BMW News

  • BMW says no to HCCI, for now

    BMW is renowned for having some of the greatest and most modern engines in the business but when it comes to one of the latest innovations in powertrain technologies BMW says it will take a "wait and see" stance. The technology we’re talking about is homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), a process that works by achieving combustion of petrol with only compression of the air-fuel mix rather than using a spark plug. Both GM and Mercedes have already started testing the engine in prototypes with plans to eventually introduce it into their production cars but BMW is still sitting...

  • BMW to offer twin-turbo diesel in U.S.
    BMW to offer twin-turbo diesel in U.S.

    Diesel engines have had a long history of success in Europe, where BMW has offered them for the past 24 years. Now the German auto maker is looking to bring that success to America, and to do it in style: the 3.0L six-cylinder twin turbo mill makes 286hp (213kW) and a massive 427lb-ft (578Nm) of...

  • Next-gen Mini and Mercedes small cars to share common platform?
    Next-gen Mini and Mercedes small cars to share common platform?

    More confirmation arch rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz could be planning a partnership is news that officials from Mercedes are considering using BMW’s next-gen Mini platform for the new A and B-class small cars due by 2011. Previous reports suggested Mercedes were planning to launch sportier...

  • Spy Shots: BMW Z4 facelift
    Spy Shots: BMW Z4 facelift

    The 2010 BMW Z4 has officially been revealed. Click here for all the details and images. This new prototype seen driving around the streets of Munich was initially rumored to be a new BMW-badged rival for the Mercedes-SL as well as the next-generation Z4 Roadster. It’s now thought to be just...

  • BMW and PSA to end joint engine development?
    BMW and PSA to end joint engine development?

    Unlikely bedmates BMW and the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group are breaking up - or at least asking each other for some space. The two companies had joined forces in recent years to produce a range of 1.4L to 1.6L motors, powering BMW's second-generation MINI and cars from Peugeot and Citroen. The venture...

  • BMW launches 1-series cabrio
    BMW launches 1-series cabrio

    BMW has added a new model to its entry-level 1-series range with the introduction of the all-new 1-series cabrio, a stylish convertible that follows in the tradition established by the original BMW 2002 sedan. The new car features a conventional folding softtop, which can go up or down in 22...

  • BMW X1 to be built in Germany, Mini SUV to be outsourced

    Despite its entry-level positioning, BMW’s upcoming X1 SUV will be manufactured at a plant in Germany because most of its sales are expected to be in Europe. Production plans for larger vehicles like the new X6 and the next-gen X3, meanwhile, have been moved to BMW’s Spartanburg facility in the U.S. because a majority of sales for these vehicles will be in the States. Earlier reports suggested that the car could be outsourced to a manufacturer outside of Germany but CEO Norbert Reithofer has confirmed its German production. The same can’t be said for Mini’s upcoming...

  • BMW kills Space Functional concept, plans new sedan
    BMW kills Space Functional concept, plans new sedan

    An R-Class style MPV does not fit BMW's image and will not be produced, according to CEO Norbert Reithofer. The announcement was made as part of BMW's unveiling of its 10-year business strategy. Instead of building upon its previously reported Space Functional concept, BMW will produce a car that...

  • Intruders get access to Tony Blair's BMW
    Intruders get access to Tony Blair's BMW

    If you’re dropping over one hundred grand on an armored vehicle you’d expect at least minimal security for the vehicle while it was being transported. After all, if a group of four asylum seekers could get to the car unscathed as in this next story, then it means virtually anyone could...

  • BMW Group reveals future strategy - CS, X1, Rolls Royce Coupe, and Mini SUV confirmed
    BMW Group reveals future strategy - CS, X1, Rolls Royce Coupe, and Mini SUV confirmed

    BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has spilled the beans on the carmaker’s future plans with the release of a document today outlining its official strategy up until 2020. According to the document, BMW hopes to sell up to 1.8 million vehicles by 2012 and sees increased volumes as the key to improved...

  • BMW's Reithofer details plan to lead luxury market
    BMW's Reithofer details plan to lead luxury market

    Leading its strategy is a shift in production of the X3 to America, where crossovers are likely to become king, and a shift in focus of the Z4 to Europe, where small, sporty cars have long seen great success, according to BMW boss Norbert Reithofer in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. With...

  • Video: E92 BMW M3 Review
    Video: E92 BMW M3 Review

    Here's a great review of the new M3 that shows you just how dramatically some of the key electronic settings in the car can effect the overall performance. Like the reviewer in this video, we’d want to set every mode to the ‘extreme’ setting as well. Via: GermanCarScene

  • BMW considers U.S. powertrain production

    BMW has enjoyed great success with the production of vehicles in the U.S., so much so that it plans to lift current production levels at its Spartanburg site from 140,000 vehicles a year to roughly 230,000. The depreciating U.S. dollar against the Euro makes it more cost effective for BMW to produce the cars it plans to sell in America, locally. These same gains can be repeated if BMW also manufactured its powertrains Stateside as well. The carmaker’s North American CEO Tom Purves has revealed that U.S. production of its powertrains is under consideration, however, he also emphasized...

  • Peugeot-Citroen boss hints at engine deal with BMW and Mercedes
    Peugeot-Citroen boss hints at engine deal with BMW and Mercedes

    It’s not unusual today for rival carmakers to work together in developing new technologies that will eventually be shared by both companies. One of the most significant partnerships in recent history was the co-development of hybrid technology by the then DaimlerChrysler, BMW and General...

  • Preview: 2010 BMW X3
    Preview: 2010 BMW X3

    The current BMW X3 will have to soldier on for a few more years until the arrival of an all-new model at the end of the decade. Spy shots of a suspicious 3-series wagon with a much taller ride-height than the standard model are believed to be of the prototype for the new X3. The images only...

  • BMW offering factory performance parts
    BMW offering factory performance parts

    In an effort to capitalize on the lucrative aftermarket performance parts sector, BMW in the U.S. is offering a range of official modifications to improve the handling and braking of its cars. All the parts come with the levels of quality you’d expect from genuine OEM components and are also...

  • Preview: 2010 BMW X1
    2010 BMW X1 rendered

    In addition to its new V-Series of cars, BMW is also rumored to be developing a new SUV model positioned below the current X3. Tipped to called the X1, the new model is expected to be unveiled in early 2010 and will be powered by a similar engine lineup as the 1-Series on which it’s based...

  • More BMW M3 variants arriving soon, dual-clutch gearbox in tow
    More BMW M3 variants arriving soon, dual-clutch gearbox in tow

    Update: The dual-clutch gearbox is now official. Read about it here. BMW will use the launch of its upcoming M3 Sedan to introduce its first dual-clutch gearbox. The company is expected to show the sedan and touring versions at an upcoming American motor show, which leaves Los Angeles and Detroit...

  • Hamann Thunder BMW 3-series coupe with V10 power

    BMW 3-series coupes powered by the M V10 seem to be the flavor of the month with no less than three different models from three different tuners released in the last couple of weeks. Already we’ve had the G-Power M3 CSL and the more recent AC Schnitzer GP3.10, and now we can add another modified 3-series to that list with the launch of the Hamann thunder coupe. Unveiled at this week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the new Thunder coupe boasts a 552hp (411kW) version of BMW’s 5.0L high-rev V10 engine, which also has an available 574Nm (423lb-ft) of torque. Power is sent to the rear...

  • Test your virtual driving skills with BMW’s M3 Challenge
    Test your virtual driving skills with BMW’s M3 Challenge

    Fans of the BMW M3 and cars alike can take a virtual test drive of the new E92 Coupe in a free downloadable computer game offered by the carmaker. The game lets you take a spin around the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, configure the car with all the different M3 options and view you performance...

  • BMW 1-series to hit U.S. shores under $30,000
    BMW 1-series to hit U.S. shores under $30,000

    The 1-series, as sold in the U.S., will come only in coupe form, but will have the option of two different six-cylinder engines. The base 128i model will have 230hp, while the 135i will share a motor with the 335i boasting a conservatively-specified 300hp. Expect 0-60mph to come in 5.1s in the...

  • BMW Alpina B6 S Coupe and Cabrio
    BMW Alpina B6 S Coupe and Cabrio

    German tuner and motorsports company Alpina used the Frankfurt Motor Show to take the wraps off its latest marvel, the BMW Alpina B6 S V8 coupe and convertible. Distinguishing the cars from the regular 6-series range is a new vented carbon-bonnet, chin spoiler and a rear bumper with an integrated...

  • Mercedes-Benz to be first with lithium-ion hybrids
    Mercedes-Benz to be first with lithium-ion hybrids

    Toyota says the risk of a lithium power source bursting into flames under stress is not worth the reward. Daimler and BMW, meanwhile, have joined forces to produce a new hybrid powertrain in an effort to prove Toyota wrong. Built to replace the Two Mode hybrid powertrain developed in conjunction...

  • BMW Concept X6 Active Hybrid
    BMW Concept X6 Active Hybrid

    In addition to the new X6 Concept, BMW is also presenting a modular two-mode hybrid version of the car dubbed the X6 Active Hybrid. The concept is running a new BMW drivetrain that integrates the batteries, electronics systems and power inverter all within the transmission. Compared with the...

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