The BMW 3 Series is to receive a stylish makeover in time for the autumn.
The range will now feature a new interior and exterior appearance and will boast a new all-aluminium engine for increased performance, efficiency and emissions.
BMW is going for a more sporty, muscular look by adding two raised precision lines on the bonnet and re-profiling the BMW kidney grille.
The headlights will still feature twin corona side lights as standard but the front apron has been reshaped to give it a more contemporary appearance.
The new iDrive operating system comes with a hard disc drive used for the vehicle’s electronic data storage.
A total of 8Gb of this space is specifically set aside for the uploading of the driver’s favourite music tracks. The car can now store over 100 albums.
The current generation of 3 Series first debuted in 2005 and since then an average of 28,000 Saloons and 9,000 Touring models have been sold every year.
The M Sport accounts for a third of all 3 Series sales.
Shuanghuan has been prevented from selling the CEO SUV in Germany after a court in Munich ruled that Shuanghuan’s CEO infringes BMW’s design rights. The CEO exterior appears to be a cloned copy of the BMW X5.
European importer China Automobile’s CEO, Karl Schloessl, told Associated Press reporters that the CEO was developed independently and that it bears no similarities with the X5 in either style or price.
Toyota has also noticed similarities between the Shuanghuan UFO and the RAV4, but has decided not to pursue the copy, since they have faith in their customers to spot the differences.
Daimler and Mercedes Benz have also initiated court action to stop the import of the Shuanghuan Nobel minicar, following its appearance at the Frankfurt motor show in 2007. The Nobel not only appears identical to the body shape of the Smart car, but China Automobile Deutschland claims it will sell the Nobel priced at around €7,000, making it Germany’s cheapest car. Cheekily, the Nobel’s logo is ‘smarter than the rest’!
In the meantime a world record was set at ‘Destination Brooklands’ which took place in Weybridge, Surrey on June 26th after 13 passengers were crammed into a smart car.
The New York International Auto show saw the presentation of the world’s greenest car of the year (WGCOY)to the BMW 118d.
A panel of 47 automotive journalists representing over 24 countries voted for the BMW over the Mercedes Benz Smart fortwo cdi and the Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI.
Tom Purves, chairman and chief executive officer of BMW of North America, said: "BMW is very excited that the BMW 118d with EfficientDynamics won the World Green Car title.
"The measures that we’ve implemented within our EfficientDynamics strategy into every BMW mean that we’re able to provide customers with the driving pleasure they expect from a BMW, while still meeting the stringent requirements for fuel-efficiency and low emissions."
The efficient dynamics system uses braking technologies with auto engine stop/start, power steering and automatic gear shifting to cut emissions to 119g/km – and puts the 118d into the UK vehicle excise band B, costing just £35 per year to tax.
Trials for the HiQ MSA British Touring Cars Championship (BTCC) have produced a record-breaking result for Mat Jackson of the BMW Dealer Team UK driving a BMW 320si.
Lap times for over 100 trials of the Brands Hatch Indy circuit saw him produce a fastest lap time which breaks the pole-position racing time set in 2001 by Yvan Muller.
Mat Jackson said: "Even I was surprised by that time. It’s a great boost for everyone in the team, but you still don’t know what everyone else has got up their sleeves and in some ways today actually doesn’t mean that much. It’s in 13 days’ time that it will really matter. Hopefully we can repeat our performance. I’m pleased with my driving, I keep learning that bit more about the car each time out."
Team RAC’s Colin Turkington, also driving a BMW 320i, missed the final session having recorded a third place qualifying time, on used tyres, earlier in the day.
BMW has claimed that it is the leading manufacturer when it comes to reducing emissions.
Following the announcement of new exemptions from the London congestion charge for cleaner vehicles, a number of car makers have come out to trumpet their environmental credentials.
But BMW says it has gone further than its rivals, introducing emission-cutting measures across its range.
"While other manufacturers might claim to be environmentally-friendly, it is BMW who has followed through on its promise to lower CO2 emissions," said Jim O’Donnell, managing director of BMW (UK) Ltd.
"Instead of producing one-off models or the odd concept car BMW has introduced EfficientDynamics across almost all of its range in 2007.
"No other manufacturer comes close to BMW in terms of combining the benefits of good fuel economy and low emissions while at the same time offering improvements in output and performance," he added.
A recent report in Autocar magazine said BMW and Mini cut emissions by almost as much as all other motor manufacturers combined last year.
The number of BMW vehicles registered in 2007 has increased, it has been reported.
Some 121,575 BMW and 47,661 Mini-branded cars were taken out by consumers over the course of the year – a ten per cent rise on 2006, the company has announced.
It added that 94 per cent of the BMWs sold in the UK during 2007 came with EfficientDynamics technology designed to make the vehicle more environmentally friendly.
Jim O’Donnell, managing director of BMW in the UK commented on the success of the eco-conscious models.
He said: "The introduction of a range of cars equipped with EfficientDynamics features helped us to consolidate our position as the leading manufacturer of premium vehicles."
One BMW driver who will not be using his car for the first month-and-a-half of 2008 is boxer Amir Khan.
The athlete, 21, has been banned from the road after being caught travelling at more than 140 mph on the M62.
A new vehicle from German automobile manufacturer BMW is indicative of the future of the coupe, the firm has stated.
Fitted beneath the hood of the X6 is the world’s most powerful six-cylinder diesel engine which provides extensive carbon savings, while the model also features a Dynamic Performance Control system.
The firm has targeted the commanding driver who wants to be behind the wheel of a sports car and the vehicle combines both a practical yet flashy aesthetic.
Active steering, head-up display and adaptive headlights round off the package, which will be available to consumers from May 2008.
"The BMW X6 is a unique proposition offering owners the safety and convenience of a command driving position with the on-road performance of a sports car, all wrapped in the svelte lines of a coupé," said the company.
BMW was founded in 1916 and counts both Rolls-Royce and Mini as its subsidiaries.
The four-door M3 saloon from BMW has "supercar performance" as well as the practicality of a larger vehicle, the firm has claimed.
Reaching 62 mph from zero in 4.9 seconds and hitting a top speed of 155 mph, the car also features Brake Energy Regeneration.
This means that the vehicle can realise when it is over-run and adjusts the alternator to charge the battery with energy that would usually be wasted.
BMW pointed out that the M3 saloon is only the second such vehicle to be produced in the range, adding that it can still offer the performance of the latest coupe.
"The M3 Saloon features the same, sleek front end design from the Coupe. This includes the lowered, sportier headlamp design and striking power dome in the bonnet," it stated.
Meanwhile, BMW has seen its group vehicle sales increase by some 7.4 per cent in September, with 141,952 units being sold.
German automobile manufacturer BMW has commented that its new Series 1 convertible vehicle is "visually striking and dynamically effective".
The top of the vehicle is noticeably different to most vehicles of its kind, as it has an electro-hydraulic fabric roof which opens or closes in 22 seconds at 25 mph.
Motorists can really make the vehicle unique by opting to get the feature in anthracite silver fleck – a fabric mixed with metallic fibres.
From launch, drivers can pick up one of four engines, including the power 135i with twin turbo and high-precision injection, allowing for a top speed of 155 mph.
And the environment has not been ignored in order to deliver a high-quality vehicle, the firm added.
"The new BMW 1 Series Convertible is the latest in the line of BMW models announced in 2007 to benefit from a raft of performance and economy measures under the banner of BMW EfficientDynamics," it said.
BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and is the parent company of both Rolls-Royce and Mini.
Car manufacturer BMW has lifted the lid on a new vehicle at the Frankfurt International Motor Show this week.
Fitted with Dynamic Performance Control, the car is the company’s first Sports Activity Coupe and features dual round headlights.
The vehicle also employs ActiveHybrid technology – "the world’s most advanced", according to the company.
For more than 15 years the firm has been researching and developing this system, stating that it has been an "integral part" of its EfficientDynamics operation.
"The BMW ActiveHybrid combines two compact, high-performance electric motors connected to one another by three planetary gear sets, a fixed-transmission ratio gearbox and a high-performance battery to deliver benefits over low and high speed range," said the company.
Earlier this week, BMW chief executive Norbert Reithofer stated that the firm was not looking to buy Volvo as "this would not produce synergies", Forbes reported.
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