Posts Tagged ‘BMW M’
Two new models debut in Chicago.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.08, 2013
Nissan's global marketing chief Simon Sproule with the new Nissan 370Z Nismo.
Nissan plans to transform its long-time motorsport arm into an “affordable” performance brand, two new models wearing the Nismo badge making their debut at the Chicago Auto Show this week.
Originally launched in September 1984, its name a shorthand reference to Nissan Motorsport International Limited, Nismo was primarily focused on sports car racing, including Japan’s Formula 3 series. Until now, only a handful of vehicles were built for road use, but that’s about to change, according to Nissan’s global marketing and communications chief Simon Sproule.
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The two offerings on display at Chicago’s McCormick Place include the Juke Nismo, a sporty version of Nissan’s little crossover, and an update of the 370Z Nismo, the 2-seat sports car until now being one of the few production Nissan models to get the Nismo treatment. And there will be more to come, according to Sproule.
“This represents an exciting new growth opportunity for the Nissan brand,” he said during an interview at the Chicago Auto Show.
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Tags: BMW M, auto news, car news, infiniti ipl, infiniti red bull racing, inifniti news, mercedes amg, nismo, nismo z, nissan 370z nismo, nissan NISMO, nissan juke NISMO, nissan performance, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance brands, performance cars, thedetroitbureau
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by Paul A. Eisenstein on Nov.29, 2012
The Nissan Juke Nismo concept reveals the red mirror caps likely to become a signature of the performance sub-brand.
Nissan plans to transform its Nismo subsidiary into a new, mainstream performance brand-within-a-brand, loosely modeled on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz sub-brand AMG, TheDetroitBureau.com has learned.
Unlike some previous Japanese efforts to create sporty sub-brands, every model to wear the Nismo badge will get a measurable bump in performance, more sporty suspension tuning and distinctive exterior and interior design modifications, according to a senior Nissan executive.
The new operations will launch next year with the introduction of the new Nissan Juke Nismo. Other models will quickly follow. Meanwhile, Nissan will increase Nismo’s presence in various motorsports programs to enhance its visibility.
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“We saw an opportunity,” Nissan global marketing chief Simon Sproule explained during an exclusive interview. “No Japanese company has exploited its performance heritage successfully,” he added, including Nissan’s luxury arm, Infiniti.
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Tags: BMW M, auto news, auto performance, car news, infiniti ipl, mercedes amg, nismo, nissan NISMO, nissan juke NISMO, nissan news, nissan performance, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance sub-brands, thedetroitbureau
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Formal debut scheduled for Detroit.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Nov.12, 2012
Some Photoshop tweaking reveals a bit more detail than BMW intended with this first teaser of the M6 Gran Coupe.
There was a time when only a select group of BMW models wore the vaunted M badge. But with plenty of buyers ready to fork over tens of thousands of dollars more for the added power and prestige it was little more than a matter of time before we expected to see the new 6-Series Gran Coupe get the upgrade – as BMW North America CEO Ludwig Willisch all but confirmed in an interview with TheDetroitBureau.com earlier this year.
The wait is almost over. The latest M-Series model will officially make its debut at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January. And with an assortment of spy shots leaking out, BMW has decided to release a teaser image of its own of the M6 Gran Coupe.
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The pics leave plenty to the imagination, as does the corporate press release. BMW wants to ensure it can draw the media hordes to its booth at Cobo Center in barely two months time. But among the things we have discovered is that the M6 Gran Coupe will deliver a full 560 horsepower, or 115 more than the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 found in the 2013 BMW 650i Gran Coupe.
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Tags: BMW M, BMW M6, auto news, bmw detroit auto show, bmw m night, bmw m6 gran coupe, bmw news, car news, m night, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Maker also hopes to see extensive use of fuel-saving carbon fiber technology.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.24, 2012
Expect an M version of the new BMW Gran Coupe, the maker's U.S. CEO tells TheDetroitBureau.com.
Even as it gets set to launch sales of its new M6 model, BMW is looking at ways to further expand its high-performance brand-within-a-brand, a senior executive told TheDetroitBureau.com.
Once limited to a handful of limited-production offerings, BMW now offers M versions of more than half of its line-up – with several key omissions, including the flagship 7-Series, but that may soon change, noted Ludwig Willisch, CEO of the maker’s North American sales subsidiary.
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Willisch said he also expects the maker to eventually make extensive use of strong and lightweight carbon fiber, perhaps even in such models as BMW’s best-seller, the 3-Series.
The German executive was in Santa Barbara for the first U.S. media drive of BMW’s new M6 and Gran Coupe models. The latter is a 4-door version of the maker’s classic coupe, the 6-Series – and intended to go up against the likes of the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS.
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Tags: BMW M, BMW M6, auto news, bmw carbon fiber, bmw i3, bmw i8, bmw m gran coupe, bmw m performance, bmw m7, bmw news, bmw x5 m, bmw x6m, car news, ludwig willisch, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Better performance without mileage sacrifice.
by Joseph Szczesny on Mar.19, 2012
Volvo's collaboration with Polestar is rapidly expanding.
When you think Volvo you almost certainly think safety. But the Swedish maker also would like to get potential buyers to associate the brand with performance.
Mercedes-Benz has AMG and BMW has its M-Class and now Volvo is challenging its German rivals with cars enhanced by Polestar.
Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Polestar has collaborated with Volvo since 1996. Since 2009 Polestar has developed performance optimization software for Volvo cars. Polestar and Volvo is now boosting the visibility of its partnership with Polestar. The initiative isn’t anywhere near as lavish or expensive as the AMG and or M-Class but it does offer Volvo fans looking for added performance some genuine punch — without the typical mileage penalty.
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The Polestar performance software packages are now available on the 2012 XC60 R-Design, S60 and XC70 fitted with a T6 engine for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,495 when installed at the dealer. The T6 Polestar software package adds 25 horsepower and 30 lb-ft of torque, bringing the three car lines to 325 horsepower and 354 lb-ft.
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Tags: BMW M, Volvo C30, auto news, car news, european performance cars, joe szczesmy, joe szczesny, mercedes amg, muscle cars, performance cars, polestar, thedetroitbureau, volvo, volvo muscle, volvo performance, volvo polestar, volvo r-design, volvo xc60 r-design
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Maker offering both coupe and convertible models.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.07, 2012
BMW tech chief Klaus Draeger reveals the new M6 (l) and Grand Coupe
There was a time when BMW’s vaunted M products were in short supply, European performance fans sometimes having to wait a year or more for one of the exclusive models as they came and went from production.
Not anymore. While individual products might have brief gaps between model changeovers the overall M line-up is growing fast – even faster if you include the new M Performance line-up, such as the maker’s new M550d triple-turbo diesel-powered rocket ship that is on display at the Geneva Motor Show.
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The formal introduction of that brand-within-a-brand was one of several big announcements at Geneva’s PALExpo Convention Center this week, but the big news was clearly the unveiling of the next-generation BMW M6.
Based on the 6-Series Cabriolet that came to market early last year, and the Coupe that followed soon after, it is the most-powerful two-door BMW has ever offered, with its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 making 560 horsepower – a full 20 hp more than the same engine currently churns out under the hood of the BMW M5.
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Tags: 2012 geneva motor show, BMW M, BMW M6, BMW M6 Coupe, auto news, bmw geneva motor show, bmw m performance, bmw m6 convertible, bmw news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Most powerful M model ever.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.13, 2012
BMW will launch the new M6 Convertible first.
The BMW M6 is back after a two-year absence, with the performance version of the German convertible scheduled to reach U.S. showrooms in June, just in time for open air weather.
The BMW M6 Convertible will bear a 2012 designation, the M6 Coupe will be badged a 2013 model, however, when it lands in the States late this coming Summer. Both models, the maker claims, will deliver track-level performance while setting “new benchmarks in dialing driving comfort…and fuel efficiency.”
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The third-generation M6 models – which go into production a quarter-century after the original – will share the most powerful engine ever fitting into a production model from BMW M GmbH and will introduce an innovative Active M Differential to optimize rear axle power transfer. But while the new engine will bump up horsepower by 10% over the prior M6 V-10, and torque by 30%, fuel economy is also expected to improve by 30%,
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Tags: 2012 BMW M6 Convertible, 2013 BMW M6 Coupe, BMW M, BMW M6, BMW M6 Convertibke, BMW M6 Coupe, auto news, bmw convertible, bmw news, car news, german performance cars, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Bavarian maker to target niche between its mainstream and M-car lines.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.16, 2012
BMW M President Friedrich Nitschke.
BMW apparently thinks there is more room for a few angels to dance on the head of its pin. The maker will reveal an all-new product range during the upcoming Geneva Motor Show that it says will land somewhere between its mainstream line-up and its vaunted M series.
The new line-up, to be called BMW M Performance Automobiles, promise to deliver similar levels of performance to such current offerings as the M5, while appealing to those who don’t want to sacrifice “the familiar comfort and practicality” of a BMW 535i.
“We are targeting our efforts at customers looking for more emotionality and more performance, but who don’t want to forgo the everyday usability of their cars,” said Friedrich Nitschke, President of BMW M GmbH.
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While specific details will be held back for the March introduction, the executive hints that there could be additional product lines specifically created for the M Performance brand. It will also rely on a mix of gasoline and diesel powertrains, with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system expected to “play a significant role.”
The role model for the new sub-brand is the 1980 M535i, which featured plenty of power but a more every day driving experience than the hard-charging M cars BMW produces today.
The new line should hit market sometime later this year.
It’s just the latest step the maker has announced in its effort to fill seemingly every possible inch of white space in the luxury segment. BMW’s new “i” line of battery vehicles debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show, last September. The maker also pushed into compact performance, last year, with the debut of the 1M. As TheDetroitBureau.com has reported, a diesel-powered M model, tentatively dubbed the BMW 550dXM, for diesel, all-wheel-drive, is also in development.
The automaker last year, meanwhile, captured the top spot in the U.S. luxury sales wars, nudging past long-time leader Lexus and narrowly topping German rival Mercedes-Benz. To help maintain that momentum, BMW announced last week plans to further expand its assembly line in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which is expected to thus become the second-largest BMW plant in the world.
(For more on plans for Spartanburg, Click Here.)
Tags: 2012 geneva motor show, BMW M, auto news, bmw 550dXM, bmw friedrich nitschke, bmw geneva, bmw i, bmw m performance, bmw m5, bmw m535, bmw news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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by Paul A. Eisenstein on Nov.22, 2011
Infiniti muscles up its stock G37 Convertible.
With the launch of its new IPL G Convertible, Infiniti is adding some real muscle to its new performance sub-brand.
At 343 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, the 2013 Infiniti IPL G Convertible gets a noticeable bump up from the more conventional Infiniti G37 cabrio, a well-received improvement from the base car which had plenty of show but needed more go.
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First introduced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and then updated, in concept form, at the recent Pebble Beach Concours, the IPL G shares its 3.7-liter engine with the standard-issue G37 Convertible, but it undergoes some exhaust tuning and engine management changes that add an extra 18 horsepower and 16 lb-ft of torque.
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Tags: 2011 la auto show, BMW M, auto news, car news, infiniti g37 ipl convertible, infiniti ipl, infiniti ipl g, infiniti la auto show, infiniti news, infiniti performance, mercedes amg, nissan news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance luxury cars, thedetroitbureau
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“I’ve never taken the corners like that before.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Aug.17, 2011
BMW's new M5 will make an impressive 560 horsepower out of its new V8.
BMW offered a quick peek at the next-generation M5 sedan, a rocket on wheels that it plans to bring to market next year.
While journalists weren’t given a chance to drive the prototype briefly revealed during a presentation at the Laguna Seca Raceway, near Monterey, California, BMW officials offered up some critical information on what M-fans can expect.
It has not yet been determined whether the new muscle car will be designated a 2012 or 2013, but model-years aside, it will feature a new 4.4-liter V-8 using dual twin-scroll turbos designed to both eliminate initial turbo lag and maximize performance once those boosters “spool up.”
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That translates into 560 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque, the next-generation BMW M5 expected to launch from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds. Notably, while horsepower will be up 10% and torque increased 20% from the prior-generation BMW M5, the upcoming model is expected to deliver as much as a 30% improvement in fuel economy due to the introduction of a variety of advanced technologies.
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Tags: BMW, BMW M, BMW reviews, auto news, bmw m5, bmw m5 pics, bmw muscle, bmw news, bmw performance, bmw pics, car news, german muscle cars, german performance cars, luxury cars, muscle cars, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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