As expected, the top created some controversy and confusion. Several automobile publications rushed to publish their article pointing out not necessarily the winners, but rather the companies that didn’t make the list.

A natural question arises: why is BMW missing from this list? This is actually because no BMWs were tested for the new IIHS roof-crush test (yet). In February of this year, the IIHS surprised the industry by announcing a new roof-crush test which caused some vehicles (11 Toyotas, most notably) to drop from the TSP listing. More on the test from the IIHS website:

“In the Institute’s roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against 1 side of a roof at a constant speed. To earn a good rating, the roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle’s weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. This is called a strength-to-weight ratio. For an acceptable rating, the minimum required strength-to-weight ratio is 3.25. A marginal rating value is 2.5. Anything lower than that is poor.

The Institute’s test method is the same one that has been used for testing under the federal roof strength regulation since 1973, but with much higher requirements. Vehicles only need a strength-to-weight ratio of 1.5 to meet the federal regulation. While the actual roof strengths of vehicles may surpass this minimum level by a large amount, this information has not been available to consumers. Institute research has found that a vehicle with a roof strength-to-weight ratio of 4.0 has an estimated 50 percent reduction in the risk of serious and fatal injury in single-vehicle rollover crashes compared with the minimum level of 1.5.”

On its website, the IIHS in fact states that, “[A] dynamic test using instrumented dummies would be the gold standard for assessing roof performance in rollovers.” That’s of course what BMW does. While the IIHS performs a static roof-crush test, BMWs are put through simulations of real-world crash circumstances. Moving forward, BMW will also be adding the new IIHS roof-crush test to its own testing protocol.

For the record, here is BMW NA’s official statement on the matter:

Passive safety has always been a design priority for BMW, and BMW products have consistently performed well in both laboratory and real-world crashes. Because no 2010 BMW models were tested for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) new rollover rating, no BMW vehicles could qualify for the 2010 round of “Top Safety Picks.” Although no BMW models were tested for the IIHS’s new rollover rating, BMW’s normal testing protocol includes three separate types of rollover tests during product development.

These tests simulate real-life circumstances, such as a vehicle striking a road divider, a vehicle leaving the road sideways, and a vehicle sliding down an embankment. As such, BMW is very confident in the passive rollover protection provided by its vehicles.

BMW Rollover Laboratory

IIHS Roof Strength Testing

BMW 7 Series crashtest

Here is an excerpt from their article:

“Bangle joined the Wolfsonian for a weekend-long celebration of the car as rolling sculpture. While this idea has been used many times before, the Wolfsonian Museum provides the perfect backdrop to emphasize there is life in industrial design. Located in the art-deco nucleus that is Miami, the Wolfsonian specializes in showing there is personality in bricks, mortar, and metal.

It’s easy to understand why Bangle doesn’t see polarizing elements as design setbacks. He embraces unique vehicles that incorporate elements that go beyond simple function. Life and personality is what he is looking for in his designs. Bangle speaks with enough affection for unique car designs that finishing a car is like creating a child. He gives it unconditional love, flaws and all.

But Bangle admits that modern cars don’t just live in a vacuum of design, and they must adapt to the reality of the situation. For example, he explains the creation of the Bangle Butt as largely due to: “The reality of engines pushed the hood up 6 cm, and that caused a chain reaction all the way to the end of the car.” In the final product, even the compromises of reality don’t dilute the art of a well-designed car. Bangle believes that when love and passion go into a design, they breathe life and personality into that inanimate object, turning it into “the biggest sculpture ever.”

This life/art balance is where Bangle feels most at home, and his comfort has led to exploring new boundaries. He made the Gina concept car out of fabric so the body could contour instantly to new shapes, including creating a winking feature for the headlights. He has also utilized paper origami to incorporate into sheet metal car bodies.

Article continued here

In actuality, Activia Fat Free yogurt contains 0.4g of fat per 100g serving. You astutely point out that this is a contradiction, but according to legal guidelines, any product with less than 0.5g of fat per serving can be entitled, “Fat Free.”

Certain products or machines have intrinsic details or properties that cannot be removed. These details can be minimized or optimized, but never completely removed by definition. Dairy products will always contain a measure of fat content. Turbos will always contain a measure of lag. We know all about yogurt now, but how little Turbo Lag constitutes ‘No Lag?’

In it’s simplistic form, a turbo uses discharged exhaust gases to pressurize intake gases, thus producing more power. There is tremendous energy in the flow of expelled exhaust gas leaving the engine. This is where the turbo kicks in – pun intended.

For the sake of brevity, this article will not delve deeply into the technical makeup of a turbo, but we will consider the basics as they relate to turbo lag.

During the ‘Exaust Phase’ of a four cycle engine, the exhaust valves open and the piston forces the combusted fuel/air mixture out of the cylinder with a plunging movement. Since at the same time as this cylinder is being plunged of exhaust gases, another cylinder on the crankshaft is in it’s power stroke, this exhaust gas is expelled with the full force of the engine’s power. The inertial energy of the flywheel also plays into this. The force of expelled exhaust gases is what “spools” or spins the turbo.

A turbo essentially has two halves, an exhaust turbine and a compressor turbine. The exhaust gas always acts upon the turbo first. The exhaust turbine translates the motion and pressure of the fluid hot gases into rotational inertia. The subsequently spinning half-shaft is connected to the drive shaft of the intake compressor, and this in turn compresses the intake gases from below atmospheric pressure to well above.

The time required for the exhaust flow to overcome the rotational inertia of the turbine rotor and subsequently produce boost at a given rpm threshold is perceived as a ‘delay’ in power – this is turbo lag. This factor cannot be completely eliminated, but can be reduced and optimized. (For example, “E-Turbos” use electric motors to spool the turbos from idle up to the boost threshold at a consequence of increased weight and complexity).

Fluid dynamics also come into play as gases have a property of ‘elasticity’ when they are compressed or vacuumed. As a gas is compressed there is a factor of time – it cannot be compressed instantly. This time loss further plays into turbo lag, though it is marginal. This factor cannot under any circumstances be eliminated, though it can be minimized through intelligent engineering. Note the innovative placement of the turbos within the ‘V’ banks of the new S63 ///M engine on the X5/6 M vehicles, thus significantly reducing the distance between the exhaust valves and the exhaust turbine. This virtually eliminates the time factor in the compression of gas over distance, greatly reducing turbo lag. The layout also compliments the engine’s highly compact dimensions. The patented exhaust manifold routing two cylinders from each bank together into the turbo also plays an inventive role in nearly eliminating lag through consistent pulse pressures to the turbo, even at idle. The result, virtually no turbo lag from idle to redline, under any sudden throttle load.

Is there a relevant advantage to turbocharged performance engines over naturally aspirated performance engines?

In a Normally Aspirated engine, the intake air is ’sucked’ through the intake manifold, piping and air-filter, and this vacuum results in negative pressure (below atmospheric pressure of 14.7psi @ sea level) in the intake manifold. Boost pressure can vary greatly, but for simplicity of illustration we will say that a turbo is compressing air into the engine at 10 pounds per square inch. Atmospheric pressure is a constant at 14.7psi @ sea level. Therefore we add our boost pressure to 14.7psi (or 1 atm) and arrive at an intake manifold pressure of approximately 24.7psi (subtract parasitic vacuum losses through the intake system of a few psi, varying by car). The combined boost plus atmospheric pressure reading from inside the intake manifold would then be written 24.7psia (psi absolute). The boost measurement itself would be written as 10psig (psi gauge).

As you can see from the above illustration, a turbocharged engine with approximately 10psi boost has almost twice the intake pressure of a NA engine. Naturally, this plays into the engine’s development of power and efficiency.

BMW has long utilized turbo charging in the design of their engines. In 1987 their 1.5L 4 cylinder turbo F1 engine supplied to Benetton was producing around 1,300 bhp in qualifying trim at 79.8psig. This turbo engine redlined at 11,500rpm! There has been some concern from the masses that BMW ///M has lost its way and turbo ///M cars will not satisfy as they will not be able to rev freely and communicate as purely with the driver. Rest assured, ///M will continue to deliver world benchmark engines, it’s in their heritage and their very DNA.

Lest we forget the BMW 2002 Turbo. Launched at the Frankfurt Auto Show of 1973, it was BMW’s first production turbo sports car. Producing 170hp at 5,800rpm from a 2.0L 4 cylinder and weighing only 2,381 lb, the 2002 was a legend of the time. Rocketing to 60mph in only 7.5 seconds, the 2002 Turbo was a true visionary of the time, and is a worthy ancestor to turbo sports cars of the modern era.

No discernible lag.

Discernment is a drivers scalpel. Trained and steady hands will guide a car on the limit of adhesion with the road surface – but his machinery must measure up. Long praised for it’s unmatched steering feel and precision, BMW has set benchmarks in the manufacturing of precision sports cars and sporting cars. But one driver input that cannot be overlooked is throttle response. Throttle response must be linear, progressive, free of undulations or sudden peaks. To a trained hand, the throttle plays a large role in harmony with steering wheel input, in controlling the car’s path. Throttle is in fact an input of steering while driving at the limit. Here is where turbo lag can kerfuffle even the best and brightest of drivers, catching one off-guard with a sudden surge in the power band. To this end, BMW’s new generation of turbocharged engines succeed admirably, and they continue to close in on perfection.

Yes, to a discerning driver, BMW’s new turbo engines are free of lag. And what better standard of excellence is there? BMW has created the Diet Turbo. Yogurt anyone?

Here are all the details:

2,000 LEGO® blocks. Four days. One construction plan. From November 6th to 9th 2009, the BMW Welt will be transformed into an assembly hall. And you can be involved! All families and children from age 5 are invited to build a full-scale BMW X1 – out of LEGO® bricks.

Whether individually or in groups, everyone will be working together for a good cause: for every LEGO® block used, BMW will donate a sum of money to the Munich children’s foundation “Die Arche”.

And if things start to get too complicated, educationally trained staff will help you with the construction – which will carried out according to an exact plan. The finished BMW X1 made of LEGO® bricks will then stand proudly as a real eye-catcher among the BMW automobiles on the BMW Welt Plaza.

Would you like to become a construction engineer too? Why not join us? We look forward to seeing you!

Please register groups and school classes by telephone: daily from 8 am to 10 pm on the telephone number 0180 2 118822 (0.06 EUR per call on a Deutsche Telekom AG landline).

More details here

Well, the four-seater car is powered by the award winning BMW 3.0 liter twin-turbo diesel engine. The high performance clean diesel delivers 265 hp and 425 pound-feet (576 Nm) of torque at only 1750rpm that are transferred to the rear wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Putting together the lightweight of the Rally Fighter (3,200 pound/1,450 kg) and the EfficientDynamics 3.0 liter diesel, the fuel consumption is stellar on this prototype: at 30-36mpg (12.8-15.3 km/l) , the Rally Fighter is competing for most efficient in its desert off-road class.

The cost of the Rally Fighter is estimated to be around $50,000 USD, with Local Motors claiming that it has already secured 22 orders for the vehicle. The truth is that we’re happy to see the powerful and efficient BMW engines featured in all sort of prototypes or production cars.

Press Release

November 3, 2009 — The Off-Road Racer designed for car enthusiasts, by car enthusiasts is debuted at the biggest industry event of the year at SEMA, in the ‘Making Green Cool Zone’

It’s one of the most exciting cars to hit the road in ages. Aggressive, sleek and inspired by old War Birds, the Local Motors Rally Fighter has the heritage of legacy with fresh appeal.

The story of this vehicle is in its revolutionary yet simple development process – it was designed and developed by a community of car enthusiasts. New American car company Local Motors invites anyone with a passion for cars to collaborate in an open design process to help choose and shape the look of each Local Motors vehicle. Now home to over 4,000 car designers, engineers and enthusiasts, the Local Motors community is the largest of its kind – and the only to bring a new car to market.

The Rally Fighter is a premium, authentic off-of-road experience, custom designed and built for the deserts of the American Southwest. It was designed by community member Sangho Kim while many Local Motors’ members participated in the open development process. Together with the company they helped collaborate on body design details, side vent creation, interior and even accessory design.

Undiluted design, power and efficiency is the result. The Rally Fighter is powered by a BMW 3.0 liter twin-turbo clean diesel sporting 265 ponies and a striking 425 pound-feet of torque at only 1750rpm that are directed to the rear wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Rally Fighter is lightweight at only 3,200 pounds which allows for exceptional performance and efficiency.

Build process and end product are so efficient the car is debuting in SEMA sponsored ‘Making Green Cool Zone’. At 30-36mpg, the Rally Fighter is competing for most efficient in its desert off-road class. In addition, Local Motors utilizes a sustainable build methodology and builds cars ‘Just-In-Time’. This process creates little or no waste, and allows customers to actually participate in the build process of their own Rally Fighter. Local Motors builds cars with customers in regional Micro-Factories which double as service stations. The first Micro-Factory is in Wareham, Massachusetts, and the second will be built in Phoenix, Arizona in 2010. Local Motors plans for 50 Micro-Factories around the country.

This enthusiast experience continues as Local Motors allows customers to host ‘Custom Car Skins’ Competitions on local-motors.com. Local Motors designers compete to create custom graphics to for Rally Fighter owners based on desired specifications- every outcome is unique. The graphics are applied with vinyl, not paint, which is lightweight, customizable, and recyclable.

Local Motors is introducing a heart-pounding new vehicle for enthusiasts, and with it, a new automotive experience. Participate in the car design process; build the car you want; choose a custom car skin. It’s all part of the new, sustainable Local Motors experience.

Rally Fighters are now available for reservation: http://www.local-motors.com/rf
Early builds will begin this Summer, 6/8/10.

Local Motors premier vehicle, the Rally Fighter, will premier at SEMA on November 3, 2009.

Rally Fighter Key Stats:

* Designed by community member Sangho Kim of Pasadena, California
* Original, welded steel tubular space frame with lightweight thermoplastic and carbon fiber body panels
* BMW M57 clean diesel engine
* Eye-popping 36mpg on the highway, or 30mpg in an off-road setting
* 425 lb-ft of torque, 265 horsepower, and only 3,100 lbs
* 18′ of suspension travel, to take on any desert – jumps and all
* Manually adjustable dual ride-height options, to go from the desert to the city with ease
* Seats for 4 adults, or 2 adults & 3 children

[Photos source: Autoblog ]

The international video platform BMW TV provides contributions for every field of the premium automobile manufacturer and offers a unique brand experience: The opportunity to stream the latest videos from the BMW TV platform, a video wall with an interactive interface and also the possibility to filter its content according to various criteria. Just start your requested video easily with your fingertip und bookmark interesting videos.

All videos selected from a certain category are displayed one after another and without interruption. Thus you are not only able to enjoy your favorite videos in full length and high quality, but to tell your friends via social media or email about this feature.

Main features:
• A wide range of the latest videos and contributions from diverse BMW TV platform fields
• Video streaming in full length and high quality
• A video wall with the option to filter videos according to various criteria
• Quick access to related content
• Starting the next video during the ongoing program
• Selected videos from a certain category are displayed without interruption and one after another
• Option to commend on the video contributions and to recommend them to friends

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.

During the 1970’s, Baby Boomers were out of college, making money and ready to spend their hard earned dollars. What better way to reflect your success than on a premium automobile? When shopping for a car, or anything for that matter, it is hard to ignore a product backed with the claim of being “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, especially when their fathers’ for the past two decades have been parking sloppy, overweight Buicks in their driveways. I’m not trying to generalize, but you get the point…

It’s safe to say that Lutz’s gamble paid off handsomely and was a key to BMW’s success in the 1970s and up through the present day.

In 2006, a rumor started that BMW toys with the idea of dropping the synonymous tag line and the Bavarian automaker was to be represented by the tag line, “A Company of Ideas”. The slogan came from the desire to cater to the “Creative Class” and to evoke amongst consumers, and competition alike, that BMW was an organization that wasn’t afraid to push the envelope and make cars that questioned conventional design and engineering. Some say it was merely a rumor that came from marketing genius Al Reis in an AdAge column and also, BMW denied the claim immediately. There was also a petition that circled the interwebs to stop the decision of dropping the tag line.

Thankfully, BMW never went through with the decision nor we know exactly if there were any plans to really change the slogan.

Although I do agree with the overall concept of the slogan being somewhat of a fit for BMW, I don’t feel that it would have been an appropriate replacement for what has worked for so many years, nor did it describe the core competency of the company. Also, “A Company of Ideas” was much too broad and could have been applied to any company. When you drive a BMW you simply cannot deny the fact that they make automobiles that are more than a point A to point B car, more than a means of transportation. There is spirit behind these cars, these are drivers cars and are meant to be enjoyed.

They are “The Ultimate Driving Machine”.

A tag line ultimately does one thing and that is…..to keep a promise. The ability to keep that promise across the board, throughout all the products a company offers, is often a feat that is overlooked by the understated ability of sheer consistency. In my opinion BMW does just that. The bimmer is  a “driver’s car” first and everything else second.

When you are buying a BMW, you are buying something a bit different, something special and something you are proud of driving. I feel that “The Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan is timeless, genius and just plain works. But in a digital age and with BMW facing a different buyer today than they did 34 years ago, do you feel that it’s time for a change?

For those readers that were around before BMW was known as “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, does the power and effectiveness still hold true today? Many of you have described sheer irateness towards the “Joy” campaign associated with the all new Z4 roadster and most recently the X1. If you had the opportunity to do so, what would you make the next BMW slogan?

Share your thoughts in the comments section.

BMW Brand Sales
Sales of BMW brand vehicles decreased 18.6 percent in October for a total of 16,443 vehicles compared to 20,203 vehicles reported in the same month a year ago.  The sales volume met BMW’s expectations for the month and reflected limited inventory of the new 2010 model lineup, which began to arrive at dealerships in the middle of October. Year-to-date, BMW brand sales were down 25.6 percent to 160,666 vehicles compared to 215,836 vehicles sold in the same period of 2008.

“In October, we continue to see the trend of high volume premium models grabbing the majority of sales while lower volume specialty vehicles lag their previous year’s performance,” said Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC. “That’s  why we are concentrating our efforts on our core 3, 5, 7 and X5 series – all of which performed well with the 7 Series showing its best single month performance, outselling the same month last year by 10.3 percent to now lead the segment for the first time this year.”

BMW Certified Pre-Owned (CPO)
In October, sales of BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned vehicles increased 31.9 percent to 10,467 CPO vehicles versus 7,937 vehicles reported a year ago.  Year-to-date, CPO sales were up 11.6 percent to 94,982 over the 85,081 reported in the same period of 2008.

MINI Brand Sales
MINI USA reported sales of 4,176 automobiles, a decrease of 20.8 percent compared to 5,272 cars reported in the same month a year ago when MINI benefited over-proportionally from $4 dollar gas prices.  Year-to-date, MINI USA also reported sales of 39,172 automobiles, a decrease of 14.8 percent, compared to the 45,966 cars reported in the first ten months of 2008.

“October played trick or treat with us and we got a mixed bag of news with no clear trend,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President MINI USA. “While our dealers reported a lot of cautious customers and pragmatic buying choices, we also saw an inspiring performance in the West with sales being above last year.”

[Source: BMW ]

I drive an E46 3 Series and I’ve got nothing but praise for the M54B25. It’s not the most powerful engine ever made, not by a long shot, but above 3,500 RPMs the engine absolutely comes alive and pulls with all of its might to the 7,000 redline. The engine’s sense of urgency and pull along with the scream it produces at the back makes for an absolutely wonderful driving experience. One of my favorite characteristics of the M54 is the fact that is bullet-proof reliable while also being able to deliver more than satisfying performance. But, while the M54B25 is a great engine in its own right, the S54 is the king of the hill for me.

With 333HP and 3.2 liters of displacement, the engine found its way into the the world-class E46 M3 followed by the  Z4 M Coupe and Roadster. For those that have driven with the engine or even had the privilege of riding with it, you know how special it can be. Like it’s smaller brother the M54, above 3,500 RPM’s the sedate hum of the engine grows and grows to a full metallic roar, letting you know it means business and won’t dare disappoint on the way up to the 8,000 RPM redline.  It is truly one of the finest examples of BMW’s high-revving inline 6-cylinder engines. What could make it better? A bigger airbox, revised cams and engine management and you’ve got yourself an M3 CSL.

However, BMW have produced many, many more engines of all sizes and types, many of which have been acclaimed by critics. The M10 block that, in one form or another was in service for nearly 20 years in a bog standard 2002 or the 1983 Brabham-BMW F1 car, or the S62 V8 of the E39 M5 and often-forgotten Z8, they never disappoint.  The current N54B30 twin-turbocharged engine found in the 3 and 5 Series has, by reputation, already become one of those engines that twenty years from now people will look back on and still be wowed by the power, speed and finesse the engine has managed to deliver. A modern day BMW 2002tii? Perhaps, but time will tell.

What about the famed BMW S14 engine that found its way under the hood of the M3 in both road-going and racing spec? The S14 was built to race first and then built to pilot you to the office or track second. It’s hard to deny an engine that dominated DTM and the touring car scene for the latter part of the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The S14 was essentially a modified M10 block with the best bits of M88 that powered the M1, M5 and M6. I’ve not even touched on the diesels as I’ve not been able to drive one but the 335d has received rave reviews and even the typically harsh BMW critic Jeremy Clarkson walked away impressed by the 535d.

So, we want to know, what’s your favorite BMW engine? Why? Is it the the 2.0L diesel from its peppy yet frugal demeanor or the potent little S14 for its revs or do you want the muscular S85 V10 engine hiding under the hood of the M5 and M6? What about the monster 600+HP S70 V12 stashed  in the middle of the McLaren F1? Let us know what your favorite BMW engine of all time is!

Let’s take a look at the incident and how the 7 Series “reacted”:

“In addition, while not perfect, features such as real-time traffic reporting via the navigation system, which provides information about any accidents ahead and other traffic patterns, and head-up display, projecting navigation, road geometry, and speed information in the driver’s field of vision, add to overall safety.

But there is one thing that none of these systems can do and that’s protect against other drivers who have made a huge miscalculation and, in an instant, are hurtling towards your car without apparently seeing it.

In my case, this happened two weeks ago as I was proceeding on a major street with a green light.  An Acura SUV made a left turn from opposing traffic and entered my path a second or so before impact.  This gave me barely enough time to react, let alone successfully complete an evasive maneuver.  I instinctively stomped on the brakes and tried to steer my way out of its way.  The braking slowed the car down sufficiently so that I avoided a side impact to my car (which could have caused significant injury) but nonetheless, we still made contact as the SUV passed in front of me.

I heard the accident take place but I didn’t feel it at all. The car’s front crumple zone absorbed the impact so well that it was a minor thud to me at most.

The most important thing is that the car I was driving, a new BMW 7er series, not only allowed me to walk away from the accident but absorbed so much of the impact that I was left completely unscathed.    No safety system that currently exists can stop another driver from executing a maneuver that may result in an accident.  What matters most is that the car you are in can keep the consequences of the impact to a minimum.”

Read through to find out more about the safety systems in BMW 7 Series.

She sits in a 1987 open-top BMW 3 Series Convertible, authentically dressed in an eighties-style Bordeaux-coloured dress, her hair down and put into perfect shape by a hair specialist. She is slightly nervous before the “test drive”: “I’m a little on edge because I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen with all this wind.

But BMW has assured me that it’s all safe.” The huge rotor of the wind tunnel slowly starts to turn, from the control centre you can see a gentle breath of air slowly but surely developing into a stiff breeze at 60 km/h. After this windy test drive, the result is clear: the hairstylist on the set is not too happy since the only thing the tousled mane of model and TV presenter Sylvie van der Vaart would be good for is an eighties music video.

The outfit and hair are restyled and we shoot forward into the year 2009: a current 3 Series Convertible now gleams in the light of the wind tunnel. Sylvie van der Vaart appears with a business look – an elegant beige-coloured trouser suit. She smiles into the camera and waxes lyrical about open-top driving in Madrid, where she lives. “Open-top motoring is just the thing for me!” says the 31-year-old. Waiting at the wheel in the wind tunnel, she once again waits in suspense for the next test run as the huge rotors start to move. The improved aerodynamics of the vehicle with reduced air turbulence in the interior is clearly visible to all those on the set. The long, straight hairstyle hardly moves a millimetre. Sylvie van der Vaart smiles as she steps out of the car: “What a difference from the older model! I couldn’t feel the wind at all – I even had to check to see if they’d even turned it on.”

Shortly after the shoot in Munich, van de Vaart was diagnosed with cancer at an early stage and successfully treated. She quickly started working again – both in the photo studio and on television. “Discipline is very important in my line of work,” she says. She quickly got used to wearing a wig, too – and continues to drive open top.

The hairdo experiment illustrates 22 years of progress in automobile development. Facilities such as the new Aerodynamic Test Centre enable engineers of the BMW Group to improve aerodynamics at an early stage of the development process so as to make a contribution to increasingly efficient vehicles. In addition to lightweight construction and drivetrain, aerodynamics has a key role to play in automobiles of the future.

Sophisticated aerodynamics is one of the key variables in the BMW Groups EfficientDynamics approach. BMW is a forerunner within the entire automotive industry in terms of the reduction of CO2 emissions. In the EU, the BMW Group’s new car fleet of 2008 has an average CO2 emission level of 156 grams per kilometre – well below that of other premium manufacturers.

[Source: BMW ]

Tom (nybsbl04) a member of e90post.com, lives in New York City. Earlier this week, he noticed in front of his apartment an abandoned BMW 335i Coupe Alpine White in a no parking zone. The cEditar was showing signs of a break-in -sunroof cracked-  and more than 20 tickets in the window.

Being a good Samaritan and aware of its surroundings, Tom posted an entry on the forum, along with photos, stating the facts listed by us above. Several member forums jumped in to help and requested the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). After running the number, Tom managed to obtain the address where the car was registered.

Now here comes the interesting part….how many of you would have have gone straight to the police and let them investigate? I know I would have, but Tom showed some impressive detective skills. He “googled” the address and found out that the house at that particular address is up for sale.

So, what next? Well, continuing down this new career path, a detective path that is, Tom called the real estate broker. Fortunately, she knew about the situation with the stolen car and put him in touch with the owners.

But here is how the story progressed from here:

2PM

I got into contact with the owners and notified that their car had been sitting in front of my building for two weeks, untouched. They were ecstatic to say the least. To make a long story short, the owners’ son had the car while in college at Boston and made a road trip to visit his friend in NYC. He had it parked outside, and a few hours later it was gone, stolen. They arranged to have him take a bus from Boston to NYC this friday to get the car as the insurance company overnighted him the keys.

9PM:

I come back from a late dinner and see 3 NYPD cars surrounding the 335i, which is now perpendicular on the road, with half of the car up on the side walk, and half in the road. I walk over to the officers and tell them my story, in which they were shocked, but believed me. It appears the thieves came back and tried to swing the car out of the spot they left it in. The car is still untouched and locked. They contacted the owners in California with the phone number I provided and contact the Auto Task Force to run the plates. The car was picked up by an NYPD tow truck and impounded. They think it’s a car theft ring that uses frequency duplicators and tow trucks to take and read the wireless frequencies of the remotes.

Amazed yet? I know I was…great to see that many of us still care and once again, thanks Tom for being one of the good guys.

Thanks for the tip Jesse!

Compared to the traditional navigation system, the Night Vision System is also able to detect road speeds without relying on pre-saved data on the hard drive. Therefore, if the limit is reduced because of road-building-measures, the Night Vision system will actually be able to detect it.

The system will be able to detect humans and to display a flashing warning triangle in the dashboard if any humans should appear in front of the car. The system is built to function not only in good weather conditions, but also at night, even in rain or foggy conditions. The car won’t slow down automatically though, but it will emit a warning signal in the dashboard if he is driving to fast.

We’ve tested the Night Vision Camera in our 750i loaner and we were impressed by its accuracy and usefulness at night.

Earlier this week, Wired Magazine published an analysis of the BMW Night Vision System and we’re going to post some of their findings:

The Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection system significantly advances the first-gen system found in the last 7-series by adding people-spotting technology that distinguishes between animals and humans. The system was developed by the Swedish firm Autoliv Electronics. It is the latest evolution of technology that Lexus and Mercedes-Benz also have offered since Cadillac brought it to the automotive sector in the 2000 Deville sedan.

Since then, thermal imaging has made way for far- and near-infrared cameras that detect even the smallest changes in temperature. BMW’s passive system uses far-infrared technology to scan for heat, whereas Mercedes’ near-infrared system illuminates the road with projected infrared light. The BMW system stands apart for its extreme depth, clarity in rain and ability to minimize extraneous information. Despite the added safety such systems offer, Cadillac and Lexus dropped them because few people bought them. But BMW, like Mercedes, still sees a market for it.

The system does a great job of helping you see in the dark, but it is not without flaws.

BMW isn’t suggesting drivers switch off their headlights. The $2,600 option compliments the 7-Series’ adaptive headlights, which follow your steering inputs to help you see around that turn. The system provides a crisp, clear picture of 1,000 feet of pavement ahead of you, a distance Autoliv says is twice the range of the headlights. That can mean the difference between avoiding that deer and totaling your $110,000 Bimmer.

Full article continued

Over the years, we’ve encountered several misconceptions about diesel powered vehicles, but luckily many auto magazines have tried to educate the end consumers, car owners in this case, sometimes successfully.

Without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the advantages listed by the previously mentioned magazine:

1. Diesel fuel is 15 percent more energy dense than gasoline.
2. A diesel releases less carbon dioxide into the air because it is more fuel efficient.
3. Diesel fuel does not evaporate as easily as gasoline, so it is much safer in accidents.
4. It’s easier to recycle a diesel engine compared with a gasoline-electric hybrid. After a few decades, someone will pay you for your junk diesel engine.
5. A diesel only compresses air, so carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons do not form in the crevices of the cylinder wall like in a gasoline engine.
6. A diesel produces maximum torque at low engine speed. This makes it perfect for getting heavy loads moving.
7. It is easier to turbocharge a diesel engine.
8. It is easier to supercharge a diesel engine.
9. Diesel dominated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
10. The Army uses diesel fuel.
11. The Navy uses diesel fuel.
12. The Marines use diesel fuel
13. Diesel fuel and exhaust just smells better

Ok, we’re stopping here, but before that, here is our favorite advantage: The diesel BMW 520d luxury car beat the Toyota Prius economy car in fuel economy tests.

You can read the other ….36 or so diesel advantages over at Diesel Power Magazine.

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!”

For me it was back when I was in high school and I remember it vividly! I mean prior to this moment I’ve always loved cars and recognized BMWs as a great car, a drivers car and something of a rare breed but this moment… this very moment is when I fell in love with Bimmers. A friend of mine in a surrounding town would talk about his brothers car over and over. “Yea this thing is wicked fast…. He put an Alpine TV/head unit in it….. Light tints… H.I.D’s… Sweet sound system…..” His brother was much older than us so obviously he wasn’t going to hang out with high school kids! But on one glorious night his brother let him take the car out….

We we’re hanging out in a parking lot, as typical highschoolers who have nothing better to do, and in the parking lot rolls exactly the car he had always spoken of. I did a double take….the paint shined in the overhead halogen lights of the parking lot, time slowed to a creeping pause as he got out and grinned…..  I was in disbelief!

The car was an Estoril Blue E36 M3 coupe. My jaw dropped as I walked around the car and took in the beauty that was this autobahn burner. I open the door and see the gorgeous pantone process blue, pantone purple and pantone warm red M stitching on the seats…. the Alpine headunit glowing, the M logos on the mats…. it was gorgeous. As I shut the door and stand back I asked, “Did he drop it too?” My friend replied, “Nope, sitting stock.” I was in disbelief that something could come from the factory with such an aggressive stance, such fit and finish. The car was parked and it looked like it was going 120mph, I fell in love!

From that moment on, every time I see an E36 M3 in Estoril Blue it grabs me by the ears and yells directly into them with the sound of  240 hp coming from a 3.2 liter inline 6 and begs for my attention. That was my defining moment when I fell in love with BMWs and everything the brand stands for. I’m sure there are many of you out there who have had a very similar moment in time where a BMW has stolen your heart so lets hear it! Share your moment in the comments section.

[Photos by M3forum.net | Bimmerforums ]

This gives the driver of a car not equipped with an integrated telephone or a mobile phone preparation kit installed from the start at the factory the opportunity to drive safely and communicate conveniently at the same time.

The new headsets may be combined with all mobile phones able to interact with Bluetooth and are scheduled to join the wide range of Original BMW Accessories and Original MINI Accessories as of December 2009.

The new Bluetooth headsets from BMW and MINI combine sophisticated, brand-like design with innovative technology. The BMW headset comes in elegant white, the MINI headset is in classic black, both headsets proudly bearing the appropriate brand logo on the rhomboid-shaped ear element fitting quickly and easily also while driving on the driver’s ear and coming off again just as conveniently, naturally with just one hand.

Low weight of just 8 grams, the slender microphone arm and precisely-fitting earplugs in various sizes guarantee superior wearer comfort also during lengthy periods of use. The rechargeable battery integrated in the headsets allows maximum use of up to five hours and a stand-by time of up to 7 days. The headsets come complete with a charge adapter to be connected to the car’s power socket or, alternatively, to the cigar lighter.

Use of the headsets is largely intuitive through a button for the incoming call, end-of-call, and re-dial functions. A second button serves to control the level of volume, with speech and reception volume being adjusted automatically to surrounding conditions as a function of the noise level. A voice selection function allows direct access to the address directory in mobile phones supporting this function. In that case all the driver has to do is speak out the name of the person he wishes to call into the microphone on the headset in order to select the number desired.

Via Bluetooth, the driver may even use the headset at the same time in combination with two mobile phones, switching spontaneously as he wishes from one mobile phone to another, depending on where a call is coming in.

In the past ten years, there has been at least a BMW in my garage and almost all of them were 3 Series. I started out with a manual BMW E30 318i Coupe, the successor of the BMW E21 and replaced later by the BMW E36. While not the hottest 3er in the history of BMW, the 318i held a special place in my heart and has been a car that connected me to the brand.

Powered by a 4-cylinder engine outputting 113 horsepower and 100 lb-ft torque, the 318i was far from being the fastest BMW I’ve driven, but its smaller footprint and handling has won me over.

Fast forwarding a few years, I was ready to let go the E30 and jump into one of these E46 bodystyles that everyone has been bragging about. To get the best buying experience, I decided to take delivery of a BMW 325i at the Delivery Center in Munich  through the somewhat unknown at that time, BMW European Delivery program. If the E30 318i connected me to the brand, this program and the new car have totally won me over and most likely forever.

E46 325i was clearly an upgrade over my last model and the “Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan was a perfect fit.

But three years later and I was ready again to move on and up. The twin-turbo engines have just rolled out and everyone was uber excited about them and the performance they deliver. When the Engine of the Year was awarded to the N54 several times, I was already on my way back from the bank. The 335i model has been “eyeing” me for months and just couldn’t resist the urge anymore. So, I decided to get again that amazing buying experience, but this time, doubled the pleasure. The new BMW Welt has just opened its doors and my Montego Blue 335i was patiently waiting for me.

In between these 3ers, a small SAV made its way into my garage: 2004 X3 3.0. A great family car with decent MPG, perfect for a crowded city like Chicago and a savior in our six months winters.

Now this brings me to my original question and I will go first at it. Next year, I’m planning on replacing the E90, but the options are far more extensive this time. Would I move up a class and get the new 5? Sure, that’s an option. Or should I go for that X6 35i that I fell for last year? Even better, how about that M3 Sedan that it’s one of the best Ms I’ve driven? There is always that extreme case where I could hold off for another two years and get ready for the next 3 Series….choices, choices and more choices….

But to summarize this, the new 5 is definitely my first option for now, followed closely by the M3 E90.

So, what’s YOUR next BMW?

A BMW owner listed his 1997 BMW Z3 for sale, 1,000 miles and Buy It Now price set at $20,000. You’re probably saying nothing unusual so far, but wait, the story gets way better.

His/hers Z3 is not just any Z roadster – we see these every day and still enjoy the early BMW Z roadster look- but rather a heavily modified one in an “unique” way.

The owner replaced the motor with a small block Chevy crate motor and to top it off, he added a 471 GM blower, a Predator carburetor with an an Iroc 5-speed manual T10 transmission. Okay, he lost me at the the small block Chevy crate, but let’s go with the flow.

The owner also mentions that it has an MSD ignition along with an MSD distributor.

He/she already agrees that the car is a head-turner (not sure if in a positive way) and has heard plenty of comments so far:

“This car gets incredible attention- out favorite 2 comments about this car 1) a German man telling us “what a waste!” 2) engineered in Germany, perfected in the USA.”

Well, I’m speechless at the moment, but if you have anything to add, let us know.

Check out the eBay listing here.

It started with the grandfather, the patriarch of what would be a long line of champions, its heart was a high-revving 3.5L inline-6. Not surprisingly, that same engine was a large part of the car’s soul and character. It was the BMW M1 – the very first BMW to be produced as an official M GmbH(then M Division) vehicle. On July 10, 1978 with that first crank of the massive M88 engine of the first M1 to roll out of the M Division workshop started a tradition that spanned another three decades – naturally aspirated, high revving, high horsepower engines to power the best BMW’s made.

The M88 itself would stay in service for another 10 years, filtering down from super car status to super sedan status in the first M5 and M6. A modified version of the M88 would lose 2 cylinders and 2,200cc of displacement and be dubbed the S14 to go on and power the screaming E30 M3. Time marched on and models continued to evolve but the same principles of the engine remained – the engines must rev freely and as high as reliably able to. Examples would include the E46 M3 with a 3.2L inline-6 that redlined at an impressive 7,900 RPMs or the E60 M5 who’s naturally aspirated V10 ran out of steam at 7,750 RPMs.

For many, the naturally aspirated, high-revving engines are what defines the M Series cars to enthusiasts. Only in those higher RPMs did the engines come alive and show their since of urgency to bear their soul. Wind out an M-constructed engine on a back road or a track, keep the gears low and the revs high and you will understand the appeal of M cars. The E46 M3 and its S54 engine don’t feel particularly special but above 3,500 revs on the tachometer, the driver is rewarded with a growing metallic symphony from the exhaust. Even the current naturally breathing V10 of the M5/6 is surprisingly sedate until the engine is wound up and at full force.

But, is that all threatening to change? Yes, actually it is. BMW’s famed M GmbH has decided to use forced induction on its next generation of engines as a means of increasing horsepower and efficiencies. After 31 years of naturally aspirated, peaky, well-tuned engines, the NA engine may disappear from one of the most vaunted specialty divisions of any car company in the world.  Sources quoted by Edmunds a few weeks back, mention the 2012 F10 M5 being powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 compared to the free-breathing V10 of the current M5 and they’ve already released the X5 and X6 M’s, both sporting turbocharged V8’s. Rumor has it the next M3 will carry turbos under its hood as well.

Many may feel that this isn’t a big deal and really just an easier way, from an engineering standpoint, to produce higher horsepower figures from lighter engines in the not-yet-kaput power wars between the Germans. And why not? Audi and Mercedes have both used forced induction with success in the B5 S4 and it’s turbocharged 2.7L V6 and the previous E55 AMG with its 5.4L V8, respectively. Both companies are now dabbling in both turbo- and supercharging for high performance vehicles – and that’s a great thing.

But perhaps it isn’t for BMW as they’ve always strived to be more than just what the competition was. With so many other ways and technologies at BMW’s disposal, why not turn to lighter weight vehicles for improved performance?

Sure, Audi’s RS6 sports a turbo’d V10 pushing out 570HP to offset its scary weight figure – but why does the M5 have to do this with its engine too? the N54 in the current 335i is an incredible engine – just look at the awards it’s won ad nauseum, but max torque is achieved by 5,800 engine revolutions. It doesn’t have to carry with it a sky-high redline – and the current forced induction V8’s of the X5/6 M’s top out at 7,000 RPMs.

Yes, power is there, but is the urgency and that special feeling of keeping revs wound up like M cars of soon-to-be-yesterday still going to be present? By adding turbos do you remove the soul and passion of the Teutonic engine?

Perhaps. Many enthusiasts used to say that the further M GmbH got away from the E30 M3, the worse things got for the driver involvement – it looks to be that they could be wrong: the further we may be getting from the E92 M3, the worse off we may be. I only hope that in another 10 years, technology will have moved on allowing BMW to move back to naturally aspirated, high-revving M engines – only time will tell though!

We all love evolution and seeing how the cars progress over the years is fascinating, but that doesn’t stop us, the bimmer fans, to looking back and be sentimental over some BMWs we’ve owned or at least driven.

So, let’s make this exercise fun. I will start with my 10 favorite BMWs of all time, in no particular order, and then you will have the floor to express your opinion in the comments below. After a few days, I will go back and compile a list of the bimmers you mentioned in your comments and I will include them in the article.

2003 BMW M3 CSL

BMW 8 Series E31

BMW M5 E34

BMW 2002tii

BMW 3.0 CSL

BMW M3 E30

BMW M1

BMW M3 E92

BMW Z8

Alpina B7

Okay, so I’ve cheated a little bit with this last one, Alpina B7, but I still think it’s one of the best looking 7er out there. So this is my list, now let’s see yours…..