gear kereta

BMW Malaysia today introduced five new variants into its local model lineup, these being three versions of the 3 Series Coupe and a 3 Series Convertible, as well as the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport.

The new 3 Series Coupe lineup consists of the 320i Coupe, 325i Coupe and the top of the line 335i Coupe M Sport, while the 325i Convertible makes for the drop-top entry.

The 306bhp six-cylinder turbocharged 335i Coupe M Sport comes with a 7-speed double clutch sports automatic transmission and comes with a new gear shift logic for the steering-wheel paddles similar to that on the M3.

The M Sports package on this one includes a special Aerodynamics package and 19-inch M light-alloy double spoke 313 wheels riding on a specially tuned sports suspension. Interior-wise, the package adds in sports seats in Dakota leather upholstery, Aluminium Glacier Silver dark interior trim and Anthracite headliner. Further enhancing the car's sporty nature are M entry sills and a M footrest.

Of course, there are optional equipment packages, including an Innovation Package and a Glass Roof Package, for the rest of the range, enabling owners to tailor suit their vehicles to their individual tastes and personal preferences.

Catered specifically for the BMW 320i Coupe, the Innovation Package includes a navigation system and mobile phone preparation. The navigation system offers DVD drive, iDrive Controller with direct menu control buttons, functional bookmarks, integrated hard disk for audio files and navigation data, 3D map display on a high-resolution 8.8-inch monitor, whilst the Mobile Phone preparation offers Bluetooth capability that includes hands free capability. Going the Innovation Package route will set you back a mere RM20,000.

The Glass Roof Package, on the other hand, is available as an option for the 320i Coupe and 325i Coupe. The package includes an electric operated glass roof with slide and tilt function, and goes for RM10,000 .

The new 325i Convertible utilises the same six-cylinder 218bhp 2.5l block found on the 325i Coupe, and shares the same lighting specifications as that on the 335i Coupe M Sport, with light rings with two brightness settings for use as parking lights or daytime running lights, as well as LED indicators.

Meanwhile, the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport rolls in as the top of the line roadster, with 340bhp and 450Nm of torque available from its 3.0l turbo pot. It comes with the 7-speed double-clutch sports automatic transmission, Dynamic Driving Control with Sport and Sport+ settings and Launch Control as standard issue.

Here, the M sports package is made up of a M aerodynamics package, which has modified front and rear aprons and a rear diffuser among other things, as well as the Adaptive M Suspension package. Oxide Silver mirror caps and five-spoke 18 inch alloy wheels round off the exterior trim, and exclusive to the M Sports package on the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport is the option of the special Melbourne Red exterior colour.

The retail prices (on the road, without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive 3 years/60,000km + Repair) are RM289,800 for the 320i Coupe, RM378,800 for the 325i Coupe, RM498,800 for the 335i Coupe M Sport, while the 325i Convertible goes for RM439,800, and the Z4 sDrive35is M Sport is priced at RM598,800.

By SUJESH PAVITHRAN

Long, low, wide and bursting with techno, the latest 5-series might not be a style diva but it has enough under its skin to keep the adrenalin rush going. It is also quicker, cleaner, more efficient, stunningly stable and safe as we found out in our first drive

Let's not get muddled about the sixth Five here. In what has to be the second biggest sales earner for the Munich-based car maker (after the 3-series), the latest, sixth generation 5-series has come out fighting for BMW. Not that BMW had much to worry about given that the previous generation 5 had done itself loads of good in the executive saloon segment all over the world. The Chris Bangle effect might have made many sit up and take notice but once behind the wheel it was evident that the somewhat perceived visual shock wave translated into one of sheer dynamic pleasure.

The latest 5-series, which I got to experience over a day driving across some great roads around the Portuguese seaside town of Cascais with a few fast laps thrown in for good measure at the Estoril race track, is different from the all-out 'handling over-all-else' dynamic approach which has made BMW the first word in affordable driving excitement in the automotive world.

As the very same baby boomers who adopted it in the first place now reckoning with the mid-life, the new 5-series has also evolved. It is very difficult to balance handling with ride quality, that quintessential waft-ability that many luxury sedans do, and have to, encompass but in the new 5-series this has happened, in a big way, without compromising on the fun-to-drive approach which has always been a BMW-hallmark.

New looks, better driving aids and lots of technology under its stretched out skin, that's what's new!

Many must have heard about BMW's oft-spoken conjoined EfficientDynamics term and let me assure you that this is no techno-spiel but a clear indicator as to the very core of this new 5-generation. Incidentally, the Munich car maker seems to have designated the car the F10, having run out of all numbers under its E-series model spread. Judging by the fact that the 5-series historically has had great competitors in the form of the Mercedes-Benz E-class and the Audi A6, the new F10 has to contend not just with these two rivals but also the latest line of Jaguars which have begun their slow but sure journey back to the front lines of the luxury car class.

And it is the Leaping Cat which I see more of in the latest 5-series Beemer, no not just in the way the car seems shrink wrapped around the mechanicals and also the way it is proportioned but the manner in which it rides and also the way it is opulently decked out. Lets start out with the proportions and the exterior treatment which are pretty praiseworthy given Adrian van Hooydonk's touch. Hooydonk who worked with Chris Bangle, on the other BMW models, has finally given the overtly prominent surface flame design theme a more pleasing integration into mainstream car design and where you had the delicious proposition of classic cars with their mile-long hoods and stately cabins, the F10 5-series blends these virtues brilliantly.

The long hood is evident as is the new protruding nose on to which BMW's corporate kidney grille has now been squashed and widened. On either side are the slant-eyed headlamps with LEDs eye-lashed on to its top leading edge. The long hood, with those chiselled lines on it (last vestiges of the surface flame era?) gives way to a rakish A-pillar and from there on the coupe-like glass-area sweeps right to the muscular rear end with BMW's famed Hofmeister kick delivering the essence so reminiscent of the marque in recent memory. The clever use of a character line just below the shoulders plus one just above the door sills, along with the slightly puffed up wheel arches hints at the famed athleticism of the brand, even though the new 5-series has a wheelbase which is longer than that of its predecessor.

Since the early 70's, if you needed a practical saloon which carried five people in comfort but also provided the entertainment of a sports car, it was the nearest BMW showroom which provided the answer.

Having sold over 5.5 million units of its mid-range 5-Series, this champion from Munich has forever been the "I've-made-It" car for lawyers, architects, businessmen and car loving professor's the world over.

E12

This was the one which started it all replacing the 1500-2000 series that were known as the "New Class" cars. The five series was the fifth "new class" car. Wonderfully delicate from bumper-to-bumper is what defined the E12 perfectly. The first 5-Series wasn't available in a wagon bodystyle and managed to find 699,094 homes.

E28

The E28 was a stylistic evolution of the E12. Visible changes to this model included revised headlights, thicker rubber bumper surrounds and large rectangular taillights. The shape was more box-shaped than rounded at the rear. The M version packed in 260 PS from a 3.4 litre straight six and is still pretty sought after today.

Vikram Gour Test Drive BMW 3 Series There is just something special about BMW's that get the senses titillating just at the mention of the brand. These Bavarian machines have been known as brilliant driver cars over the ages and even today that gene resides strong in the DNA of each model. Having said that, there are some specific models that do more than just show off the DNA, but actually bring it to the fore and doing just that is the latest edition to the 3 Series range in India, the new king of the hill, the BMW 330i. The 3 Series sedan has always been a good looker. Even in its present avatar, the entry level BMW sedan possesses a stance that is taunt, sporty and chiseled to perfection. Adding to the sculpted sheet metal is the famous kidney grill flanked by those oh-so-awesome headlights that cannot be mistaken for anything but BMW and rounding off the entire exterior package on the 330i are the unmistakable 17 inch rims shod with low profile rubber. Even at standstill the 330i has a poise that points towards one fine fact and that is performance. With the BMW 330i, the story is all about the engine. By ushering in the 2996cc, 6 cylinder engine that churns out over 255 BHP @6600rpm and makes 300Nm of torque between 2500-4000 rpm, BMW has taken the 3 Series sedan into sportscar territory. Mated to a six speed steptronic gearbox, the car also features paddle shifts on the steering to add to the entire driving excitement.

BMW reported yesterday a first-quarter profit on improved sales and said that rising demand for premium cars bodes well for its full-year earnings. The world's biggest luxury car maker earned euro 324mil (US$424.1mil) in net income in the first quarter compared with a loss of euro 152mil a year ago.

Revenue in the Jan-March period rose 8.1% to euro 12.4bil from euro 11.5bil last year.

"The BMW Group has made a good start to 2010," chief executive Norbert Reithofer said in a statement. "We increased earnings significantly in the first quarter and are now back on a growth course on almost all car markets."

Reithofer said BMW is aiming for higher earnings in 2010, above the euro 210mil it earned last year, when consumers' reluctance to spend created a challenging market. "We intend to remain the world's leading provider of premium cars in 2010 and plan to increase our sales volume" to more than 1.3mil cars, he said.

First-quarter sales were driven higher by growth in Europe, Asia and the US, a key market. Sales in the US rose by 7.5% to 55,141 cars while in China, sales more than doubled to 36,607; European sales rose 4%. Worldwide, the automaker said it sold 265,809 cars, an increase of nearly 14% from the first quarter of 2009.

The sales increases included the Rolls-Royce brand, which had its best first-quarter results ever as sales rose more than 60% with 279 cars sold, including 158 new Rolls-Royce Ghosts. - AP - AP

Posted by: Anthony Lim

BMW Malaysia today previewed the sixth-generation 5 Series premium sedan in the country, making Malaysia the first in Asia to do so.

The F10 will make its market debut here on May 15, and the first of the type to be sold here will be two six-cylinder CBU models, the 535i and 523i.

The vehicle, designed by Adrian van Hooydonk, features a shape and styling that now falls in line as a bridge between the 3 Series and 7 Series in terms of progression, and in the flesh, is a very sleek looking car.

Styling-wise, the car features a long bonnet, short overhangs and the longest wheelbase in its segment, accentuated further by a coupe-like roofline. It does look smaller than the E60, but is actually a bigger vehicle.

The 523i is powered by a normally-aspirated N52B25 2.5l engine offering 204bhp at 6,300rpm and 250Nm of torque from 2,750-3,000rpm, which is good enough for a 0-100kmh time of 8.5secs and a top speed of 234kmh. As for the 535i, this one gets the N55B30 3.0l TwinPower Turbo block, which puts out 306bhp at 5,800rpm and 400Nm of torque at 1,200-5,000rpm. Performance figures include a 0-100kmh time of 6.1secs and a 250kmh top speed.

The new 5 Series is the first car in its segment to feature an 8-speed automatic transmission, in this case the ZF 8HP45, which features in both models, with the one on the 535i including steering wheel paddles and an M gearshift logic.

As expected, the car gets a host of intelligent driver assistance technologies, Integral Active Steering, Dynamic Stability Control and Cruise Control among them. new to the 5 Series is Dynamic Driving Control, which in conjunction with Dynamic Damping Control in the BMW 523i or Adaptive Drive in the BMW 535i, enables the driver to personalise the suspension set-up to taste, from comfortable to sporty.

Elsewhere, the EfficientDynamics crowd is represented by Brake Energy Regeneration and Electromechanical steering, which comes as standard. The latter operates only during the actual steering process; when the car is moving straight, or is at a constant cornering angle, the electric motor which powers the system is inactive, helping to reduce energy consumption.

Both models sit on 17-inch wheels and 225/55 series tyre combinations.Inside, the cabin gets a 4-zone automatic air conditioning system, electric glass roof and BMW’s Navigation Professional system as standard, and the car comes with a new multi-colour Head-Up Display system which transmits critical information such as vehicle speed, navigational directions and other control indicators directly into the drivers field of vision.

There's iDrive, of course, as well as BMW ConnectedDrive,which offers complete USB connectivity - and Bluetooth hands-free functions - to access a host of safety and infotainment functions such as BMW TeleServices and the optional BMW Telematics Platform Accessory (TPA), which includes an emergency Vehicle Recovery System as well as other BMW Assist remote services.

Later in the year, CKD versions and an expanded engine/variant line-up are slated to make their way into the market, but for now, the RM598,800 535i and RM398,800 523i lead the way for the sixth-generation 5er. The prices, of course, are on the road, without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive + Repair included.

BMW is now the world’s most valuable auto brand after the company overtook Toyota in an annual ranking of the world’s top brands called BrandZ Top 100 which is run by market research company Millward Brown. The survey indicated that BMW has a brand value of US$21.8 billion and sits in 25th spot in the overall ranking.

“It is likely that Toyota’s brand has suffered further in recent months, but it is a strong brand and is trying hard to overcome the damage through a major communications campaign,” said director Peter Walshe. “All of our evidence shows that strong brands are much more likely to recover from a crisis.”

According to the survey although BMW is on top its brand value declined by 9% compared to last year. Toyota had it worse with a 27% decline. Third place went to Honda while Mercedes-Benz is in fourth after suffering from an 11% drop. Porsche is in fifth after its brand’s value fell by 31%.

The brands that made up the top three of the list include, you’ve guessed it Google followed by IBM and Apple. Google’s brand value is worth US$114 billion.

from http://paultan.org/

Posted by: Anthony Lim

Posted by: Anthony Lim

BMW Group Malaysia and Quill Automobiles today officially opened the doors to the newest BMW 4S (Sales, Service, Systems and Spare Parts) centre in the Klang Valley.

The main event.

The new BMW dealership features a 40,000sq ft sales office and BMW FastLane Service centre in the Quill 9 building in Petaling Jaya, with a 20,000 sq ft after-sales service, systems and spare parts facilities centre in Puchong.

The concept and architecture of the PJ facility reflects the essence of the BMW brand , and houses a sales office, lounge area, M lounge area, BPS (BMW Premium Selection) area, meeting and discussion rooms, concierge and a display area that can hold up to 26 cars.

And the one in Puchong.

In conjunction with its official opening, Quill Automobiles is offering a free DVD player for every purchase of a 5 series this Apr 10-12. The dealership is also running a service campaign until Apr 30, with a complimentary safety inspection programme, complimentary car cleaning services, special rates on labour charges, special rates on wheel alignment and spare parts as well as special door gifts.

Posted by: Anthony Lim

BMW has announced that it will be building a state-of-the-art carbon fibre manufacturing plant in the US. The plant, a joint venture project with SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers, will be located in Moses Lake, Washington and will have an initial start-up investment of US$100mil and see the creation of 80 local jobs.

The facility will be integral in the manufacturing of lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) for use in future vehicle concepts; primarily, the fibres manufactured here will be used exclusively for the upcoming Megacity vehicle, which will be launched before 2015 under a BMW sub-brand, and assembled in Leipzig, Germany, where the current X1 and 1 Series is being built.

The raw material needed to manufacture carbon fibre - a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based precursor - will be produced by a joint venture between SGL Group and Mitsubishi Rayon in Otake, Japan. Then, the plant in Moses Lake will convert the polyacrylic fibres into the actual carbon fibres.

These fibres are then processed into lightweight carbon fiber fabrics in Wackersdorf, Germany, which will then send these fabrics to the BMW plant in Landshut, Germany, to be made into CFRP panels and components for the Megacity.

Posted by: Anthony Lim