BMW
BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo to make US debut at the South Florida Auto Show
Live in the US and can’t wait to park the 5 Series Gran Turismo on your driveway? You would be glad to know that the ‘practical’ Gran Turismo will make its US debut at the South Florida International Auto Show that will take place between October 23rd and November 1st. The 5-Series GT’s highlight feature is the two-mode tail gate that can allow the GT to offer up to 1,700 liters of space.
BMW also claims that the GT has legroom of a 7-Series and a headroom of an X5. The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo will hit showrooms in December and pricing information will be released closer to the on-sale date. To learn more about the 5-Series GT, please click here.
BMW M3 Coupe: Offers a great ride in new promo film
Bandito Garage has released a new promotional film of the BMW M3 Coupe. The production company used state of the art equipments like high-tech camera cars and gyro stabilized Pursuit Cranes to shoot up to 15 different angles for the footage that was filmed in Los Angeles. The video showcases the gorgeous coupe giving an equally gorgeous lady the ride of her life. She expected an awesome ride and she even paid for it! Continue reading to enjoy the video. Read the rest of this entry.
BMW bridges the gap between car and bike: Reveals Simple Concept and re-introduces the Clever Prototype
It was just a couple of days ago when Nissan announced the car cum bike concept called the Land Glider that will be shown at the Tokyo Motor Show. A couple of days later, German auto maker BMW announced a new concept that belongs to the same family. The concept, along with the Clever Prototype, is being exhibited at the auto maker’s museum in Munich.
First on the list is the Simple Concept (“A sustainable and innovative mobility product for low energy consumption”) that is powered by a 48HP combustion engine and an electric motor. It is a three-wheeler and has a seating capacity of two. Measuring 110 cm wide, it has a tilting technology that tilts the passenger cell automatically. All the driver has to do is determine a change in direction for the appropriate tilt to follow automatically.
BMW also revealed that the concept only activates the hydraulics in exceptional situations, for example if the vehicle threatens to become unstable during extremely slow driving, when righting the vehicle during standstill or in situations such as ‘drifting’. Apart from these conditions, the concept rides like a motorcycle and, beyond natural gravity and gyroscopic forces, requires no energy whatsoever to lean into a corner.
The 450 kilograms Simple Concept can accelerate to 100 km/h at under 10 seconds and it can achieve a respectable top speed in excess of 200 km/h. Drag coefficient is figured at 0.18 and according to the auto maker, the Simple Concept would need just 6 kWh (equivalent to 0.7 litres of petrol) or two liters to deliver 100 km.
Next is the Clever Prototype (“Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport”) that was first presented back in 2006. The project was launched in 2002 as an initiative of Berlin’s Technical University, sponsored by the 5th Framework Programme of the EU Commission. It is also a three-wheeled vehicle that can carry two people. The prototype is driven by a single cylinder 230 cc CNG engine that is paired with a CVT transmission. CO2 emissions output is figured at 60 grams per 100 kilometers and it has a driving range of about 200 kilometers. BMW claims that it would cost two people 1 Euro to travel around 100 kilometers.
With a weight figure of under 400 kilograms, the Clever Prototype takes 7 seconds to reach 60 km/h and it will go on till it reaches a top speed of about 100 km/h. It measures 3 metres long, 1 metre wide and 1.4 metres tall and it features computer-controlled tilting. It also has a Formula 1 style main frame that weighs just over 60 kilometers. It acts like a survival cell while the front wheel and steering ensure a deformation path of some 35 centimetres to absorb sufficient energy in an the event of an impact. Continue reading to view high-res images. There is also a 2 minute 24 second-long video of the SImple Concept. Read the rest of this entry.
BMW Isetta is alive! Maybe not…
Ever wondered how a modern Isetta would look like if BMW decides to put it into production? Theophilus Chin ‘wondered’ about it and whipped one up with his excellent ‘photoshop’ skills. BMW may not produce such a mirco car, but rumor has is that the Isetta name will be resurrected and used to designate the auto maker’s upcoming sub-brand for electric cars. Continue reading to view another image. Cool huh?
Source. Read the rest of this entry.
BWM to stop production of the E60 5 Series?
Words are being exchanged within the motoring fraternity regarding BMW’s plan to end the production of the outgoing 5 Series mid-size sedan by year end.
The Dingolfing factory will be closed for holidays anyway and it would need a couple of months to prepare for the production of the next generation 5 Series, code-named the F10. Apparently, BMW will still accept special orders till October 9th. The next generation BMW 5 Series is rumored to be launched at the Detroit Motor Show, happening in March next year.
Interested to go for a ride around the Nordschleife circuit? With BMW’s M5 Ring-Taxi you can!
Munich-based auto maker BMW has revealed an M5 that will be used as a taxi for rides on Nurburgring’s 20 kilometer-long Nordschleife race track, that is extensively used by various auto maker for track testing.
To purchase tickets for a ride in the BMW M5 Ring-Taxi, you can go to the auto maker’s motorsport website. BMW revealed that tickets will be available in time for Christmas. The BMW M5 is powered by a 5.0 liter V10 that can output 507HP and 520Nm of torque. BMW also compiled a 1 minute 58 second-long video of the taxi ride. Read the rest of this entry.
BMW X1: at the Leipzig production plant
We have managed to source a 52 second-long video that showcases the production process of the BMW X1. The X1 SAV, or Sports Activity Vehicle, is built on the BMW 3 Series’ platform and is currently available with one petrol engine and five diesel options. Buyers can also choose between two drive configurations, including a rear wheel drive version called sDrive and an all wheel drive setup called xDrive. To learn more about the BMW X1, please click here, meanwhile continue reading to watch the video. Read the rest of this entry.
BMW to put the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept into production by 2012?
Rumor has it that Munich-based auto maker BMW, will put the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept into production by 2012, carrying the M1 Green Drive designation. Apparently, the production version, which will still be a fuel efficient supercar, will feature a hybrid powertrain, to be made up by a 3-cylinder turbo diesel and an electric motor, with some hybrid components to be taken from the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid.
The turbo diesel+electric motor configuration is just like the concept version (which has two electric motors, instead of one). According to the source, power figures will hover around 350HP and 800Nm of torque. The 2+2 supercar should come with features like 3D head-up display as well as a digital dash.
