Rumor: BMW May Be Dropping Their IDrive for an IPhone
There are rumors floating around between car reuters that BMW may be considering dropping their iDrive system, which had got not the best reviews, to an Apple based system. There are not exact details of how the new system will look like. Speculators say that new system may resemble the one recently debuted by Lad Rover on their LRX concept, which the Iphone docked to the center console allowing the driver to fully integrate it with its vehicle.
Image of Land Rover LRX Concept center dock
New BMW X6 Headed to Detroit
BMW’s big Detroit debut will be the production X6 Sports Activity Coupe will be arriving in US showrooms sometime during the second quarter of 2008. When it does, buyers get two models to choose from. The xDrive50i is powered by a new twin-turbo, direct-injected 4.4L V8 pumping out 400-horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The xDrive35i, meanwhile, gets the automaker’s acclaimed 300-hp TT inline six-cylinder. Dynamic Performance Control is a standard feature that can direct torque to either rear wheel, further aiding steering in both dry weather and sloppier conditions. Design-wise, the production X6 looks pretty much just like the hybrid-equipped concept version we saw earlier this year.
Its rare shape compromises some space in the name of style. Interior appointments are typical BMW style, meaning they’re quite nice. If you’ve been in a modern Bimmer, you know precisely what to expect. The X6 is no slug, either, with a manufacturer-claimed 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds for the turbo V8 model. We’ll have plenty more to say after we check it out firsthand in a few weeks.
Here is a video look on this new bimmer
A Tribute to The 850 CSI
One of the best Bimmers ever made.
BMW To Sell Authentic Performance Parts
BMW will be selling its own factory performance parts. All of the parts meet the same quality regulations as standard parts. Best of all, the upgraded equipment won’t effect the original car’s warranty.
Currently, there are only parts available for the Z4 and 3-series. Most of the good stuff is only for the last generation 3. But oh, how good it is. A performance exhaust claims to give five additional horsepower and lower weight by 8.8 pounds. A performance engine kit for the 330 adds ten horsepower and 8 lb-ft of torque. Other available pieces include a shift kit, suspension pieces, drilled brake rotors, air intake, and new wheels.
There are surely many BMW fanatics who will empty their wallets for these goodies, but are these parts worth the premium BMW will surely charge over similar equipment from other companies? Sure, if you want to keep your warranty. But since most of the modified cars will already be out of warranty, it will come down to how much customers love for their bimmers
The BMW 3 Series, an All Star Again and Again….
This may read as “deja vu”, but Automobile Magazine just include the new 2008 3 series among its “All Stars” for 2008. They mentioned that the success of the new series is because of the new turbocharged version of BMW’s awesome straight six. Two turbos bump the power output up to a hale and hearty 300 hp – a figure that provides nearly M-car thrust without the gas mileage of the M3. The 335i achieves an EPA-estimated 26 mpg on the highway (its nonturbocharged sibling manages an even more abstemious 28 mpg).
Click Here to read the article.
This is why they are the ultimate driving machine
BMW Hydrogen 7, Already on the road.
BMW Hydrogen 7 is finally going to have an owner for more than one night. Comedian Will Ferrell has been chosen as the first celebrity to take home the vehicle for extended use. Through the Hydrogen 7 Pioneer Program, BMW plans on handing out additional cars to industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business. Famous car enthusiastic Jay Leno already got one too.
Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions. During the program, 25 of the 100 cars that are produced will be used in evaluation programs in the US. The BMW Hydrogen 7 is not for sale, but is considered to be a milestone in bringing forward hydrogen as the sustainable fuel for individual transportation.
The interesting thing about this car is that is essentially a normal BMW with all of its amenities running on liquid hydrogen. It has V12 engine that can be switch between gas and hydrogen at any time. Hydrogen is the cleanest technology in the planet. Hopefully we will see this car on the road very soon.
Click Here to see Jay Leno giving a quick tour of this great Bimmer
Spy Photos of 2010 X3
Despite the body clouding, you can see that the new X3 will be more like a sports wagon than its predecessor.
A New Isetta May Be on The Way
BMW may be offering a redesign of its iconic postwar microcar, the Isetta, to compete with contemporary micros such as the Smart and the Fiat 500. The original Isetta was powered by a rear-mounted motorcycle engine that delivered about 12 horsepower, and on the base model the only door was its swing-away nose panel. Modern safety regs would prohibit this front-entry design, but the new Isetta would retain the egg-shaped silhouette of the original. The redesign is only in the earliest conceptual stages at the moment, and BMW may not make a decision on it until 2010.
BMW Researching Voice Over IP For Its Auto Electronics
BMW calls it a revolution in automotive electronics. Researchers at the car maker are working on an automotive electronics system based on the Internet Protocol (IP), which they claim will simplify bus system communication.
Their conclusions are surprising. According to BMW, its researchers have shown that a network based on the Internet Protocol will support security-critical applications in real-time as well as simultaneously enabling high-throughput multimedia applications.
An IP automotive electronics system would not only standardize protocols; it could also open the doors for further advances. Workshops could apply updates to vehicle electronics systems without having to modify any hardware, and it would make it much easier to develop Plug & Play solutions for vehicle entertainment systems, something that is lacking in today’s vehicles.
The system would also allow car designers to respond more quickly to the development cycles of entertainment system manufacturers – a capability that would appeal both to electronic equipment makers and car builders. There are, however, a number of issues that have not yet been fully addressed. An electrical system based on the Internet Protocol would certainly need to be well screened from external influences. There would also have to be clear proof of the robustness of any IP-based electronics network built into a safety-sensitive product like a car. It will be interesting to hear how BMW responds to these concerns
