BMW 550I News

Porsche has just released the sixth model in its line-up -- the Macan compact SUV -- but is already well progressed with secret plans to add yet another model to its range.The German sports-car maker appears to not be content with having posted all-time record sales last year and has even bigger visions for the future.The boss of Porsche, Matthias Muller, has indicated he would like a seventh model in the company's line-up. "If you include the super-sportscar (the 918) we have six models in our line-up," Mr Muller told journalists from China, Australia and New Zealand attending the launch of the Macan SUV in Leipzig, Germany."I think a seven-model series would be a good line up because most cars have a seven-year lifecycle," he said. "If we had seven models we could have a major event each year, as well as the (special edition) variants." Mr Muller would not say what type of car would become the seventh model.Recent speculation has centred on a two-door version of the Panamera, a mid-engined Ferrari 458 rival (to bridge the price gap between the 911 and the 918) and a budget-priced sports-car to slot in below the Boxster.However, according to Porsche insiders, the seventh model is most likely to be a mid-size sedan that would be a rival to the BMW 5 Series, and sit below the Panamera in price.The Porsche sedan would be available with rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive just like the Panamera, say company insiders, who claim it would help give Porsche economies of scale by sharing some of its components with the Macan.The mid-size Porsche sedan is said to be built off Audi's second-generation MLB (modularen langsbau) architecture, which is a development of what is already underneath the Porsche Macan.Meanwhile, Porsche says the Macan is "exactly the right vehicle at the right time" even though it has only planned to build 50,000 this year. Last year Porsche sold 75,000 Cayennes -- but the compact luxury SUV market in which the Macan competes is much larger."This year the luxury compact SUV segment will reach a total volume of 1.3 million units," said Mr Muller, adding that the category had seen a staggering 185 per cent growth in sales since 2007.Over the next 10 years, sales of luxury compact SUVs are set to exceed the 1.8 million mark, he said. "Porsche will broaden its customer base," said Mr Muller, "and most will be first-time Porsche buyers."He said Porsche had just posted a record 162,000 sales in 2013 and was on track to eclipse the 200,000 mark for the first time this year. About one-third of all Porsches are sold in China, one-third are sold in North America, and one-fifth in Europe.But Mr Muller says Porsche will continue to be a premium brand because sales growth will come from emerging markets."Porsche still only represents 0.25 per cent of cars on the road, or two to three out of every 1000 cars," said Mr Muller. "A high degree of exclusivity is assured for our brand. (But) we are going to grow profitably."This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Information is good, but domination is bad. So I like big digital speedometers, blind-spot warning systems and reversing cameras, but I'm against automatic parking, radar cruise controls and anything which can influence the steering.My personal jury is still out on automatic emergency braking, but I think it's probably going to get a tick. The reason for this reluctance runs all the way back to the very first cars I drove with anti-skid braking systems, a BMW 5 Series and a Honda Accord.I can clearly remember the wheels of the Accord chattering and skidding as I tried a panic stop, but the Five was worse. I was driving on a gravel road when I needed to brake for a corner.I did, but the car did not, and I can clearly picture to this day the tree I narrowly missed as I arrowed off the road with the ABS system working - or not - precisely as the engineers intended.Hitting the personal fast-forward button, there was a Lexus that insisted on applying emergency braking power when another driver cut into my lane and cut the beam for the over-sensitive radar cruise control, a Camry that cut engine power just when I needed it in a corner, and a Volkswagen that refused to accelerate from a Stop sign because I was holding the car on the brake at the same time as tickling the throttle.Just last year, there was a Mercedes-Benz that swerved me into the path of an oncoming car when it detected that I had drifted over the white line, when in fact I was easing gently away from a potential head-on smash.I know that technology improves and I like some of the stuff that makes life easier, but I was overwhelmed this week by the all-new Volkswagen Golf and a bank of safety equipment that runs from a fatigue monitor to radar cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, automatic parking and even multi-collision braking to stop the car after a crash.A lot of this stuff is good, and there's no doubt that it should make our roads safer. But it's also encouraging a breed of drivers who are really just passengers, relying on their cars to save them from themselves. And that cannot be good.This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover 

The 5 Series picks up the new front on a mild mid-life facelift next year, but there are no details - yet - of any other changes. 

... including sedans and wagons with no less than four different engines:- A 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel;- a 2.5-litre six cylinder petrol;- a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol;- a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel; and- a thumping twin turbocharged 4.4-litre V8.Prices range from $83,300 to $178,900 with a bewildering and eye watering array of options that then add tens of thousands more to your bill.WANT MORE?First drive by Mark HinchliffeReview by Philip KingFirst drive by Kevin Hepworth

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.

The next generation of BMW's mid-sized executive runner has been unveiled ahead of Australian sales in the middle of 2010.  The body design of the 5 Series follows the smoother elegance of the latest 7 Series, which led BMW back out of the land of brutality, and there are promises of more luxury, technology and efficiency."It's a complete re-positioning of the product. We're talking about a completely different car, top to bottom," says the managing director of BMW Australia, Stavros Yallouridis.  "We'll be launching it midyear. We tend to position it as elegant and sporty. It's always been a businessman's type of car and we're trying to make it more sport and elegant as well."The new Five is the sixth generation and will be built alongside the 7 Series flagship at BMW's factory at Dingolfing in Germany.  The car is claimed with the longest wheelbase in its class, while the cabin - like the new Seven - has a tighter focus on the driver.There will be a full range of petrol and diesel engines up to the twin- turbo V8, but the big news is the technology in the car. This runs from a new generation of parking radar to a roof-mounted camera that gives a 360-degree view and pedestrian protection.  The Five will be loaded with gear when it gets to Australia, although Yallouridis is not giving away much of the detail."It's a little bit early. We are trying to do something a little bit different, but at the moment we can announce that the 535i will be the launch model," he says.  That points to a starting price beyond $100,000, although the current price leader in the 5 Series range is the 520d at $76,400.  We're working on the price at the moment and it's really first steps. I cannot comment on the price, but I'm concentrating on pricing it at the same level as the previous car. That depends on timing, what competitors will do, and the value.  "With fluctuation of currency it's a little bit difficult. Catch me in 2010. But we have to stay within our competitive range."   Yallouridis says BMW Australia is already working on a smooth transition to the new model."The 5 Series for BMW around the world is a very core model. It's where BMW positioned itself initially with the Five and the 3 Series.  "I think that 5 Series around the world has been quite good. It's strategically important for the company and we need to protect that position,  The sales in Australia are quite satisfactory. We want to make sure we don't have a high stock level with the existing 5 Series as we move to the new one."And what about the master blaster in the Five lineup, the M5?  "I have no idea," Yallouridis says.  "BMW is definitely thinking about a new M5, but I cannot comment on if it's six months or a year or more away.  But they won't cancel the existing M5, so there will be some overlap between the two cars with the new 5 Series."

The explosive growth of the BMW model range is about to be defused in Australia. The line-up is being trimmed to cut competition and duplication, making it easier for customers in showrooms.The plan is to have only three choices of any individual model, with two petrol engines and one diesel. The current list includes 36 individual models in the 3 Series sedan line-up . . . without counting the coupe, convertible or station wagon.“We get a lot of questions about whether we have too many models. I think we do have too many,” BMW Australia managing director Guenther Seemann says.He believes BMW must cut the choices to streamline business, though he says there will still be all-new models in future — with the X6 four-wheel drive and M3 sedan up next — as the German company looks for customers.The work has begun, though there are a dozen individual BMW lines, from the baby 1 Series to the four-wheel-drive X5 and flagship 7-Series, with 50 official engine choices. BMW has 189 individual models on the list.“We've already begun tidying up. The 116i hatch has been removed from the range, there are the manuals in the 3 Series and one of the X3 manuals,” Seeman says.“In the 5 Series range, one of the V8s will go. I believe for each and every model line-up in the future, as we add models, we need two petrol and one diesel variant in each case. No more. We have so many different model lines, it is not practical or possible to display them all in a showroom.He says it will take time to get things sorted, partly because there are so many models.“It will happen in the next two years. Globally, there are five petrol and five diesel engine choices. And that is just in the 3 Series range,” he says.But there is definitely space for some additions, like the four-door M3 sedan.“We are starting the business case. It looks good, I must say,” he says.“We will bring the four-door version, but I do not know at what price. We always follow the normal BMW pattern, where a two-door is more expensive than a four-door. We have to price it lower than the M3 two-door.” 

It's not every day you drive along a dark, winding road at night, actually willing a kangaroo to hop out in front of you. But where else could we fully test BMW's freaky, futuristic Night Vision system?We had to discount taking it onto a battlefield against similarly equipped tanks, because we don't have the Top Gear TV show's budget.Hunting a group of C-grade actors pretending to be commandos through a jungle, Predator-style, was discounted for similar reasons.The system, a $4000 option on the 5, 6 and 7 Series, uses a thermal-imaging camera to beam hot and steamy footage of the road ahead, some 300m ahead, in fact, to the display screen in the middle of the dash.It works stunningly well, but can also be supremely distracting if you keep it on while driving around town.The really fascinating stuff is all the useless information Night Vision provides you with.Like how much heat comes out of the diff on a four-wheel drive, the fact that some people are, literally, hotter than others, and some have really hot legs, and that you can see the exhaust system glowing on every car in front of you.In fact, every vehicle looks like it's had one of those hoony blue downlights installed.You can also determine, among the parked cars, which ones have been driven most recently.It really does make you feel like the Predator, if the Predator got a job in a bank, started wearing a suit and bought a posh car.The information you're presented with verges on overload, and watching the screen did make two passengers feel physically ill.The fact that, being a bit of a geek, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen was also bordering on dangerous. But the Night Vision system really comes into its own when you get out of town and there's suddenly a lot less heat to see on the screen, allowing you to look at the road, like you're supposed to.This means your eyes are drawn to the Night Vision screen only when something,  a cyclist, a kangaroo, a particularly keen hitch-hiker poping up in the distance.The advantage in this setting is obvious, as the thermal-imaging camera picks up these hot items before the naked eye can.As BMW helpfully points out, about 45 per cent of fatal road accidents occur at night, even though more than two-thirds of all driving is done during the day.And it's a fair bet that our headlight-loving fauna is involved in a disturbing number of those night-time incidents.With that in mind, $4000 doesn't seem like a lotto spend. Even if it saves you only once, it'sa great investment.What is a slight concern is that, until the technology becomes as common as satnav, you're going to have a lot of rich toy boys driving around showing off their Night Vision to their mates, barely having their eyes on the road.The system we tested was installed in a 550i that was so heavily laden with gadgetry it made the space shuttle look like the Wright Brothers' little plane.When we weren't oohing and aahing over the infra-red images, we did notice that it was a fine executive express with plenty of grunt, sweet steering and a smooth ride.If I could just find that $163,900 I lost down the back of the couch (plus $4000 for Night Vision), I'd think about buying one. 

Chris Bangle had just demonstrated how to make a perfectly symmetrical origami-style dinghy out of a sheet of paper when he glanced over his shoulder to gaze at one of Australia's most recognisable structures."That building, design, shape and form is an icon," Bangle says of the Opera House from his vantage point on the far side of the Quay. "Look at some of the other buildings on the Sydney skyline: they haven't the same effect or lasting design."The Opera House was a huge departure from conventional design, the striking spherical shells making it one of the most prominent designs of the 20th century. When it opened in 1973 it was widely accepted as an iconic structure; quite the opposite to the impact Bangle had on the car world with his radical design direction at the once ultra-conservative BMW at the start of the 21st century.Bangle, the world's pre-eminent car designer, was in Sydney last week for the motor show. And there was intense interest in him for causing the greatest stir in recent automotive history. Bangle rose to fame or infamy — depending on which side of the fence you sit — with his self-proclaimed "flame design", first shown to the world with the arrival of the E65 7-series in 2001.It was revised last year with the E66 sporting a smoother rump, the infamous "Bangle Butt" having some cosmetic surgery.Bangle-hate websites have sprung up since he headed off in his radical mish-mash of concave and convex lines that filtered through to the 5-series and Z4 roadster and coupe. They're full of nasty stuff, some personally attacking American-born Bangle, others calling for his axing from the Munich maker.Bangle acknowledges the wave of protest, admitting he looks into the often murky world of the worldwide web."I look at them. I don't bathe myself in them but I certainly look," Bangle says."You know Andy Warhol said everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame in the future and it's just that I got in before a lot of people," he chuckles."But seriously (websites) are like the faceless media, its a one-way discussion and it's like a wall coming at you."I think in the future everyone is going to have their own hate website and we're just seeing the beginning of it."Bangle qualifies his response by saying he is not immune to criticism."I think criticism is OK, it's healthy as long as there is open dialogue," he says.The car world has to some degree lessened its dislike of the so-called Bangle angles.And Bangle, 50, is very much in-demand on the speaking circuit. In Melbourne recently, Bangle addressed a gathering at the national design centre at Federation Square.He says Australia has a lot to offer the world from a design point of view."You know a lot of the magazines I pick up in Europe say that Australia is the most influential place for residential architecture."I hope to pick up some ideas from my first visit here and take them back and maybe put them to use in the car world," Bangle says.As with most designers in the game, Bangle is totally absorbed by cars. But he is more than simply a one-dimensional character.He used his 50th birthday on October 14 as a premise to throw a party around his personal art exhibition in Munich."I showed 130 pieces of my art collection from portraits and sculptures and had 270 people show up," Bangle says.Among three pieces auctioned on the night with money going to Medicins Sans Frontieres was a steel sculpture reflecting Bangle's trademark flame design.Age has given him a new urgency as one of the most powerful figures in car design: "I guess my sense of impatience has increased in terms of where the industry's going."Bangle's unconventional designs have polarised opinion on the BMW family's looks.He does not see the revision to the 7-series last year as an indication that his styling went too far. "It was half-time in the model cycle and a time for second helpings," Bangle says. "You use those moments to harmonise the whole family and the 7-series is now that much more elegant."

More than 25,000 admirers, tyre kickers and buyers packed the Convention Centre at South Bank on the second day of the show last Saturday, smashing all previous records.The 8000 increase on the previous single-day best crowd was helped by the official season launch of the V8 Supercar championship which featured all the stars and cars of the Holden versus Ford series in nearby Little Stanley St.While most come to dream there are those who use the opportunity to compare notes between rival brands at close range and under the one roof.With fuel prices remaining high, the cost of running a vehicle remains a key buying consideration among many buyers.For those wanting to stretch their dollar further at the pump there are fresh injections of turbo diesel variants in the passenger car line-up including Volkswagen's Polo oil burner for $22,990.Lexus provided the Queensland public with its first look at the GS450H saloon, a luxury petrol/electric hybrid which is scheduled to do business in local showrooms from May.BMW, which is showing off a new range of V8 engines in the 5, 6 and 7-series at the show, says it will have a hydrogen-powered 7-series on Australian roads in two years but there is a need for government intervention to possibly sort through filling station infrastructure.While the future is firmly set on alternative power sources, there remains an unwavering passion for hot blooded exotic sports machines.In performance alley at the show there is the stunning Pagani Zonda Roadster, priced at $1.3 million or the equivalent of four median-priced Brisbane homes.While Holden is flooring the fans with the hot rod Efigy, it also previewed its next four-wheel-drive wagon, the Capitva.VW took the covers off the new Passat sedan and wagon while Fiat had a range of Puntos which will signal the Italian maker's return to the passenger car ranks in Australia this year. The show continues until Sunday.