BMW has decided to celebrate the Frankfurt Motor Show launch of its all-new 1-Series by producing the “Origins Film Season” in collaboration with Picturehouse Cinema. The “Origins” season, which starts on September 19, will run simultaneously with the advertising campaign that uses the same thing to underline the different variants of BMW’s base model.
The film series comprises four pairs of films, with each pair displaying a unique theme. For example, “A Life of Crimes” includes the screening of “Goodfellas” and “Mesrine Killer Instinct”, two films about men seduced by crime. Other classics included in BMW’s 1-Series promotion screenings are “The Graduate”, “A Clockwork Orange”, “Memento”, “Quadrophenia” and “Adaptation”.
You can watch the “Origins Film Season” trailer, as well as two films about the new 1-Series, right after the jump.
During the M5 Concept and M3 Pick-Up presentation held by BMW's M division in Munich, the Bavarian carmaker also showed the M3 Sedan Concept, a more powerful track-focused version that could signal the return of the CSL badge, albeit in four-door trim.
Official details are not out yet, but according to Car Magazine, the car's power rating is somewhere in between that of the standard M3 Sedan (420HP) and the M3 GTS (450HP) special. It is not clear yet if the car uses the 4.0-liter or the 4.4-liter version of the V8 engine. The lightweight M3 Sedan also uses several parts from the GTS, such as the larger brakes, the front splitter (slightly smaller though), a modified suspension and a lighter exhaust.
Styling cues such as the black kidney grilles and the dark 19-inch wheels are also sourced from the M3 GTS, while the rear bootlid spoiler is specially designed for this model. The car will be produced in limited numbers and BMW plans to race it at the Nurburgring 24 Hours race in June.
Do you happen to own a fourth generation BMW M3 Coupe, Sedan or Convertible model, and if so, do you crave for a throatier sound from its exhaust? If you answered yes to both questions and can justify spending $4,374 plus labor for installation for a performance exhaust system, then you may want to take a look the Bavarian firm's new M Performance offering.
BMW said the new exhaust system is crafted from an extremely heat-resistant and lightweight chrome-nickel alloy called Inconel, which allowed the firm's engineers to reduce the thickness of the tubing from 1.5mm to 0.8mm. This resulted in a weight reduction of approximately 40%, or about 20 pounds when compared to the M3's stock exhaust system. So basically, you're getting a much lighter exhaust system with a more powerful sound
The M Performance Exhaust also comes with perforated inner pipes and polished titanium tips, which are laser engraved with the M logo.
The company said the new exhaust may be installed at any Authorized BMW Center at a price of $4,374 plus installation.
What a Steal... Thieves Nab $94,000 BMW 7 Series at Detroit Motor Show
While we're done covering the automotive action from the main show floor of the Cobo Center, the Detroit Motor Show continues to make headlines, albeit for the wrong reasons. A BMW 750i xDrive (or 750iL xDrive) worth either $94,000 or $140,000 (depending on the news site....) was stolen near the Westin Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit. And what has that got to do with the Detroit Show, we hear you ask?
Well, the 7-Series was part of a fleet of BMW sedans that were used by the Bavarian automaker's executives and guests during the press days of the show. According to Police reports, the gray bimmer was being loaded into a transporter bound for New Jersey when the handler stepped away momentarily leaving the keys in the vehicle. That's when the crafty thieves stepped in and drove away with the 7er. Video report after the jump.
When we shared with you a list with winter driving tips in our previous post -see here- we stressed the importance of using winter tires. The reason? Summer tires will lose most of their elasticity at 7 degrees Celsius (44.6 F) and it only gets worse as temperatures drop further. Grip will be almost non-existent and having four-wheel drive doesn’t help either. If you still have doubts, follow the break to check out a video from BMW showing the new X3 with summer tires rendered useless in the snowy Austrian Alps.
At the end of last week, BMW informed us that its Vision EfficientDynamics [ED] green sports car concept would become a reality and be available for sale as early as 2013. Along with the announcement and the release of new photographic material, the Bavarian automaker also published a fresh video featuring an early prototype version of the diesel-electric-powered Vision ED. To watch the new promotional film, hit the jump below.
Yesterday, Evo magazine released a video in which Chris Harris goes to Munich to find out if the BMW 1-Series M Coupe is a proper M car. His conclusions will bring joy to BMW fans, as Mr. Harris thinks that everything from the engine character to steering and damping "feels like a really good package". "This is going to be the car that everyone wants" he says, although that largely depends on the price point. Let's just hope the Germans won't get greedy. In any case, Harris' input is a very valuable one and it seems that BMW's engineers are on a good path with the upcoming 1-Series M Coupe. The newest M family member will arrive in showrooms in the first half of 2011 and it will be smallest Bavarian car ever to wear the coveted M-Technik badge. By Csaba Daradics
At the 26th Annual Brazilian Motor Show in Sao Paulo, the local motoring press were abuzz over Rossin-Bertin's Vorax. Carscoop reported on the carbon fibre bodied, BMW M5 engined supercar in an article last week.
We have videos aplenty, including a first taste of the Vorax's sonorous V10 soundtrack and a look behind the design process that features an interview with designer Fharys Rossin himself (albeit in Portuguese).
On display at the show was a white coupe and red convertible, though there was no word on whether one of them was the barnstorming 750 hp (559 kw) supercharged variant or whether this would be visually different to the "standard" 570 hp (425 kw) model.
The brainchild of a 37-year-old ex-GM designer, the R$700,000 (US$409,836) Vorax is set to go into production in either late 2011 or early 2012. Carscoop has its fingers crossed that this Brazillian heavyweight champion is more God than dog.
Remember Murray Fowler and his BMW 2800 CS? Then you probably wondered who the next impromptu actor in BMW's "Unscripted" series would be. Well, your wait is over: it's none other than female racer and television personality Sabine Schmitz, also known as the "Queen of the Nürburgring" or the "fastest taxi driver in the world".
She earned these nicknames for lapping the German race track more than 20,000 times (according to her own estimates), mostly behind the wheel of the famous BMW M5 Ring Taxi. Other highlights of her carrier include two wins (in 1996 and 1997) and a third place finish (2008) at the 24 Hours Nürburgring.
Sabine got involved in the world of racing as a young child, when many famous drivers and motorsport personalities stayed at the Schmitz family hotel in Nürburg. As a result, all three Schmitz sisters started racing, but only Sabine had real success.
Charismatic and very natural on camera, Sabine pursued a television career as well, co-hosting a number of German motoring shows. Perhaps her most memorable moments in television are linked to several appearances on BBC’s Top Gear.
E30s seem to be popping up everywhere lately. After the impressive electric 3-Series from VST Conversions, we now have word that one Bill Caswell and his late 1980's E30 will be at SEMA thanks to Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
The "rally racer and ultimate DIY enthusiast" made news in March when he took on $100,000+ competition in an old 318i during Rally Mexico. While at SEMA, Bill will be converting a 1989 BMW 3-Series coupe [E30] into an off-road Baja blaster in order to compete in the SCORE Baja 1000's Sportsman class (starting November 17th). Now that's hardcore.
Here's a breakdown of Bill's SEMA welding schedule prior to tackling the rally: roll cage on day 1, front cage/suspension on day 2, rear cage/suspension on day 3, and "accessories" on day 4. Day 4's work will include finishing the main cage and crafting other Baja racing necessities such as a front brush guard, fuel cell, light bar, and more.
Miller Electric Mfg. Co.'s marketing VP Tim Swanson says, "Bill's passion for racing combined with his desire to create fits nicely with our vision...Rally and Baja racing requires a diverse skill set, from detailed fabrication and welding to high-speed driving. We're looking forward to watching Bill build and race the Miller car."
If you're interested, definitely follow the live updates on Bill's build during SEMA (which can be found at the link below).
By Phil Alex
About Bill Caswell (from Miller Electric Mfg. Co.):
Formerly a finance banker from Chicago, Caswell left his job in 2009 to focus on rally racing, competing in several races in the U.S. in cars that he built, modified and fabricated himself. Caswell made a name for himself in March of this year by placing third in the Rally America class of Rally Mexico, an FIA-sanctioned event run concurrently with World Rally Championship in Corona, Mexico.
Who would have thought that BMW's all-wheel drive systems were enough to shame Audi's famous quattro system? Not the average consumer, that's for sure (though BMW certainly has had enough time to get it right). BMW, which has actually been making AWD cars for the past 25 years, has decided to begin more aggressively targeting consumers who live in harsher climates.
According to this video, BMW's xDrive is vastly superior to Audi's quattro - at least when driving up metal inclines built by BMW... In the clip, we get a glimpse at what appears to be some sort of BMW press event and a hill climb-off between two small-ish diesel-powered premium soft-roaders: Audi's Q5 and BMW's X3.
Although the X3 depicted here may not be the first pick on a lot people's lists, the comparison below is just used as an example. After all, xDrive is now available on a variety of products in BMW's lineup. Could it be that BMW has bested Audi at its own game?
A BMW 7 Series Touring model and a S-Class with a SL-styled front end? Well, their products may not even come close to be characterized as harmonious -let alone beautiful, but no one can blame Russian Tuning company Addesign for being conventional.
Ouu, I hope Chris Bangle doesn't get a glimpse of Addesign's BMW 7 Series hump wagon and get any weird ideas... Anyway, If you can handle the pics then you'll probably be able to take a look at the following Addesign's promo video with a more of their products in live-action. Via: Autoblog.nl
Update: Following my previous post on BMW's Hydrogen 7 model (to see more pictures click here: Hydrogen 7), BMW came out with an English press release confirming without doubt that the Bavarian automaker is producing the world's first hydrogen-drive production vehicle. According to BMW, the Hydrogen 7 (based on the latest 7 Series) has undergone the regular Product Development Process and it will be built in a limited series and deployed to selected users in the U.S, Europe and other countries in 2007.
The good news is that according to the press release, the Hydrogen 7 is equipped with an internal combustion engine (6.0 litre V12, 260 Hp) capable of running either on hydrogen or on gasoline, although it doesn't give us any more technical info on that sector, apart from the fact that it features a dual-mode power unit -controlled at the touch of a button.
As for performance specs, BMW says it accelerates from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 143 mph - 230 km/h while cruising range is estimated to be more than 400 miles with the use of both fuel types. Sounds good, even though I wonder how many hydrogen filling stations are located either side of the Atlantic so as to make the best use of BMW's innovative technology. Read the official Press Relase after the Video (Technology and Interior Clips)
PRESS RELEASE:Hydrogen technology dramatically reduces emissions generated by personal transport and, in particular, minimizes the emission of CO2. Running in the hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but vapor. And, unlike fossil fuels and traditional gasoline, hydrogen is available in virtually infinite supply. With the BMW Hydrogen 7, the BMW Group is laying down a marker for sustainable mobility. This car will play a pioneering role in driving forward hydrogen technologies. BMW has gained an excellent reputation for significantly reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by using ultra efficient, yet very dynamic gasoline engines. Together with clean performance diesel cars and the technologically advanced hybrid systems currently under development within the BMW EfficientDynamics project, the BMW Group has a clear strategy for sustainable mobility with hydrogen as the ultimate solution.
With all the comforts and amenities of a non-hydrogen BMW 7 Series, the BMW Hydrogen 7 is powered by a 260 hp twelve-cylinder engine and accelerates from 0-62.1 mph in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 143 mph. The BMW Hydrogen 7 also features a dual-mode power unit - controlled at the touch of a button - that can switch quickly and conveniently from hydrogen to conventional premium gasoline.
The car's dual-mode drive provides an overall cruising range of more than 400 miles and enables the driver of a BMW Hydrogen 7 to enjoy virtually unlimited mobility, even when far away from the nearest hydrogen filling station. This technology is a viable solution until the hydrogen infrastructure is fully developed.
BMW CleanEnergy: paving the way into the future : The BMW Hydrogen 7 perfectly captures the essence of the BMW CleanEnergy strategy. By using hydrogen produced from water and renewable energy, such as wind, sun or hydropower, in an internal combustion engine, the car's emissions are essentially nothing but vapor. And, with this emitted water vapor, the cycle can start again and the dream of sustainable mobility without using fossil fuel resources and without impacting the earth's climate can become a reality. The complete change from a fossil fuel infrastructure to a hydrogen economy will require decades, but with the Hydrogen 7, BMW shows that bringing hydrogen technology to the road is indeed feasible.
BMW Hydrogen 7: Industrializing hydrogen technologies : The BMW Hydrogen 7 has successfully completed the entire Product Development Process (PDP) obligatory for all new BMWs. In this process, all components of the new technology were integrated into the overall vehicle according to the same challenging criteria applied to "regular" production cars. The BMW Hydrogen 7 is not a hand made concept car, but rather, a milestone in industrializing hydrogen technologies for automotive use.
The knowledge gained in the PDP has not only made a decisive contribution to the everyday driving qualities of the BMW Hydrogen 7, but it will also significantly impact the development and production of future hydrogen car concepts, with the principle of dual-mode drive and the features of other components now going through the strict test of everyday driving practice.
Dual-mode combustion engine for enhanced flexibility : While cruising range is a significant consideration to consumers in any car, BMW recognizes that it is of critical importance in a hydrogen-powered vehicle, because there is not yet a full network of hydrogen filling stations in the United States.
For precisely this reason, the BMW Hydrogen 7 features dual-mode drive technology and a combustion engine capable of running on both hydrogen and gasoline. The cruising range in the hydrogen mode is more than 125 miles, with another 300 miles in the gasoline mode. Thus, the driver of a BMW Hydrogen 7 is able to use the vehicle without problem even when the nearest hydrogen filling station is far away.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 clearly proves that liquid hydrogen may by all means be used as a source of energy for the production car. By introducing the BMW Hydrogen 7, the BMW Group establishes powerful momentum for the ongoing development of a supply infrastructure serving above all to set up additional hydrogen filling stations providing sustained mobility on a broad basis also in the future.
Two tanks: Smooth transitions and maximum cruise range: To offer the longest conceivable cruising range, the BMW Hydrogen 7 comes with both a conventional 74-litre (16.3 Imp gal) gasoline tank and an additional fuel tank taking up approximately 8 kilos or 17.6 lb of liquid hydrogen. Stored in a high tech tank, liquid hydrogen offers significant advantages in energy density enhancing the cruising range of the hydrogen car.
The driver is able to switch from hydrogen to gasoline mode manually by pressing a button on the multifunction steering wheel. Because engine power and torque remain exactly the same regardless of the mode of operation, switching from one mode to another has no effect on the driving behavior and performance of the BMW Hydrogen 7.
The control system in BMW Hydrogen 7 gives priority to the use of hydrogen. And, should one of the two types of fuel be fully consumed, the system will automatically switch over to the other type of fuel in the interest of secure, ongoing supply.
Luxury class comfort for four : The BMW Hydrogen 7 is a four-seater with the two passengers at the rear enjoying the same high standard of comfort in the world's first hydrogen car developed for everyday use as in one of BMW's "regular" luxury performance vehicles.
The BMW Hydrogen 7 comes with an unusually wide range of standard features. In addition to the high level of equipment featured from the start in the BMW 760i, the BMW Hydrogen 7 comes inter alia with climate comfort composite glazing, BMW's high-end automatic air conditioning, auxiliary heating, electric seat heating for the driver, front passenger and rear seats, lumbar supports, electric seat adjustment with memory function on the front seats, ISOFIX child seat fastenings, Park Distance Control, a rain sensor, exterior and interior mirrors with automatic anti-dazzle, Soft Close Automatic for the doors and a headlight assistant. A complete entertainment and communication package adds to the comfort a BMW 7 Series can provide.
Progress without compromises : BMW Hydrogen 7 emphatically proves that changing over to an alternative form of energy doesn't mean missing out on superior driving dynamics and comfort. The departure from fossil fuel does not in any way mean giving up the dynamics and performance typical of a BMW. Mobility of tomorrow and driving pleasure of today are compatible, with the drive concept of BMW Hydrogen 7 being directly transferable to future models. Driving a car of this caliber will be just as thrilling in the future as it is today, but at the same time cleaner than ever before.
A group of daredevil Greeks take a night out at the Hellenic capitol and decide to put their BMW M6 to the limits. Obviously, they have taken off the electronic speed restrictor from the bimmer which goes up to 340 km/h (on the second part of the video) in the "Attiki Odos" highway that runs through Athens. via Autoblog.it
Ever wonder now many styling differences there are between BMW's 3 Series E90 sedan & it's E92 coupe counterpart ? If you just shook your head in an affirmative way, take a look at this cool video showing an E90 Sedan morph into an E92 Coupe and vice-versa. via: Le blog auto
Bimmer lovers over at M3Post got a hold of a spy video of the upcoming E92 M3. The long awaited top spec 3 Series was caught on tape during tests in the desert. Too bad though that the video was uploaded in 16:9 and not in 4:3 format, bad get a load of that new 4.0 V8 engine that produces 419 Hp and 420 Nm of torque, rumble !
Now, you may ask how do we know the exact specs of the engine? Well, the boys over M3post have done their best to please our bimmer-hungry appetite as they have got their hands on a leaked paper that features the US base price, extras and specs of the 2008 BMW M3. Check them out after you look at the video. via: M3post
Major Standard Equipment
4.0L V8 307kW 420Nm (bi-VANOS 3rd gen.) engine
Adaptive Xenon Headlights
Carbon Fiber Roof
SMG III 7-Speed transmission with DRIVELOGIC
18" M Double Spoke Alloy Wheel
18x8F/18x9R with P235/45ZR18 Front, P265/40ZR18 Rear Performance tires
Invoice: $49,117 BasePriceUSAPort of Entry: $53,975 Vehicle Options List
Metallic paint $475
Napa leather $1,450
Carbon fiber trim $300
Aluminum trim NC
Comfort Access $500
M Multifunction Seats with Active Width Adjustment $1,900
Front Heated Seats $500 / ZCW
Power Rear Sunshade $350
Head-Up Display $1,000
Navigation System w/I-Drive $2,100
Power Rear Sunshade $350
Rear Park Distance Control $350
19" M Double Spoke alloy wheel $1,750
19x8.5F/19x9.5R with P235/40ZR19 Front, P265/35ZR19 Rear Performance tires
So what’s the difference between this auto parking system and various others that have been previewed the past few years like the Toyota Prius one? Well, BMW’s doesn’t kneed the driver to be in the car.
Although it comes to a contrast with the Bavarian moto “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, BMW promises that because this system is based on technology already used in the latest 7-Series, it is just a matter of time before they put it in production. Nevertheless, I still can’t find the use of a system that just parks itself in a garage. If you ask, me I prefer the alternative “famine fatal” auto park system in the following video bellow…via: wired
This video just goes to show you that in the end, we are only human. A drift show with a BMW E30 3-Series spinning around like crazy “rolls” smoothly till the driver decides to open his door and “show off” a bit. Then he gets distracted -only for a fraction of a second, but that is enough to make everything go wrong.
Well, if your still not satisfied with yesterdays pictures (BMW X3 Revealed), take a look at this video clip of the facelifted 2007 BMW X3 and see Bimmer’s new SUV in live action. Via: Jalponik
Well, if your still not satisfied with yesterdays pictures (BMW X3 Revealed), take a look at this video clip of the facelifted 2007 BMW X3 and see Bimmer’s new SUV in live action.
