Nik J Miles

Posts Tagged ‘BMW’

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 »

“Bigger is better,” may have been an automotive refrain of the last couple of decades, but with the price of gas soaring and the growth of the green movement it appears that may have changed to “better — smaller.”

Since BMW purchased the iconic Mini brand in 1994 and produced the first of the new generation of Mini Coopers in 2002, the size of the classic small car has increased by more than 34 percent from the original. (The original Mini which was built from 1959 through 2000 was about 120 inches long.  The latest Mini Cooper Countryman is 161.8 inches long.) Read the rest of this entry »

New 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder offers performance of a six

Further enhancing their move away from larger displacement to smaller turbocharged power plants, BMW is bringing back the four-cylinder to U.S. market for the first time since 1999.

Like the company’s latest 3.0-liter turbo inline six, the new 2.0-liter engine will combine twin-scroll turbocharging with high-pressure direct-injection and BMW’s VALVETRONIC intake control. With 240 horsepower and 260 lb.ft. of torque, it offers more power and torque than BMW’s normally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. Vehicles being outfitted with the new engines will be announce at the New York Auto Show in April. Read the rest of this entry »

New BMW 6 Series is Loaded wtih Innovations

Arriving in the fall of 2011, BMW’s third generation 6 Series again elevates the level of the world market of 2+2 coupes with its long sweeping hood, short front overhang and set-back passenger compartment.  The new 6 gets stretched from the previous iteration by nearly three inches in wheel base and length, plus it’s 1.5 inches wider.

The innovations in the new BMW 6 Series Coupe also extend to lighting technology, in the shape of Adaptive LED Headlights. Their bright white light provides an extremely intense and evenly spread illumination of the road. Read the rest of this entry »

The Discussion Continues on BMWACTIVATETHEFUTURE.com

BMW has created a series of four documentary films dealing with the future of world mobility, cities and technology. The series is inspired by the launch of the BMW ActiveE, an electric vehicle.  Each film features interviews with a diverse range of thought leaders to create a holistic look into the opportunities and challenges of our future world and they are a “must see” for anyone with even a hint of interest in future trends. Read the rest of this entry »

A Record of the Birth of an X3

With a new BMW service, it’s now possible to go on line and watch your customized BMW X3 being built in the Spartanburg, SC manufacturing facility.

“Customization is essential to the new BMW X3. With more than 10 million distinct configurations available, we wanted to get customers excited about the birth of their unique vehicle,” said Trudy Hardy, Manager, BMW Marketing Communications and Consumer Events, BMW of North America. “This production footage of the BMW X3 vehicles from our Spartanburg plant enhances the overall customer experience that is part of the BMW brand.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Paris Auto Show brought out big design changes for the Bavarian Motor Works top coupe that may redefine the brand’s future styling direction.

The BMW Concept 6-Series coupe took on a more traditional-look with a sexy design language moving away from the so-called Bangle-era look that dominated the brand’s cars for the last decade.  The signature wide twin-kidney grille is still there but now accented by distinctive LED headlights, a glass roof and massive 20-inch wheels. Read the rest of this entry »

Chrysler Group has arranged to build a new eight-speed automatic transmission (the HP8) under license from the ZF Group of Germany.  According to Automotive News, the automaker plans to spend $300 million for the installation of tooling and equipment at the Transmission Plant 1 and Kokomo Casting Plant in Indiana.  They will be the first company licensed to build the innovative new transmissions.   Initially, Chrysler will use Germany-built units until the U.S. plant is ready in 2013; however, there is no indication which Chrysler or Fiat vehicles will be using the transmissions.

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We drive about a 175 different cars each year, and of those, BMW always stands out as their age-old slogan proclaims, as “the Ultimate Driving Machine.”  This doesn’t mean all the BMWs are the best vehicles we drive, or even our favorites, they simply set the standard for how a car should drive.

BMW pulled the wraps off the fifth generation 7 Series early in 2009 as a 2010 model.  From a design perspective, that model has an evolutionary styling that looks trim, but with more muscle.  What the 7 Series lacks, though, is the sex appeal of many of the other luxury sedans.  The BMW has a more tailored or button down look. Read the rest of this entry »

The 328i is BMW’s baseline car, and this week’s review car is very close to an absolute base model of the 328i. I like it when the review car is a base model, because then you can see what the car really is without an extra $10,000 worth of features.

In general, I’m not bowled over by BMWs. The sedans have become too sedate in their handling – but I’m happy to note that the 328i two-door coupe follows in the footsteps of the 335i coupe, with lively handling and a generally excellent driving experience.

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