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Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series coupe and convertible take a bow

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, BMW

2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible

2012 BMW 1 Series – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW recently pulled the wraps off of its hot new 1 Series M Coupe, but this new addition to the automaker’s least expensive range isn’t the only changes on tap for the 2012 model year. Both the coupe and convertible versions of the 128i and 135i receive modest upgrades for 2012, including very, very slight styling updates and a new powertrain for the 135i.

Up front, 1 Series cars equipped with Xenon headlamps (optional on 128i, standard on 135i) receive a new horizontal LED eyebrow to complement the corona running lamps. Out back, newly tweaked taillamps use LED running lamps similar to those on the rest of the BMW product line. The 1 Series also gets a tweaked M Sport package that includes an aero kit (standard on the 135i), increased top speed limiter and more sporting suspension geometry. Additionally, M Sport cars are fitted with sport seats and M-branded interior trim components.

Much like its older brother, the 3 Series, the 135i is now powered by BMW’s N55 3.0-liter inline-six which uses a single twin-scroll turbocharger to produce 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. In addition to the standard row-it-yourself six-speed transmission, the 135i can now be had with BMW’s seven-speed DCT that first debuted in the Z4 roadster. Fitting this new engine means that the 135i Coupe can run to 60 miles per hour in five seconds flat with DCT and 5.1 seconds with the manual (add 0.3 seconds to those respective times for the droptop 135i). The base 128i continues to use the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter mill found in the outgoing model, rated at 230 hp and 200 lb-ft and paired with six-speed manual or Steptronic transmissions.

Pricing for the 2012 1 Series will be revealed closer to the car’s on-sale date in the Spring of 2011, and we wouldn’t expect the current base price of $29,450 for the 128i and $36,350 for the 135i to change much. Follow the jump for BMW’s exhaustive press release that details the full host of changes.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series

2012 BMW 1 Series

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series Coupe

2011 BMW 1 Series Coupe

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible

2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible

[Source: BMW]

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Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series coupe and convertible take a bow originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW Motorrad wishes the world happy holidays

Filed under: Videos, BMW, Motorcycle, Humor

BMW Motorrad holiday greeting

BMW Motorrad holiday greeting – Click above to watch video after the jump

The weather outside may have a rather large portion of the country’s motorcyclists pining for spring, but that hasn’t stopped the two-wheel obsessed crew over at BMW Motorrad from wishing the world a very merry Christmas in its own special way. Using a little electric guitar and some Stomp-esque percussion work by a team of helmeted riders, the Bavarian motorcycle maker has turned out a special holiday tune just for the occasion. You can check out the flick after the jump, but that’s not all.

If you like what you see, you can even work up your own version of the video to send as an e-card to that certain someone special. Nothing says, “Honey, I want an R1200 GS Adventure under the tree this year,” quite like a holiday greeting from a gaggle of leather-clad motorcycle heathens. You can even upload a photo of yourself into the card and craft your own personalized message. Head over to the BMW Motorrad site to get started.

[Source: BMW Motorrad]

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Video: BMW Motorrad wishes the world happy holidays originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, BMW

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW’s long, agonizing roll-out of information about the 2012 1 Series M Coupe has been a bit maddening. In addition to an early video reveal, we were invited to get some seat time in a prototype of the 1M, leaving us with just the final production-spec images and details in the world of the unknown. Well, wait no more – BMW has officially taken the wraps off of its hot new 1 Series, and while we’re still very eager to put this sporty coupe through its paces, we can’t help but wish for just a teensy bit more… oomph.

Let’s start with power. The 1 Series M Coupe uses BMW’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, and while early estimates had the car pumping out as much as 350 horsepower, the final numbers are: 335 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque – exactly what you get out of this engine in the current Z4 sDrive35is. The car’s ECU has an overboost function that provides an additional 37 lb-ft of twist at full tilt, and with your foot pressed hard into the right pedal, 0-60 will happen in just 4.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at – you guessed it – 155 miles per hour.

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe The only transmission available is a six-speed manual, though rumors have circulated about a possible twin-clutch DCT box making its way into the car down the road. Like all M cars, the 1M features an M Drive button on the steering wheel that improves throttle response. Additionally, the car is equipped with an M Dynamic Mode button that allows the electronic driving nannies to kick in slightly later than normal.

Compared to a 2011 135i coupe, the 1M is 0.2 inches longer, 2.1 inches wider and 0.5 inches taller. Both the front and rear tracks have been increased by 2.8 and 1.8 inches, respectively. Weighing in at 3,296 pounds, the 1 Series M Coupe is 77 pounds lighter than your off-the-shelf 135i. The 1M rides on standard M-specific 19-inch wheels wrapped in 245/35 rubber up front and beefy 265/35 out back. BMW hasn’t made great strides to rework the 1 Series’ interior for the M, but things like sport seats and a fat sport steering wheel are standard fare.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re drooling over the 1 Series M Coupe, but we can’t help but wish for a bit more power and perhaps a larger reduction in weight. After all, BMW is comparing this car to the E30 M3 coupe (see for yourself in our high-res image gallery), which is perhaps one of our all-time favorite Roundel sports cars. Still, BMW needs to position the 1 Series M Coupe in a way that it doesn’t step on the toes of it’s big brother, the M3, and we’re sure that this M Coupe treatment will provide more than enough moxie for us enthusiasts to get our kicks.

We’ll have plenty of live shots direct from the 1M’s Detroit Auto Show debut, but see the unwrapped beauty for yourself in our image gallery, below. BMW’s prolific press release is available after the jump, as well.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust

Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe gets early reveal

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Videos, BMW

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe revealed – Click above to watch the video after the jump

BMW hasn’t done the best job of keeping its 2012 1 Series M Coupe a secret. The hot new two-door isn’t scheduled to make its public debut until the Detroit Auto Show next month, but we’ve already seen dozens of teaser images and videos. Heck, we’ve even driven a prototype.

Now, BMW has released video of the production-ready 1M with all of its swirly paper removed. Its bulgy, brash front end and wider stance certainly look the part of a serious baby brother to the M3, and while official numbers have yet to be confirmed, we’re indeed looking forward to flogging all 340-ish horsepower via a standard six-speed manual transmission.

Check out the video for yourself, after the jump, and stay tuned for the official details as they break.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe: Prototype Drive

2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe Prototype

[Source: BMW via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe gets early reveal

Video: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe gets early reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sabine Schmitz makes another blonde shriek in BMW M3 Frozen Gray

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, BMW, Humor

Sabine Schmitz and Juliet McGuire

Sabine Schmitz and Juliet McGuire in the BMW M3 Frozen Gray – Click above to watch video after the jump

There are a few tried-and-true recipes for car video success out there, but one of our favorites has to be mixing an inexperienced passenger with a skilled driver and a world-class car. The results are nearly always as predictable as they are hilarious. South Africa’s CAR Magazine recently found that out firsthand when they strapped their Juliette McGuire into the passenger seat of a Frozen Gray BMW M3 with Nürburgring queen Sabine Schmitz behind the tiller. After a brief bout with the traction control, Schmitz is able to really start wailing on the Bavarian.

The result is well worth a few moments of your day. Schmitz is the hoon for hire in CAR Magazine’s 2011 Performance Shootout, and she’s put 12 of the world’s hottest sports cars through their paces on an airstrip and around the Zwartkops raceway. That issue of CAR hits newsstands on December 20, but if you don’t have access to a South African newstand, you can catch the video of McGuire holding on for dear life in the video after the jump.

[Source: CAR Magazine]

Continue reading Video: Sabine Schmitz makes another blonde shriek in BMW M3 Frozen Gray

Video: Sabine Schmitz makes another blonde shriek in BMW M3 Frozen Gray originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla takes a tip from BMW, creates psychedelic Roadster art car

Filed under: Convertible, Tesla, Design/Style, Electric

Laurence Gartel Tesla art car

Laurence Gartel’s Tesla Roadster art car – Click above for high-res image gallery

We love ourselves some art cars. Be it a Warhol-liveried BMW M1 or a crochet-covered Morris Minor, few things flip our collective switch quite like the melding of art and automobiles. Tesla has introduced its first foray into the scene with a Roadster worked up by Laurence Gartel. The artist covered each and every one of the electric sports car’s body panels in a vinyl wrap with a trippy digital swirl design. Gartel has a history of working in digital art having begun experimenting in the medium in the ’70s, and Tesla is a company that identifies with individuals with a technology bent.

Tesla showed its Art Roadster at the Miami Art Basel Festival over the weekend, and the company spent some time motoring around the southern-Florida city during the event. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Laurence Gartel Telsa Art Car

[Source: Tesla]

Continue reading Tesla takes a tip from BMW, creates psychedelic Roadster art car

Tesla takes a tip from BMW, creates psychedelic Roadster art car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW pondering special edition 1M Coupe?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW 1M Coupe rendering

BMW will officially unveil the 2012 1 Series M Coupe at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and while we’ve already driven a prototype of this hot new 1 Series, we’re indeed excited to see the production-ready car in person. As if the hotted-up 1 wasn’t potent enough, with around 345horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (official power numbers haven’t yet been confirmed), reports are starting to crop up about an even more hardcore 1 Series M. Our friend Jon Sibal has spoken to BMW about the possibility of a lighter, faster 1M, and he offers up the rendering above – a CSL-ified coupe.

Yes, we’re licking our chops at the idea of a race-ready 1 Series M Coupe CSL, and it’s good to know that BMW hasn’t quite ruled out the idea. In speaking with Sibal, BMW says that initial customer reaction to the 1M will determine the need for a GTS/CSL-type car, as well as potential droptop version. “We have a cabrio unofficially,” says BMW.

The 1 Series M Coupe is expected to be produced through the summer of 2012 until the next-generation 1 Series hits the market, and when it comes to the possibility of a 1M CSL, consider our hands raised. Head over to Jon Sibal’s website for a high-res version of this drool-worthy rendering.

[Source: JonSibal.com]

BMW pondering special edition 1M Coupe? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW, Harley-Davidson among those that tapped Federal Reserve for billions during crisis

Filed under: BMW, Earnings/Financials

The U.S. government’s Commercial Paper Funding Facility was established towards the tail-end of 2008. The CPFF was created to offer companies short-terms loan when traditional means of establishing credit were crumbling. Lehman Brothers had collapsed and AIG was taking expensive trips while showing the world its pocket lint, but that didn’t mean that other companies weren’t in need of cash, and Washington stepped in to oblige. According to Bloomberg, among those parties taking advantage of the Federal Reserve program were a long list of automotive clients, German automaker BMW among them.

According to Bloomberg, German automaker secured funding assistance intermittently between 2008 and 2009, with the largest single transaction a reported $3.62 billion. This line of credit helped BMW survive during a time when other automakers were getting by on life support. Some of the funds were used to expand the South Carolina facility that produces X3, X5 and X6 models. While suffering its lowest profit in a decade, BMW was still able to produce a positive cash flow of nearly $2 billion.

Taking a look at the data provided by the Feds (download the spreadsheet here – *Warning: Excel spreadsheet), we see that a number of automakers and compnaies also made use of the CPFF, including Harley-Davidson (33 separate instances totaling $2.3 billion), Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and Mitsubishi.

[Sources: Bloomberg, The Washington Post | Image: Drew Phillips/AOL]

Report: BMW, Harley-Davidson among those that tapped Federal Reserve for billions during crisis originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AC Schnitzer tunes up BMW’s latest 5 Series Touring [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Wagon, BMW, Luxury

AC Schnitzer BMW 5 Series wagon

AC Schnitzer BMW 5 Series Touring – Click above for high-res image gallery

The new 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring has been subjected to the AC Schnitzer tuning machine, with the result being the “Power Treatment,” making the load-lugging forbidden fruit even more desirable than before. Under the hood, horsepower jumps range from 34 extra ponies for the 520d (going from 184 to 218 horsepower) to 41 additional horses for the 530d (from 245 to 286 hp).

Looks to match the go-fast come by way of an aero package that affixes lower front spoiler lips that bookend a bigger air inlet, new side skirts and a revised rear end treatment. Throatier sounds come courtesy of the in-house exhaust with chromed twin pipes and rear silencer. And the new suspension and steering components will keep the 20-inch five-spoke alloys rolling straight and true. Follow the jump for the full press release and video, and you can find all the angles in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: BMW F11 5 Series Touring by AC Schnitzer

[Source: AC Schnitzer]

Continue reading AC Schnitzer tunes up BMW’s latest 5 Series Touring [w/video]

AC Schnitzer tunes up BMW’s latest 5 Series Touring [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Motorsport changes leadership as Mario Theissen exits stage left

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, BMW

Incoming and outgoing BMW Motorsport directors Jens Marquardt (left) and Mario Theissen (right)

For over a decade now, BMW has had its racing program directed by one man: Mario Theissen. Having joined the Bavarian automaker as a development engineer back in 1977, Theissen became the company’s motorsport director in 1999, driving BMW onto the Formula One grid as an engine supplier to Williams before spearheading its acquisition of the Sauber team, which he then ran until the BMW’s withdrawal from the sport at the end of the 2009 season. Since then he’s been overseeing the construction of the carmaker’s racing programs, but he’s now stepping down to make way for new leadership.

Taking the reins in Theissen’s place will be one Jens Marquardt, who – similar to his mustached predecessor – directed Toyota’s Formula One program until it, too, withdrew from the grid. Prior to joining Toyota Motorsport in 2000, Marquardt worked on F1 and Indy engine development at Ilmor Engineering. He’ll take over at BMW Motorsport on July 1, working in tandem with Theissen for six months as the company’s new DTM program takes shape. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Motorsport changes leadership as Mario Theissen exits stage left

BMW Motorsport changes leadership as Mario Theissen exits stage left originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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