Posts Tagged ‘bmw news’
Bigger, bolder – and more expensive.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.18, 2013
The new BMW 4-Series is longer, lower and wider than the outgoing 3-Series Coupe.
You might get a sense of “déjà vu all over again,” as Yogi Berra was fond of saying, checking out BMW’s all-new 4-Series.
Well, yes, the design is new, and so is the name, but the latest addition to the Bavarian maker’s rapidly proliferating line-up is really just a replacement for the old BMW 3-Series Coupe and, to follow, the 3-er Convertible. It reflects the approach first adopted with the 6-Series in which premium 2-door and cabriolet models adopt an even model name, sedans an odd number.
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That out of the way, the new BMW 4-Series is a sleek and well-proportioned addition that is getting kudos for a more muscular and well-balanced designed than the old 3-Series Coupe, with a fastback roofline that is clearly reminiscent of the bigger and more expensive 6-Series.
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Tags: 2014 bmw 428i, 2014 bmw 435i, BMW reviews, auto news, bmw 3-series coupe, bmw 4-series, bmw 4-series pics, bmw coupe, bmw news, car news, german coupes, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
GM, BMW adopt new system, others to follow.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.13, 2013
The new high-speed charging system will be available for the launch of the new Chevrolet Spark EV this year.
Along with high prices and limited range, consumers list long charging times as one of the reasons why they’re reluctant to buy battery-based vehicles, whether plug-in hybrids or pure battery-electric models.
But proponents have been hoping to see demand increase with the increased availability of high-speed, so-called Level III chargers that could trim recharging times from hours to minutes. The problem has been that, until now, manufacturers have had several different high-speed charging options to choose from and that’s held off broader adoption that could put these chargers within easy reach of consumers.
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General Motors and BMW, however, have both agreed to sign on to a new standard designed to allow any battery car, whatever the brand, and whether plug-in or pure BEV, to get an 80% recharge in as little as 20 minutes. A number of other makers, including Ford, Chrysler, Daimler, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche, have also indicated they will adopt the standard.
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Tags: Tesla Model S, auto news, battery car recharge time, battery cars, bmw i3, bmw news, car news, charge times, chevrolet spark ev, electric vehicles, elon musk, gm bmw recharger, gm news, high-speed chargers, level iii chargers, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, recharging, sae battery car standard, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
The goal is to “exceed all expectations.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.21, 2013
Senior officials, including Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda and BMW Chairman Nobert Reithofer, celebrate their expanding alliance.
What do you get when BMW and Toyota set down to develop a sports car? We’re apparently about to find out, their joint effort reportedly set to make its eagerly awaited debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.
The midsize sports car is one of several projects that the German and Japanese automaker have announced as part of a growing alliance first announced in 2011. Among other things, the two makers plan to work on fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries and hybrid technology, while BMW is now providing diesel engines for Toyota to use in its European line-up.
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“I get so excited thinking about the cars that will result from this relationship,” Toyota chief Akio Toyoda said in January.
So do a lot of industry observers waiting to find out precisely what the two partners have in store.
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Tags: Scion FR-S, Toyota GT86, auto alliances, auto news, bmw news, bmw toyota, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, subaru brz, thedetroitbureau, toyota alliance, toyota bmw, toyota bmw sports car, toyota news, toyota subaru
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
Makers offer free loaners, cheap financing, other incentives.
by Joseph Szczesny on Apr.19, 2013
The BMW i3 will debut next year.
Studies show American consumers remain wary of battery-electric vehicles for a variety of factors, including high costs and limited range. So, when their new electric vehicles go on sale, both Fiat and BMW aim to address those concerns directly with such innovative incentives as free gas-powered loaners for longer trips, software designed to find charging stations and, the old standby, low-cost financing.
BMW plans to install optional at-home fast-charging systems for the i3 city car coming out at the end of 2013. Onboard navigation software will be programmed to detect the nearest public charging station during trips, and i3 owners will be able to borrow a gasoline-fueled car from the maker when longer trips are necessary.
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“The BMW group is charting new territory,” Harald Krueger, the carmaker’s head of production, said at a presentation near Leipzig. “We are confident we will earn money with every BMW i3 we sell from the launch on.”
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Tags: auto news, battery cars, bmw i3, bmw i3 free loaners, bmw news, car news, chrysler news, electric vehicles, fiat 500e, fiat 500e free loaners, fiat 500e incentives, fiat free loaners, fiat news, joe szczesny, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
Peppy little powertrain has promising future.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.17, 2013
The production version of the BMW i8 will be the first to use the maker's new inline-three engine.
We hear the word, “downsizing” a lot these days, and there’s no question that more and more Americans are abandoning their full-size utes, pickups and sedans for smaller offerings.
But the shift is happening at a far slower pace than many had anticipated – and for a good reason. Motorists have discovered that instead of having to settle for vehicles smaller than they might feel comfortable in they can instead downsize their powertrains, trading in a V-8 for a V-6, for example, or a six for a higher-mileage four. And now comes an entirely new generation of three-cylinder powertrains.
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As we recently discovered during a morning drive at BMW’s suburban New Jersey headquarters, these are not the stone pony inline-three engines from decades past. In fact, the prototype BMW 1-Series we tested might have completely fooled us into thinking it was “just” another BMW I-6, peppy, smooth and satisfyingly responsive when we put the proverbial pedal to the metal.
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Tags: auto news, bmw 1-series, bmw i8, bmw news, bmw three-cylinder engine, car news, i-3 engines, inline-three engines, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, three-cylinder engines
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
But Zhi Nuo brand might eventually go global.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.08, 2013
According to some reports, BMW may use the X1 as its first product for the new Zhi Nuo brand.
BMW is the latest global automaker to announce plans to create a special sub-brand for the Chinese market – but the German luxury giant is also eyeing its start-up as a possible source of exports.
We should hear more about the new Zhi Nuo brand at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month. BMW and its Chinese partner Brilliance Automotive are expected to introduced their first new model there, a version of the old 3-Series.
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Since the Chinese automotive market began opening up a dozen years ago, it has been flooded by a Who’s-Who of foreign manufacturers. In turn, domestic makers have struggled to hang on, most of the successful ones by entering into joint ventures required by law of global manufacturers. But under pressure from the government, these JV operations have begun creating special local brands of their own.
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Tags: auto news, bmw brilliance, bmw china, bmw export china, bmw news, bmw x1, bmw zhi nuo, car news, china auto, china auto exports, china car, ian robertson, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, zhi nuo
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Images leak ahead of Shanghai Auto Show debut.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.04, 2013
One of a handful of BMW X4 images that have leaked out ahead of the official Shanghai debut.
BMW seems to be averse to leaving open any white space – or alphanumeric combinations – it seems, with all manner of new product filling in the gaps.
And so, with the replacement for the 3-Series Coupe and Convertible being rebadged the new 4-Series, the German maker had to come up with the coupe/crossover X4, as well. Long expected to debut later this month at Auto China 2013 in Shanghai, these images we found leaking out across the web appear to be the real thing – just a little earlier than BMW had apparently planned.
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The downsized version of the familiar X6 maintains the controversial, coupe-like roofline of the larger Sports Activity Vehicle but shares the same basic mechanicals as the smaller BMW X3. The front and rear also adopt some of the basic design cues of the latest-generation 3-Series sedan, though there’s a fair bit more chrome here, tweaking out the distinctive new bumpers.
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Tags: BMW X6, auto china 2013, auto news, bmw china, bmw news, bmw shanghai, bmw x4, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, shanghai auto show, shanghai motor show, sport-activity vehicle, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
Latest in a wave of “oil-burners” hitting U.S. market.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Mar.14, 2013
BMW will add the new diesel 328d model.
With the apparent embrace of America’s increasingly mileage-minded buyers, German makers are flooding the U.S. market with an assortment of new diesel offerings, BMW to join the fray when it reveals the 328d sedan at the upcoming New York Auto Show.
The compact sedan will catch the spotlight alongside several other new models making their first appearances in North America, including the BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, along with the Concept Active Tourer that anchored the BMW display at the Paris Motor Show last autumn.
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The German maker also plans some significant news on the technology front, including the ability to add mobile WiFi service in some of its products, along with a new eCall emergency call service that can even advise first responders if a crash might result in serious injuries.
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Tags: 2013 nyias, Audi diesel, auto news, bmw 3-series gt, bmw 328d, bmw active tourer bmw 3-series, bmw diesel, bmw grand tourer, bmw news, bmw ny auto show, car news, diesel cars, diesels, in-car internet, mobil hotspots, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
Lots of new models and brands.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.27, 2013
Honda returns to the CR Top Picks with three models - including the new Accord sedan.
With 100s of cars, trucks and crossovers on the market and scores of new models making their debut, picking the right vehicle can be something of a daunting task.
Sure, many buyers are loyalists who will trade in for the some product over and over again, but more and more consumers are willing to look elsewhere if it means getting a safer, more reliable, more attractive and more affordable vehicle. And with fuel prices nudging record levels, buyers seem more willing than ever to consider a switch.
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And many of them turn to the non-profit publication Consumer Reports for guidance, especially when the magazine issues its annual Top Picks. Though its list of choices in 10 categories won’t reach print until the April auto issue, CR editors have given a heads-up on what models it they have chosen, models CR declares are “as close as it gets to no-brainers.”
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Tags: audi news, auto news, best cars, best cuvs, best suvs, best trucks, bmw news, car news, consumer reports, consumer reports top picks, honda news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, subaru news, thedetroitbureau, top picks
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
Over 600,000 vehicles impacted.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.18, 2013
BMW's X5 is one of four different models recalled in recent days due to a series of safety-related problems.
It hasn’t been a good week for BMW – or its customers.
Just days after recalling more than 30,000 of its big X5 crossovers for potential brake problems, the Bavarian maker has announced a second safety-related service action, this time because a battery cable connector can fail and cause engines to stall.
The latest problem impacts about 570,000 vehicles sold in North America, 504,000 in the U.S. and the rest in Canada. It covers various 3-Series models sold during the 2007 through 2011 model-years, as well as 2008 through 2012 1-Series coupes and convertibles and 2009 through 2011 Z4 roadsters.
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a fuse box terminal can degrade over time, breaking the electrical connection with the trunk-mounted battery. If that happens the cars may suddenly lose power and stall. BMW itself reports one minor crash resulting from the problem.
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Tags: BMW 3-Series, auto news, auto safety, bmw 3-series recall, bmw news, bmw recall, bmw safety, bmw x5 recall, car news, car safety, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
