BMW Z Models News

There were a couple of late arrivals including the gorgeous new BMW Z4 sportster, as well as more details on everything from the fuel miser Suzuki Alto to the Honda Insight which was shown as a left-hand-drive concept but will soon be sold as a $30,000-something hybrid hero.One of the genuine surprises was on the GM Holden stand, but it was not the Cruze.The unexpected news was details of a couple of limited-edition showroom specials to keep the Commodore ticking along.The International pack for the Commodore sedan and Sportswagon was not a shock, because dollar deals on Australia's favourite car always go well, but the arrival of a limited-edition Senator from Holden Special Vehicles was completely unexpected.The car is priced from $69,990, which doesn't look like much of a bargain until you clock the regular Senator at $80,500.Stripping the price means dumping some stuff, including the excellent 'magnetic ride' suspension, but the mechanical package is based on the latest Clubsport and that will be more than enough for most people."Today's release of the E-Series Senator is designed to appeal to customers seeking the performance our company is renowned for in a subtle - yet identifiably HSV - package, with a very attractive price point," says the managing director of HSV, Phil Harding.Only 89 cars will be built and it still gets 317 kiloWatts and 19-inch alloy wheels. In the style of every limited-edition model the car comes with a special logo, in this case on the headrests."We think it's a good time to put some extra value into the range and the Senator should do well," says Harding.Find out more on the 2009 Melbourne Motor Show

First look: Audi Q5Mazda3 MPS: world debut in MelbourneFirst look: Toyota PriusFirst look: Holden CruzeFirst look: 2009 Ford Focus rangeFirst look: Ford Fiesta ECOnetic turbo-dieselFirst look: 2009 Ford TerritoryFirst look: Ford Mondeo Zetec wagonHSV E-Series Senator SignatureFirst drive: Subaru Stella electric carSubaru Stella joins plug-in pushToyota Prius, Hybrid Camry and 1/xCareers for car fansHolden Monaro from HALSuzuki Alto hatchFR1 to be auctionedFR1 the new heroBentley Continental GTC: amazing graceRenault Koleos an off-roads scholarSales make for testing times ‘09Future motoring explainedSafety advances on showHyundai i30 blue and i10 blueNissan 370Z …good sportsMitsubishi I MiEV …Power playIt’s electricVW Golf gets new stylePeugeot 308CC back in the foldMazda3 …small is beautifulLotus Evora No.1 for sports car enthusiastsLexus LF-A Roadster coming to MelbourneLamborghini Spyder LP560-4 and Murcielago LP640FR1 concept hotrod from a metal masterBMW M1 homageAudi Q5 and RS6 set paceNew 2009 Ford Territory Melbourne Motor Show wrapby Paul GoverSupermodels and colourful supercars blew the grey clouds away from the Australian motor industry yesterday.A sales slump and gloomy profit forecasts were forgotten as more than$15 million worth of shiny new cars, from exotic dream machines to tiny city runabouts, was unveiled at the opening of the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show.There were more than 20 newcomers on the show stands, from the Audi Q5 SUV and BMW's smooth new Z4 coupe-convertible to the family-focussed Subaru Exiga wagon.The lineup at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre is a reflection of the diversity and complexity of the Australian motoring scene, as well as the commitment from companies to push ahead despite the global economic uncertainty."I wouldn't say the mood is exactly optimistic, but there is great resilience. There are a lot of good news stories here," the former head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, John Conomos, said.The three Australian carmakers all had important newcomers, from the Holden Cruze and Toyota Prius hybrid to the updated Ford Territory, but they resisted the temptation for an over-the-top splash."This show is about much more than cars, it's about Holden's future,"said company chairman, Mark Reuss."We could easily have shown you a wild concept or show car, but this is not the show for that. Today it's about providing real solutions."Holden used the show to also make another value push with its Commodore sedan and Sportwagon, introducing an 'International' value pack.The show is also the last in Melbourne until 2011, as a joint-venture deal has recently been struck which will see an all-new Australian Motor Show alternating with Sydney from 2010."We are expecting a good turnout. There is a lot to see and people are still interested in cars," said show boss, Russ Tyrie of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce.The motor show runs each day until Monday, March 9. 

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? 

Icy winds and snow are blowing across Motown, dumping on the auto capital of the world at a time when American politicians are applying relentless pressure for a major shift in the way that General M

The macho two-seater hardtop has been dropped as the German brand goes for a lighter touch with an all-new Z4 which will reach Australia next June.BMW has rolled its roadster and coupe into a single car with a much more elegant look and the coupe-convertible body which has become the default setting for European sunshine cars.Prices will rise slightly in Australia, with a bottom line in the $80,000-plus range, but BMW is promising more go, better value and a range of high-tech equipment including the driver-adjustable performance packing from the upcoming 7 Series flagship."The new Z4 will have the same Dynamic Drive Control used in the 7 Series, with three settings to vary the drivetrain and suspension," says Toni Andreevski of BMW Australia."The car will be a little more expensive but it will still be very competitive with its competition. We believe it will still be the best value and with the best performance."The new Z4 has just been revealed in pre-Christmas pictures which are sure to spark an international gift drive, with the first cars expected to hit the road in time for the next European spring.The shots show a car which will have much more appeal to women, as the previous Z4 — which was launched in the middle of 2003 — hit hardest with men who wanted an M-style muscle machine.The new Z4 is considerably longer, and a little lower and wider, with a cabin that gives more space for people and luggage. There is a ute- style storage area behind the twin buckets and boot capacity has been raised to as much as 310 litres.Its two-piece hardtop roof can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds.The Z4 will only come with six-cylinder engines, with three powerplants up to a 3-litre twin-turbo with 225kW and 400Nm of torque. The basic engine has 150kW and the speedy flagship can make a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.1 seconds.The cars will have a standard six-speed manual gearbox, with a six- speed auto except for a double-clutch seven-speeder on the 3-litre pacesetter.BMW is also touting the cars' green ability, with fuel economy as good as 8.9 litres/100km.But the new Z4 also picks up the crazy new number-and-name system introduced by BMW with the X6, which means the cars will be called the Z4 sDrive23i, the Z4 sDrive30i and Z4 sDrive35i.BMW says the naming reflects the sports driving of the Z4, where the X6 is called the xDrive, and allows it to highlight the difference between models."The badges reflect the performance, not the engine capacity, and give us the ability to differentiate between two engines with the same capacity when one is a turbo," Andreevski says.A lot of work has gone into the new Z4 on everything from larger side windows and wider-opening doors to improved performance and driving feel.But the car is 170 kilograms heavier than the outgoing coupe.The styling is claimed to be more elegant, and has picked up some cues from the limited-edition Z8 roadster used by James Bond before 007 was lured back to Aston Martin. It is considerable longer in the nose, probably in part to satisfy pedestrian-protection rules in Europe."It has a long bonnet and you will sit lower and still just ahead of the rear axle. It's classic sports car," says Andreevski."The wider-opening doors mean it is easier to get in and out. And visibility has been improved, with more shoulder and elbow room in the cabin."Standard equipment will include the Dynamic Drive Control and a 12- gigabyte music hard drive, although final details will not be set until just ahead of the Australian arrival.BMW Australia knows the Z4 will be up against the Mercedes SLK and Audi TT but believes its good looking newcomer will have a couple of crucial advantages."It maintains the dynamic lead. And there is a lot more storage space, not just in the boot but also behind the seats," Andreevski says.The arrival of the Z4 will come during a big push by BMW Australia, which lands the high-performance version of the X6 in January, the new flagship 7 Series from April and the 330d in June, as well as the Mini Cabrio in April."The timing means drivers will have it perfectly run-in in time for spring 2009," Andreevski laughs. 

GINA, THE SHIFTING SHAPE OF THINGS TO COMEThe future of styling is now public at BMW.The company has just revealed the Gina Light Visionary vehicle it created in 2001 to drive design forward.It looks like a tweaked Z4 roadster, but has a fabric body that can be stretched in various directions to give a different take on the same basic shape.Gina will be reflected in all sorts of forthcoming models, including the baby X1 four-wheel drive expected to break cover at the Paris Motor Show in September.The concept car is about to enter a museum but the company's design boss, Chris Bangle, says it has played an important role.“It's a reaction to the norms of car manufacture, in which everything is fixed,” he says.“We're convinced the principles it sheds light on have an important future. It helped make the point about emotional design.” THINK TANKResearchers are trying to predict the future at a top-secret think-tank in Munich, Germany.The team with the toughest task in the car world was set up by BMW, which is desperate to unlock the secrets of a successful motor company in the time beyond petrol.More than 100 of its best and brightest brains have been transferred to the task, called Operation I.No one from the German luxury brand will talk about the details beyond the basics. It is newly set up and reports directly to the BMW board.“They are looking at everything,” BMW global head of sales Ian Robertson says.“They are looking at different ways to produce cars, different ways to build cars. The whole future of the car.”BMW chose one of its brightest stars, Uli Kranz, to head the think-tank. He is the man who brought the Mini back from the dead and turned it into a global success and a big money-maker for BMW Group, as well as showing it was still possible to turn a profit on cars made in Britain.His team includes planners, designers and engineers at a new research base outside BMW's regular technical centre, the FIZ in Munich, which has more than 4000 engineers and has been operating since the 1990s.“They are outside the group. They are not held back by anything. They are totally different,” Robertson says. “What that tells you is that the BMW Group is already on a road to maintain its technical leadership and its approach to cars of the future.”Robertson, also the chairman of Rolls-Royce and leading the launch of its latest $1 million-and-more Phantom Coupe, refuses to be drawn on the amount BMW is spending on the project.“It's a big budget. That's all I will say,” he says.But he reports it is already generating its first ideas, though no one has any news on when, or if, any of the stuff will go into production. Robertson says they are already doing sketches and plans and the first models.This approach to the future of motoring is not new — General Motors set up a similar think-tank in the 1980s.It was the brainchild of the disgraced former head of the company, Roger B. Smith, at a time when GM was also looking to combat the invasion of affordable Japanese cars in the US.Its response was the creation of the Saturn division, which has still not delivered much more than minimal returns on a plan to draw younger buyers into GM's new-car net. Smith promised his think-tank was even looking at the most basic decisions on personal transport, and said it could recommend a future carcould be a hovering “egg” instead of a conventional-wheeled vehicle.But Smith, who famously told Australian journalists “What have the Japanese ever invented, except for the coin-holder?” never presented any concrete ideas, despite spending many millions. 

High-gloss paint could become yesterday's dream as carmakers look for something new to draw customers to showrooms, as well as making a fresh move on the green front.BMW and Mercedes-Benz are working on matt-finish paint projects, though they are taking different routes to the same result.BMW hopes to have a matt finish with a coarse stealth-fighter look, but is struggling to seal the surface.Benz has already developed a two-pack system available as a special order on its AMG performance cars.The companies believe that going matt could accelerate development of cars that need less washing and body maintenance, as well as using fewer toxic chemicals when they are being painted. A low-gloss surface is also less likely to show minor dents and blemishes.The BMW system is some way from production, though it was displayed last year at the press preview of the Z4 M coupe in Spain.But Mercedes will sell a matt-finish AMG car to anyone with the desire and the cash.“It is something that we offer. But we don't promote it, so we have not done many cars,” AMG-Mercedes marketing chief Mario Spitzner says.“Paint and colour is the perfect opportunity to make some differentiation for our cars. It is something exclusive.”The AMG-Mercedes system is called Alu-beam and it was announced earlier this year for the CL65 AMG coupe.It is available only in silver, black and white.“You could do it in all colours, but it does not always look good,” Spitzner says.The actual process is complicated and secret.“It is difficult to do. The clear coat is not actually clear,” he says.“It took a while to develop the quality we needed. And especially for the spot repairs. When we offer it to our customers it has to be perfect. We have to go through a wide process to be on the safe side."“Despite all our customisation, our customers still want Mercedes-Benz quality.”Spitzner says he is not sure when the full Mercedes-Benz range will be available with the matt finish, but believes it has a strong future. 

In his 15 years at BMW, the Munich car maker's US-born head of design has overseen the creation of some of the industry's most admired and imitated, if controversial, cars.

So which carmaker is the world's cleanest? Not sure? Well, an independent survey released last week has found that BMW has most improved its average fuel efficiency and CO2 emission rate. Indeed, it's done so to an extent which will embarrass other carmakers.The study, began from 1990-2005 by Environmental Defense, a US-based non-profit environmental advocacy group, which shows BMW has improved fuel economy by 14 per cent and carbon emissions by 12.3 per cent.The next best reduction was Toyota's 3 per cent. The C02 performance of every other leading carmaker deteriorated.BMW has made much of the fact that the report covers a period when its US sales increased fourfold.The Americans, of course, buy more big X5 SUVs than the rest of the world combined. The report, Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens, studied the impact of 12 major carmakers' product strategies on fuel efficiency and overall automotive carbon emissions.BMW improved fuel economy on several key models, including the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7Series, Z4 M Coupe, M5 Sedan and X5 SUV. Of course, the group's Mini Cooper accounted for almost half of BMW's overall fuel economy improvements.BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski says the group has made further substantial improvements to fuel consumption and emissions since the end of the survey period.“Already in 2007, one-third of new BMWs sold in Europe have a CO2 rating of no more than 140g per kilometre,” he says. “Basically it is a great result that shows that we can continue to optimise current engines. It also shows petrol and diesel engines that outperform existing hybrid technology at comparable costs.”With its latest diesel and lean-burn direct-injection petrol engines, (the latter is no good for Australia because of the high sulphur content of our petrol) BMW has taken its own hybrid direction. This week at the Frankfurt motor show, it showcased its new dual-mode hybrid that returns a claimed 20 per cent economy improvement on the highway and in town.BMW's other more vaunted green gambit is the Hydrogen 7, the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. Driven in Germany last year by carsguide, the Hydrogen 7 emits primarily vapour when running on a non-petrol engine.Toyota rated second best, reducing CO2 3 per cent overall, a result in part due to its introduction of the Prius hybrid, but mainly to improvements made to the best-selling Corolla.The report also rated the overall 'carbon burden' that carmakers placed on the environment, derived from factors including vehicle emissions and the number sold. GM came out on top, with a 6.5per cent reduction in overall carbon burden, though its carbon emissions rose by 3 per cent. Toyota, while low in CO2, grew its carbon burden by 125 per cent because of an increase in overall sales. Snapshot: Carbon savings BMW: reduced 12.3 per centToyota: reduced 3 per centVolkswagen: up 1.3 per centSubaru: up 1.6 per centGeneral Motors: up 3per centMitsubishi: up 4 per centHonda: up 4.4 per centFord: up 4.7 per centDaimlerChrysler: up 4.8 per centNissan: up 9.2 per centHyundai: up 17 per centKia: up 30 per cent Source: US Environmental Defense group 

The Japanese car maker now owns a massive 21.9 per cent of the market, a rise of 0.6 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.Australia's leading seller has surged to 91,984 sales to the end of May compared with 82,227 for the first five months of last year.Toyota is driving the industry to continued forecasts that more than a million vehicles will be sold for the first time in a calendar year in Australia.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries has nominated an annualised rate (SAAR) of 1.022 million vehicles for 2007.Chief contributors to Toyota's booming figures are the four-cylinder Camry while the 4 x 2 and 4 x 4 variants of the HiLux have recorded huge jumps along with the Yaris and the introduction of the V6 Aurion.Significantly, since improved supply, the petrol/electric Prius has more than doubled on 2006 figures with 1333 sold to the end of May compared with 625 for the same period last year.Toyota continues to punch above the performance of the total market.“Our aspirations are always to grow bigger than the market,” Toyota Australia chairman Emeritus John Conomos said at the launch recently of the 10th generation Corolla.“No one has ever achieved 25 per cent of the market in modern times before.“It's probably not achievable this year but it's a goal worth setting.”Holden remains in Toyota's shadow. It has increased sales from 60,792 to 61,863 year-on-year, but its market share is down from 15.7 to 14.8 per cent.Ford is a clear number three but has slipped almost 5000 sales year-on-year and has lost 2 per cent market share which now stands at 10.5 per cent.Mitsubishi continues to claw its way back and is moving up on Nissan in a fight for fifth spot.Those models selling well for Mitsubishi have been the Lancer, Outlander, Pajero and the Triton 4 x 4 although the model which the Adelaide maker has staked its future on, the 380, has declined from 5176 to 4641 in year-on-year figures.On the luxury front, BMW recorded its second successive monthly record with 1497 vehicles finding owners, taking its year-to-date tally to 6462.What has been a massive seller for BMW has been the new hardtop 3-series convertible and coupe with combined sales standing at 1170 compared with 313 this time last year.While sales of the X5 Sport Utility Vehicle remain robust and Z4 convertible and coupe sales have grown by a massive 49.4 per cent it is the two-door 3-series models which have allowed BMW to gain significant market momentum.BMW customer deliveries last month were 11.7 per cent higher than May 2006, adding an extra 157 units to last May's record figure.Volkswagen, the only European importer to make the top 10 list, has lifted its year-on-year volume share to 2.6 per cent from 1.9 per cent with sales topping 10,918 to the end of May.