BMW BLOG

And the wait is over, we have finally received the first images of the BMW X1 production model. After months of teasing and prolonged marketing, BMW reveals one of the most talked about BMW in the last few months.

Our readers’ opinions have been split for months now, some of us enjoy the look of the new X1, while others don’t see the purpose of a new entry-level Sports Activity Vehicle. The BMW X1 will initially launch in Europe and we expect to see the X1 in the U.S. past 2010.

The X1 is mainly powered by diesel engines, five of these models will represent the core of the X1 family. The most powerful X1 model, xDrive28i, will be the powered by a petrol engine which outputs 258 horsepower and 228 lb-ft(310Nm) of torque at 2,600 rpm.

The highest end X1 diesel model will be sold under the xDrive23d naming convention and produces 204 horsepower and 295 lb-ft(400Nm) of torque at 2,000 rpm. This is the second fastest X1 vehicle with 0 t0 62 mph in 7.3 seconds.

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Over a week ago, we launched one of the most unique and interesting projects involving the BMW community. We decided to give you, our readers, a  chance to express your opinion on the design lines of the current BMW 3 Series sedan. Your ideas and suggestions would have formed the base of future graphic renderings which will showcase the 3 Series just the way you wanted to.

We have always valued your input, comments, suggestions and this was a way for us to repay you and allow you to become more involved with our blog. To make this even more interesting, we teamed up with Automarket.ro, which presented the same challenges to their readers. A question has arisen from the beginning: will people across the globe share the same design opinions and passion for BMW?

Well, today we have our answer and thanks to the hard work of rendering artist Andrei Arvavarii, who had to scan through the tens of comments to find the most common requested design elements, we are able to bring you not one, but two different versions of the current BMW 3 Series Sedan.

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Our friends at IND-Distribution have another surprise for us: the first E92 M3 Dakar Yellow in North America. As a recognition to our great community we have here, they decided to release two exclusive photos of this car prior to the full press release which will go out on Friday.

We know that many of our readers are interested in modding or tuning up their BMWs, so it’s our pleasure to post from time to time photos of unique projects that revolve around BMW vehicles. With that being said, I asked the guys at IND to give us some more details about the mods used on their Dakar Yellow E92 M3.

In order to be an “IND portfolio build” the entire cars modification must be carefully selected by Ilia, one of the guys over at IND. We don’t have the final cost of this project, but be sure we’ll get that number after the press release goes out, it wil be interesting how much it would cost to turn a BMW M3 into an even more unique model.

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Let’s start this review with a different approach and tell you from the start my conclusion after a full day spent behind the wheel of some of the most powerful BMWs out there at the M Performance Driving School: amazing, exciting and educational.

I have been hearing for years about the BMW’s Performance Center Driving Schools and many of my friends or acquaintances have been bragging about it and since I write about BMWs daily, it became obvious that I have to try this experience myself. Before we go further into this article, I would like to disclaim the fact that BMW has offered this one day M course at no-charge for myself and Andrew, but I assure you that this article is objective as it can get.

The BMW Performance Delivery Center in Spartanburg offers quite a few exciting driving courses, from the Driver’s Program to M Performance ones and the BMW Motorcycle Rider training. BMW’s facility in Spartanburg caterers to a variety of drivers, from the less experiences ones to the advanced highly skilled drivers and even a Teen School which focuses on safety and caution.

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In a recent interview for Car And Driver, BMW chairman and CEO, Norbert Reithofer revealed a few more details regarding the launch of BMW’s first battery-powered vehicle in the United States.

Built under the Project i program and referenced by BMW executives as the “BMW City”, the new all all electric vehicle is expected to reach U.S. soil by 2012.

The “City” is rumored to be a three-door hatchback vehicle specifically designed for the U.S. market to meet the upcoming California Zero Emission vehicle regulation which stipulates that large auto makers to sell between a few hundred and a few thousand Zero Emission Vehicle every year starting in 2012.

Rendering by AutoBild

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There is no secret anymore that BMW is working on a Gran Turismo version of its future BMW 1 Series and this subject has been discussed and analyzed many times before. What we didn’t really have up to this point were some artists rendering that will give us an impression of what the 1GT might actually look like.

Of course, these renderings are usually based on personal opinions and might not reflect the final product, but we still find them interesting since it shows the endless design possibilities.

The BMW 1 Series GT uses a new modular platform available for all the upcoming 1 Series models. The backbone of these models was designed especially for this purpose so every model can have a variation backbone, simply be moving suspension points and firewalls to areas that will benefit each vehicle. Corroborated with more parts sharing, this new approach will allow BMW to reduce even more the production costs.

BMW 1 Series GT will be a 5-door vehicle, a  mix of a hatch, wagon and sedan and to reflect the Gran Turismo, the 1 GT will have an elevated driving position.

Even though our friends at Automarket speculate that the 1 GT will import some design elements from the legendary 2002 model, our sources have not yet confirmed that.

The rendering does seem to be in line with the one created by the Autobild graphics artist, Huckfeldt, a rendering that we enjoyed back then.

As soon as the next generation 1 Series enters the Final Evaluation Phase, we will get more details and most likely, new, fresh renderings.

[Source: Automarket and Andrei Avarvarii]

BMW’s marketing machine continues to pull forward and today, we have new information regarding the next generation BMW 3 Series which will be launched in 2012.While the details have been very sketchy up to this point, we’re glad to see that BMW decided to satisfy our curiosity by releasing some general details.

Beside learning more about the new 3 Series design, we also get a quick introduction of the 3 Series Gran Turismo model as well, a vehicle that will follow the 5 Series GT and the upcoming 1er GT.

Courtesy of Scott27 from GCZ:

“The proportions of a typical 3er, evident since the E36 through to the E46 and currently the E90 will remain meaning squat proportions, short rear overhang and wheels placed to each corner. The overall look is more slimmer and more toned than the E90.

Not the actual car – An artist rendering

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BMW continues the testing trials of its new BMW 7 Series Hybrid model and this time it was spotted at the Nurburgring track. BMW’s hybrid  dubbed 755ih will launch at the end of this year and it is the first BMW model to use the dual-mode ActiveHybrid system, which has discrete modes for high-torque, low speed driving as well as for high-speed cruises.

The second hybrid to use the same technology will be the X6 ActiveHybrid which will launch this year as well.

The BMW 7 Series Hybrid uses a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine that delivers 407 horsepower and 442lb ft, working in combination with an AC electric motor that can add another 20 horserpower and 155lb ft of torque. In mild hybrid form, the result is 15 percent less fuel consumption and emissions (in the EU test cycle) versus a combustion engine only equivalent.

To improve even more the fuel efficiency, the start/stop technology and the part-time alternator have been implemented in the Hybrid version as well. Other standard hybrid features, such as regenerative braking and optimized aerodynamics.

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We’re starting this great week with lots and lots of BMW photos, from tuned up bimmers and new car photos, to state of art photography. Our buddy Gonzague over at Blogautomobile.fr took the BMW Z4 sDrive23i for a ride.

The sDrive23i is available for sale in Europe and it’s with the entry-level 2.5-liter straight-six engine which produces 201 horsepower and 184 lb-ft at 2,750 rpm. The car achieves a top speed of 151 mph and goes from 0 to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds.

In the U.K, the BMW Z4 sDrive23i has a base price of £28,645 or approximately$47,200.

So without any further ado, let’s enjoy these great photos, some of the best we have seen so far.

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Matte Black is making a comeback on our blog and it’s slowly becoming one of the most interesting exterior colors on a BMW. For us it all started last year when we published the first photos of a BMW X6 sporting the matte black color and back then, we were quite charmed by it.

Moving into 2009, we started seeing more and more BMWs sporting the matte black coat, from 335is and M3s, to more X6 models. As we learned back then, matte black vinyl wrap was created by some shops in California and as we learned, it was an 8-10 year vinyl that is washed by using a mixture of water and baby shampoo.

The total cost of “upgrading” your car to matte black is around $3,000, pricey for some, but worth it for others.

Responsible for the gorgeous BMW M3 Coupe featured below, are the fellows at RDSport, a California based tuner.

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