Nik J Miles

Archive for the ‘BMW’ Category

“BMW’s Sixth Gen 3-Series: All new – but pleasingly so”

Familiarity Breeds content

                                                            328i

Monterey, CA.- As usual, BMW has gone and improved an existing series to the point where it seems to surpass, or at the very least, to equal, the Series lineup above it. If that’s confusing, simply stated, the 6^th generation 3-Series is all-new, yet is on a par with, if not better than earlier 5-Series models. Technically, the 2012 stable of 3-Series vehicles might well be termed the 61/2 or seventh generation, if one were to include the iconic 1600 and 2002 models.

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“BMW intros their first inline six-cylinder motorcycle application”

BMW has long powered many of their 4-wheeled vehicles with an inline six-cylinder engine, particularly roadsters, so it seemed only prudent that the smoothness provided by such an engine configuration would be a natural application for a luxury touring motorcycle, since both share open air motoring experiences.

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The X3 is BMW’s leading Crossover SUV and one of the most popular choices in the luxury SUV market. The X3 was redesigned for the 2010 model year, and the general consensus is that the new design is a winner.  Now in its second year of production, the 2011 X3 can safely be said to be the best X3 yet. This year, readers of the German magazine “Auto Bild Allrad” voted the 2011 X3 “Four-Wheel Drive Car of the Year” and here in America, “Off Road” magazine readers voted the X3 “Off-road Vehicle of the Year.” The German vote might be dismissed as predictable, but when an American offroading magazine’s subscriber base likes the BMW, that’s significant.

Compared to the prior generation, this X3 offers more interior space and generally improved usability. But the real advantage to the new X3 is in the drivetrain. You can get your new X3 with your choice of the normally aspirated 3-liter BMW inline 6-cylinder engine at 240 horsepower, or upgrade to a turbocharged engine at 306 horses. In either case, you get a new 8-speed automatic transmission designed for both performance and fuel economy.  One standout feature of this new drivetrain is start-stop technology, which actually kills the engine when you’re waiting at a stoplight and then instantly refires it when it’s time to move.

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 “A sexy alternative for fixed roof types”

Should you happen to be a fan of open-air vehicles and would prefer to own nothing but a convertible, there’s no need for you to read further into this review. Instead, you should refer to my review of the 2012 BMW 650i Cabrio. This particular review is of the new 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, which comes with a base price that is $7,500 less than its droptop counterpart, but it is certainly no less sexy, and happens to share all of the same mechanicals and dimensions except for the weight (it’s 298 pounds lighter than the Cabrio) and height which is only 0.2-inches higher.

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            The compact SUV market is tough, especially with the proliferation of new models, from nearly every manufacturer.  In the segment, BMW has had good success since 2004 with the X3, selling more than 600,000 worldwide and 150,000 in the U.S.

Now in its second generation the X3 is being built in BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant and exported around the world.  The X5 and X6 Sports Activity Vehicles are also built in Spartanburg. Read the rest of this entry »

BMW is showing its vision of future transportation with two new electric powered concepts, the BMW i3 and i8.  Both cars will be part of a new BMW sub-brand that are planned for production in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

“We are marking another milestone in the history of the BMW Group. As Chairman of the Board and an engineer myself, I am very proud of this project,” declared Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.  “As the world’s leading premium car manufacturer, our aim is to offer customers purpose-built electric-drive cars as well,” he added. Read the rest of this entry »

We have all heard the description of a car handling so well, it was “like it was riding on rails”, now BMW is taking that expression literally.  DesignworksUSA, the design consultancy and subsidiary of BMW Group is taking the lead role in the redesign of the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system in the San Francisco Bay area.

DesignworksUSA and BART will work together to create the “Fleet of the Future,” a new generation of train cars that will enter service by 2017.  The goal is to deliver a premium ridership experience for its passengers. BART, which began picking up passengers in September 1972, presently operates the oldest fleet of train cars in the USA.  Read the rest of this entry »

BMW is downsizing the engine in the 2012 528i, but increasing performance and fuel economy.  The current 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine is being replaced with a new TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Like the company’s latest TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter turbo inline-6, which is used in the 535i, the new 2.0-liter engine will combine high-pressure direct-injection and BMW’s Valvetronic intake control (hence the name: TwinPower) with a forced induction system consisting of a single twin-scroll turbocharger.

The maximum output of 240 horsepower is achieved at 5,000 rpm, 1,500 rpm lower than in the normally-aspirated 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder. The peak torque of 260-lb.ft. starts at just 1,250 rpm.  Not only is that 30 percent more torque than the previous inline-six, it also peaks 1,500 rpm earlier.  The vigorous power comes on early and climbs steadily all the way to redline.  Read the rest of this entry »

“An open air dream machine”

Los Cabo, Mexico – BMW just introduced their all-new third generation premium 650i convertible in Mexico’s Riviera playground. The latest iteration German luxury drop top is a stunner in the looks department, and is certainly no slouch in the performance category either. The 2012 BMW 650i convertible enters the fresh-air luxury motoring scene in a longer, lower and wider form that without question has become ever more elegant and beautiful as time progresses.

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BMW plans to pull the wraps off its 5^th generation M5 at Auto Shanghai 2011 in mid-April.  The M5 is the car that defined a new category of luxury and performance capable of everyday driving, but with racetrack performance. Read the rest of this entry »