I came across an article about BMW’s Eco Luxury on Technology Review, which mentions that it is an amazing concept, but the process of hydrogen fuel generation is the biggest challenge, which may put an end to the entire concept of hydrogen powered…
Filed under: Aftermarket, SUVs, Etc., BMW
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Why not? In Australia, Ford sells the F6 Tornado, Pursuit and Super Pursuit under the Ford Performance Vehicle (FPV) banner, hauling ass as well as anything else. BMW doesn’t offer anything even close, so what is a Bimmer enthusiast to do when he has to stop at The Home Depot for garden supplies? Certainly not put them in the X5!
There is always someone out there who solves problems such as this before they actually become an issue. In this case, a bloke named POWERCHIP from the M5Board has taken a BMW E39 M5 and is converting it into what he calls the M5 UTE. It seems that after talking to Shane from Southern Rod and Custom in New South Wales Australia it looked like his dream car might just come true.
The yearlong transformation of this great sedan into the M5 UTE is truly amazing. Every inch of the vehicle is being properly engineered to drive just like the M5 from which it spawned. Click here to check out the 200+ photo album that details the build every step of the way.
[Source: Jalopnik via M5Board]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Hatchbacks, BMW
At what Winding Road described as a “corporate event this week,” BMW officials have confirmed that the 1-series will be making its way to U.S. shores in 2008. The official announcement is expected later this year, which will finally put to rest the speculation we’ve been covering for far too long.
Just the fact that the 1-series is on its way is big enough news, but the real deal-sealer is that the two-door hatch will debut with the highly desirable, yet under clocked, twin-turbo 3-liter, inline-six. The 135i will be the first vehicle to be offered up to American enthusiasts, with the 130i coming at a later date.
Mr. Brennan over at Winding Road stressed that the 1-series will be offered in two-door versions (with an “s”) in the future, including a convertible, a proper coupe and the aforementioned hatchback.
We’ve already made the case for a spiritual successor to the 2002 and it seems that the boys in Munich have the same idea, but a four-cylinder engine won’t make its way under the bonnet until BMW, “does a proper turbocharged four-cylinder engine.” Both a twin-turbo six and a blown four? It seems that BMW may finally be making products for the market it’s been neglecting for over a decade.
As for price, expect the 1-series to fit snuggly between the MINI and the 3-series, with a $5k premium for the twin-turbo’d six.
[Source: Winding Road]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: Etc.
Even though the majority of European Union nations have cracked down on smoking in public places, in Germany you can still smoke inside restaurants and bars. However, one place where smoking rules may change in Germany is inside your own car. German officials are currently studying whether it would be possible to restrict automotive smoking to curb the danger of second hand smoke, which is amplified inside the tight confines of an automobile. Besides second hand smoke for passengers, smoking in the car may also prove to be a distraction that can lead to traffic-safety issues as well. While a ban on smoking inside your own car may seem like a gross invasion of personal rights, any place where freeways are sometimes without speed limits could do with as few distractions as possible.
[Source: Drive.com]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: Trends, Etc., Euro, Cadillac
PHOTOS UPDATED
Cadillac is already on the upswing here in the US, and has been for some time. The image repair that GM has been able to carry out is impressive, and the rebirth is poised to enter phase two. GM Vice Chair Bob Lutz and Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor both commented at the Geneva Motor Show that Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are in their gunsights, and that a 3-series-esque family of models could emerge from the CTS. A wagon version of the CTS is getting serious consideration as Cadillac looks at taking the fight to European turf.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]
Continue reading Decision on CTS siblings coming soon
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Hyundai
Hyundai’s working on a rear-wheel-drive successor to its home-market Equus luxury sedan. The car’s expected to debut at the New York Auto Show in April, and these most recent spy shots show it with less camouflage than we’ve seen it wearing in the past. You can’t see the front end, but you get a really good look at the clean flanks. The roofline pays homage to the Euro iron Hyundai undoubtedly has in its sights; not to mention the high-end Japanese makes like Infiniti and Lexus. The kink in the lower portion of the C-pillar is a nod directly to BMW - though Infiniti copied it first. Power will be provided by the Azera’s 3.8 liter V6 at the bottom end, while there’s a 4.6 liter V8 reportedly generating over 300 horsepower for the top-of-the-line car. This looks like a large vehicle, and we car nuts welcome more RWD platforms with available V8s - they’re a hoot to be irresponsible in. Rumors have the entry price in the $30,000 range, which is a mighty deal if it continues with Hyundai’s recent formula. Expect to find styling that’s pleasant in an inoffensive, non-polarizing way when the wraps come off, and we’re sure that equipment levels will be high and suspension calibrations will tend toward the softer side. How soft it goes will determine whether it’s a spiritual successor to the Crown Victoria, or if it plays in more rarified air occupied by the aforementioned lux-marques.
[Source: The Car Blogger via GM Inside News]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai
While comparisons to the Accord and Camry may be more apt, Hyundai has their sights set on more upscale targets. The Korean company has been looking upmarket for vehicles to benchmark when developing their cars, and that philosophy will extend to marketing. One of the new spots touts the Sonata’s horsepower advantage over the BMW 525i, while another concedes that even though the Azera can’t self-park (a dubious feature, at best), it offers a well-equipped luxury sedan for less than half of an LS460’s price, allowing you to pay someone to park your Azera.
It would seem that Hyundai makes a regular practice of looking over the heads of direct competitors, shooting for a segment above their actual market slot. Indeed, the Mercedes ML ‘ute was a target when the new Santa Fe was being worked up, and at the Concept Genesis’s recent debut during the New York Auto Show, BMW, Porsche and Mercedes were heard, while the existence of Honda or Toyota wasn’t even acknowledged. The last Hyundai campaign we can even recall is the “Hyundai, Yes, Hyundai” effort of the early 1990s, when Hyundai’s hottest offering was the Scoupe. They’ve come a long way from building Mitsubishi cast-offs, and Hyundai is now a force to be reckoned with.
[Source: Automotive News (Sub req’d)]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: New York Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW
During yesterday’s press conference, BMW confirmed much of what’s already been known or assumed, including the upcoming production of the X6 and its subsequent launch in 2008, as well as its plan to grow the number of diesel-powered vehicles it sells in the US over the next two years.
The soon-to-be-released oil burners will come equipped with BMW’s dual turbocharger (one small snail, accompanied by another larger one) and although BMW was mum on which models will receive this relatively new powerplant, one can assume that the 3-, 5- and X-series vehicles are under development.
The big news was during Tom Purves’ talk, when the U.S. Chairman and CEO said that the automaker intends to bring over 30 new models between now and 2010. This expansion plan includes investing $25 billion over the course of 2005 through 2010 on both research and development, and expanded “business activities.”
More BMWs and better fuel economy was the crux of the press conference, both topics that are easy to get behind if executed well.
[Source: Detroit News]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time
Filed under: Motorsports, BMW
For you F1 fans, the BMW Sauber F1 Team is launching its 2008 challenger live on the team’s website, www.bmw-sauber-f1.com. The unveiling happens Monday, January 14 from 12:00 to 12:30 CET. BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld has played down the team’s title chances; nevertheless, BMW finished second in last year’s Constructor’s Championship (due to the exclusion of McLaren), and nearly doubled the next constructor’s total. This is also one of the cars that current World Champion Kimi Raikkonen said he would be looking out for. BMW has climbed the charts without a superstar driver, which makes one think, to paraphrase Mars Blackmon, “It’s gotta be the car.”
[Source: BMW]
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