BMW BLOG

It has been a day since our last update and we have a lot of things to report. We’re just two hours away from Spartanburg, North Carolina to be more precised. We decided to stop by the Nantahala resort, a few thousand feet above the sea level.

The idea was to take the BMW X5 diesel through some windy roads and see how it handles itself. For those of you that have never been in this area - a first for us as well- then allow us to explain some of the surroundings.

Smoky Mountains are the perfect place to test the car, with many windy roads that are spread across 20 miles or more. We took the X5d through a 21 mile road that had about……60-70 corners, some of them more difficult than others.

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Update: We’re a few hours into our trip and so far, the X5d performs as we expected, smooth ride, comfortable but still powerful enough  us. The three of us managed to setup a wireless connection in our car, from a 3G phone and we’re sharing the connection to post updates, stream video and other cool things. We’re going to have some photos up soon and we’re working a live video feed so you can come with us.

The diesel engine sounds great and even my passengers are impressed with it, even though they are ridding for the first time in a BMW diesel. MPG has been around 25.2, so close to the advertised numbers. We’re enjoying the fact that the diesel gallon is cheaper than gas, so we’re coming up on top.

As far as interior space, plenty for three dudes equipped with computer gears and some duffel bags. We also enjoy the panoramic sunroof in this great 80F weather.

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BMW X5 Diesel, one of the cars we have been waiting to drive for quite some time now, an exciting diesel vehicle that many auto publications have been raving about. While we spent some time behind the wheel of a 335d, our mind has been set on the new xDrive diesel and its impressive advertised mileage.

So today, we received our press car in the beautiful, sunny - at least today- Chicago. The X5d will stay with us for a week or so and it will be thoroughly tested, including …….a very long test drive all the way to…..Spartanburg, YES, we are heading down to BMW’s plant in South Carolina. While I can’t reveal all the secrets we have prepared for you next week, I can at least tell you that we will have a full report every few hours while driving to Spartanburg, each review will include photos and our first impressions. Think of this as some BMW X5 diesel blogging episodes…. Bottom line, we will take you with us in this unique trip we have prepared for a while now.

But in the mean time, being excited as always when I get behind a new BMW, I decided to take xDrive diesel for a “spin” and what can be better than testing it first in the always congested Chicago traffic.

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BMW North America is hosting their complimentary M Power Tour street drive in different locations across United States. Yesterday, the M Power Tour stopped in the beautiful San Francisco where  people attending had the opportunity to do a 25-minute street drive in a 2009 BMW M3.

Part of M Power Tour events, BMW will display their first xDrive Motorsport models ever built: the BMW X5 M and X6 M. Courtesy of Rboosted717, a member of Xoutpost, we have some real life photos X5M/X6M photos to share with you. Also, in a conversation with a BMW M specialist, he learned that the X5M/X6M models will have three special colors: red, blue and black, but the standard color pallet will also be available.

The next M Power Tour event will take place this Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, at the BMW Designworks USA headquarters in Newbury Park, CA.

There is also another thing we would like to share with you. Last month, BMW’s European Delivery desk informed us that for those U.S. customers interested in taking delivery of a BMW at the Welt Center in Munich, they will automatically receive a free M track day behind the X5M/X6M models in Salzburg, Austria.

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BMW Group is organizing driver trainings in Namibia, which enables anyone to test the BMW X5 in various situations across South West Africa on a 1,200 kilometer trip. Participants will not only drive, with the help of a roadbook and GPS, through canyons, dried river deltas and across steep mountain passes, but will also experience the African wildlife.

BMW decided to “show off” the impressive, but sometimes overlooked, off-road capabilities of the X5 and launched some videos showing footage of the BMW X5 on an adventure trip in Namibia driving through deep sand, river banks, mountains and on gravel roads.

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The Shanghai Motor Show 2009 hosted the official launch of the BMW X5 M, the second all-wheel drive Sports Activity model coming out of the Spartanburg plant. The same week as the auto show, BMW Sauber Formula 1 team was present in China for the annual scheduled Grand Prix and Nick Heidfeld was invited to participate at the X5 M launch event.

Just a month later, BMW released new footage of the X5 M being driven by Nick Heidfeld who also takes the time to talk about the car.

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During one of the worst economic crises of our times, BMW North America has released two highly awaited diesel vehicles: BMW 335d and X5 xDrive 35d. Over the course of the last few years, many BMW loyal fans have requested some popular European diesel models to be brought to the U.S. and everyone became excited when the first rumors of a late 2009 launch appeared.

Unfortunately, the timing issue might not have been in BMW’s advantage, especially when the gasoline prices dropped significantly at the end of last year, while the diesel gallon price was still high. Of course, these product launches follow a timeline and things are set in motion months ahead of the launch date, even years for certain vehicles, so we have to admit that it is difficult for any auto manufacturer to predict these situations.

While no one has really argued the pros of a diesel engine, efficiency and clean technology, there were many consumers worried about the performance and higher upfront costs. In our BMW 335d test drive at the L.A car show, we stated that if you are in the premium market, and you’re looking for something fun, sporty, luxurious, and in the same don’t like hybrid Toyotas and Lexus’s, the 335d is worth a shot. BUT…we also said that if you already own a 335i and love driving manual transmissions, then take a rain check this time.

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The Shanghai Motor Show was the event chosen by BMW to unveil their first M Sports Activity Vehicle: the BMW X5 M. If NYC was all about the X6 M, in Shanghai BMW focuses on high-end models, including the new 760Li and of course, the X5 M.

The X5 M is, along with the X6 M, is powered by a modified twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine, which outputs 550 horsepower between 5,750rpm and 6,000rpm and a peak torque of 500 lb-ft. It runs from 0 to 62 mph in about 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph.

BMW says that by adding an optional M driver’s package, the speed delimiter is raised to 171 mph.

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Following the steps of the BMW X5 Security vehicle released by BMW last year, the latest generation security vehicle brings new things to the table. Dubbed X5 Security Plus, the vehicle now complies with the requirements of bullet resistance class 6.

For those of you not familiar with these standards, let me put it in easier words: the BMW X5 Security Plus “doesn’t fear” an AK-47.

Same as the previous model, the windows are upgraded to laminated 22-mm thick security glass and the car makes use of high-performance steel molded components and panels. The body features sealed joints providing support between doors and frames as well as between side panels and pillars.

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With the attention of media mostly focused on the BMW X6 M, the other “brother”, X5 M, slipped unnoticed. The first batch of the photos released yesterday were all about the X6 M, especially since the car was confirmed to make an appearance at the NYC auto show.

As mentioned earlier by us, the BMW X5 M shares the same engine with the X6 M model, a new M twin-turbo engine which uses a common exhaust manifold joining both rows of cylinders, with the turbochargers and catalytic converters placed in the V-section. The result? Less turbo lag and a more direct response.

The BMW X5 M and X6 M are the first Motorsport all-wheel-drive models coming out of the Munich factory gates. We’re not looking at a regular AWD system though, but rather a combination of the Dynamic Performance Control system and the xDrive.

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