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BMW Z4 Roadster to be first four-cylinder offered on U.S. shores in decades

Filed under: Convertible, Technology, BMW

2011 bmw z4

2011 BMW Z4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Forced-induction, four-cylinder engines and small cars go together likes punch and pie. BMW understands this, and the automaker has officially announced that the Z4 is the first U.S. model to get its new turbocharged mill. This marks the first time in decades that BMW is bringing a four-banger to U.S. shores. Fans of the 2002, rejoice.

The BMW Z4 sDrive28i Roadster will serve up its engine bay for the new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. Output is rated at 240-horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 260 pound-feet of torque, which arrives at just 1,250 rpm. Using a combination of direct-injection, BMW’s Valvetronic intake management and a twin-scroll turbo allows the engine to produce V6 power with I4 efficiency. BMW expects to see a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the outgoing motor. The eight-speed automatic transmission will also certainly help the Z4 in the fuel economy fight.

No word yet on pricing or a date when we can see the turbocharged Z4 sitting in dealer showrooms. Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Gallery: 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive30i

2011 BMW Z4 sDrive30i

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Z4 Roadster to be first four-cylinder offered on U.S. shores in decades

BMW Z4 Roadster to be first four-cylinder offered on U.S. shores in decades originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW ActiveE leasing priced at $499 a month, $2,250 down payment

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, BMW, Electric

BMW Active E

BMW Active E – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has released official pricing for its latest foray into the world of electric vehicles, and compared to the rest of your EV options, the Active E is a screaming deal.

Lease pricing for the 1 Series-based Active E is set at $499 a month for 24 months, with a downpayment of $2,250 due at signing. BMW isn’t citing exact output figures yet (we’re hearing something around 190 hp), but it’s quoting a 0-60 time of under nine seconds and a range of 100 miles with its specially developed, liquid-cooled lithium ion battery pack. Reservations will begin this summer and you can get in on the action at BMWActivateTheFuture.com. Full details in the press blast after the jump.

Gallery: BMW ActiveE: Geneva 2011

Continue reading BMW ActiveE leasing priced at $499 a month, $2,250 down payment

BMW ActiveE leasing priced at $499 a month, $2,250 down payment originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Semi-Authorized Guide to BMW Innovation

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, BMW, Electric, Diesel, Luxury

Automakers are always hot to tout their latest advancements, and BMW is no different. This past week in Munich, the automaker hosted Autoblog at its 2011 Innovation Day to give us a glimpse into what BMW’s boffins are up to and what drivetrains, components and technologies it’s planning to bring to market. BMW continues to champion its Efficient Dynamics mantra, comprised of lightweight materials, hybrid and turbocharged drivetrains and a new modular engine platform that takes the tried-and-true cylinder expansion idea to its logical extreme. So what did we learn? Plenty. And some of it wasn’t exactly authorized.

Continue reading A Semi-Authorized Guide to BMW Innovation…

Gallery: 2011 BMW Innovation Days

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A Semi-Authorized Guide to BMW Innovation originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW Classic presents A Perfect Match

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Videos, BMW

BMW 1602

“A Perfect Match” – Click above to view full movie after the jump

“A Perfect Match” follows the story of Jack, a Los Angeles resident with a passion for his BMW 1602 and a desperate need for air conditioning. Though the oppressive heat of the L.A. summer has Jack sweating, he can’t trade his beloved ’02 on anything as stale as a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.

The resolution to Jack’s burning dilemma would warm the cockles of even the coolest car nut’s heart, but we won’t spoil the show for you. “A Perfect Match” debuted at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards at the end of 2010, where it earned BMW Classic a Golden Dolphin award in the Corporate Films category. Check out the story of Jack and his 1602 after the jump.

[Source: BMW Classic via YouTube]

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Video: BMW Classic presents A Perfect Match originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Vicki from Fifth Gear takes BMW’s M3 GTS out for some fun in the rain

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, BMW, Racing

Vicki Butler-Henderson in the BMW M3 GTS

2011 BMW M3 GTS – Click above to view video after the jump

Vicki Butler-Henderson has driven her fair share of amazing cars. She started racing karts when she was a kid, has been an instructor at Silverstone and has been a TV host and automotive journalist since the mid-1990s. Suffice it to say, it takes a lot to impress Ms. Butler-Henderson.

As the following video shows, the 2011 BMW M3 GTS managed to do just that. She describes exactly what she loves about the GTS while hooning its wheels off around a very wet, very slippery test track, and between guttural sounds and breathless description, Butler-Henderson points out that the M3 GTS’s prodigious power, phenomenal brakes and telepathic steering make it “an amazing, amazing car.” Click past the jump to check out the footage for yourself.

Gallery: BMW M3 GTS

[Source: Fifth Gear via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Vicki from Fifth Gear takes BMW’s M3 GTS out for some fun in the rain

Video: Vicki from Fifth Gear takes BMW’s M3 GTS out for some fun in the rain originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Z4 GT3 undergoes first round of customer tests

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Europe, BMW, Racing

2011 BMW Z4 GT3

2011 BMW Z4 GT3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 proved it can win races back in January when it took the overall victory at the Dubai 24 Hours. Never one to rest on its laurels, BMW took the car from the winners circle in Dubai and put it right back on a test track. After a good beating throughout March, BMW made aerodynamic and electronic tweaks to get the racer into absolute state-of-the-art shape for customer entries in 2011 GT3 competition.

The BMW Z4 GT3 resembles its production cousin in name and basic shape only. Most of its body panels have been significantly altered to keep the car slipping through the air and bolted to the road.

Under the hood, the production Z’s six-cylinder heart has been ripped out and replaced with the same 4.4-liter V8 that sees duty in the M3. The V8 feeds power to the ground through a six-speed paddle-shifted sequential manual. Stuffing all that engineering know-how into the Z4 GT3 isn’t cheap, either; the car retails at just north of $450,000. Full press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 BMW Z4 GT3

2011 BMW Z4 GT3

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Z4 GT3 undergoes first round of customer tests

BMW Z4 GT3 undergoes first round of customer tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, China, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Luxury

2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

2013 BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid – Click above for high-res version

In the lead-in to the Shanghai Motor Show, BMW has teased an upcoming plug-in hybrid 5 Series that will be exclusive to the Chinese market. The prototype of this greener version of BMW’s midsize sedan is based on the China-only long-wheelbase 5 Series platform.

The car is part of a joint venture between BMW and Chinese automaker Brilliance. The car is the tip of an eco-friendly iceberg BMW has aimed squarely at China, a country with an increasing appetite for premium-segment cars and a serious need for green-focused, energy-efficient vehicles.

Despite its size, BMW says the plug-in 5 Series will manage nearly 250 miles on a single charge and tank of gas, with up to 47 miles of those on electric power only, provided you don’t creep past 37 miles per hour. Those numbers certainly aren’t what you’d call impressive, but they’re a step in the right direction and they’d likely be a major help in the thick traffic snarls that China’s major cities are famous for. As for the U.S. market, a full plug-in 5 Series is unlikely, but BMW is understood to be planning to bring a traditional mild hybrid version of the car to our shores. For now, check out the prototype in our gallery below and via the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype

BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW Concept M5 smiles for the camera

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Performance, Videos, BMW

BMW Concept M5

BMW Concept M5 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Excited for the arrival of the new BMW M5? Well, you should be – it’s the quintessential high-performance sport sedan… the outgoing model was a something approaching a civilized supercar with four doors. But the wait is just about over.

Set to debut at the Shanghai Motor Show and then in 2012 production spec at the Frankfurt Motor Show, we’ve already had the chance to see the Concept M5 in Munich for a brief preview and photo session to join the batch of studio shots provided by the manufacturer. But if that weren’t enough, BMW has released video footage of the M5 show car doing the roundy-round and even driving about a bit. Follow the jump to check it out. Thanks to all for the tips!

Gallery: 2012 BMW M5 Concept

[Source: BMW via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: BMW Concept M5 smiles for the camera

Video: BMW Concept M5 smiles for the camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Production 2012 BMW M5 will debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Performance, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Luxury

BMW M5 concept

BMW M5 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Images and details of the BMW M5 Concept have been soaking up the Internet’s bandwidth for the past few days now, but the fierce four-door hasn’t even motored onto its plinth at the Shanghai Motor Show yet.

Given its production-ready appearance and the Bavarians’ propensity for such things, there appears to be precious little about the Shanghai show car that’s actually conceptual, but even so, we haven’t had a clear bead on where the salable F10-based BMW super saloon will show up – until now.

Autoblog has learned that the 580+horsepower production M5 will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, and by the time it makes the scene, BMW’s elves will no doubt have fitted a full interior and spec sheet.

Gallery: 2012 BMW M5 Concept

Production 2012 BMW M5 will debut at Frankfurt Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW developing adaptive 8-speed transmission that predicts curves, road conditions

Filed under: Technology, BMW

BMW Eight-Speed Adaptive Transmission

BMW Eight-Speed Adaptive Transmission – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW just wrapped up its annual Innovation Days here in Munich, and in addition to detailing its new modular engines (turbocharged three-, four- and six-cylinder powerplants), showing off a range of lightweight components and discussing the possibility of equipping a future EV with a range-extending engine, BMW revealed plans for a new adaptive transmission based on its current eight-speed gearbox.

Utilizing GPS mapping, a wireless data connection, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), front and rear-mounted cameras and radar sensors, the transmission can adapt its shifting pattern and power delivery to suit road conditions.

So, let’s say you’re heading out on the road and it’s raining. The data connection pulls in the most recent weather information, the DSC takes in the coefficient of friction of the road and then restricts power to avoid wheel spin. With the integrated GPS, the system can detect the next curve, recognize you’re in Sport mode and downshift into a lower gear to perfectly suit the bend you’re about to bomb.

The range of applications is only limited by the amount of data the system can pull in and process, and while BMW wouldn’t divulge when this technology would hit production, there’s a good chance that the next iteration of the 7 Series could benefit from the system and then filter down throughout BMW’s range. Check out the gallery below for a series of illustrations showing the system in action and get more details in the press blast after the break.

Gallery: BMW Adaptive 8-Speed Transmission

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW developing adaptive 8-speed transmission that predicts curves, road conditions

BMW developing adaptive 8-speed transmission that predicts curves, road conditions originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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