Tag: bmw

Rumormill: BMW’s production Vision Concept to be called i8

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, BMW, Rumormill, Electric, Diesel

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

We have heard that BMW has has registered a series of “i+number trademarks (i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7, i8 and i9) to use for its fuel efficient MegaCity range of vehicles. BMWBlog is now saying that it has heard a rumor that the combination that will be applied to the upcoming (read: 2013 or 2014) version of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept will be i8. This makes some sense, as a BMW i8 would conjure up images of the never-seen M8 supercar, but BMWBlog is unconvinced. After all, why bring back memories of gas-guzzling supercars when you’re trying to reinvent what one can be? Plus, since the vehicle is so far away, there’s probably no name set in stone yet anyway.

Whatever BMW decides on, it’ll be better than the name that the car was given when we first saw it at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009. Vision EfficientDynamics is just way, way too long.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics

[Source: BMWBlog via Green Car Reports]

Rumormill: BMW’s production Vision Concept to be called i8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW splits from Oracle after America’s Cup win

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, BMW

BMW Oracle racing

America’s Cup champion BMW Oracle Racing says German automaker BMW is ending its sponsorship at the end of the year by mutual agreement.

BMW has been part of the syndicate since 2002, contributing in the areas of structural engineering and lightweight, composite construction.

BMW Oracle Racing swept Alinghi of Switzerland in two races in February to win the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in international sports. Its radical trimaran design was the fastest boat in the history of the America’s Cup.

BMW Oracle Racing is owned by Larry Ellison, CEO of software maker Oracle Corp.

The reason for the bust-up? BMW is said by sources to want to separate from technology partner Oracle over business issues.
The BMW-Oracle team won the America’s Cup in February with a convincing 2-0 victory.

“In winning the 33rd America’s Cup, we achieved all of our ambitious goals,” said Ralf Hussmann, general manager BMW sports marketing. “We will continue to be involved in the sport on a national level.”

[Source: BMW | Image: Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty]

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BMW splits from Oracle after America’s Cup win originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW – The Ultimate Meerkat Stalking Machine?

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Videos, BMW

BMW unscripted Meerkat Man

BMW unscripted meets Grant the Meerkat Man – Click above to watch video after the jump

BMW has sat down with a handful of notable Bimmer aficionados, ranging from Sabine Schmitz to Murray Fowler, the lone owner of a 1969 BMW 2800 CS. Now BMW has brought its cameras down to South Africa to speak to Grant McIlrath… who also goes by Meerkat Man.

Grant runs the Meerkat Magic Conservation Project and he does so with the help of his BMW 525i. The Meerkats have grown used to the sight of Grant’s white 5er and the car helps him get closer to the animals. Previously, attempts to see the Meerkats in a 4×4 or off-road vehicle resulted in them immediately scurrying into their tunnels.

It’s an odd choice for a unique man working a very different kind of job. However, you don’t get the nickname Meerkat Man by making conventional decisions. Hop the jump to watch Grant and his E34 in action.
[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: BMW – The Ultimate Meerkat Stalking Machine?

Video: BMW – The Ultimate Meerkat Stalking Machine? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW G450X plays chicken with a bobsled

Filed under: Etc., Videos, BMW, Motorcycle

BMW G450X vs. bobsled

BMW G450X plays chicken with a bobsled – Click above to watch the video after the break

Chicken – it may be the single most mindless game involving high-octane motor vehicles and low-IQ human beings. But the video you are about to see isn’t exactly a game of chicken in the classic sense. You see, one one hand there is a bobsled, which is indeed piloted by humans but is actually powered by gravity.

On the other end of the icy, winding chute is BMW-mounted stuntman Chris Pfeiffer, who’s riding one of the German marque’s G450X off-road motorcycles. At a predetermined point of the track, Pfeiffer and the bobsled team will cross paths, one going high and the other going low. Dangerous? You betcha.

But it’s also just about as cool as a staged game of chicken between a motorcycle and a bobsled can be. We suggest you see for yourself after the break. And don’t try this at home.

[Source: YouTube via Hell For Leather – sub. req.]

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Video: BMW G450X plays chicken with a bobsled originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: 2010 BMW 760Li

Filed under: Sedan, BMW, Luxury, Quick Spin

If You Have The Means, Then By All Means…

2010 BMW 760Li

2010 BMW 760Li – Click above for high-res image gallery

$66,350 is a significant sum. In the automotive world, it can buy you a variety of delicious drivables, including the BMW M3, Cadillac CTS-V or Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. It can buy you exactly 4.67 Mazda2 hatchbacks, if that’s more your style, but no matter how you look at it, $66K isn’t chump change.

So when you consider that the 2010 BMW 760Li commands a wallet-gouging $66,350 over an entry-level 7 Series, which itself starts at at a lofty $70,650, you’d be right to expect the standard BMW flagship treatment with a heaping helping of sport sedan prowess thrown in for good measure. And that, folks, is exactly what you get.

Continue reading…

Gallery: 2010 BMW 760Li: Quick Spin

2010 BMW 760Li2010 BMW 760Li2010 BMW 760Li2010 BMW 760Li2010 BMW 760Li

Photos copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

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Quick Spin: 2010 BMW 760Li originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #209: 2011 Chrysler 300, GMC All Terrain HD, Automobile All Stars, 2013 BMW supercar

Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Acura, Chrysler, Ford, GMC, Infiniti, Subaru, Toys/Games

Autoblog podcast logo

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #209 of the Autoblog Podcast has arrived, and the personnel are: Chris Shunk, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Chris Paukert. It starts with the Autoblog Garage and then heads for the 2011 Chrysler 300, GMC Sierra All Terrain HD concept vehicle, our thoughts about the 2011 Automobile All Stars, a $200,000 electric supercar from BMW and some car gifts for the Christmas season. We wrap with your questions at the end for an hour and a half total. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #209: 2011 Chrysler 300, GMC All Terrain HD, Automobile All Stars, 2013 BMW supercar

In the Autoblog Garage:

2011 Infiniti G37S
2011 Acura ZDX
2011 Subaru STI
2011 Ford F350 SuperDuty

News Topics:

  • 2011 Chrysler 300
  • GMC Sierra All Terrain HD
  • Automobile 2011 All Stars
  • $200,000 BMW Supercar for 2013
  • Car Gifts for Christmas: Ultimate Edition


    Hosts:     Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert
    Runtime: 1:30:34

     Get the podcast:
    [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
    [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
    [MP3] Download the MP3 directly

    Feedback:
    Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
    Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

    Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #209: 2011 Chrysler 300, GMC All Terrain HD, Automobile All Stars, 2013 BMW supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW registers ‘i’ nameplate for MegaCity range

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, BMW, Electric

BMW MegaCity design sketch

BMW Megacity Vehicle – Click above for high-res image gallery

First Apple, then Intel, now BMW. We’re not sure what it is about the letter ‘i’ (in lower case, naturally) that various marketing professionals the world over are so enamored with, but word has it that the Bavarian automaker plans to use the moniker for its fuel efficient MegaCity range of vehicles.

According to a post on the e90.com web forums, BMW has registered trademarks for i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7, i8 and i9, making us wonder exactly what the company has in mind for its newest sub-brand. Will there be high-efficiency versions of each of the automaker’s models, or is it just holding on to these designations so that others don’t attempt to gobble them up?

Whatever the case, we think they missed one golden opportunity… Where’s the iSetta trademark?

Gallery: BMW Megacity Vehicle

[Source: e90post.com]

BMW registers ‘i’ nameplate for MegaCity range originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Over 11 minutes of BMW 1 Series M Coupe and E30 M3 hotness

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, BMW

BMW 1 Series M Coupe and E30 M3 – Click to watch the video after the jump

The beauty of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe isn’t that the bean-counters let their best performance engineers have at the smallest car in the range. The real beauty is that the car goes back to the very roots of the M division, before the M3 went all V8 on us and took a hefty weight penalty in the process.

To illustrate the point, BMW took the new coupe out to the track, and brought along its spiritual predecessor, the original E30 M3. Fortunately for us, they filmed the encounter – all 11 and a half minutes of it. And while half of it is stock promotional footage, there’s a good few minutes of on-track action spliced in for good measure. Check it out in the video after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

Continue reading Video: Over 11 minutes of BMW 1 Series M Coupe and E30 M3 hotness

Video: Over 11 minutes of BMW 1 Series M Coupe and E30 M3 hotness originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW’s next supercar coming in 2013 for $200,000

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, BMW

BMW Efficient Dynamics prototype

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics prototype – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW is set to change the way we think about supercars with its Vision EfficientDynamics concept. This swoopy economical machine is estimated to produce around 328 horsepower from its three-cylinder diesel hybrid powertrain, and fuel economy is claimed to be a lofty 62.5 miles per gallon.

While speaking to Inside Line recently, the automaker’s sales and marketing director, Ian Robertson, announced that the car will cost roughly €150,000, or about $200,000 USD when it goes on sale. That’s indeed a pretty penny, but it’s put into perspective when you consider that Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming efficient supercar, the SLS E-Cell, is rumored to cost around $250,000.

No official timeframe has been given as to when we’ll see the debut of the production-ready EfficientDynamics supercar, but Inside Line states that BMW is sponsoring the 2012 London Olympics, so we should look for the car to debut at that time. It’s indeed a vast change from the eight-, ten- and twelve-cylinder hotties that currently make up the supercar segment, but with the changing times putting a larger emphasis on efficiency, BMW’s end result should still be pretty sweet.

Gallery: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Prototype

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics PrototypeBMW Vision EfficientDynamics PrototypeBMW Vision EfficientDynamics PrototypeBMW Vision EfficientDynamics PrototypeBMW Vision EfficientDynamics Prototype

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: BMW’s next supercar coming in 2013 for $200,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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