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BMW shopping for a new ad agency. Oh, Joy!

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, BMW

BMW Joy is youthful campaign ad

BMW of North America is beginning a review for its $150 million U.S. ad account, the company said on Monday. The decision comes after a tumultuous six months for the company, having lost its long-time marketing executive, Jack Pitney,to a tragic accident last October and then parting with its former agency last Fall.

BMW is in the midst of an aggressive product onslaught in the next two years as the Munich-based company is trying to grow its business globally, as well as in the States.

The company had used GSD&M, an Austin, Texas-based ad shop until last November. Since then, it has been getting ad work from Kirshenbaum, Bond Senecal + Partners, NY, which created BMW’s Super Bowl ads this year. Kirshenbaum had been the runner-up to GSD&M when BMW last reviewed its ad account in 2005, and had been doing the company’s CRM work the last five years as well.

BMW’s ad work has been the subject of much chatter and even controversy in the last year or so as the company played down its long-running “Ultimate Driving Machine” positioning in favor of a “Joy of Driving” idea. The “Joy,” positioning is closer to the BMW brand strategy around the world, as the idea translates into most languages. “Ultimate Driving Machine” apparently doesn’t translate into most languages.

BMW sales are holding up in the recession. The company was the number-two luxe brand in 2010, just ahead of Mercedes-Benz and just behind Lexus. But the company has been spending more on price discounts channeled into lease deals and financing discounts.

There are a number of ad shops likely to get a look: Kirshenbaum, Bond Senecal to retain it; The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.; BBDO, NY (Creative chief David Lubars was creative director at Fallon Worldwide when that agency had the business and created BMW Films, among other great work for the carmaker); Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami; and Publicis, NY.

BMW shopping for a new ad agency. Oh, Joy! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: BMW 3 Series GT could actually be new 4 Series

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, BMW, Rumormill

6 series gran coupe

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve heard a few times that BMW is working on a 3 Series Gran Turismo, but a rumor floated at Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport claims the GT may instead be an all-new 4 Series. If true, BMW Blog says that a 4 Series could be offered as a four-door coupe that would help BMW compete with offerings like the A5 Sportback. The move would also enable BMW to offer a more stylish vehicle that slots well below the 6 Series in price while still demanding a premium over the 3 Series. And keep in mind that BMW has already green-lit the 6 Series Gran Coupe, which will feature two-door styling and four physical doors when it arrives in 2012.

Given that Audi has feverishly expanded its lineup the past few years, we wouldn’t blame BMW for countering with a 4 Series, but this is the first we’ve heard of it, so we’ll keep this one squarely in the rumormill category for now.

[Source: BMW Blog]

Rumormill: BMW 3 Series GT could actually be new 4 Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW shows off Death Valley testing, 2012 3 Series on display?

Filed under: Videos, BMW

bmw testing vehicles in death valley

BMW tests its vehicles in the heat of Death Valley – Click above to watch video after the jump

BMW runs its vehicles through some extreme environments, and it’s all in the name of research. One of its (and nearly every other automaker’s) favorite stomping grounds is, quite literally, a hot spot. Death Valley, California is one of the hottest places on the planet, and the German automaker comes here to subject its vehicles to temperatures that can exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

This year, the BMW team has decided to capture their efforts on video. In the process, it seems they’ve also beat U.S.-based spy photographers to the punch by showing glimpses of what appears to be a 2012 3 Series wearing blacked-out camouflage. Click past the jump to see BMW’s newest development cars out testing in the scorching heat.

[Source: YouTube via BMW Blog]

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Video: BMW shows off Death Valley testing, 2012 3 Series on display? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: 2012 BMW M5 to get manual tranny in U.S.

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Europe, BMW, Rumormill, Luxury

2012 BMW M5

2012 BMW M5 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Contradictory to earlier rumblings, the upcoming F10 BMW M5 will reportedly be available with the option of a traditional manual transmission here in the United States. As with the E60 M5, we’d expect the stick-shift-equipped F10 to be slower than its automated sister, but we doubt it will amount to anything noticeable. Buyers will still be able to opt for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission here in the States, if they so desire.

There’s one option, however, that BMW won’t be offering in our market. In Germany, buyers can opt to have the car’s top speed raised to 189 miles per hour, provided they agree to enter an M5-specific driver training program. This will likely be a costly option – in addition to the price of the training program, buyers will have to shell out for upgraded engine management software, as well as a set of ZR-rated tires.

Gallery: 2012 BMW M5 Spy Shots

[Source: BMWBlog | Images: CarPix]

Rumormill: 2012 BMW M5 to get manual tranny in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Light BMW M Concept coming to Tokyo Motor Show

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Japan, Technology, Tokyo Motor Show, BMW, Luxury

BMW M Concept Sketch

The forums are alight with word that BMW will be bringing something unique to this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. According to the BMW-obsessed crowd over at M3Post.com, the Roundel is looking to flex its muscles when it comes to lightweight engineering with an M concept that boasts the best the company has to offer. Supposedly, the chassis will use a plethora of exotic materials to shave off every last pound, including magnesium, titanium, thermoplastic and carbon fiber. Unfortunately, it sounds like the concept will be a one-off piece and not something that’s destined for production. A real shame since we could really go for a 1 Series CSL.

That doesn’t mean BMW won’t use the technology in the concept in its production vehicles, though. The German manufacturer has made it clear that carbon-fiber reinforced plastic is going to be a big part of its vehicles moving forward, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the material joined by other lightweight components as shedding pounds becomes increasingly important to meeting fuel economy and performance goals.

[Source: M3 Post]

Rumormill: Light BMW M Concept coming to Tokyo Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught taking a break from bell-tower duty

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW

spy shots bmw 3 series gt

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught hitching a ride – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW hinted that a 3 Series GT was in the works. Like its larger BMW 5 Series GT sibling, the 3 Series Gran Turismo would feature a two-tier rear hatch, raised seating position and a boosted ride height. And rumor has it that a non-swirly-camo version will be heading to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The BMW 3 Series GT will slot in the lineup to combat Audi’s upcoming Q3 crossover. It’s also enough of segment jumper that the A4 Avant could wind up in its crosshairs. Take a gander at the gallery below, and try to look past the swirls to decipher the hunchback body hiding underneath.

Gallery: Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT

[Source: Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught taking a break from bell-tower duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: BMW M3 pickup on Nürburgring is an April Fool’s gift

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Truck, Europe, BMW

BMW M3 pickup prototype on Norsdschliefe

BMW M3 pickup spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve gotten right to the core of the situation regarding the fly-in-the-ointment BMW M3 pickup spotted doing what M3s do around the Nürburgring last week.

In a chat with BMW’s Munich head of product communications, Dirk Arnold, he offered up this quote: “Ah, yes, everyone’s been talking about that pickup. But, no, this is… how you call it, an April Fool’s Joke” [in German “Aprilscherz” – ed.]. There will be no M3 pickup in our futures, kids. But then Arnold sort of overcommunicated to us by dangling one of those “…in this generation” qualifiers. He then also managed to immediately clarify, “It is hugely doubtful that BMW will ever during our lives produce such a vehicle, in any segment.” Oh, pooh.

What about a publicity stunt entering the one-off in the Australian V8 Ute racing series? (Honestly one of the most entertaining racing series on the planet based on our one trip to witness it.) “Well,” chortled Arnold, “we have the one unit available if they’d be interested, don’t we?”

On April 1, a press function has been organized near Munich to show off the future M5 “concept,” plus the current M3 and a whole series of unproduced M3-based prototypes, including, says Arnold, one folding hardtop variant that is not the one we all think it is. There will also be the mischievous pickup in attendance.

We then asked for a drive exclusive in Munich on April 1 with the pickup and Arnold returned our serve with “If I did that, then I’d have every journalist in the world calling me to do the same.”

Must be nice to have the largesse to build and race one-off 414-horsepower M3 variants (444-hp with the 4.4-liter V8 used in the GTS version) that will never see public roads.

Gallery: Spy Shots: BMW M3 Pickup

[Images: KGP Photography]

Confirmed: BMW M3 pickup on Nürburgring is an April Fool’s gift originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: BMW 1 M MotoGP safety car

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, BMW, Racing

bmw 1 m motogp safety car

BMW 1 M MotoGP Safety Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

The new BMW 1 M is a sports coupe we’ve all been waiting for the Roundel-badged German automaker. Sure, it could be lighter or a little cheaper, but by all accounts, it has the driving-sensation meter bouncing off “Awesome.” To tout its new performance machine, BMW has tarted one up in classic red, white and blue ///M livery, and turned it into a safety car for MotoGP.

This is more than just a paint job, however, as only the engine and transmission from the production car have been carried over. More weight has been shaved thanks to the use of carbon fiber and polycarbonate, while a titanium exhaust setup takes the place of the standard noisemaker. Out back, an adjustable rear wing sits on the trunk.

On the inside, the BMW 1 M Safety Car is fitted with a roll cage, a pair of racing buckets and a six-point harness. Underneath the skin, BMW has revamped the suspension and beefed up the brakes. The result is a truly track-ready 1 M that might just draw some attention away from the insane riders of the MotoGP series.

Gallery: BMW 1 M MotoGP Safety Car

[Source: BMW]

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Pics Aplenty: BMW 1 M MotoGP safety car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the other BMW with a bed: Stuart Appleby’s M5 Ute

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Truck, BMW, Australia, Celebrities, Luxury

BMW M5 Ute

Stuart Appleby’s BMW M5 Ute – Click above for high-res image gallery

Turns out the BMW M3 pickup we showed you yesterday isn’t the first BMW to be turned into a sport pickup. Back in 2008, PGA Tour golfer Stuart Appleby had his E39 BMW M5 turned into a ute by Australian custom shop Southern Rod.

Appleby has a deep-seated love of utes from his childhood on an Australian dairy farm, and has loved M cars since he first laid eyes on them. Appleby has a history of tearing into his rides, trying to squeeze each extra pony from them. His first M5 hadn’t gone 4,500 miles before the engine was torn down and pushed to 460 horsepower.

The build was finished in October 2008, and used an undamaged M5 to make a factory-looking build as easy as possible. The build took months and left no stone unturned making sure the car retained its original stiffness and functioned like a normal Ute.

We dig the finished product, and we dig that Appleby doesn’t care what people think of it. Along the way, the car got a sport suspension to go along with the 460-horsepower engine, thanks to a chip, headers and exhaust.

Gallery: Stuart Appleby’s M5 Ute

BMW M5 Ute BMW M5 Ute front

[Source: M5ute | Images: M5ute]

Meet the other BMW with a bed: Stuart Appleby’s M5 Ute originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi developing Q6 to square off against BMW X6

Filed under: Coupe, Crossover, Audi, Design/Style, Luxury

Audi Sportback Crossover

Still think the BMW X6 is a dumb idea? Well, you’re not alone, but given that the “Sports Activity Coupe” has reportedly sold more than double its original projections, you’d also appear to be betting against the market. Apparently Audi can’t ignore those kind of numbers, spurring reports that Ingolstadt is preparing a coupe-like crossover of its own.

Tentatively dubbed (predictably enough) the Q6, the slant-roofed Audi crossover would slot in between the Q5 and Q7. Sources suggest it will be based on the same platform that underpins the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne (as well as the Audi Q7, albeit in an extended form).

Engines would naturally borrow from the Audi parts bin, but a hybrid version like the Touareg and Cayenne is also reportedly in the cards. As is a potential RS version, which would have another go at the on-again, off-again reports of Quattro GmbH delving into the hyperpower CUV game to battle the AMG-fettled Mercedes-Benz ML and BMW’s X5 and X6 M.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Audi developing Q6 to square off against BMW X6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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