infiniti to contend with. Actually the new Infiniti G37 convertible (2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Infiniti G37 Convertible) and the Lexus IS 250/350 (2008 Paris Auto Show: 2010 Lexus IS 250/350C) will likely do battle among themselves first, with the other entries being secondary targets. Even so, that's not good news for BMW, Saab, etc.
Both these new hard-droptops will go on sale this spring.Also of note is that Infiniti will be offering AWD on their 2009 fixed-roof G37 coupe (Infiniti Adds All-Wheel-Drive Coupe to 2009 G37 Lineup), thereby making it a G37x coupe. Also interesting to note that 40 percent of all G37 sedan buyers opt for AWD, and Infiniti is expecting the percentage for the AWD coupe will be between 30 and 40 percent of their total coupe sales.
Really, what were the chances that since Mercedes unveiled a hybrid S-Class that BMW wouldn't show a hybrid 7 Series? Apparently, not great, since that is exactly what BMW did.
The Paris show is the official debut of the new 7 Series line, but BMW saved all its stagecraft for the surprise Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid. Seriously, BMW unleashed more smoke than we'd seen in quite some time.
Unlike Mercedes' big hybrid sedan, the 7 hybrid uses a V8 that is augmented by electric drive. (The Mercedes has a V6). The company claims that the setup will result in a 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption compared to conventionally powered cars in its class.
And BMW will produce the 7 Series hybrid, too. The company says that it will introduce a production version (without the garish body graphics) as early as next year. The X6 hybrid will arrive at the same time. -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
We've grown comfortable with the idea that we will be uncomfortable with any new BMW design. Such is the case with the smaller-than-an-X3 X1 Concept vehicle. The nose of this Concept, soon to make it to production, has the slightly melted look of the new 7 Series. But we don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. But it's not as appealingly taut a design as the new X5.
The eventual production version of the car, planned for U.S. sale in September 2009, will be powered by a 170-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline and 177-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder common-rail diesel, as well as a 265-hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine and the company's new 245-hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel.
In person, the X1 doesn't look any smaller than an X3. But just as on the car side of the business, BMW is expected to march each of its crossover SUVs up a class with each new generation. So expect the next X3 to be a half-size larger than the current model. -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
Bimmer fans don't get your hopes up just yet, as early word has it that this car, when it goes into production, may not come here. Why? It all comes down to exchange rates between the dollar and the euro.
In Europe this smaller-than-X3 CUV is expected to offer a 170-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a 177-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder common-rail diesel, as well as a 265-hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine and the company's new 245-hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel.
Ever since BMW announced that they were going to revive the Isetta brand, I've wondered how they would be able to capture the fun and funky spirit of the original. Early renderings, while attractive, just didn't succeed here. Now this new rendering has cropped up. Whether it is accurate or not, I have no idea. It is however, dead on in capturing the essence of what the original Isetta was all about.
Gotta hand it to the 'BMW Boys,' as they've been absolute masters in bringing old and revered automotive nameplates up to date, if not being state-of-the art. All you have to do is look at the new Mini and Rolls-Royce for proof of that. Let's just hope this wacky Isetta illustration came from BMW design studios, and this is where they're heading.
Latest rumor out there suggests that Porsche may once again be considering a 4-cylinder engine. Obviously this is a response to the current fuel situation.
Now before everyone panics, remember that until 1965 all Porsches were 4-cylinder cars. Only when the 911 replaced the 356, did a 6-cylinder appear. It was called the 911-6, and was sold along side the 911-4. Also, 4-cylinder Porsches remained in the lineup for another 20+ years.
As to what models it might be found in, that's up in the air. Certainly a new 911-4 is possible. My guess however would be that the Boxster to be the most likely candidate, as being the base model, it is most subject to customers with fuel price concerns.
One of the beauties of a boxer configuration is that it is relatively easy to lop off a pair of cylinders. If they did that to the 3.6 H-6, you would end up with a 2.4 H-4.
BMW too It looks like BMW is looking at 4-cylinder engines again, this time being turbocharged.
"This will be a high tech 4-cylinder engine; obviously turbo charged," said Jim O'Donnell, a BMW spokesman. "We can't really confirm or deny when it is going to come into the US, if it is going to come into the US until after the election and the government makes it clear what is going to be the platform that manufacturers have got to work to."
It may look just like your everyday X5, but it's not; nope, not by a long shot. ...Or a short shot, or just about any shot for that matter, as this baby is designed to withstand a .44 Magnum attack. In fact it can meet tough ballistic level VR4 requirements, making it a good vehicular choice to make your weekly trips to the bank in.
Other elements include heavy-duty material and
ballistics-resistant steel and bullet-proof safety glass. It also has 22mm thick armor plating, an intercom
system and a camera monitoring set-up. The passenger cell has
been designed to protect its occupants from violent crimes such as
robbery, kidnapping or carjacking, and it can even sustain a blast from
a small explosive.
Big Brother is alive and will be living in the next-generation BMW 7-Series, as it literally can read speed-limit signs and relay that info to the driver. In addition it can respond instantly to changes in variable speed limits, as well as temporary limits in school zones and roadworks, then flash a warning to the driver.
So the question comes to mind is this something that could be used in court against drivers with cars so equipped?
No this is not a Volkswagen Tiguan. It's actually a prototype for the upcoming 2010 BMW X1 sport utility. Up to this point, all X1 test mules were covered in hard plastic which concealed most of its styling details. Although this lovely new paint job makes it hard to pin down the X1's exact shape, its size and styling is more evident than ever.
Slated to fit below the X3 in BMW's lineup, the X1 has been confirmed for production at the company's Leitzpig plant that currently builds the 1 Series lineup. With that in mind, it's not much of a stretch to figure that the X1 will use the same pair of 3.0-liter straight sixes as the 128i and 135i coupes and convertibles. Expect production to see this new compact SUV on sale in the U.S. by late 2009.
Well, it looks like Alfa Romeo and Mini are going to do the showroom tango, as a deal has been struck up between BMW (the parent of Mini) and Fiat (the parent of Alfa Romeo). so that Alfas can be sold via established Mini outlets.
My first response was surprise--but in a good way--as I see the two "nostalgic" brands being paired together as a natural union.
"We are currently examining with the Fiat Group possibilities for the joint use of components and systems in Mini and Alfa Romeo vehicles in order to achieve economies of scale and thus cost reductions," BMW executive board member Friedrich Eichiner said in a statement.
"The proposed cooperation with BMW is a significant cornerstone of our strategy of alliances. We are delighted to work with such an esteemed and respected partner in the automotive industry with the clear objective of improving the competitive position of both parties," Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said.
The 2009 BMW 335d was announced at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, so the fact that our spies caught a nearly undisguised prototype testing in Death Valley was no surprise. Set for a fall debut, the 335d will not only showcase BMW's latest diesel technology, it will arrive wearing slightly revised bodywork as well. In fact, all 2009 BMW 3 Series models will get a mid-cycle refresh this fall which will include revised front and rear fascias and modestly upgraded interiors. Although the success of the 3 Series as a model line is virtually guaranteed, the 335d may have a tough time finding traction given the price of diesel fuel. We'll see in a matter of months.
Images and info of the upcoming 2009 BMW 7-Series are up on the Net, ahead of the official announcement that's supposed to happen later this month. The car is scheduled to debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The new car is expected to offer a twin-turbo gas V8 along with an 8-speed ZF automatic and a torque-splitting rear differential. Other items include upgraded radar cruise control systems, a camera-based lane departure and blind-spot warning systems, and a new night vision system with pedestrian and speed sign detection features.
I feel an Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" coming...
The CLEVER 3-wheeler is indeed pretty clever, as it's powered by compressed natural gas. It was developed by he Technical University of Berlin, which together with a number of partners, including BMW, wanted to develop a type of vehicle that would be suitable for urban use. The result was a low emissions, three wheeled, two person vehicle that can tilt around corners, and look quite stylish doing it...
Say what you want about the BMW X6, but despite it's size and weight, that sucker can handle as well as some of the best sport sedans out there. Much of this back road prowess is due to a trick chassis called Dynamic Performance Control (DPC) that ZF has developed; part of which includes a torque-vectoring rear differential that can send more power to the outside rear wheels while cornering. Umm.... did someone just whisper Acura SH-AWD in my ear?
Besides the the torque-vectoring aspect, there are other features—a "suite" of chassis-control components—with the end result being a killer handling system...
Say what you want about the BMW X6, but despite it's size and weight, that sucker can handle as well as some of the best sport sedans out there. Much of this back road prowess is due to a trick chassis called Dynamic Performance Control (DPC) that ZF has developed; part of which includes a torque-vectoring rear differential that can send more power to the outside rear wheels while cornering. Umm.... did someone just whisper Acura SH-AWD in my ear?
Besides the the torque-vectoring aspect, there are other features—a "suite" of chassis-control components—with the end result being a killer handling system...
GINA = Geometry and Functions In “N” Adaptions, which is BMW-speak for future automotive production and functionality concepts. Clear?
If not you can read about it here and here, or check out the video below—which shows the amazing fabric-like 'skin' of this vehicle.
Chris Bangle lives! I think this is a pretty sharp looking roadster—and certainly one of Bangle's better efforts. Yeah, I know he's been "kicked upstairs," but his design influence is still very much intact...
Similar to the BMW H7 (First Drive: 2007 BMW Hydrogen 7) in concept, the Scorpion supercar also runs on hydrogen—and will get 40 mpg. However the source engine in this car is a 3.5L unit from Honda and will be hooked up to a 6-speed manual, with an automatic coming later. The car can run on pure hydrogen or a mix of gas and hydrogen.
Texas-based Ronn Motor Company (RMC) says the car will go on sale in October...
Audi will be joining BMW in using the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission on their top-of-the-line models. This is in an effort to match Lexus, which already is using an 8-speed automatic on their LS460. BMW had earlier announced that the 7-Series and X6 models would be getting this new ZF tranny, and now Audi too will use it on their A8, Q7, and the upcoming A7 four-door coupe. The 8-speed Audis are expected next year...
If you're hot-to-trot on this new Bimmer, you'd better head over to your nearest dealer soon. All factory orders for 2008 have been spoken for—from the manufacturer to dealers—that is. That being the case, '08 X6s may be hard to come by in the not too distant future.
I know the X6 is a somewhat controversial vehicle, as the more "practical" AWD X5 can do just about anything this AWD SUV, er, sorry, AWD coupe can do...
More stories are popping up from Europe that BMW is going to again revive the Isetta brand. This time, however, it will be a ZEV (zero emissions vehicle), and powered by an electric motor. Don't, however, expect to see it equipped with the front opening door, as per the original car.
Autocar (here), the UK site, is showing an illustration that shows it to be a BMW, which I find strange, not to mention hard to believe...
2008 marks the 30-year celebration of the original Giugiaro-designed mid-engined M1 (small image). As such BMW decided to do a "what if" concept that's a remake of the original, but brought up to date in terms of styling. The vehicle will debut at the Concorsa d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
As it stands, this is strictly a styling exercise...
Audi chose the 2008 Beijing Auto Show to debut their new Q5 crossover, further signifying how important the Chinese market is becoming. The Q5, which will be pitted against the BMW X3, Infiniti EX35, and Lexus RX350, will come with Audi's 3.2L V6, a 6-speed automatic, and AWD when it comes Stateside in 2009.
There are stories up on the Net that, back in 1985, VW's Chairman Ferdinand Peich had wanted to buy Italian motorcycle maker Ducati. This was back when Ducati was in financial trouble, and could have been bought for a song.
...And apparently VW is still interested in acquiring Ducati according to a recent Bloomberg.com news item.
"I would still like a small, valuable motorcycle manufacturer," says Peich, who, at the age of 71, owns and rides a Ducati...
Because of tougher emission requirements and more stringent fuel requirements, both here and in Europe, BMW is ending production of their V8 diesel. They also feel because of turbocharging and direct injection, that 6-and 4-cylinder diesels will be more than adequate for those customers. Mercedes-Benz is also rumored to be following this same path, although nothing officially has been announced yet.
Might BMW be considering bringing the 5-door 1-Series Stateside? This one was spotted just a couple of days ago. Or, is this just another gray-market import? Don't know...
Must be as here's yet another report that BMW is exploring the possibility of doing a city car. Internally it's called 'Project i,' and BMW's CEO Norbert Reithofer has stated: “The task of the Project i team is to present specific solutions in the first half of the next decade. Whether this will require a fourth brand or not, will be decided at a later date.”
Another interesting comment he made was: “An electric motor is an option we are looking into. It does not only work at zero-emission level...
There have been rumblings for some time now that BMW may be getting into the really small car market. Straightline had posted last month of perhaps BMW bring back the Isetta, a microcar from the 1950s and '60s (BMW Isetta: A smart idea?). Now there is talk of BMW bringing out an electric car.
According to MobileMagazine, "It's unclear exactly what sort of size (or price) this new BMW will be, so we can't say for certain whether it'll be a sporty number like the Tesla Roadster, a generic-looking sedan, or hopped-up crossover."
I wonder how this will all fit into their "Ultimate Driving Machine" mantra?
File this one away in the “don’t believe everything you read on the Internet" bin. Way back in August of 2006, a member of m3post.com let loose with what he claimed was official pricing on the 2008 BMW M3. He had everything from base price to the options list, and it was all from a friend who had “good reliable connections at BMWNA and a BMW Dealer.”
Fast forward to the present. We now have official pricing from BMW, so we thought it might be interesting to see just how credible that “reliable connection” was back in 2006. Turns out, not very reliable at all.
Here's an interesting counterpoint to all the NAFTA criticism that's all the rage today: BMW is planning to increase production at their Spartanburg, SC plant at the expense of German jobs.
Yep, They will cut their homegrown workforce by 7.5 percent over the next two years, and will increase U.S. production by over 50 percent. An added benefit to all this could be lower priced BMWs...
We opted for the 4.8-liter V8 engine capable of 350 horsepower rather than the inline-6. Our X5 is equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, BMW's all-wheel-drive system and a third-row seat.
Goodies include a 16-speaker premium audio system, heated seats and moonroof...
Well, it was just a matter of time before some carmaker would offer full Internet access, and it looks like BMW is going to be the first to do so. Called ConnectedDrive, it means that drivers in need of some Net news will no longer will have to go find some WiFi location to go web surfing.
This will first be offered in Europe. No word on when it will be available here—but you just know it is coming, probably sooner rather than later...
After the reveal of the Audi RS6 Avant, we figured it was only a matter of time before the sedan version would show up. Good thing it has too, as the chances of us getting the Avant in the U.S. are slim. Now that the existence of the RS6 sedan has been confirmed, expect to see it either late this year or in early 2009...
As a nice break from all the new cars and concepts, here's a few semi-oldies that have been aged to perfection:
BMW 2002 Tii
Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3
Mitsubishi Galant GTO-R73X
New models and new concepts are fine but these three automakers obviously think there's something to be said for heritage. We agree. --Brian Moody, Road Test Editor
With all the interest in the Smart city car, there have been rumors that BMW might want to recreate their famous and tiny Isetta, but in a 21st century fashion. We've all seen pictures of the mid-'50-'60-ish Isetta, but here's a video of this bubble car in action.
For all those of you who complained that the BMW M3 has become too soft in its current form, have a look-see at this, the coolest car on the Chicago auto show floor: the M3 ALMS racecar.
The Rahal/Letterman team will campaign the car in American Le Mans Series racing in 2009. BMW reckons the V8 makes about 485 horsepower. The car weighs 2,535 pounds and carries 15-inch front and 13.1-inch rear brakes...
Here, captured in one mediocre photograph, is the danger to a manufacturer in bringing one of its legendary old cars to provide a boost for a new introduction. Honestly, which car is cooler: The 2002 tii or the Concept 1 Series tii? That's what we thought.
The trim little 2002 makes the 1 Series look, well, pregnant in a very not-good way. We're sure the new one is much faster, if that's any consolation...
You may have read the horrible news of an 18-year-old kid and four of his friends were killed as they were racing on a private airstrip in Ocala, Florida.
This airstrip is unique in that it 's in a gated community and that it is backed up to private homes. Everyone there has their own airplane, and can literally walk from their house to their plane. The most famous resident is John Travolta, who parks his 707 along with three other planes there...
An expensive "ouch!" for BMW, as number of their cars got damaged while at port in New Jersey. The carrier M/V Courage, which was loaded with BMWs from Germany, somehow tipped while in Jersey City, BMW's port of entry. BMW is reporting 370 cars were damaged, and of that amount, 70 were totaled. Most of the cars were 3-Series and 1-Series, including some M3s...
BMW had a glass-entombed display of the key hardware comprising the twin-turbo gasoline V8 that will power the 2009 X6. There are some unique details in the layout of the turbos that caught my eye as I wandered onto their stand.
Perhaps the most striking thing about the 2009 BMW 135i convertible on the BMW stand in Detroit is that the car really is quite striking. It has none of the ungainly angles of the 1 Series coupe.
We saw a 128i convertible with its top raised, and it turned out to be the optional top with metallic fibers woven into the cloth. Although the lights of an auto show are invariably harsh, the top looked almost like vinyl from a distance. If we bought a 1 Series convertible, we wouldn't choose it.
BMW's stand in Detroit is twice the size it usually is, so instead of immediately launching into a discussion of sales figures, the company did something it almost never does -- hire a dance troupe to warm up the crowd. Unfortunately, we missed the dance about diesel, because there were three times as many journalists crammed onto the stand.
We were able to hear it all, though, and we weren't surprised when Klaus Draeger, of the BMW AG Board of Management, called the 2009 BMW X6 the first ever "sports activity coupe."
"Personally, I've been driving a lot of miles in this car already, and it's great fun to drive," he added.
As expected, the BMW press conference packed all the pomp and circumstance of your typical insurance seminar. But there was news. The automaker took the sheet off its new 50-state-legal diesel powertrain, which will hit dealers this fall in the 3 Series sedan and X5 sport-utility.
Both the 2009 BMW 335d and the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d are powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 that generates a healthy 265 horsepower...
It's hard to see the consumer electronics angle at BMW's impressive Pit Lane Park. Still, it's easily the coolest car-related exhibit here at CES. Intel is a corporate partner so that's really the CE connnection.
Formula BMW driver Daniel Morad gave a little tire smoking demo. You don't need no computers to do that - or maybe you do, probably lots of them...
This is the coolest car at CES. It's here because it's outfitted with a PathfindIR night vision system. It's already an option on certain BMWs - should you want the feature on your classic Cadillac or even slightly used Camry, you can buy the camera. A monitor does not come with it...
There are more than 140,000 slot machines in and around Las Vegas. That's about the same number of people who will attend this year's International Consumer Electronics Show which is also in Las Vegas.
And we're not talking just fancy toasters, Wii and big screen TVs. We fully expect a strong automotive showing at this year's show as both Ford and General Motors will be there in force...
In the spirit of our 1984 Ferrari purchase, we're taking our chances with a used BMW. It cost us $30,000. That's less than our new Honda Accord long-termer...
BMW will introduce two new 50-state certified 3.0L 6-cylinder turbo diesels at the Detroit Auto Show: the new X5 xDrive35d and the 335d.
Being BMWs, these will be sporting engines that put out 235 horsepower, yet at the same time are clean enough to be sold throughout the USA. In order to do so BMW uses SCR technology to reduce nitric oxides (NOX), enabling nationwide introduction of BMW Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance as a 50-state model (BIN5).
Gizmodo.com is reporting that BMW may replace their user-hideous iDrive interface with one from Apple—a company known for making some of the most user-friendly products on the planet. If this happens, I would expect complete integration with current Apple products...
