It"s been a long time in the making, but the BMW Group today confirmed its new sub-brand called "i", with which it will market a new lineup of eco-friendly vehicles including regular and plug-in hybrids, and pure electric models as well as an additional range of mobility services.
It"s been a long time in the making, but the BMW Group today confirmed its new sub-brand called "i", with which it will market a new lineup of eco-friendly vehicles including regular and plug-in hybrids, and pure electric models as well as an additional range of mobility services.
The first models to be launched under the new sub-brand from 2013 are the BMW i3 and i8. The BMW i3 is an all-electric city car, which was previously known as the Megacity Vehicle, while the i8, is a plug-in hybrid sports car based on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept study unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
BMW said both models are based on a new construction concept called LifeDrive that makes use of an aluminium chassis to house the powertrain, while the passenger cell consists of high-strength but extremely lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). In addition, both the i3 and i8 will be manufactured at the firm"s Leipzig plant and will share the same component sets for the electric motors, power electronics, and high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.
?Both cars have been designed specifically for their respective alternative drive systems," explains Klaus Draeger, BMW Board member responsible for development. "We used the innovative architecture and CFRP to cancel out practically all of the extra weight added by the batteries. For our customers this means superior driving dynamics combined with significantly increased range using electric power.?
While BMW did not disclose further details in today"s announcement, the company recently revealed that the 1-Series ActiveE"s electric synchronous motor with 168HP (125 kW) and 250 Nm of torque will be incorporated in the i3.
As for the i8, it is likely to combine the Vision ED concept model"s 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo diesel engine with a variant of the i3"s electric motor. We"ll remind you that the 2+2 seatd design study featured a 1.5-liter diesel engine and two electric motors for a total system output of 328 horsepower and a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 4.8 seconds with a combined fuel economy of 62.6 mpg US.
The BMW Group will also make use of the "i" sub-brand to expand its range of mobility services. In addition to services developed in-house, the company is pursuing collaborations with partner companies.
The Bavarian automaker said that New York-based My City Way is the first company in which BMW i Ventures has taken a stake. Regarding the partnership, BMW"s Ian Robertson said, ?I am thrilled to announce that we have just signed our first strategic partnership with My City Way. As a mobile app, My City Way provides users with information on public transportation, parking availability, and local entertainment for over 40 cities in the US. Another 40 cities will be part of the global rollout, including Munich, of course.?
Do you happen to own a fourth generation BMW M3 Coupe, Sedan or Convertible model, and if so, do you crave for a throatier sound from its exhaust? If you answered yes to both questions and can justify spending $4,374 plus labor for installation for a performance exhaust system, then you may want to take a look the Bavarian firm"s new M Performance offering.
BMW said the new exhaust system is crafted from an extremely heat-resistant and lightweight chrome-nickel alloy called Inconel, which allowed the firm"s engineers to reduce the thickness of the tubing from 1.5mm to 0.8mm. This resulted in a weight reduction of approximately 40%, or about 20 pounds when compared to the M3"s stock exhaust system. So basically, you"re getting a much lighter exhaust system with a more powerful sound
The M Performance Exhaust also comes with perforated inner pipes and polished titanium tips, which are laser engraved with the M logo.
The company said the new exhaust may be installed at any Authorized BMW Center at a price of $4,374 plus installation.
Citing inside sources from BMW, British magazine Autocar is reporting that all of the Bavarian automaker"s future four-cylinder engines will benefit from turbocharging technology. This includes all four-pots with outputs up to 245 horsepower, with the new straight-six engines taking over from there.
All of BMW"s turbocharged four-cylinder engines will be built upon the same 2.0-liter aluminium block, with the difference in performance being made by using two different types of turbochargers and different engine mapping (apparently, BMW learned its lesson well from the VW Group...).
The aluminium block gets a new and very thin cylinder lining of only 0.3 millimeters thanks to the use of sprayed iron technology. That"s a massive improvement over the classic 1.5 mm thick cast iron lining and it translates into less weight and more durability.
The most powerful engine, which will be soon available to order in the small X1 SUV under the xDrive28i badging, is a complex unit, having a double-sided twin-scroll turbocharger which works at pressures of up to 200 bar, double-VANOS variable valve timing and direct fuel injection.
Following lower-powered units are expected to get a single conventional turbo instead of the twin-scroll technology. The new turbocharged four-cylinder units will make their debut on the next generation of the 3-Series, expected in 2012.
A team of young designers at BMW have created 16 bespoke paint schemes for a special edition version of the 1-Series hatchback that will be sold exclusively in the Italian market. BMW has launched the project on its Italian Facebook page and is calling users to vote for their favorite design. The winning paint scheme will be produced in collaboration with 3M on a limited run of 1-Series models aptly called "EDITION".
Being that BMW is primarily targeting the younger audience in Italy, the German company said it will launch the car with a special payment plan called "Youth Formula", whereby the younger you are, the lower the rate you"ll pay - for example, a 20-year old customer will pay a rate of 2.0%, a 21-year-old 2.1% and so on.
Link: BMW Facebook
We knew BMW"s brand-new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine was coming to the States but now, the Bavarian automaker has made it official. The German company released a statement saying the first cars to be equipped with the force-fed four-banger will "arrive later this year" in the USA.
The 2.0-liter unit made its debut on the X1 compact crossover and will eventually replace BMW?s trademark normally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. While BMW"s US division has yet to announce which models will get the new engine, in Europe, the automaker has already confirmed the powerplant for the Z4 coupe-roadster and the 5-Series range.
In the U.S., the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six is currently available on these models:
-128i Coupe / Convertible 230HP
-328i Sedan / Coupe / Convertible / Sports Wagon / xDrive 230HP
-528i Sedan 240HP
-X3 xDrive28i 240HP
-Z4 sDrive30i 255HP
There"s a strong possibility that BMW will offer the new 2.0-liter turbo on all of these models in the U.S. but this has yet to be confirmed.
BMW"s more for less 2.0-liter unit combines twin-scroll turbocharging with high-pressure direct-injection and the firm"s VALVETRONIC intake control. In the X1, the maximum output of 240 horsepower is achieved at 5,000 rpm, or 1,500 rpm lower than in the normally-aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. The peak torque of 260 lb-ft, comes on tap at just 1,250 rpm, which according to BMW, is not only 30% more torque than the aforementioned inline six, it also peaks 1,500 rpm earlier. On top of that, BMW says the four-pot also returns 16 per cent better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.
