BMW BLOG

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported October sales of 20,619 vehicles, a decrease of 19.1 percent from the 25,475 vehicles sold in the same month of 2008.  The BMW Group also reported a year-to-date sales volume of 199,838 vehicles, down 23.7 percent compared to 261,802 vehicles sold in the first ten months of last year.

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.

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After the post regarding the 320Si, a few of us began to discuss the different merits of the engine and why technologies such as VANOS and Valvetronic were or were not present and even what things we’d like to see on a similar engine. And that got me thinking – what is the favorite BMW engine of the masses?

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.

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Our friend Jonathan Spira over at the Executive Road Warrior went through an unfortunate accident while driving his new BMW 7 Series. We learned in the past about BMW’s safety measurements implemented in their cars and even more evident in the latest generation 7 Series, but truth is that, fortunately, we didn’t go through a similar experience.

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.

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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. Read the rest of this entry »

I thought I’ve seen it all, but apparently, not even close…An eBay listing surfaced a few days ago and it’s, let’s just say, interesting, if not odd.

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.

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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. Read the rest of this entry »

If there is one press release that we recommend, then this has to be the ONE. Longer than your usual read, BMW Innovation Days research paper outlines BMW’s latest technology. If you love electronics, gadgetry or design, then you can’t miss this one.

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.

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There is no need to explain how emotionally attached are BMW owners to their cars and how we all appreciate the company who makes them, but sometimes, BMW does (or refuses to do) things which make us all ask – What in the world were they thinking?

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.

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A week ago, we had the privilege to visit the new BMW Museum in Munich. While our first articles focused on two of the most loved concepts every designed by BMW, M1 Hommage and GINA, today, we’re returning with more photos of the other BMW concepts displayed at the museum.

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.

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Tomorrow we are meeting with the interior designers of the new BMW 5 Series GT and shortly after with the Project Leader of the new BMW X1 SAV.

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.

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