BMW X6 News

The twin-turbo V8 in the muscular new mid-sizer is stretching the friendship with the back tyres in the fifth-generation M5 and there are concerns about customer reaction in snow-belt countries around the world. An all-wheel drive upgrade is the logical solution and BMW M chiefs from Munich admit they are considering the move. "We are thinking about it," says Max Ahme, M5 project leader. "If you are increasing the power more and more, maybe you need it." The basic powerplant in the M5 is the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 already used in the M versions of BMW's full-sized SUVs, the X5 and X6, but is tweaked to unleash 412 kiloWatts of power and 680 Newton-metres of torque. "The block is the same, but the cylinder heads are new. The inlet track is new, it has double Vanos (variable valve timing) and more revs. So, more power," says Ahme. He refuses to go into much detail but it's clear that BMW M is making a serious assessment of its first all-wheel drive passenger car. "It's a good idea, but it would add 120 kilograms to the car and it's all over the front axle," says Ahme. Other companies have made all-wheel drive conversions successful, including Ferrari with the lightweight system fitted to its new FF supercar. Ahme admits BMW has had an FF in its workshop, although he believes the system would not be suitable for an M5. "We have looked at this car. We do some swaps with Ferrari." But Ahme is totally black-on-white on one potential stretch of the M5, into a new Touring wagon. "This will not happen," he says. There have been three M5 Touring models in the past but the sales record of the car is not good, and numbers dropped dramatically in the previous-generation car. "It does not make any sense. Just look at the numbers," says Ahme.

The upcoming 520i, priced from $77,900 instead of the previous $82,000 for a 520d, comes after an earlier move on the 3 Series down under. BMW Australia says its objective is to provide better value, as well as a 'stepped' approach to equipment levels that mirrors bottom-end brands from Hyundai and Kia to Holden and Ford. It began the change with the 3 Series and is now moving on the Five with a claim of up to $7000 worth of extra value - most of it in standard equipment - on the 520i. There is also said to be more punch from the engine, which is a new 2.0-litre four with TwinPower turbo good for 135 kiloWatts and 270 Newton-metres of torque. "We've got power up, value up and fuel consumption down. Everyone is happy," says BMW spokesman, Piers Scott. A new four-cylinder 528i - replacing the previous six-pack - is also part of the 5 Series change, with more equipment in the 535i and 535d that means up to $7000 of extra value. Scott says the value boost comes thanks to the engine change but does not deny BMW's stronger emphasis on value at a time when it is taking a battering from Mercedes-Benz and Audi on both sides. "It's really just the fact that this is a brand-new engine that's available to us. That accounts for the 520 and the 528i," he says. "The other changes are to get a logical ladder into the price structure. "The jump from the 520i - which snuggles under the Luxury Car Tax threshold thanks to economy of 6.4 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of  149 grams/kilometre - to the 528i manes 180 kiloWatts and 350 Newton- metres, even though the four-cylinder basics are the same. The 528i is priced from $98,200, helped by also qualifying as a low-emission model under the LCT rules. Prices of the 535i and 535d now start at $115,600 and $120,900 respectively, with the diesel engine now boasting 230 kiloWatts and an eight per cent economy boost, with the 535i also getting a 0.7 litres/100km economy improvement. BMW Australia now also includes stop-start technology on all Fives except the 550i, with its new Active Safety package - closing the windows and sunroof, electro-mechanical belt tensioning and a crash- optimised position for the passenger-seat backrest - also part of the deal.

Since cars all deliver on the same basic promise of personal mobility, and many vehicles do it with incredible value and panache, good design can often make the difference between buying and losing.Ian Callum knows it and, after more than four decades of top-class design work on everything from HSV Holdens to Volvos, Aston Martins and now Jaguars, he is the right man to be talking. "This is a time of car design. It's not just styling any more. You really have to understand design, and the elements that make up a good design," Callum says. "We're also seeing a lot of change in the automotive world. The make-up of cars is changing. Designers are going to have an incredible influence."Callum has revolutionised Jaguar design over the past 10 years and just visited Australia to showcase his all-new XJ flagship, which steps right away from anything which has previously worn the brand's leaper mascot. "I didn't want to be a slave to heritage," he says simply.Callum believes good design is simple but incredibly difficult, elegant and timeless, but also challenging and filled with tiny little details. He is rare among designers because he backs his promises with commitment and talent, and is also happy to give an opinion.So, then, how does he judge the work from some of his rivals? Surprisingly, Callum is happy to go on the record with a simple tick-or-cross verdict on the latest designs in showrooms.Here are his ratings: Aston Martin Rapide - tickAudi A5 - tickBMW GT - two crossesBMW X6 - crossFerrari F458 Italia - tickHSV EII Commodore - tickLexus LFA - tickMercedes E-Class - crossMercedes SLS Gullwing - crossNissan GT-R - crossPorsche Panamera - crossRolls-Royce Ghost - tickToyota Prius - tickVolkswagen Golf - tick 

The field for the COTY contest will be set over the next two weeks as the 100-plus new arrivals this year _ everything from the baby Suzuki Alto to Holden's latest economy-focussed Commodore and the brutally luxurious BMW X6 M, is whittled down by the most experienced team of jurors in Australian motoring.Between them, the nine COTY judges have more than 150 years of combined experience as reporters, testers and commentators on the Australian motor industry.  They also make up the only coast-to-coast crew and are drawn from News Limited daily papers and the Carsguide.com.au website.The first group of five COTY finalists will be named next week, with the final members of the 10-car field locked into place the following week.  Once the field is set, the judges will assess the contenders for their value, safety, economy, safety, style and comfort.  The objective is to find the car that does the best job in every area, at the best price, for Australian car buyers in 2009.The test process is exhaustive, from city, country and highway running to a racetrack session at Lakeside in Queensland to assess the car's dynamic and safety abilities.  The 2009 COTY will join a long and strong list of previous winners from the Holden Commodore VT in 1997 to the Ford Falcon G6E, which took the crown in 2008.This year's COTY contest begins today with the naming of the four cars which will fight for the Green Car of the Year award. For all the stories, video and photos of this year's awards, visit Carsguide Car of the Year 2009. Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

With deliveries due to start in before Christmas, BMW Australia spokesman, Toni Andreevski, says dealers are already fielding inquiries."One of the reasons the company had to confirm the car early is that customers are already making inquiries," he says."Our dealers are already trying to work out when their allocations arrive."Andreevski says pricing and specifications will be announced next month, but the hotter X6 is tipped to be more than $200,000.Powering the brawny four-wheel drive "coupe" will be a new twin-scroll twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 developing 408kW/680Nm, providing the car with a zero to 100km/h sprint time of just 4.7 seconds.Visually the car gets massive 20-inch wheels, quad exhausts and huge bumper level air intakes.It is 10mm lower than the standard X6, incorporates stiffer springs and air suspension.The X6 M comes with a host of driver-oriented technologies, including M Dynamic Drive, electronically adjustable dampers and active roll-control.BMW's ‘EfficientDynamics’ system will be standard. This incorporates brake energy regeneration and on-demand control of the electrical fuel pump and detachable compressor when the air conditioning is switched off.The X6 M gets a six-speed sports automatic gearbox, steering wheel shift paddles linked the precise Servotronic steering system.Andreevski says the X6, despite its niche classification, has been a surprising hit locally with 545 sold since it went on sale 10 months ago."V8 sales are running twice the amount of the X5," Andreevski says."It's clear the X6 is attracting a more sports oriented driver so the X6 M will extend that one step further."Andreevski says about 40 per cent of X6 customers are new to the brand, switching from a competitor luxury brand, and many buyers stepped up from a traditional two-door coupe.He says the X6 has outsold its closest competitor, the Porsche Cayenne, by almost 20 per cent.Globally, BMW has sold more than 35,000 X6s. 

Rather than spelling the end of performance V8s in M-cars, BMW's new-found fascination with turbocharging will open even greater possibilities, according to the company's new Australian boss.Stavros Yallouridis, who took the reigns of the Australian operation last month, is adamant the throaty burble of a performance-tuned V8 will remain a BMW fixture."We see with the new generation of the V8 engines in the M3s what a great success those engines are," Yallouridis says. "While we may see an M car with a six cylinder engine again in the future, I think at the moment we will continue to concentrate on performance V8s."Yallouridis says the search for a balance between power and fuel efficiency is one of the reasons turbocharging has become an attractive option.BMW has set non-M performance standards by bolting twin turbochargers to its brilliant 3.0-litre six and it will not be long before the M division gets in on the force-fed action."In the very near future we may even see V8s with twin turbos on them ... the X6M and the X5M are heading in that direction," Yallouridis says."It is a lot more horsepower ...""We are already experiencing better than 500hp from a V8 engine on the test bench and there is still a lot of testing going on."What you shouldn't expect from the maestros at the M garages is a return to the company's two engine extremes."I really don't think we will see another 4-cylinder M engine but I also don't think there will be another 10-cylinder engine either. What we really want, though is a good balance — we want good fuel efficiencies with a good power result but without going overboard."Yallouridis is also quietly confident that the Australian new car market will be able to weather the global financial storm in as good, if not better, condition than overseas markets."If the total car market stabilises at a 20 per cent drop for the year I think all of us in the Australian car market will be satisfied," Yallouridis says. "We have seen erratic market movement across the world and thats varies from 10 or 15 per cent in some markets up to 60 per cent in others."In Europe it appears markets are travelling at an average of 30 per cent down while in Australia it is around 21 per cent."The premium market in Australia is around about 17-18 per cent down and we (BMW) are performing at around about 11-12 per cent down."Yallouridis believes the premium segment of the market has been better insulated from the full effects of the downturn than other more mainstream segments."We are speculating that we should see a stabilisation early next year."New product is obviously an insulation in times like this. Product is a big part of any success story at the moment."While BMW has just launched the new 7 Series and the Z4 and will have the much-anticipated X1 baby SUV late in the year Yallouridis acknowledges that the effect of these models — along with the 5 Series Grand Tourismo and all new 5 Series late in 2010 — will not be felt until next year."We knew going back five years that 2009 was going to be a dip as far as new product was concerned and in a strange way that has actually helped us with regard to circumstances from the economic crisis," he says."The availability of fresh and new product as the economic gloom begins to lift next year will give us a strong competitive boost."

But the biggest step change at BMW's go-faster M division for decades is going to be a hit-and-miss event for us.The maestros at M have been unleashed on BMW's SUVs for the first time and the result is a pair of X5 and X6 belters with a twin-turbo V8 engine cranking out a wicked 408 kiloWatts _ with the brakes, suspension and body bits to match.But ...Only one of the super-quick SUVs, the X6 M, is coming down under. The X5 has been rejected, at least for now, as BMW Australia aims to steal more sales from rivals including the Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz's AMG-tweaked ML."We have made this decision primarily to cater to our more-enthusiastic M customers. They will prefer the X6 body style," says the spokesman for BMW Group Australia, Toni Andreevski."It makes more sense to target the vehicle where the buyers are. Over 30 per cent of our X6 buyers are already going for the V8 model, but the X5 figure is a little under eight per cent. They want performance ahead of practicality."So, at present we have no plans for the X5 M. We're not targeting X5 customers, these people are a different breed."The M-car move is the most radical change since the one-time racecar division grew its business away from the rorty little M3 into the 5 Series family. Since then there have been M cars across the BMW range, but nothing in the SUV lineup.The 4.4-litre V8 is the heart of the M upgrade of the X6, with BMW touting a design which puts the turbocharger and catalytic converters between the banks of cylinders for quicker response.The result is 680 Newton-metres of torque, a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h, although this can be bumped to 275 with the optional M Driver's Package.The XMs pick up the latest developments on BMW's EfficientDynamics system, from Brake Energy Regeneration to on-demand control of the electrical fuel pump and a detachable aircon compressor.The X6 M gets a six-speed sports automatic gearbox with shift paddles behind the steering wheel, which is linked to a specific Servotronic steering system.Standard equipment runs from bi-xenon maps with daytime driving lights to 20-inch alloy wheels, a heads-up display, M sports seats and wheel, and a pumped-up body package.No-one at BMW is talking about the price, although it will be somewhere between $167,000 and $234,000 - most likely in the $200,000 range - when the first cars land in November."It will be more expensive than an ML63 and cheaper than a Cayenne Turbo. That's all we have at this stage," says Andreevski.He is also refusing to talk about sales numbers, although close to 500 X6s have been sold since it hit showrooms in August last year."If you compare it with the Porsche Cayenne, it has outsold it since it went on sale," Andreevski says. 

News cruisers are parked-up and beaming pictures before 6am as the temperature hovers around minus 10 and snow flurries drift through the pre-dawn blackness.By 9am there are union workers carrying placards in support of the Big Three outside Cobo Hall in downtown motown, as the great and the good from the world's motor industry arrive for the first major event of 2009.The buzz is down from recent years, with less security and fewer journalists jetting in for the action, but still there are major unveilings, technology, important speeches and so much more over the first two days.The North American International Motor Show is more than just glitz and glamour for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in 2009 - this is the day when they have to deliver for the first time on the promises in Washington which have earned a government-backed rescue package.That means GM opens the action with a rolling cavalcade of 17 models which promise exactly what the government wants - hybrids, electric cars and regular production models which do better than 10 litres/100km in fuel economy.The headliner once again is the Chevrolet Volt, except this time it is wrapped in Cadillac bodywork and called the Converj - with the added bonus of a plug-in connection to its onboard battery system.Lexus is next and does its number around the brand's first dedicated hybrid, the HS250h, which was originally only planned for America but will now go to more than 80 countries.Then Ford becomes the second of the Big Three to present its position for 2010 and beyond, with an all-new Taurus family car - perhaps a pointer to something on the Falcon front - and the promise of an all-new electric car with a 160-kilometre range by 2011.Company chairman Bill Ford takes the stand to deliver on the company's promises to Washington, even though it was the only local not to take a multi-billion dollar loan."Ford is heading in the direction America and our customers want us to go, which is a green, high-tech and global future. I think that is where society would like to see the entire industry go, and Ford is going to lead that charge," Ford says.Then Chrysler, which many American analysts believe cannot survive the global economic meltdown, gets its turn and does a top job with the great looking new 200C family car and a range of electrics which shows it has not given up hope.It's best looker is the Dodge Circuit, which is most like a battery-powered Lotus sports car."The Dodge Circuit EV offers an extremely fun-to-drive, expressive sports car without fuel consumption and with virtually no impact on the environment,” says the vice-president of design at Dodge, Ralph Gilles.By now, after just two hours of the first press preview day, the pattern for Detroit '09 is set.The home team is going big on the cars it needs to make - even if Americans are still buying BIG with the drop in pump petrol prices - but there is more sizzle than steak because they have started way behind the Japanese and Europeans.And Cobo Hall looks sparse. There are fewer brands, fewer cars and none of the bold-and-brassy unveilings - Chrysler has always led the world in motor show stunts - which have been a signature of the Detroit show.“All I know is we took about 50 per cent out of the cost of our stand,” says the car boss at General Motors, Bob Lutz.“We took away a lot of the structures, such as salad bowl-shaped Saturn stands, and towers with holographic displays.”But he still applies some positive spin as everyone talks up the chances for the Big Three, even in the face of a selloff of the Hummer and Saab divisions at GM.“The fact that we don’t have any of that stuff gives our stand a much more businesslike and cleaner appearance. I think they cluttered up the stand. I imagine it’s going to be much the same around the show," Lutz says.As usual, the 80-plus former fighter pilot is right.BMW joins the hybrid rush at Detroit with news of its petrol-electric X6, thankfully with the all-new Z4 sportster to provide some glamour, as Volkswagen provides the best looking car of the show with its Concept BlueSport.The gorgeous VW is most like a Mazda MX-5, but promises Prius-buster fuel economy in the 4.3 litres/100km range and, without any promise of production, it clearly could have a future.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability," says Volkswagen.“The Concept BlueSport is evolving into a car that that is a lot of fun to drive and at the same time makes an unmistakeable statement in terms of sustainability.”The next big mover in Cobo Hall is Kia, which shows a funky pick-up built on its baby Soul. The Soul'ster is never going to be an Aussie workhorse but will hit the Gen-Y button for America, and California in particular.As the first day in Detroit winds into darkness and more frigid weather, Subaru kicks the action with a preview of its new Liberty - called the Legacy in the USA - Jaguar runs out its high-performance R version of the landmark XF and Volvo shows the most adventurous concept car in its history, pointing to the next S60."The sporty design gives visual promise of an enthusiastic drive and I can assure you here and now that the all-new S60 will live up to that promise," says Volvo boss, Stephen Odell.Ford goes again to start day two at Cobo, with its Lincoln-Mercury models, then its back to Maserati and then GM pushes the home game hard with an announcement that the batteries for its Volt will be built in the USA. It's a boost for local jobs, more hard news on the Volt, and just what Washington will want before the Big Three report back on their survival plans at the end of March.And then there is a shock - at least for the Americans - as Chinese cars make the mainstream in Detroit for the first time and little-known BYD confirms it will be selling the world's first production plug-in electric car by 2010.The last big event of Detroit '09 is the one everyone already knows about - the new Toyota Prius.The list of 'firsts' is impressive as the car is unveiled, from its drag co-efficient to more luxury and a more-efficient battery system. But Honda has already undercut the third-generation Prius on price with its Insight, which is headlining for the brand in Detroit, and there is no sign of a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery pack.But the Prius has solar-powered air-conditioning to cool the car when it is parked, is bigger and quieter inside, and is certain to become the world's best selling hybrid. The car comes with more than 1000 new patents on technology and a claim of 3.9 litres/100km economy."Prius is more than a hybrid, it’s a solution. No longer is it a second car or a passing fad. In many households, it has become the primary family car," says Bob Carter of Toyota USA.There is other stuff to see in Detroit, and some things are obviously missing _ the Mercedes E-Class was an invitation-only event and Rolls-Royce is holding its all-new RR4 for the Geneva Motor Show in March - but the overall verdict on 2009 is surprisingly positive.Cars are still big news, look good and make promises of a better and more enjoyable life on the road.But the big question remains. Did the Big Three do enough, and show enough in Detroit, to convince the American government that they deserve the support it will take to get them through the biggest crisis in the history of the automobile? 

While the big two are in serious peril and likely to go through mind warping change, Australia’s legendary marques appear to be entering a renaissance. Elfin's future looks bright under the directorship of Tom Walkinshaw, Bolwell started taking orders again last week and recently Brabham announced it is going to launch a new range of highly tuned and modified BMW's.Three models are in development, the BT92, based on an M3 and the BT60 and BT70 using the M5 and X6 as their base. Initially the re-emergence of Brabham as a tuner company might seem a bit odd but the tie in with BMW makes sense. BMW was one of the major engine partners in Brabham's illustrious history. The other significant suppliers being Coventry Climax,  Alfa and Repco.The cars are not your run of the mill bolt-on tuner packaging, they comprise extensive body and mechanical changes including new panels manufactured to race car specs in an autoclave. There has been no word of future plans past the initial three models. Nor has there been an announcement from BMW, which already has a plethora of tuning companies enhancing or degrading its cars. However while there are a few high profile names such as Schnitzer and the internal M-sport division doing their bit to Bimmer's, they have started loosing ground recently to the surging Mercedes tuner market. Mercedes, with its AMG division and partnerships with Brabus and McLaren is grabbing all the limelight.It is unfortunate that the road car side of the McLaren Mercedes partnership is waning as a new MacMerc supercar up against a Brabham-BMW supercar would be just so much fun. Given that Gordon Murray was the principal designer for Brabham in the 70's and 80’s and used the BMW engine for the F1 supercar while at McLaren, the tie ins are just so tantalising. Imagine if a BMW Brabham partnership could entice Murray to come on board and develop a true successor to the F1.Whether Brabham ties itself with BMW completely, or operates as an independent tuning/manufacturing company, the possibilities are exciting. No matter what the future plans are for Brabham, having such a fantastic Australian name back in the mix of performance cars is fantastic.Rod Halligan

Just in time to be the latest status symbol for summer.The X6 is an unlikely marriage between an X5 SUV (on which it's based) and a 6 Series coupe, producing a supersized offspring.This is niche marketing at its best, a low-volume model targeting a specific but high-profile audience. BMW has even coined a new designer name: the Sports Activity Coupe.Calling it a coupe may be a bit of marketing tongue-in-cheek, but in Europe, where it has only been on sale for a couple of months, it's been getting plenty of nods of approval and attracting plenty of head turning.The X6 xDrive 50i, priced at $145,000, joins the lesser-powered bi-turbo six-cylinder petrol ($114,705) and diesel ($120,530) which gives BMW a three-model line-up to steal sales from rivals, Porsche and Range Rover.BMW is still counting the numbers but says it has already found homes for about 105 of the six-cylinder X6s. It has tipped total X6 sales for the year will exceed 300 with the arrival of the V8 in three months time.Those sales are predicted to rise to between 400 and 500 wagons next year.And who is buying it? Obviously those with plenty of testosterone in reserve.BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski says the X6 will appeal to Range Rover or Porsche buyers or those seeking a more macho wagon than conventional SUVs such as the X5 which attracts women drivers.“We see it appealing to people like 911 owners who want a second car, one which seats more than two and has the luggage space so they can take their friends down to their yacht, or away for a skiing weekend,” Andreevski says.The X6 is anything but conventional; purists would argue it is not a coupe because it has four doors, the plump styling with its dramatically sloping rear roof line is, to be polite, challenging. It only seats four, rear head room is passable, the view through the letterbox rear window is almost non-existent and the V8 is less than green friendly.But while history is littered with one-hit wonders it also shows some of the world's greatest cars were less than conventional, so BMW may have the last laugh after all.There's no question the X6 packs an awesome punch: the direct injection, twin turbo (one for each cylinder bank) 4.4-litre V8 is a first from BMW. Neatly tucked away under the bonnet, the V8 provides 300kW and 600Nm of torque to play with through a six-speed sequential auto transmission.Peak torque is on tap from 1750 to 4500rpm, providing wonderful flexibility and outstanding sports car-like performance. The same engine, slightly detuned, will also be used in the next Seven Series due next year.BMW points to its “frugal” fuel consumption (a relative description for such a powerful all-wheel drive vehicle that weighs in at over two tonnes) of 13.8 litres per 100km.On fuel consumption and gas emissions the X6 however betters the naturally aspirated Porsche Cayenne (15.1 litres per 100km; 361g/km) and the Range Rover supercharged Sport (15.9 litres per 100km; 374g/km).It's also more powerful, in both peak kilowatts and torque, than its rivals.While X6, governed to 250km/h, can't quite match the maximum speed of the Cayenne, it is quicker in acceleration, taking a claimed 5.4 seconds to hit 100km/h.As for the drive? The X6 is both remarkable and a little annoying. You would expect a cumbersome looking all-wheel wagon to be a pig when pushed. Far from it. There's sports car handling in its road manners.That is helped of course by its power and torque output, but that's all well managed on the road thanks to some very clever electronics that BMW has used.While xDrive distributes drive between front and rear axles, the really smart bit is the inclusion of what BMW calls Dynamic Performance Control, which varies the torque between the rear wheels — designed to deliver more torque to the outside wheel which needs it to drive it out of a corner. Add massive 385mm brakes and 20-inch wheels shod with wide rubber, adaptive steering, a self-levelling pneumatic suspension and the X6 has an ability to rocket out of corners.Creature comforts for Australian models will include a revised version of BMW's controversial iDrive, a choice of four trim finishes, power adjustable front seats leather upholstery, heads-up display, four-zone automatic air conditioning and a 16-speaker hi-fi audio system. SNAPSHOTBMW X6xDrive 50iPrice: from $145,000Engine: 4.4L/V8 twin turbo; 300kW/600NmTransmission: 6-speed sequential autoPerformance: 0-100km/h 5.4 sec.