BMW BLOG

The countdown has begun in preparation for the 2010 World Car of the Year (WCOTY) and Performance Car of the Year (PCOTY) awards ceremony that will be taking place on April 1 at the 2010 New York Auto Show.

A total of 31 cars made up the original list of candidates for the 2010 World Car category, while 15 cars made up the list for the 2010 Performance Car category, but now these lists have been whittled down to just ten finalists.

Now in their seventh year, the World and Performance Car of the Year awards are an independent global accreditation to name the best new car on the market, as selected by a voter group made up of established automotive journalists from around the globe.

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Katarina Witt to be Olympic ambassador for the BMW Group. Two-time Olympic winner and BMW Group campaign for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Munich.

Munich. As a National Sponsor of Munich’s Olympic bid, the BMW Group is turning to high-profile support from the sporting arena: two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt (44) has been appointed the BMW Group’s ambassador in the bid to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

As part of this collaboration, Witt will be making public appearances on behalf of the BMW Group. She also chairs the Munich 2018 Bid Committee.

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Automotive News reports that BMW of North America is upping the ante on its no-cost maintenance plan, adding an additional two years or 50,000 miles on select certified pre-owned 2007 models sold between Feb. 2 and March 31.

The warranty upgrade becomes active after the four-years standard plan or 50,000-mile warranty expires. Customers that own a 2007 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series model, are eligible to receive the plan upgrade up to six years or 100,000 miles.

The extended plan has the some guidelines as the original warranty, free service inspections, oil service, wiper blades, and normal wear and tear, like oxygen sensors and brake and clutch replacements. In a ballpark estimation, BMW estimates the customers are saving $1,800 over two years by being protected by this extension.

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With sales up 7.7 percent in January to 15,410 vehicles, the BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) had a good start into the year 2010.

Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 7.6 percent in January for a total of 13,163 vehicles compared to 12,232 vehicles reported in the same month a year ago.  MINI USA reported sales of 2,247 automobiles, an increase of 7.9 percent compared to 2,082 cars reported last January.

“Traffic in our showrooms was a bit sporadic this month but combined with a strong December we are delighted to see a positive January gain,” said Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC.  “The new 7 Series had a particularly encouraging performance, assuming segment leadership with over 1,300 units sold.”

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Internationally acclaimed artist Jeff Koons will create the 17th BMW Art Car in the 35th anniversary year of the program.

Koons and Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW North America jointly made the announcement today at an event held at Koons’ New York City studio. “I always thought it would be an honor to work on a BMW Art Car,” said Jeff Koons. “I look forward to participate in a tradition set forth by such great artists as Calder, Lichtenstein, Stella, and Warhol.”

“The entire BMW Group is looking forward to this celebration of contemporary art by Jeff Koons, one of the greatest artists of our time,” said O’Donnell in making the announcement.

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The BMW Group and PSA Peugeot Citroën will continue their successful engine collaboration. An agreement to that effect was signed by Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën, in Paris.

The two companies have agreed to develop the next generation of the jointly designed 4-cylinder petrol engine which will meet EU 6 requirements. Currently, the engine is being used in several MINI, Peugeot and Citroën brand models.

The partners have also confirmed to examine other possible areas for cooperation at systems and component level, with the aim of leveraging synergies in the development, production and procurement of selected components.

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The company charged with selling off General Motors’ unwanted assets, Motors Liquidation Company, is suing BMW for breaking the terms of a contract to buy gearboxes.

MLC has filed a suit against BMW at New York’s bankruptcy court, disputing a reduced order for gearboxes from the GM Powertrains factory in Strasbourg, France.

Reports suggest that MLC is seeking 1.38 billion dollars in damages, around 1 billion euros at the current exchange rate. GM has stated that the final figure has yet to be set.

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Despite the ongoing worldwide financial and economic crisis, the BMW Group has, from today’s perspective, achieved the objectives for 2009 made known over the course of the past year. “We are confident that the BMW Group will, as planned, be able to post a profit before tax for 2009. This demonstrates that rigorous cost management and other wide-ranging measures to improve profitability in conjunction with our Strategy Number ONE are taking effect“, stated Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, on Friday in Munich.

Despite unfavourable business conditions worldwide, the decrease in group revenues in 2009 was comparatively moderate, dropping to euro 50,681 million (2008: euro 53,197million /-4.7%). Revenues of the Automobiles segment fell to euro 43,737 million (2008: euro 48,782 million /-10.3%). The Motorcycles segment reported revenues of euro 1,069 million (2008: euro 1,230 million /-13.1%), whilst the Financial Services segment increased its revenues by 0.5% to euro 15,798 million (2008: euro 15,725 million).

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