BMW BLOG

Latest from the mouths of the BMW rumor mill are that the German automaker is in development of a small, front-wheel drive hatchback called the 0 Series. It’s  said to be slated right between the 1 series and MINI line up to fulfill the needs of customers wanting a smaller, but premium vehicle.

Most notably, it’s an answer to Audi’s all new hatchback, the A1. Although the 0 series goes against conventional BMW driving dynamics, it does share traditional BMW traits and design cues. From the pictures, the 0 Series sports traditional BMW kidney grilles, Hofmeister kink, subtle rear spoiler and sporty (M-like) front bumper.

The power plant will be a 1.5 liter three-cylinder turbo diesel engine boasting 161-hp with an all electric variant said to be available at a later date. The 0 series is said to start at $24,000 and will be available in both three and five door offerings with production beginning in 2012.

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Probably one of the most recognizable slogans amongst car manufacturers around the globe, BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine” tag line,  has served the Munich based company well over the years. Used in North America, the tag line is simple, descriptive, to the point and most important of all, it is identifiable with the brand.

Many companies can certainly come up with clever slogans, but if they don’t “stick” to the brand or transcend the products they represent, then they are lost in a sea of three to five word sentences and it’s back to the drawing board so to speak.

So what is it about BMW’s “The Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan that actually makes it work? Simple, BMW has backed up their claim quite well with cars that are simply thrilling to drive. The slogan, now nearly 34-years-old, was originally created under the reign of Bob Lutz by a relatively unknown ad-agency, Ammirati & Puris.  Ammirati & Puris caught the attention of Lutz by their impressive Fiat ads and it was consider a gamble to go with such an underdog agency.

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We all can dream, can’t we? When we dream it’s said that we are projecting our inner subconscious thoughts and our deepest desires in a consequence free environment. It’s those dreams that make us wake up tomorrow and explore the ideas that seemed impossible last night before we went to sleep and try and make them a reality. Well, the engineers and minds inside BMW certainly live to dream and it has never been more apparent than in regards to a said, “Secret Seven”. No, this post has nothing to do with Agent 007 and his infatuation with Bimmers, but rather an ambitious secret project involving a 7 Series by Dr. Karlhienz Lange, Adolf Fischer and Hanns-Peter Weisbarth.

All three individuals, Lange, Fischer and Weisbarth, were very senior and influential people at BMW during the mid-70’s and up through the early 90’s. Lange was responsible for powertrain developments, Fischer was involved with all obscure development projects and Weisbarth was most famously involved with the E31 8 Series coupe and E32 7 Series. It was from the mind of Lange that came the M70 5.0-liter V12 engine that was used in the 750i and the 750iL. So it only came natural that the Secret Seven project come from someone so ambitious. Lange instructed Fischer to explore the possibilities beyond the M70 engine. And it was from then that the Secret Seven project was born and BMW’s first V16 engine came into fruition.

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Lexus is doing it, Infiniti has plans to bring a few to fruition and now German automaker BMW wants a piece of the action. Electric cars have been all the rage as of late (and the craze may be here to stay), so it’s only fitting that along with BMW’s excellent line up of petrol cars, comes a best in class electric car.

As many of you already know, BMW’s electric/city friendly line up of cars, better known as Project i, has been in debate for some time over whether they are going to offer the cars as a part of the BMW core line up or a subdivision of the BMW brand, much like MINI. Recent reports published by auto publications mention that the Project i vehicles will be offered as a “top tier” electric vehicle in the emerging EV sector of the automotive market.

According to Autocar UK, designers have been hard at work in BMW’s Technik and FIZ technical centers in Munich. They are formulating new design themes for the Project i line up. Project i vehicles will be offered in three different variants, including two wheeled, three wheeled and four wheeled vehicles.

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You must have run into this situation before, prior to you having your Bimmer of course…. You’re driving on the highway when all of a sudden some young 20 – 30 something cuts you off so badly you could have sworn that they took your front plate with them as they passed you. At that point your peripheral vision kicks in your angry, but once the car passes you and you glance at the license plate that reads M3ATY M3, the upper right corner displays an M badge and right smack in the center of the truck is that horrid roundel with those three letters B…M…W, your anger turns into rage as your shake your fist and shout, “Damn BMW driver….. typical jerk!” Now this situation seems like one you’ve been in before I’m sure, and coupled with a few choice expletives, who wouldn’t be angry!?!?

Now of course I feel like certain brands carry a certain, snobiety if you will (yes, I made that word up and yes you can use it), or reputation with them. Those brands are only defined by the people who buy them. So are we really to blame!?! Are we really the culprits?!?! I digress, what I think the entire mix up here is lies within the fact that those who do not own said “snobiety-esque” brands simple do not understand them. My example comes strictly from experience. Up until I purchased my E92, I had always LOVED Bimmers. I’ve loved them for countless reasons, reasons I simply do not have the time to list out.  Although I was a fan, I never really truly knew what they were about. Sure I knew they were fast, thought they were gorgeous,  knew they had great handling, superb brakes etc. But until you’ve owned one and until you’ve had the time to actually put one through the ringer and really drive the car, you have NO idea what it is about.

We still can’t tell if the video above is “real” or not

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Sometimes, the best concepts or ideas come out of sheer necessity. Their is a void and it simply needs to be fulfilled. Then there are those who have a perfectly capable object or means, necessity no longer required, and they dare to question what if? What if we made it better, faster, stronger?….

That idea then becomes an obsession, obsession turns to passion, passion to normalcy and you question the sanity of anyone asking why? Why are you doing this, doesn’t it seem unnecessary? The answer?…. YES! It’s the joy of being able to control unnecessary and make it a reality. Then that “insanity” becomes normalcy again to you and those who surround you that learn of your passion and it becomes standard, a benchmark if you will.

That is what BMW /// M is all about.

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Have you ever thought about the first time you fell in love head over heals with a BMW? I’m sure it doesn’t take much for you to think back and reminisce. Whether you own one now, have owned one in the past or plan on owning one in the near future there has been a definitive moment when you saw a particular model BMW, old or new,… sighed and said “Wow, that is one gorgeous car…. I love BMWs!”

It impacted you so much, left such an impression on you that it drew the feeling of immediate affection for the “Ultimate Driving Machine” and implanted that image, or situation, in your head up until this day. Every time you see that particular model on the road it does a certain something to you. It draws your attention, gets your palms sweaty, manifestation and fantasy draw you far away from reality and it makes you think back “Ahhh I should have pulled the trigger!”

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In the wake of a new era of energy consumption, society has never been more cautious as to how they use and consume energy on a daily basis. As time progresses, engineers are developing processes that are more environmentally friendly, all the while keeping in mind that efficiency is key.

We, as a society, are just on the cusp of rethinking this entire process called “Efficient Dynamics”, a term synonymously coined by BMW, means much more than just a traditional buzz word. In summation, it means taking what already exists, what we already know, and make it better and more powerful all the while keeping efficiency at the forefront.

Refining processes, delivery methods and identifying points of waste are just some of the items engineers and designers keep in mind when creating the future Ultimate Efficient Dynamic Drive Machines! One area that the cars of today are very wasteful in is the conversion of energy from fuel.

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