BMW 135i News

The spread of the dealer network aims to keep up with demand caused by a booming population and Australia's strong economy.  Within two years, BMW will see $40 million spent on new or refurbished outlets as it shoots for 50 national dealerships.These include a second dealership in Perth ($15 million), expanded Doncaster (Victoria) premises ($10 million), a North Shore Sydney franchise ($8 million) and a new dealer at Tweed Heads.  The Perth dealership, to be built this year by the existing franchisee, is in the city's expanding northern suburbs.BMW Australia managing director Stavros Yallouridis says the expansion reflects the mechandising concept that takes the product closer to the buyer.  "We are, to a degree, a product for the impulsive buyer," he says."We have to go to the buyer and that redefines the distribution of our products. In many cases, as we expand our products with smaller cars, we have to be in city areas that demand small cars in order to sell to our target market."Yallouridis says the car market was aiming for record highs and, in BMW's case, highlighted by the 1-Series, X1, 5-Series and 7-Series."The X3 comes in next year and there's the 1-Series hatch and coupe, so sales will expand further," he says.The Audi Centre in Perth is more than doubling its floor area, taking over a neighbouring property in the high-end car retail suburb of Osborne Park. The suburb also hosts Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz.The additional building will accommodate the new 26-car showroom - effectively 2.5 times bigger than present - to display one of each of Audi's models.  Dealer principal David Collins says the investment of about $15 million was necessary."The customers demand it and we desperately need the space because of the growth in Audi sales," he says.  "In 2004 we had 120 new car sales. Now we have 1050."Audi's sales are higher than BMW's when you take out the SUVs.  "I've ordered 250 units of the A1 for 2011 because of demand."  Collins says the Q5 was "the most successful car I've ever been involved with".He says it reflects the growing trend of buyers seeking to downsize their cars yet retain quality and luxury.  BMW has recorded a 10.4 per cent national sales growth year-to-date and, with global sales this calendar year of 775,000, has surpassed Mercedes-Benz (735,000) and Audi (726,000).It has since January sold 1156 of its baby X1 SUV - now its third most popular single-body seller after the 3-Series (3326) and X5 (1955) - for 2 per cent of Australia's passenger-car market.Audi has 1.7 per cent of the car market, primed by sales year-to-date of 1458 A3s and 2521 A4s, and Mercedes-Benz has 2.6 per cent thanks primarily to its E-Class stranglehold of the $70,000-plus large luxury car sector and the robust 4242 C-Class sales.

Underneath the liquid white paint scheme and bright blue pinstriping, this 1 Series is powered by a new high-tech all-electric engine.  In place of a regular petrol or diesel engine is a synchronous electric motor that pumps pump out 126kW/250Nm.Called the Concept ActiveE, BMW will unveil the car next week at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit.  Unlike other concepts though, the ActiveE is far from a flight of fancy.The German carmaker plans to allow a select group of private and fleet buyers to drive the car and evaluate it before committing to production.  The design brief was to provide a zero emissions green machine without sacrificing the driving experience BMW drivers expect.BMW engineers positioned the heavy electric motor to provide a similar weight distribution and agile handling as the 1 Series.  The motor is integrated in the rear axle and the electronics are above the motor.Despite being a porky 1800kg, the ActiveE will reach 60km/h in 4.5 seconds, 100km/h in nine seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 145km/h.  Like the Mini E, it has a range of about 160km on a single charge.The high-tech theme carries over to the stylish cabin.  Smartphone technology allows the driver to perform some functions remotely.  Drivers will be able to use their mobile phones to check the car's battery status, search for public charging stations or turn on the heating or air conditioning remotely.Inside the cabin gets a lift with bright white and blue accentuated leather trim and back-lit three-dimensional dials.  The dashboard and console also display information about the electric drive system.The motor draws its energy from a new, advanced lithium-ion battery pack jointly developed by BMW and SB LiMotive.  BMW has also solved to problem of cooling the battery pack by developing a new temperature regulation system.  Importantly too the ActiveE has enough room for four and a 200 litre boot.The battery pack can be recharged in as little as three hours by a normal power outlet at public charging stations or via a special wall-mounted box.  The car's drive components were developed as part of project i, BMW's newest research division set up in 2008 to explore high-tech transport solutions.  Company officials say the technology is likely to appear in mass produced cars from about 2015.

Two years ahead of its showroom appearance, the all-new 3 is caught for the first time outside BMW's development base at Munich in Germany.  The hand-built prototype carries heavy camouflage in the company's signature swirls, but it is still easy to pick the general shape and proportions of BMW's future best seller.The next 3 Series, coded E93, will be slightly bigger and much more elegant than the current E90. It picks up the styling direction of the latest 7 Series flagship, which has been smoothed and preened from the brutalism of the previous Seven.The upcoming E93 has typical 3 Series proportions, from its wheels-at-each-corner chassis layout to a short rear overhang and the C-pillar treatment with what BMW calls its 'Hofmeister kick'. Carparazzi pictures of the car show a widened grille and the same sort of headlamp treatment already seen on the Seven and expected on the upcoming 5 Series replacement, which will be on Australian roads in June 2010. At the back, the boot and light treatment is typically BMW with an L-shape to the lighting package.BMW insiders say the the plan for the next 3 Series will again see the coupe and cabrio models take a slightly different design direction from the sedan and wagon. The shift will include unique lamp packages with more body jewellery for the upmarket models.Like the 1 Series, the E93 has a flexible, modular mechanical platform which allows BMW to spin extra models with minimal time and cost penalties.The model lineup for the new 3 Series is still not clear, but is expected to include an active hybrid with a three-cylinder engine connected to an electric powerpack, with everything from special tyres to aero-tweaked wheels, brake-energy regeneration, engine stop-start system and a pre-heater for the engine, gearbox and differential to cut emissions through the critical first few minutes of any trip.

The 135i coupe has been targeted by the M division as the idea base for its next go-faster car, following the latest X6 M and ahead of a likely upgrade of the upcoming 5 Series GT."The 135i is already a very good car. It is an obvious choice for M," says Albert Biermann, who heads product development at BMW's M operation."We need to get young people into our cars. The 135 is a great car already but also a good basis. Let's put it this way. Everything is on the radar, but some models get more focus than others.For now we are fine on the Sports Activity side with the X6 and X5.""We would rather focus on something on the opposite side of the range, doing maybe a smaller car. That way we get the younger customers in our cars."Biermann says M is changing shifting its emphasis a little as it responds to the greening of global motoring, and shift which has already triggered BMW's decision to withdraw from Formula One racing at the end of the year."We will definitely bring emissions down a lot. The X6 M is a good first example. This is a big car, with all-wheel drive, and it is better in emissions than the M5 or the M6. And the best in the segment," Biermann says. "But it's faster than the competition."He says M is committed to the broader push by BMW. "This is us doing our part at BMW M to support the Efficient Dynamics strategy. We call it efficient M Dynamics."The next models that will come out you can expect a signficiantly lower emission level, but not compromising on performance. We are working on the next M5 and we are on the early stage of the next M3. And we are looking into many things."So, what about hybrid and electric cars? "So far we got the most out of fuel, and in future we will get the most out of batteries. Everthing at its time. There is a time for hybrids and there will be a time for real electric cars."I would not say that there will be a hybrid M car or a full electric M car, but I'm not saying there won't be. But if it makes a true sports car then, yes. And if it's a technology that is affordable for the customer then you can expect us to come."Sales of M cars have dropped a little in the past 18 months but Biermann says the dip is related more to the models than any customer drift away from the go-fast models. "Last year we had 24,000 units. But we are depending on the lifecycle of our models, so this year the M5 is one of the oldest models in our portfolio. And the M3 has had its peak.""We are on a decreasing number this year. Last year, although we got hit like everyone else, we had our second-best year ever with BMW M. We definitely plan to grow, especially with the new models."

...in collaboration with Lamborghini, in sufficient numbers for homologation – approval to race.Early on in the project, Lamborghini pulled out for financial reasons and BMW took full control, by which time only seven prototypes had been made. All up, only 456 production examples were built.The M1 Design by Giugiaro was inspired by the Paul Bracq-designed BMW Turbo, created as a celebration piece for the Munich Olympics in 1972. As you can see in our gallery of photos, the M1 didn’t veer too far from the Turbo design.Powered by a twin-cam M88/1 3.5 litre, six cylinder engine, the precursor of BMW’s 3 and 5 series ‘M’ cars produced 204kW in the road-ready versions, and a whopping 634kW in the turbocharged racing cars.Procar In motorsport, the BMW M1 had various successes in the short-lived Group B era but is best known for Procar, a one-make championship using modified M1s.Known as the Procar BMW M1 Championship, it served as an opportunity for drivers from different disciplines to race against each other in exactly the same car. Niki Lauder and Nelson Piquet are notable winners of the event. Australia’s Alan Jones also raced during this time.In 1981 BMW chose not to continue Procar, deciding instead to pursue its entry into Formula One.BMW Art cars The BMW Art Car Project was started in 1975 by race driver and auctioneer Herve Poulain. His idea involved commissioning renowned artists to paint production and race ready beemers.To date 17 cars have been painted by big name artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and our own Ken Done. Robin Rhode painted the last one – a BMW Z4 in 2009.BMW M1 Homage For the M1’s 30th anniversary, BMW unveiled the Giorgio Giugiaro-designed BMW M1 Homage Concept at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2008. It was again inspired by the BMW Turbo and, of course, the original M1. BMW insists that the Homage is just a ‘design study’ and will not be produced. 

The BMW M1 Homage was created to celebrate a 1970s original, show how the car would have been changed for today, and what might be possible in the future.The original M1 was launched in the late 1970s as a mid-engined supercar to redefine the performance benchmark for German luxury brands.It used a development of the inline M-series six already used in the 6 Series coupe of the same era, but had a 0-100km/h sprint time in the low six-second range and a top speed beyond 250km/h. Those were impressive numbers for the time.But BMW had even bigger plans for the M1 and it became a serious racer.The M1 made its name in Procar as a string of big-name drivers in the early ‘80s — including Australia’s Alan Jones and triple world champion Niki Lauda — took guest drives in the ultimate one-make series.They delighted in flinging the car, which was powered by a 630kW turbocharged engine, around the same tracks where they raced their grand prix cars. And they made big cash with plenty of prizemoney on offer.The Procar series created some torrid racing and another piece of history when pop art legend Andy Warhol created the fourth of BMW’s fully functional “Art Car” masterpieces. It even raced at Le Mans in 1979, finishing sixth overall.The original M1 was a limited-edition supercar but the Homage is even more exclusive, as there is only one.BMW says it is a “design study”, which means despite enthusiasm from many M1 fans, it will never become a production car.The design of the new coupe has strong links to the original M1 in everything from air vents in the bonnet, louvres on the rear screen and the black cut line that divides the roofline from the rear section of the body.It is driveable and that means its Liquid Orange paintwork has made a splash on some of Europe’s most scenic roads when it has not been starring at motor shows.So the Homage will be the dream machine for BMW in Melbourne, but the company will also have the latest in road-going reality as it displays its all-new 7 Series flagship and the quickest of its new X6 family.The new 7 shows the latest BMW styling direction, as well as a range of advanced technology including a system which can recognise speed signs and tell the driver the current limit. The ultimate X6 — at least until there is one from the M (performance) division — is called the xDrive50i and is powered by the same twin-turbo V8 used in the latest 7 Series. The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show... 

Starring British actor Jason Statham from Snatch and, of course, the first two Transporter movies, Transporter 3 takes the high-speed action right across Europe.In this film, Statham, as Frank Martin, is forced to transport two bulky bags and a young Ukrainian woman from Marseille to Odessa.In Transporter 1 & 2, most of the action scenes lasted 30-40 seconds. Transporter 3 features almost unlimited stunts.Bond film stunt expert Raacemi Julienne said they shot all the car chase scenes at high speed rather than speeding it up later."All the car chases are filmed at real speed, without models, to capture the pace and inertia of a car going into a spin," he said.Unlike most modern action movies, 3D was used sparingly with most stunts being performed on set."That's where you have to come up with new ideas," Julienne said."How do you jump a car on to a train without it smashing up? How do you slide it down the side of truck?"Every day was a different challenge and most of the solutions were dreamed up on the spot. That's what made the shoot so exciting and such fun."Most of the chase scenes were structured like action symphonies, which resulted in crumpled fenders, high-risk chopper flying and even the use of a purpose-built quad bike in the streets of Marseille.The car star of the action flick is the six-litre, 331kW, W12-powered Audi A8 quattro luxury saloon, driven by Statham's character; at one stage on two wheels between two trucks on a high-speed Autobahn.Although how he manages to do so many handbrake slides with an electronic parking brakes defies logic.The A8 also replicates the spiral jump first seen in the 1974 James Bond film, The Man With The Golden Gun.Transporter3 also features a cornucopia of vehicles including an Audi Q7 SUV; BMW 3 and 5 Series; several Citroens and Renaults; a Hummer H1; Kenworth, DAF and Scania trucks; a Kia Cee'd; Range Rover Sport; Lada Samara and Peugeot police cars; and even a tractor that pulls the A8 out of a river.Statham is a bit of an Audi fan owning an old RS6 Audi and waiting on the release of the RS6 V10 twin turbo with 426kW of power.The rugged action flick actor with a background in martial arts did most of his own stunts in the first two Transporter movies, including car chases, scuba diving sequences and fights.Statham is no debutante to car action films having also appeared in last year's Death Race, which was a reworking of the 1975 film Death Race 2000 featuring David Carradine.Audi is also no debutante to the silver screen, having featured in the previous two Transporter movies, Ronin, I Robot, Mission Impossible 2, About a Boy, Legally Blond 2, Hitman and The Matrix 2.It also starred its R8 supercar in last year's action film, Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr who arrived at the Australian premiere in a silver R8. Supporting roles in Iron Man were played by a S5 sports sedan and a Q7.The first two Transporter movies earned more than $50 million worldwide.Transporter3 hits the big screen on February 5. 

It would have been so easy for the Blue Oval team to drop the bundle as they worked towards producing a new car for a segment that was shrinking daily before their eyes.

It's time to reveal the second half of the carsguide Car of the Year field - and this time it's all closer to home.The second group of five finalists includes a pair of Aussie icons and three of the perennial favourites out of Japan.These COTY contenders have been through the same gruelling three-day test program as the opening five contenders - the Audi A4, BMW 135i Sport, Fiat 500, Jaguar XF diesel and VW Tiguan.With the full final field of 10 revealed, the votes are in and a winner will be announced next Friday.For the stories, video and photos visit Carsguide Car of the Year 2009. 

The baby BMW's edgy styling won't win any beauty prizes and the two-door body is a pain, but think of V8 performance from a compact coupe and you get the picture.