I bumped into Dr. Oetker in the frozen food aisle of our local super market.

BB: Hello Dr. Oetker, fancy running into you here!

DO: Where else would you expect to see me? What’s cooking?

BB: Well, the latest buzz is that BMW is possibly supplanting their long standing North American ad slogan of, “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, and replacing it with a new theme revolving around the term. “Joy”.

DO: Yes, “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, that’s one of the all time greats. Kind of like the GM slogan, “Pontiac: We Build Driving Excrement”.

BB: That was, “We Build Driving Excitement”.

DO: Oh, no wonder Pontiac owners looked at me askance when I quoted that to them.

BB: Joy is a difficult word in the English language. It has both secular and sacred connotations. It can mean pleasure, a feeling of well-being, success, and, alternatively, an emotional connectedness to the moment, or the religious notion of the ‘peace that passeth all understanding’.

DO: It’s much simpler than that. Joy is ice cream.

BB: That’s just it. The simplistic joy can be anything positive that occurs. A comfortable burp, a cold soda in summer, a spirited drive on a twisting country lane.

DO: I’m sticking with ice cream.

BB: Yes, you would. Now I’m aware that in Germany the BMW slogan is “Freude am Fahren”. Which translates, roughly, to “Driving Pleasure”. So the joy of driving could well be used.

DO: True, but joy is universal – especially when we’re talking about ice cream.

BB: That’s just it. The generality of joy does not lend itself to a description of what a BMW is without modifiers. In our case, the apt slogan would be, “The Joy of Driving”.

DO: True, and my favorite, “The Joy of Driving for Ice Cream”.

BB: Too many modifiers, Herr Doktor. But the downside to this is what happens if joy is used to describe something other than the driving experience of a BMW. Say, “the joy of a dog in the car with you”.

DO: Dogs love trucks!

BB: That’s Nissan’s line, if I remember correctly. But speaking of trucks, how does BMW remain focused on its core image and ends up building vehicles like the X3, X5, X6 and the 5er GT?

DO: Well, I like trucks too. They can haul of lot of ice cream. But back to BMW’s intentions for its image; what seat are they selling?

BB: Excuse me?

DO: Is the driver’s seat or the passenger’s seat the focus of BMW?

BB: Oh almost unequivocally the driver’s seat. Though you might say the 5er GT, and possibly the long wheelbase 7s stretch that.

DO: Nice pun, but watch it – that’s my shtick. And I have a bone to pick with you about using ‘zaftig’ in an article, by the way.

BB: I was hoping you’d indulge me that, Herr Doktor.

DO: Well – this once maybe. Now back to the hot seat.

BB: Yes, right. Well as long as BMW’s focus is on the driver’s seat, then regardless of the slogan, it will be good. If the engineering efforts are on, say, the pursuit of perfection, then are they building a driver’s car or an ultimate people mover?

DO: I think a LexisNexis search may be in order to answer that question.

BB: So in the end, you’re OK with moving away from, “the Ultimate Driving Machine”?

DO: As long as they explain what joy means to them, provide the focus of where the joy is derived from if you will, then it will be fine. Now come talk to me when they decide to replace their creamy in-line six cylinder engines with plain vanilla V6s. Then we’ll have a real long talk.

BB: Good to talk to you as always Dr. Oetker.

DO: Oh look! Frozen pudding . . .

And the good Dr. wanders off for today . . .

This completely modular system consisting of four, separate and equally functional, pieces fabricated in 100% Dry Carbon (or in Carbon/Kevlar special edition for an added cost) can find its way into your ///M engine bay over time.

Technical Specifications

The complete ENVY™ Intake System gains horsepower and increases throttle response on both the dynamometer and real world use, as expected in all functional ram air intake systems – forward motion at over 60mph brings the performance of the ENVY™ to life.

Dynamometer: 15-19RWHP
Real world use: 20+RWHP

TECNOCRAFT E9X ///M3 ENVY™ Intake System includes the following (in order of primary airflow):

ENVY™ RAM Air Scoop

-Stage 1 of the ENVY™ intake system is a direct drop-in replacement of the plastic OEM intake bridge on E9X ///M3s. With a more highly effective design versus factory, especially at speed, the ENVY’s RAM Air Scoop ensures that a large volume of air can be force fed into a starved intake system. Also, since the RAM Air Scoop is fabricated in 100% DRY CARBON the goal was to maximally enhance airflow dynamics conforming to the tight space tolerances behind the ///M3 kidney grilles. Rest assured this goal was achieved and the largest RAM Air Scoop in the market for the E9X ///M3s are now readily available.

(OEM Replacement fit and finish), X oz. / $349.99)

ENVY™ Transition Chamber
-Stage 2 of the ENVY™ intake system is a direct drop-in replacement of the plastic transition pipe on E9X ///M3s. The main advantages of the ENVY™ Transition Chamber is the smooth delivery of intake charge from the RAM Air Scoop by its elimination of unnecessary notches and choked design points leading into the factory ///M3 airbox. Forced air makes its first contact with an organically designed transition chamber, which allows airflow from the ENVY™ Ram Air scoops to be naturally reservoired and transitioned smoothly from left to right. All unnecessary turbulence was eliminated in the ENVY™ Transition Chamber’s design and conforms to extremely tight tolerances to provide a dramatic volume increase to charged air.

(OEM Replacement fit and finish), X oz. / $349.99)

ENVY™ Enlarged Intake Cover
-Stage 3 of the ENVY™ intake system is a direct replacement of the factory airbox cover on E9X ///M3s. While we consider the factory intake box design made available by BMW to be sufficient, another necessary step in a complete ENVY™ intake system was development of an Enlarged Intake Cover without the many unnecessary points of intake turbulence while also increasing total airbox volume by 30%. Our Enlarged Intake Cover design carries charged air in greater volume from the Transition Chamber up and over the factory or BMC filter (optional) smoothly, hindering disruption from air filter structure as much as possible before reaching the ENVY™ ChargePipe. Factory fitment in a 100% Dry Carbon product was necessary to ensure hood scoop function remains available to the entire airbox as well.

(OEM Replacement fit and finish), X oz. / $429.99)

ENVY™ ChargePipe

-The 4th and Final Stage of the ENVY™ Intake System is the ENVY™ intake system’s most highly sought after, direct replacement of the factory rubber chamber before the intake manifold. The ENVY™ ChargePipe eliminates the final and most important choke point in air intake charge while dramatically reducing turbulent airflow. Its extremely organic 100% Dry Carbon design allows for the largest and smoothest transition of air from the entire intake system, complimenting even the factory E9X ///M3 intake system where it is most needed. The ChargePipe is our featured highlight product of the ENVY™ intake system and is suggested by TECNOCRAFT to be a first investment towards a complete ENVY™ intake system if purchased as a standalone product. The ENVY™ ChargePipe has been specifically paired with a BMC filter as a perfect combination upgrade for the most noticeable throttle response, horsepower and torque gains of the entire ENVY™ system.

(OEM Replacement fit and finish), X oz. / $629.99 (no filter), $699.99 (///M3 BMC Filter)

Further information on the TECNOCRAFT And the E9X ///M3 ENVY™ Intake System:

With organic design elements taken from the highly praised TECNOCRAFT Lamborghini Gallardo ‘Hi-Flow Intake System’, keeping optimal airflow dynamics was a primary concern – having also been developed in 100% Dry Carbon, our intake systems are natural heatshields and do their part to greatly reduce heatsoak.

All parts of the ENVY™ system have been enlarged by at least 30% in volume, designed with smoothly transitions, and reduced in weight (if not all three at the same time) to ensure every ounce of horsepower can be gained while naturally aspirated.

PYSpeed is the exclusive distributor for Tecnocraft and more information can be found on their website.

That focal point of history and a page in time marked for change, it brought about wider acceptance of the smaller, efficient Japanese and European cars while American car manufacturers began the decline that has placed them in the perdicterments we see today. In 1973 – BMW managed to be toward the forefront of making efficient yet fun engines and, like they did nearly 37 years ago – they aren’t about to give up the game at another critical point in man’s continued development of the car.

BMW has continued to devote resources to alternative energy sources as a means of staying ahead of the curve in an everchanging game – as demonstrated by the ActiveE officially unveiled last week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The ActiveE, a fully electric 1 Series, encapsulates much of what BMW has achieved to date with alternative energy technology. With EfficientDynamics systems such as regenerative braking and Liquid Cooling for the batteries – the ActiveE will be the most technically advanced BMW on the road once in service an experimental car – just like its predecessor the MINI E was.

Interestingly, beyond the fully electric powertrains of both the Active E and MINI E, the two cars begin to deviate. The Active E is refined – a more complete vehicle where the MINI E was still in a more experimental phase. As some of you may remember, we were able to try a MINI E out this past November in a effort to see how a fully electric near “mega city car” would operate. Generally, we came away impressed with the MINI E as a car that was more than up to the task of providing a generally fun driving experience despite a lack of sound and a loss of some of the driving dynamics due to the awkward, cumbersome lithium ion battery pack seated amidships of the MINI E.

However, that battery pack is where the MINI E began to show its still slightly-ragged edges as an experimental car. While the powertrain is fully electric and easy to engage and use, the car was compromised somewhat in terms of the driving dynamic – an odd feeling as that is typically at the top of a priorities list by BMW. While the MINI E is surprisingly fun to drive in utter silence, it did feel a bit vague and uncertain of itself as you aimed for apexes versus blasting around in a straight line – again, it is hard to blame that feeling on anything other than the massive battery pack the MINI E is tasked with carrying to keep the front wheels pulling you along.

This is where the Active E gets exciting though. By building and refining the foibles of the MINI E, the electric 1 Series manages to check all of the right boxes in terms of performance that has become a trademark of BMW. The two largest factors showing the intent of the Active E, from an enthusiast standpoint, are the 50:50 weight distribution and a rear-wheel-drive platform, hallmarks in the history of BMW performance.

Which makes us very interested in the ActiveE. “When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.”

So – it drives like a BMW, feels like a BMW and almost sounds like a BMW?

That’s pretty close and that’s what piques our interest in this car. Is efficiency worth the sacrifice of a throaty inline-6 waiting for you at the flinch of your right foot?

Maybe – but we’re anticipating that BMW finds a way around that as well.

The ActiveE is the culmination of many things that you aren’t supposed to see in a life time. It’s the car of tomorrow, of the future, that will be cruising the streets shortly. This is a car for tomorrow that will allow the world to drive it today and do so with the style and most of the performance we expect from the same type of cars sitting in our driveways. As we continue to build our Mega Cities – BMW will be there – waiting for us with their progressive cars and technologies and ready to adapt and give us the cars we want that will suit our lifestyles and those of an always demanding and ever-changing marketplace. It is 1973 all over again and BMW is prepared to show the world with the ActiveE that they’re still ahead of the game and will not relinquish that role anytime soon.

Now if they could just engineer a 3.5L M1 exhaust note into the cars…

Or…attached to the trunk?

Our friend Kamil over at CarGuyDad spotted recently an….let’s just say for now, interesting MINI Cooper. Nothing out of ordinary until now, right? Wait, we’re not there yet. What really makes this MINI so special in the spare tire attached to its trunk. YES, you read it right, no typo this time.

Before we will give some a speech on the advantages of a run-flat tire and of course, the cons, let’s see what CarGuyDad had to say about this.

Another issue on many new cars, such as the Mini Cooper, is simply the lack of proper space for a spare-tire. That however clearly did not stop the owner of the above Mini Cooper S. Looking closely you will notice that the spare tire tilts down on a Jeep Wrangler-like-carrier/contraption to allow access to the tailgate. Problem solved! And in a classy way might I add, as the exterior spare tires gives Mini an even more retro look which is that of a car from 1920’s to the 1950’s. Bravo, Real [Short] Man of Genius from Massachusetts! Today We Salute You, Mr. “I have Nothing to Overcompensate for!”

Quite ingenious, huh? Or was it a simple protest to the lack of a spare tire as a standard feature?

Here are some disadvantages of using run-flat tires, cons that turn into pros of using a regular tire:

1. The run-flat tires (RFT) can usually not be repaired in the case of a puncture, so instead of a simple puncture costing $20, you’ve got to replace the whole tire.
2. RFTs can malfunction, defeating their intended purpose to begin with, or be damaged in such a way that getting the typical 150mi@50mph is no longer possible.
3. Run-flats are more expensive to buy, more expensive to install and offer poorer performance.
4. Lifespan is half of that of normal (even with regular monitor of pressures).
5. Costs 50% more than normal tires on average.
6. The ride is more uncomfortable, especially if you have 17″ upwards.
7. Increase the running costs of ownership. Normally a tire lasts you a good average of 50,000 miles (80,000 km).
8. Not all tire shops have RFT
9. Unpleasant ownership as you always have to worry about getting a puncture and always hoping that the warning does not appear.

Reasons to use run-flat tires

1. It is dangerous to stop on any road to change a tyre, especially on a motorway or at night.
2. There is no need to have to wait for a breakdown service to arrive.
3. Safety and security of the driver and passenger(s) is maintained.
4. Alloy wheels are difficult to detach from steel hubs.
5. On most cars the spare is under the contents of the boot, and uses boot space.
6. It can be tricky to line up the wheel bolt holes with the hub screw holes and match the thread.
7. The dirty punctured tyre needs to be removed and stored in the boot.
8. Another puncture before the punctured tyre is mended means one is stranded.
9. A driver can continue for 150 miles at 50mph with a punctured Run-flat tyre.

The top section receives one of those uber fancy photo carousels that allows us to “manipulate” the way we display the news to you. Some of you might be asking yourselves: what does it really do?

Well, for starters, it allows us to select the news we would like to display there, from breaking news to some fairly recent articles that may have moved down the page or even on the second or third page. Those articles could be real masterpieces or they could simply relate useful information. Therefore, bringing them to your attention, increases the quality of our homepage and news reporting.

For now, we’re starting with the articles in the photo carousel, but that may change based on your input.

To the right of the featured/latest news carousel, we will continue to display the latest news, so those familiar with the format, will enjoy the continuity.

Furthermore, we made some minor tweaks to the social media features. The Twitter banner from the sidebar moves at the top, next to the RSS news and the newsletter, all displayed in a much more appealing and linear format. A subtle move one might say, but we love the outcome.

Now, onto the big news.

The other websites part of our network and leaders in their market, BimmerToday.de and BMWBLOG.ro, undergo a major overhaul. Both online publications follow the same design path with a similar layout, but minor tweaks are included to continue to differentiate themselves.

The idea of a similar design came from the statistics we have gathered over the last 12 months. We have noticed that many of our readers are bi-lingual or even tri-lingual or even more, and therefore, they tend to jump from one publication to another in search for the best and latest BMW news, in their language of choice.

So, we made it easy for them by offering a familiar design with the same browsing and reading structure that require no time to adjust.

We care about your time and patience, so the decision was a no-brainer on our part.

With a network delivering millions of pages every month, we like to believe we bring a lot of value to you, the BMW community and we will continue to do so with your appreciated support.

BimmerToday

BMWBLOG.ro with a Winter Campaign from a local BMW dealership

The accident displayed below took place somewhere on the Angeles Crest Highway in California and the BMW 335i Coupe was driven by M3Kill3er, member of E90post. As he was driving well into the night, he panicked at the sight of three animals on the road, swerved, slammed the brakes, hit dirt road and flew straight off the ledge down the mountain. Landed 426 feet down the rocks!!

Here is the frightening story as reported by the car owner:

was bout 2 am on a saturday night Jan.2nd, picked up a female friend who lives on angeles crest street and we headed up angeles crest mountain… was taking her to a view spot for, u know…neways. at mile marker 30.65, no speeding no nothing, max i went was 35mph.came up to a pretty bad ass turn…the second i turned i saw 3 animals of some sort kicking it on the road. i panicked, swirved, hit the brakes, hit dirt road which didnt help me from stopping. flew straight off the ledge… flips+turns+tree+flips+turns+flips and landed on 3 rocks 426 feet down the mountain…Both of us are okay…walked out clean…i just have a fractured collar bone and my whole left side is killing me like crazy. the female is perfectly fine, just a few cuts n bruises.

We’re glad that everyone made it out alive and it fairly okay condition.

We wish you a fast recovery, both physically and psychologically!

[Source: E90post ]

After 6 months of planning and usability testing, we rolled out a design that us and many others, believe it was a huge step forward and a road opener for other publications as well, mostly because of the increased reading experience and the large center column that allows us to display higher resolution photos.

While the design was just the icing on the cake, our main focus in 2009 was to offer you a variety of BMW news, covering every angle of the BMW world, from spy photos, test drives, auto shows, videos to funny stories, technical articles, editorials, columns and so much more.

Overall, we published exactly 1,555 articles, an average of 129 posts per month or 4.3 articles/day. We have not missed a single day this year and while the amount of work has been exhausting sometimes, the passion for BMW cars kept us going. All these articles drew around 13,900 comments and that shows how large our community is.

Add to these the tens of millions of pages delivered by us, and you will understand our excitement.

Along with BMWBLOG, two of our other properties have evolved to become the leaders in their market. BimmerToday is visited today by hundreds of thousands of German speaking readers and it has established itself as the main source of BMW news in the german community.

BMWBLOG Romania followed a similar path and it adds even more value to our network.

Another goal in 2009 was to engage more writers and give you different “voices” and opinions, not that mine wasn’t good enough, but it’s nice to hear others as well. Joking aside, I am personally proud of our team and without their efforts and involvement, our goals would have not been achieved. So please join me to thank the team, in no particular order: Andrew, Josh, Benny, Shawn, Joey, Hugo, Stjepan, John, Al, Jim and Jake.

Okay, so all good and dandy so far, and some of you might think that other publications are doing similar things, but here is we stood out this year. We have constantly looked at ways to include you, our community, in our plans and involve you even more with the publication.

Therefore, we launched the “Be A Designer” program, a project that focuses on the redesigning process of some of the popular  BMW models available now. Together with Automarket, we hired an exceptional 3D rendering artist(currently doing an internship at Lamborghini) and we began to render different BMW models, based on your suggestions. The project has been a huge success and we’re proud to say that it has NEVER been done before by any automotive publication. For those of you that wonder, YES, even BMW noticed the project and we received thumbs up for the idea.

Back in April, we were the first one to publish, what we called, the “Billboards War”, an article that created a huge amount of buzz and coverage in all the automotive publications and not only. A week later, New York Times used the same words in one of their articles.

Today, the news industry has changed, providing real-time information and engaging with the audience has become an important goal for every news outlet out there. With Twitter and Facebook growing at a rapid pace, we found different mediums to connect with you. It all began with the Detroit Auto Show where we provided, for the first time, live tweeting and photos uploaded directly to Twitter or Facebook. This way, we were able to give you real-time news without having to head back to the press room and crank up some quick articles. The success has been unmeasurable and today, we have close to 2,000 followers on Twitter (twitter.com/bmwblog), and growing every day.

Twitter has also become a medium of communication for us, a way to connect directly with you, a more personal approach that was beneficial to all of us. We were there to answer questions, offer suggestions or simply chit-chat with you. The result? A closer relationship with our readers and we also made some good friends on there.

Our Facebook fan page followed a similar path, today, hundreds of BMWBLOG fans are with us and receive exclusive news and photos as soon as they go live on the site, even faster sometimes.

Another project that we would like to continue doing is the “BMW Of The Week”, an idea that started earlier this year which allowed BMW fans around the world to submit their BMW photos to our BMWBLOG pool and one of them, would be chosen as the “BMW Of The Week”.

A new innovative, unique feature launched by us was the Twitter integration across our content. Some articles on our website will be associated with content from Twitter, BMW related content of course. Basically, this is a way for you, our readers, to discover more content related to the articles you’re reading, but this new information comes from Twitter, so from other blogs/websites, including competitors. Yes, we have those too and we’re not afraid to send you to their articles as well.

Some may say this is crazy and an online media suicide, but the truth is that we want to guide you to great BMW news and information we might have read across the web and found useful or entertaining.

Some of you might have not realized, but we made an habit of replying to almost all the emails we received, regardless if we knew the answer or not, we wanted to acknowledge you and build that so needed trust between a publication and its readers. If we missed any, we apologize and we will try to do better in 2010.

The list of 2009 achievements could continue, but this article has already gone above what we wanted to be. It’s time to look forward and while 2009 was a great success for us, we have no doubt that 2010 will surprise you even more. Sure, it is hard to top up some of the things we’ve done this year, but believe me when I say this, we will do our best and beyond that.

There are some things already in the pipeline and slowly, we will reveal them.

That’s all for now, thank you once again for just being with us and see you in 2010!

P.S. For those of you that are wondering about the Certificate of Achievement, it was simply meant to be a funny thing.

Also, we would like to thank you one more time for all the support given us throughout the year and without your input, comments, suggestions and even a slap on our hand sometimes, we wouldn’t be where we are today, the leading magazine in the BMW world and one of the top automotive publications (at least we like to believe that).

For now, take a moment today to enjoy the year change, spend time with your loved ones, celebrate and let’s hope that 2010 will be a special year for all of us, both at the personal and professional level.

As far as us goes, we’ll still be here tomorrow and we plan to continue what we started this year and give you THE best and most BMW news there is out there, and that’s a promise, I personally would like to make.

Stay safe and see you in 2010!

Some believe Bangle mangled the butt of the E65 7, and flamed out by applying flame surfacing on the Z4, but what really should his time at BMW be remembered for.

Maybe looking at BMW styling before Bangle would be helpful. BMW design since the stunning CS coupes of the late 1960s had been conservative and getting more so as time progressed, with conservative being a polite way of saying dull.

While BMW’s power trains and driving dynamics were the envy of other manufacturers, its styling was not causing sleepless nights for their rivals. As Bangle’s influence increased, that changed. Styling cues that shouted ‘BMW’ started appearing on a number of Asian vehicles.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then even the Bangle butt was admired by the Koreans, as it showed up on the Hyundai Grandeur (US market Azera). Styling at BMW emerged and blossomed, playing an important role in enhancing the desirability of the brand.

While taking heat for styling cues like flame surfacing and the Bangle butt, those designs need to be put in context. When a manufacturer looks at their portfolio of product, they are more likely to take chances on design at the margins of the brand. The core products will be ’safe’. For BMW that means the 3er, 5er and (for the US) the X5, must appeal to the broadest audience possible.

The idea is to introduce design direction in the niche products, preparing the way for their adaptation in more mainstream products (or, conversely, their quiet exit from the palate of design ideas). BMW managed to do that effectively with its niche products, while selling plenty of appealing 3s and 5s.

What Bangle has done at BMW, more than any pen to paper exercise, is to build a design staff that embraces passion and beauty which then clothes the driving dynamics of BMW. That is the legacy of Chris Bangle.

Of course all of these would have been impossible to achieve without the support received from you, our daily readers that give us all the horsepower we need to continue delivering the most, if not all, BMW news out there. The BMWBLOG team has grown this year, we have seen new enthusiasts writers come on board, some of the previous contributors have return as well and together, several milestones have been conquered.

In our last post of the year, we will remind you some of the things we have done this year, where we started, where we are now and what 2010 will bring for all of us and believe me, it will be exciting.

But this is not about us, this article is all about YOU….you have always been more than our readers, we consider you being our friends and when advice was needed, we tried to be there for you as well. Without your comments, insight, additional information, perspectives and why not, article corrections, we would have not gotten so far.

Truth is that we’re just in the passenger seat here and all of you are in fact the driver, you guys set the course and we try to deliver. Your response has been and will always be appreciated and this is what motivates us every day, to continue building a community that not many of us thought it was possible years ago, a new automotive media entity that we like to believe has inspired many others.

At the end, we wish all of you Happy Holidays together with your family and loved ones, and take the opportunity over the next days to recover from the stress of everyday life.

Those of you that live and breath BMW 24/7, we will be here for you and our coverage will continue every day.

Thank you!

BMWBLOG Team

Horatiu, Andrew, Benny, Josh, Shawn, Joey, Hugo, Stjepan, John, Al, Jim.

These are companies that appreciate the BMW community here and therefore, once a month we would like to thank them and tell you who they are, what they do. We hope you’ll pay them a visit as a way to show your appreciation for their sponsorship of the number one BMW news website.

Many of these sponsors have been with us for a long time and they became very close to us. With some of them, we started joint projects with the single scope of offering diversified services and information to the BMW community.

Momentum BMW West

Momentum BMW West is a Houston BMW Dealer located in Houston, Texas. The Houston based BMW Dealership website provides BMW car buyers with useful information to buy a new BMW or used car in the Houston Texas area. The Houston BMW Dealer provides great savings to their BMW customers.

FLIR

We would like to welcome our newest sponsor: Flir.com. BMW’s Night Vision System has been developed by Flir and it can be found in the next generation BMW 7 Series. The Night Vision Camera is an option available also in the 5 and 6 Series. The camera can also be retrofitted in earlier BMWs and Range Rovers.

Classic BMW

Nobody sells Used Cars in Ohio like Classic BMW. They also sell new, used, and Certified-Pre-owned BMW. They are one of the most active car dealerships in the social media world, with accounts on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Classic BMW is also the exclusive sponsor of our series of Be A Designer projects.

Alex Dykto | BMW of Peabody

Alex Dytko is a Client Advisor at BMW of Peabody, MA. For over nine years, he has been providing thousands of BMW of Peabody clients with excellent and professional service. If you’re interested in New, Certified Pre-Owned or premium used cars or simply have a general question, feel free to reach out to him, Dytko.net. He is very knowledgeable and responsive. With the latest BMW 0.9% finance rates, you can get a great deal on your new bimmer.

IND-DISTRIBUTION

IND-Distribution is the official U.S importer for Genuine Eisenmann products. It is owned and operated not by automotive enthusiasts, but by automotive and motorsport fanatics. The guys are IND-Distribution are some of the most talented car modders that I have seen so far. You can check out some of their work on the BMW M3 and the BMW 135i. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

WheelsTO

WheelsTO offers a wide range of products for most popular European vehicles, such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and much more.

We can get your name out there.

Contact us for more information on supporting BMWBLOG’s growth and development. Alternatively, visit our advertising section for more details

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 ]

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.

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!

Here is an excerpt, followed by the PDF file to download and an extensive gallery of photos.

In the Car of the Future

Walking up to your car – particularly at night – the first thing you notice once you have unlocked the car by remote control is the interior lights coming on. And precisely this was the starting point for the BMW Group’s light designers, in asking what new technologies would be able to offer in this respect.

Once you have arrived at your car, the seat is your permanent companion, generally remaining unnoticed, on every trip you take. So how can the car seats of the future be made lighter but nevertheless remain comfortable and safe? Answering this question, BMW Group experts have developed three different seat concepts, the best features of which will go into the series development of future seats.

Information and entertainment functions in the car are increasing in both magnitude and significance. So what must displays be able to offer in technical terms in future and how can they be integrated attractively in the car to meet these demands? Different display locations call for new technical solutions – and again, the BMW Group is perfectly prepared.

The acoustic experience in the car has a sub-conscious but significant effect on the driver and passengers. The research prototype by the BMW Group’s acoustic engineers therefore offers personalised and emotional driving experi- ence through active sound design.

Creating the Right Light Architecture within the Car.

Inspired by the use and presentation of light in interior architecture, specialists at the BMW Group have revised and updated the complete interior in terms of light
technology. For like in a building, light in a car may also structure spaces, set highlights, emphasise certain features or conceal others, guide the occupants through the interior, and even create powerful emotions.

An important source of inspiration in this context was the BMW Group’s cooperation with a strong partner company working so far only in architecture. The result is a brand-new world of experience in the automobile.

“The automobile is part of the world we live in. And, using light appropriately, we would like to make this world a pleasant place where you feel at home.”
(Hans-Peter Bailer, High-Value Light Design Project)

Specific, individual use of light may give the same interior a very different look and experience ranging, for example, from calm to dynamic. This is achieved by positioning light sources at appropriate points within the interior, by using different light colours and light intensity. Theoretically, each vehicle is able, through the style of illumination used, to present its particularly character also at night, helping to make the driving experience more intense. Today and in future new technical solutions offer greater choice and individual potentials light experts are carefully testing and introducing in creative style.

The new concept no longer makes do with just one central source of light. Instead, several sources of light arranged in different positions illuminate, say, the pillars in the greenhouse, the instrument panel, the centre console and the driver’s seat. This new light concept is astounding in its effect even from outside. Opening the car by remote control, the driver and passengers experience a welcome scenario with a stimulating feeling of generosity right from the start through the windows. Then, getting into the car, they will receive an even more positive impression, with everything looking bright, pleasant, and spacious.

“The welcome scenario virtually begs the driver to take a seat.” (Jan Seeburg, responsible for interior space design)

BMW Innovation Days 2009 –Interior, Infotainment, Mobility – PDF (14MB)

7. Runflat Tires
The idea was to remove a spare tire to give more trunk space and enable engineers to create a more sophisticated rear suspension, but in theory, all you’ve got was rock-hard ride over bumps and holes. Runflat tires have enforced side skirts which makes them usable even when the tire loses all presure, but the comfort is sacrificed because the tires cannot absorb road damages, due to their stiffness. All BMWs have a wonderful balance between ride comfort and sharp responses so this new change wasn’t exactly received with a warm welcome. Of course, the ride would improve with speed, but perhaps a tire-repair kit as a standard would be a better idea.

6. BMW X3
The X5 was a major breakthrough, initially as a response to the infamous low-quality Mercedes-Benz ML, it had set new standards for SUVs in terms of handling and performance that were even difficult for the Porsche Cayenne to beat several years later. Unsurprisingly, expectations were high for its smaller brother, the X3, which was released with large fanfare and claims by BMW that it would feature near-3-Series-like handling. And it did, but that was the only thing it actually did well. BMW was determined to make the best handling SUV so to completely eliminate body roll, the suspension was as comfortable as a skateboard.

Furthermore, the interior was already dated when it came out in 2003 and it was not the last word in material quality either. However, the X3 was the best selling 4×4 in Germany, even outperforming cheaper models like the Toyota RAV4, and still it has the edge in driving manners when compared to its new rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

5. iDrive
First of all, the idea behind it is great; BMW’s interiors are always logical and ergonomically perfect, but as climate and entertainment functions advance, the number of buttons and switches is increased too and that’s not what you need when you’re enjoying your drive. BMW’s plan was to replace all buttons with a computer-mouse like dial to reduce clutter on the dashboard, and it did in the 2001, with the iDrive system in the 7 Series.

However, the system had one big flaw – it was too complicated to use and it had too much functions. For example, you could set up how long you would want the headlamps to stay on after you turn off the engine. In seconds. I’m not sure why would anyone care about that, but to set up that function was as distracting as would it be to choose the right interior temperature. As with all good ideas, Mercedes-Benz and Audi had stolen and improved it, but BMW has redesigned the interface, so now it’s perfectly intuitive.

4. BMW Z3
BMW has been making pure roadsters for over 75 years, so imagine how much attention has the Z3 attracted for its premiere in the James Bond movie “GoldenEye” in 1996.

Design-wise, the Z3 was a looker, with classic roadster proportions and subtle retro styling. The rest of the experience wasn’t so glamorous; the interior felt cheap and dated, while the rear window was made out of plastic, even Mazda MX-5 had a glass one. The suspension was carried over from the E30, which was quite advanced back in 1985. Nevertheless, due to its modest weight, the handling was fun and predictable, but it lacked the soul of a true roadster, putting it in the same league as the Audi TT and Mercedes-Benz SLK – a hairdresser’s car. The coupe variant looked odd, but enjoys a cult status today. Truth is that the true roadster wasn’t there until the 2002 Z4.

3. No M-version of the 1 Series
When BMW released the 1 Series, it was the obvious choice for the enthusiast on a budget: 50:50 weight distribution, aluminum suspension and of course rear-wheel drive were unseen in the so-called “Golf-class”. From the start, all reviewers noted that the car was capable of displacing a much more powerful engine than early cars had, so BMW responded with a 3.0 straight six producing 265 HP, also a previously unimaginable in that class. The 130i quickly outperformed its main rival, the Audi S3 which had similar power but from a four-pot turbo, obviously inferior to the advanced in-line six.

With the release of its coupe and convertible versions, the 3.0 was joined by a smaller 2.5 version and the landmark 135i, producing 306 HP. The latter was described as a “Junior M3”, and has received praise among automotive journalists, as Jeremy Clarkson said: “…then you leave the motorway and the road gets twisty and it’s like settling into your favourite armchair. The steering, the feel, the way you can adjust your line through the bend with the throttle. There is no other car made today in this segment that gets as close. If you love driving, this is the logical and best choice in its class.

Of course, a Mitsubishi Evo or a Subaru Impreza will grip more and slingshot you from bend to bend with more urgency, but if you prefer a more flowing style – less grip and more handling – then you would be better off with the “little Bimmer.”

Mind you, this still is a standard car, and the M division always reworks the suspension, the steering and the engine, so imagine how good would it be if they had made it. There is still hope that we will see one in the future….

2. BMW X5/X6 M
Bimmer community baffled as BMW Motorsport announced their first M SAV/SUV, mostly because it was a matter of time until this road will be taken, but  truth is we all felt like it wasn’t the right time or place to do this. All in all, the cars turned out to be pretty impressive, but again, the standard ones bend the laws of physics too, so what’s the point? Later on, it is obvious that the M-badge on those two is the same as the M-package on your daily 318i. It’s pure marketing, but it tells just how exactly BMW M name is respected and distinguished compared to its rivals from AMG and RS divisions.

1. No sign of collaboration with Fiat
Small cars are expensive to produce and the costs increase further with the MINI, as BMW owned British icon employs technology seen in much larger cars. The only way to make it profitable is to form a joint venture, because historically, BMW focused more on building rear-wheel drive vehicles and the experience level in building front-wheel cars might be lower.  Some engines found in the MINIs come from the collaboration between BMW and PSA, but BMW’s version is slightly more economical and MINIs have better gearboxes.

A year ago, BMW announced that for the next MINI, may join forces with Fiat, but after that, both sides remained silent. Just few weeks before, Autocar wrote that BMW will increase its collaboration with PSA, which tells us that the negotiations between the German and the Italian maker might have been stalling.(No official confirmation has been released on this).
Now, the “star engine” from last collaboration is remarkable, it has even won the Engine Of The Year Award for its turbo-charged version, but many believe that the Fiat sourced one could be even better.

Fiat’s small cars were always among the best (and sometimes even class benchmarks) and unquestionably more fun to drive than their French rivals, but it is unlikely that MINI would share its chassis with any other car. And after all, isn’t BMW making world’s best engines?

For a start, the 1986 Fiat Croma was the first car in the world to have a direct injection diesel, and the first common-rail diesel was the Alfa Romeo 156 in 1997. Fiat sold the common-rail technology to Bosch and now it can be found in all modern diesels. Furthermore, the Multijet II that debuted in the new Punto Evo gives the engine free-revving capabilities that were imaginable only in BMW diesels, without removing typical mid-range punch. But MINIs are mostly bought in petrol variants, and Fiat’s revolutionary MultiAir technology would fit in one perfectly. It features hydraulically-actuated variable valve timing which offers a more controllable flow of air during the combustion cycle in comparison with mechanical VVT systems, while increasing power and torque and decreasing emissions and consumption. What is even better, the technology is even more effective when used with a supercharger or a diesel engine.

Initial reviews were extremely positive and MINI’s main rival, Alfa Romeo MiTo, is the first one to have it.
Having all this in mind, it is unclear why BMW and Fiat have not “clicked” yet, but the reason might be Fiat’s recent purchase of Chrysler and the economic crisis.

So there you have it: these seven are not exactly BMW’s finest hour, and let’s hope that there will be less of them in the future. But then, no one is perfect, right?

And what do you think, have I forgotten something?

[Photo credit: JOERG KOCH/AFP/Getty Images]

On the first floor, we had the hydrogen-powered H2R vehicle, one of the first of a new breed of racecars specially adapted to run on liquid hydrogen fuel. Conceived and developed in just 10 months, it has already set nine international speed records at the Miramas Proving Grounds in France.

The H2R’s mighty 6.0-liter V-12 engine, which draws on BMW’s advanced Valvetronic and Double-VANOS technology, is based on the 760i’s gasoline-fueled powerplant. This H2-powered high performer generates 232 horsepower, helping it to achieve a top speed of over 187 mph.

A level up, we have the BMW Z22 Concept, introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show and coonsidered to be the lightest and most advanced mechatronic car ever been presented to the public.

The BMW Z22 featured a mechanical system which is electronically controlled, and it’s the future of car design. Today, the ‘drive-by-wire’ throttle technology is quite familiar, but the Z22 featured ‘steer-by-wire’ and ‘brake-by-wire’ as well, deleting the necessity for mechanical steering and hydraulic brakes.

The Z22 also features the wheelbase of a 7-Series, the overall length of a 3-Series, and the interior room and turning circle of a 5-Series. BMW planned on putting the Z22 into production by 2005, and also using it as a testing ground for new production techniques. The BWM Z22 reached a top speed of 112 MPH with it’s 2.0-liter, 136 bhp, four-cylinder all-aluminum engine.

Almost at the top of the concepts area, we have three exciting concepts: BMW X Coupe, BMW Concept Mille Miglia Coupé and BMW CS1.

BMW X Coupe has been designed by a team led by the controversial BMW designer chief, Chris Bangle. The BMW X-Coupe was the first of his “Flame Surfacing” concepts. The X coupe is not just a show sculpture; it is driveable, and based on the X5 chassis.

Under the coupe’s long, one-piece hood is an advanced BMW turbodiesel engine: the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder unit of the European 530d model, with state-of-the-art common-rail direct fuel injection, developing 184 horsepower. Beyond the production engine, the X coupe’s powerplant has been modified to produce 332 lb-ft. of torque.

BMW Concept Mille Miglia is a concept car inspired by the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé, but uses Z4 M Coupe’s drive components. The concept car is 23 cm longer, 14 cm wider, and 4 cm flatter than Z4 M Coupé. Other features of the concept car include 20-inch alloy wheels with 245/40R20 tires, permanently integrated sidewalls, swing-up cockpit, LED headlight panel, silver-colored carbon-fiber reinforced plastic body, 3-material (stainless steel, untreated cowhides and Lycra fabric interior

The vehicle was designed by Anders Warming, current Head of BMW Automobiles Exterior Design.

Last but not least, we have the BMW CS1, the base of the current 1 Series Convertible. The four-seat CS1 convertible features a twin kidney grille, short overhangs, broad shoulder lines, and flowing side sills. The CS1 is powered by a 1.8-liter 115-horsepower four-cylinder engine, mated to a Sequential Manual Gearbox.

We hope you’ll enjoy these photos and remember, if you’re passing through Munich, the BMW Museum is a must, lots of history in there and most important, tons of BMW cars. Stay tuned tomorrow for more photos from the BMW Museum!

While we have compiled a list of questions of our own, we would like to give you the opportunity to ask some questions yourselves….through us, of course.

As always, we want to keep you connected to the blog and to be a part of it, and even though some of you cannot be present at the Frankfurt Auto Show, we would still like to “take” you with us.

Please try to stay on the topic and focus on the 5 GT interior and of course, the X1 model. We will select the best questions and promise to try to get an answer for all of them.

The Frankfurt Auto Show starts at 2AM EST and will continue throughout the day, lots of photos, videos and of course, live coverage.