This feed contains the latest All feed items for the BMW 1 SERIES model. http://www.motortorque.com/ Copyright 2013 MotorTorque All Rights Reserved. Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Automotive Website Framework Engine (2.9.1208.1803) BMW UK today revealed its network of dealers that will supply and support BMW 'i' - which the company calls its 'revolutionary new sub-brand', featuring electric drive systems and premium mobility services. From launch, 46 BMW sales agents across the UK will offer the company's upcoming i range. Each sales agent will have specialist technical capabilities which allow them to carry out repairs to the vehicles' high voltage batteries. In addition, a wider service network is planned in order to offer extended coverage for the general service, maintenance and repair of BMW i vehicles. So far, only two BMW i cars have been confirmed for production. These are the fully-electric BMW i3 megacity vehicle and the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 sports car. The i3 model, BMW's first fully-electric production car, is due to go on sale in the UK in late 2013. As with the i8 sports car, the BMW i3 features an all-aluminium chassis combined with a passenger cell made entirely from lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic. Tim Abbot, BMW Group UK Managing Director, said that customer enquiries about BMW i are already 'extremely high', with more than 6,000 potential-customers registering their interesting in the i brand. Abbot commented: 'With the announcement of our BMW i retail network we are open for business and taking deposits on the i3 and i8. Our BMW i dealerships are located in the areas of the UK with the highest concentrations of population.' The BMW Concept i3 is currently on display in the world's first BMW i showroom on Park Lane, London. In May, the car will feature at the Wentworth BMW PGA Championship and is then due to appear at the Canary Wharf Motorexpo in June 2013. Written by Glenn Doyle. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-uk-i-new-dealer-network-22288.aspx Glenn Doyle Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT What is the sound of driving pleasure? The roar of a V8 engine? The throb of an F1 car? If you are BMW it is actually a new melody produced for its latest UK adverts. The sound, featuring two bass tones, will replace the traditional 'double gong' used in BMW adverts since the late 1990s in all future BMW adverts, the brand has announced. From the middle of this month the sound will be used on all TV and radio adverts and will be used worldwide alongside the 'Ultimate driving machine' tagline. According to BMW: 'The melody is introduced by a rising, resonant sound and underscored by two distinctive bass tones that form the sound logo's melodic and rhythmic basis.' Sounding more like a sound used on an advert for computer hardware, the sound has been composed to appeal to a wide variety of different markets for the manufacturer as it takes on a more global approach. The brand also insists the new sound represents 'sheer driving pleasure' and, more importantly, helps to separate BMW from other brands with their own signature noise such as Mercedes and Audi. According to Sound designer Thomas Kisser of HASTINGS media music, who helped create the sound: 'It was a very intensive process and a wonderfully exciting challenge right from the start. 'The questions I asked myself at the outset were: What does the BMW brand sound like to me? Which sound themes represent the values I associate with BMW, such as Sheer Driving Pleasure, aesthetic appeal and power?' The new sound will be used at the end of an advert for the new BMW 4 Series Coupe, the three-door addition to the BMW range alongside the standard four-door BMW 3 Series saloon. Longer and lower than the 3 Series, the 4 Series Coupe was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this year and will go on sale in the UK in September. A convertible version and a more practical BMW 4 Series GT will arrive next year to expand the range to three body styles. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/new-sound-logo-for-bmw-revealed-21692.aspx Stephen Hurrell Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT BMW celebrates the European premiere of its i3 Concept Coupe in Geneva, Switzerland - reflecting the current status of the ongoing development process and illustrate the potential breadth of an extended BMW 'i' portfolio. BMW is attempting to show how high performance, zero emission mobility is also able to deliver when it comes to emotional excitement and sheer appeal. The model is built around BMW eDrive technology, which will provide a unique driving experience in all future electric and plug-in hybrid models produced by BMW. The German automobile manufacturers will being supplying customers with driver-friendly, premium-quality electric mobility later on in the year, with the BMW i3 - whose technology is a response to the social, ecological and economic challengers of our generation. Based on the results of their field trials, BMW set out to design a BMW eDrive powertrain for the BMW i3 model which, in typical commuting use between home and the workplace, would only require the vehicle's battery to be recharged once every two to three days. The BMW i3 manages to go well beyond this target, however, registering a range of between 80 and 100 miles in day-to-day operation, also allowing the vehicle to cope comfortably with out of town journeys. Our MotorTorque video team are currently at the Geneva Motor Show, reporting back on all of the cars and concepts from the week. You can watch our day two round-up video below. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/geneva-motor-show---bmw-i3-concept-coupe-21570.aspx Glenn Doyle Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales may have muscles on his muscles after serving in the navy and air force, but he still needs extreme protection. Which is probably why, according to reports, Scotland Yard is busy testing an armour-plated BMW for the Duke of Cornwall to ward off any potential attacks towards him and the Duchess. Worth approximately £300,000, the BMW 760 will be clad with removable bulletproof windscreens and, amazingly, poison-proof measures. An alarm detects if any poisonous gas has seeped into the car where it will automatically close the windows, fresh air vents and engage the central locking system. Breathable air will then be supplied to Charles and Camilla via an oxygen system. Also fitted will be an assault alarm that will extinguish fires found under the chassis and in the engine bay. Hidden microphones and speakers will allow royals inside the car to talk to people outside without them having to open the windows. And, if the Duchy Originals founder should ever worry about a Robert De Niro 'Casino' moment, the car is fitted with a remote ignition system that lets the car be started from as far away as 150 yards if a bomb is suspected to be wired to the starter system. Included is an anti-kidnap device. Should the royals find themselves at the mercy of a rogue chauffer, police can unlock the car remotely so Charles and Camilla can escape. Technical experts have already described the car as an "über-technical land yacht." The BMW 760 is one of the most secure cars in the world, according to the manufacturer, and is reportedly as safe as President Obama's Cadillac One. Scotland Yard is apparently looking to lease or purchase at least two of the cars later this year, though that's yet to be confirmed by the force. Dai Davies, a former head of royal protection at Scotland Yard, is quoted in The Independent as saying: "This is best security car of its kind and in my view the police should be using it because they couldn't countenance another attack like the one during the student riots. "If you're going to spend millions on protecting the royals then it seems nonsensical not to have to the right equipment." Camilla was poked through the window of the royal Rolls-Royce in 2010 with a wooden pole by student fees protesters at the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. The car was also hit by paint bombs whilst demonstrators shouted "Off with their heads." Written by John Meadowcroft. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP1WC1UfeQs http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/prince-charles-and-the-poison-proof-bmw-21365.aspx John Meadowcroft Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT This 42-wheel drive, 8,721bhp BMW is one of the craziest concept cars in recent years but it was designed by the German brand itself at the request of a four-year old fan. When Eli, a four-year-old petrolhead, asked his uncle Ben to design him a dream car the duo turned to US car community Jalopnik for help. While readers of the site rendered their own cars from the outlandish criteria, the BMW marketing department were busy crafting their own creation. In what is one of the cleverest marketing ploys of the year, BMW USA has created the '4219ELi' for Eli after he specified only a BMW would do for his dream car. The car meets all of Eli's criteria including 42 wheels (three per axle) and 19 engines split between two engine bays. This means 'massive' air intakes and a motorsport-themed spoiler are required on the new creation to cope with nearly 9,000bhp. BMW has also added a toy trunk complete with its own air vent, a custom vanity plate and the traditional kidney-shaped BMW grille. And, if Eli wants to nip into the toy trunk to play, one of two friends can take over the driving thanks to a unique three-driver setup giving each their own steering wheel. After creating the car, the marketing department promised to pass on the designs to the product department - although prices could be a particular stumbling block for Eli. Perhaps he had better get saving now... Written by Stephen Hurrell http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-designs-42-wheel-car-after-four-year-old-fans-plea-21321.aspx Stephen Hurrell Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT BMW has unveiled a phenomenal marketing stunt in New York City, which turns every car on the road into a new i3 or an i8. Well, not literally, of course... but it's still nothing short of mind-blowing. BMW has created a digital window at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue which captures passing cars through motion detection technology and a series of cameras to instantly reflect them back as the manufacturer's electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Called the BMW i window, it works in real time and calculates how much money motorists would save and the CO2 reductions made if all cars were electric. BMW's range of i vehicles are expected to hit markets toward the end of the year. BMW is hoping to attract attention to its new all-electric i3 and i8 plug-in hybrid, both of which signify a whole new direction for the manufacturer. The BMW i8 concept looks sporty and has an impressive electric motor complemented by an internal combustion engine which can achieve an estimate 87mpg. It's also estimated that the car can go from 0-60 in less than five seconds. The i3 concept coupe will be BMW's first Series-produced electric car, and can reach an estimated 100 miles per charge. A range extender will also be available on the i3. BMW's whole i philosophy also looks to use natural, sustainable and renewable raw materials in the cars' construction. 25 per cent of the plastics used in the i3's interior, for instance, and 25 per cent of its exterior thermoplastics came from renewable sources. BMW also insists that at some stage in 2013, i production in Leipzig will be powered exclusively by clean energy with 100 per cent of the plant's electricity coming from regenerative sources. Written by John Meadowcroft. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12B63umLkWU http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-turns-every-single-car-on-the-road-electric-21067.aspx John Meadowcroft Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT BMW has designed a two-man bobsled, which will be used by Team USA in next year's Winter Olympics in the city of Sochi and resort town of Krasnaya Polyana, both in Russia. Last November, BMW DesignworksUSA announced that it was in the process of designing a new state of the art two-man bobsled for the US Bobsled Team, for them to compete in at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Only a vague teaser sketch of the sled was available at the time. Fast forward to the present day and not only has one of the prototypes already been raced, but the actual bobsled will soon be debuted. Not only does the bobsled look sharp and visually stunning, its performance is also promising. We're sure that Team USA will be fancying their chances for gold medals at next year's Winter Olympics. Stacy Morris, from the BMW Group, says, "The first prototype won't race, it was our first step in studying the aerodynamics of a bobsled. "The second prototype just started racing... Once we have more experience and data from racing this second prototype, we plan to make tweaks and build a production sled before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games." The second prototype was raced for the first time last Saturday by the US Men's Bobsled Team - at the FIBT World Cup in Igls, Austria. The sled was originally pencilled to make its debut at a later date but, it would appear that, the team was eager to see how it would perform. The team ended up placing 14th, out of thirty teams, which was classed as a decent placing given that they had no practice runs in the BMW sled on the particular track used for the race. In terms of the actual sled, the carbon fibre-bodies were designed using BMW's EfficientDynamics principles - which are usually used for developing lighter, faster, more fuel-efficient cars. One of the results of the principles is a unique 'weight distribution to achieve an optimised balance of the regulations' mandated sled weight', in which the shell is unusually light - as well as the sled's centre of gravity being very low and centralised. This isn't the first time a manufacturer has strayed from its car roots. Last November we featured the BMW 7-Series gondola, used at ski resorts. http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-bobsled-ready-for-winter-olympics-21036.aspx Glenn Doyle Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT The BMW 4 Series concept has been presented to the public for the first time this week at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show, as the German manufacturer explains its aims to give the more compact coupe and convertible models more distinction. The Coupe Concept was first revealed last month, alongside the news that from later 2013 onwards, BMW cars previously named the 3 Series Coupe, 3 Series Gran Coupe and 3 Series Convertible would now fall under the branding 4 Series. This decision will also leave the saloon and estate bodystyles as the only specifications sold under the original 3 Series name. Bringing in a new product name alongside the long-used model names 3 Series and 5 Series has already caused quite a stir within the motoring scene. However on the same day BMW unveiled its 4 Series concept in Detroit the company's sales and marketing director, Ian Robertson, justified the decision on the grounds of distinguishing these particular bodystyles more from the already hugely popular saloon and estate versions. Robertson said the concept has "more dynamic and has more presence than the 3 Series so this is why we calling it a 4 Series" He also added: "This is a new chapter for BMW. We wanted to make a coupe that stands above all others and we are confident that it will define the segment". Also commenting on BMW's sales record for 2012, Robertson also revealed that BMW sold 1.85 million cars worldwide last year, an increase of 11 per cent compared to 2011. "We are optimistic that we can set a new record again this year as we launch new models including our electric vehicles". The 4 Series was presented at Detroit alongside other BMWs first revealed towards the end of 2012, including the updated Z4 roadster Besides the new name, the 4 Series will be made further distinct from the 3 Series models with a generally slimmer and more aggressive look, as demonstrated on the Coupe Concept which is believed to be near identical to the final production model. The 4 Series concept includes a lower front bumper with air vents for greater aerodynamic performance, a low slung rear end and a lower roofline. Inside the cabin meanwhile the layout is similar to previous 3 Series models, but the materials used, which include Matt-effect Natural Chestnut Wood trim, are very different in comparison. The production 4 Series range could go on sale in the UK near the end of 2013, with prices starting at around £27,000 for the Coupe model. Written by Stephen Goldasz http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-targets-new-chapter-with-new-4-series-range-20955.aspx Stephen Goldasz Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT Premium German car maker BMW has revealed the BMW 4 Series which rebrands the new version of the 3 Series Coupe, Gran Coupe and 3 Series Convertible. The move means that the BMW 3 Series will officially only be sold as a saloon and Touring estate, with other model types standing alone and becoming separately distinguished to motorists. The announcement is also the strongest hint yet that the M3 performance model name will cease and be replaced by the new designation M4. The first official images from BMW have been published showing the 4 Series Coupe Concept in full, prior to its public debut at the North American International Auto Show based in Detroit. The production version of the 4 Series Coupe is expected to showrooms in the UK by the end of 2013, while the 4 Series Convertible and four-door Gran Coupe specification will shortly follow. To distinguish the new 4 Series range further, the new Coupe sports a slightly slimmer and sporty design compared to the current 3 Series range. Exterior changes on the 4 Series include a lower front bumper with air vents for greater aerodynamic performance, a low slung rear end and a lower roofline. The interior meanwhile has a similar design to the current 3 Series saloon, but the materials used are largely different. The 4 Series adds a lot Matt-effect Natural Chestnut Wood trim to give it a more unique and premium touch of quality. Overall the BMW 4 Series Concept is expected to carry over virtually all of its styling over to the final production model. Engine options for the 4 Series have yet to be detailed, however rumours in the media suggest the Coupe could offer a few petrol and diesel engines. Both the starting petrol and diesel engines could offer 181bhp, while at top of the range a V8 petrol unit with over 400bhp could be offered with an all-new M4 Coupe. Each engine option will in all probability be transferred over to the 4 Series Convertible and Gran Coupe as well. Written by Stephen Goldasz http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-4-series-concept-confirmed-20642.aspx Stephen Goldasz Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT It may be cold, but it's not THAT cold... BMW has designed a luxury ski gondola that features leather seats, massage technology and more in its 7 Series-inspired, Austrian-based ski lift. People staying in Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach will be able to use the gondola as part of a 150 Euro specialist luxury package. 26 Euros less than a standard two-day pass at the resort, buyers get two-day lift tickets for two people and queue privileges. "The interior comes from BMW Individual - comprising of leather seats with an integrated massage function and a multimedia system from the BMW 7 limousine series," says the manufacturer. Though a gondola appears to be an odd choice for something to commission, it actually appears to be a shrewd business move by BMW to make potential customers more aware of the brand. High-quality ski resorts attract a number of people on an annual basis, and creating a ski gondola with the interior of one of its luxury cars will give people first-hand experience of sitting in a luxury BMW model over the course of two days. Mercedes-Bends It's not uncommon for manufacturers to advertise their luxury cars at luxury ski resorts, and BMW's ultra-modern design should help leave a lasting impression on a number of wealthy skiers this winter. It's not unusual for major manufacturers to diversify and try their technologies in other areas, either. Mercedes-Benz has recently revealed a motor yacht called 'Granturismo' at the Monaco Yacht Show in September. Again, the technology featured is lifted from a number of high-performance and luxury Mercedes-Benz cars. Due on the yacht market in 2013, the Granturismo promises to be one of the most phenomenal boats to sail the seas and has been created by its Silver Arrows Marine division. Mercedes-Benz has also expanded into helicopters, furniture and more. Written by John Meadowcroft http://www.motortorque.com/car-news/bmw-builds-7-series-luxury-gondola-20510.aspx John Meadowcroft Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT