The BMW Group is continuing its product initiative. At the International Motor Show in Geneva, Helmut Panke, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, announced the development of two new BMW brand model series: “We are using the strength of the BMW Group and pushing emphatically ahead with the extension of the vehicle range. We will be further expanding with two completely new, independent model series, and thus continuing the profitable growth of the BMW Group.”

One of the new model series will be providing the market with a product that is innovative on the basis of its interior spatial design, which combines variability and functionality. This vehicle is being developed under the working title of the “space-functional concept”. (more…)

Look to the Frankfurt Motor Show this coming September to catch a glimpse of the new, revamped BMW 6 Series coupé and convertible – front-runners in the luxury two-seat coupé and sports convertible categories. Exterior modifications are both subtle and understated: the front is a bit more rounded, the xenon headlamps now come standard, and the rear section has been slightly modified. As for the interior, some of the controls have been refashioned; newer, more luxurious materials have been introduced; and there are fresh leather upholstery tones to choose from. All told, only confirmed BMW aficionados will be able to spot the difference between the old and new models. (more…)

The 4-litre V8 tucked under the subtly bulging bonnet of  has 414bhp, exactly the same as its arch rival, the Audi RS4, a car launched back in 2005. And when Mercedes joins the fray next year with the C63 AMG, the M3 could well find itself lagging behind by a breezy 86bhp.

It all depends on whether Mercedes decides to go with the ‘cooking’ 475bhp version of the 6.2-litre AMG V8, as fitted to the regular CLK63 AMG, or the 500bhp edition unveiled at last month’s New York motor show as the powerplant for the Black Series CLK63. Either way, AMG will top the firepower chart by a substantial margin – its customary position these days.

Probe deeper, though, and the M3’s new motor begins to look a whole lot more like the high-achiever we were expecting. (more…)

As well as BMW, the winner here was automotive innovation. The top six engines in this category included two twin-turbos (one petrol, one diesel), a V10 with 580bhp, the world’s first diesel boxer engine, and a fresh version of Volkswagen’s TSI.

The Bavarian auto manufacturer triumphed with what it claims is the world’s most powerful four-cylinder diesel engine. The key advantages of the 1,995cc over its predecessor are threefold and form the basis of BMW’s ‘efficient dynamics’ mantra: increased overall power, lower weight, and a reduction in emissions.

Helping to achieve these goals are a number of technologies that first appeared on this 2-litre engine’s bigger brother, the 272bhp twin-turbo 3-litre. (more…)

BMW is adding a new Edition Sport package to its 6-Series coupe and convertible.

This option – available in all non-M models – adds unique 19″ alloy wheels, a contoured bonnet, stiffer anti-roll bars, a brushed aluminium-trimmed interior and a choice of new colours including Imola Red and Carbon Black. 650i versions with the Edition Sport pack add a sports exhaust.

Prices start from £53,445 for the 630i Edition Sport coupe.

BMW is also adding its twin-turbo V8 4.4-litre petrol engine to the X6. The 408bhp X6 xDrive50i can do 155mph and 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. It returns 22.6mpg and 299g/km of carbon dioxide which is, at least, better than the fuel economy and emissions of comparable Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne models. Prices for this model will start from £53,930, and UK deliveries begin in November.

Due for introduction later this year as a 2009 model, BMW’s next-generation 7-series saloon has been spotted in recent months undergoing testing on both sides of the Atlantic and we now have some very revealing shots of the car at the Nurburgring. As the images reveal, the styling of the next 7-series will be much more conservative than the current model and it even appears to pick up some elements from the 3-series range.

The car’s body is very smooth and appears to be devoid of any major character lines. The ‘Bangle butt’ bootlid no longer remains and the car’s front end appears much longer than the current 7-series, although the front overhang is relatively short. This design has allowed engineers to push the front axle much farther out, increasing the car’s footprint and thus improving dynamics. (more…)

The BMW Z4 is a rear-wheel drive sports car by the German automaker BMW, known as the E85 in roadster form and E86 in coupe form. Production started in 2002, and thus replaced the BMW Z3. The design addresses many criticisms of the Z3; the Z4 is larger, and has a significantly stiffer chassis. It was built in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Initially, the Z4 was available only as a roadster, but in 2006 a coupé version was officially launched.

The last of the Z4 line to be assembled in North America rolled off the assembly line of BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant on the night of August 27, 2008. Production of the next-generation model is expected to shift to the automaker’s plant in Regensburg, Germany. (more…)

The Z3 was developed from the E36 platform of the 3 Series. The resulting platform is sometimes referred to as the E36/7(roadster) or E36/8(coupé). The rear semi-trailing arm suspension from the E30 was used rather than the more sophisticated multilink suspension from the E36. At first, only the 1.9 L M44B19 straight-4 engine was offered, but its 138 hp (103 kW) was not up to buyers’ expectations. Interior appointments too were not up to the standard of other BMW models, and the plastic rear window looked poor compared to the glass unit found on the much less expensive 1999 Mazda MX5.

In the North American market, the inline-4 engine was complemented by a larger straight-6 engine in 1997: the 2.8 L M52B28. This engine, similar to the BMW M52 in the 328i except with an all aluminum block and head, was especially desirable with its 189 hp (141 kW). (more…)

The BMW X6 is a mid-size crossover SUV released for sale in the second quarter of 2008 by German automaker BMW. The X6 combines the attributes of an SUV (high ground clearance, all wheel drive and all-weather ability, large wheels and tires) with the stance of a coupé (bold styling, dramatic sloping roof).

It is built in BMW’s North American plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina alongside the BMW X5 whose platform it shares. It is dubbed “Sports Activity Coupé” by BMW, and while slightly longer and wider than the X5 is significantly lower and seats only four people. The concept model debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. The production X6 officially debuted at the 2008 Detroit International Auto Show. A hybrid version, which will be the first such vehicle from BMW, was also announced.

Along the heels of a successful and ongoing production run of the BMW X5, BMW decided in the early millennium that it wanted to compete with the likes of the Land Rover Freelander and other small SUVs just as the X5 had previously done so well in its respective classes. Thus the X3 (internally known as E83), was born.

What thus emerged was a concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. Dubbed the xActivity, BMW previewed to the public for the first time what a smaller SAV based on a 3 Series platform would look like. The concept had no windows, for the most part no roof, and a sleek futuristic interior. Only the basic shape of the car would emerge as the BMW X3.

Just as BMW used many parts from the E39 5 Series parts bin in the making of the X5, the same occurred in the X3′s development, whereby BMW engineers reused 3 Series parts. (more…)

The BMW X5 is a mid-size crossover SUV sold by BMW since 1999. It features all-wheel drive and is available with a range of petrol inline-6s and V8 engines. Diesels are an option for models sold outside of North America. All X5s worldwide are manufactured in Spartanburg, South Carolina. BMW described it as an SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle) rather than an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), to emphasize its on-road ability despite its size. Like the Lexus RX 300 and Mercedes M-Class, the X5 heralded the shift from truck-based body-on-frame SUVs to sedan-based crossovers that would come to fruition in the late 2000s.

4 years later, the BMW X3 was released, which used the “X” prefix applied to the BMW SUVs which were derivatives of the BMW number-series models.