As we have been reporting for a while now here, at BimmerFile, BMWNA is going to focus more in the coming years on sales and profit per sale rather than volume and leasing. The concept of “pulling” cars from Germany rather than “pushing” them while stocked on lots is one key component of this strategy, the other is by offering leases that have lower residuals and higher money factors.
You can say good-bye to those $399 lease specials, just so BMW can help dealers empty lots of cars in low demand or even to just drive up sales numbers. Unlike years past, expect to see financing for purchasing to be more attractive. You can chalk this all up to the economy, exchange rates and the over-flooded used car market killing residuals. These moves will help sure up the brand and keep it financially strong and decrease the end of lease risks. It will also decrease the volume of BMW cars on the road, providing some more brand cache (something that has declined over the past few years…)
Car magazine is reporting that BMW has shelved plans for the M3 CSL. It’s not surprising given the constraints put on the company by the dollar and the general worldwide economy. Still it’s an unfortunate in that BMW has decided to put money towards an M version of the X6 and X5 rather than stick to their roots with traditional M type vehicles.
BMWNA has finally released MSRP pricing for the 2009 model year!! We have not had a chance to look it over in detail but looks like we expected…. stay tuned for more analysis but for now enjoy the PDF!
There was an update to this list, but it was a retraction of the X5 xDrive30i requiring the Premium Audio package until further notice…. that was a quick further notice!
As proponents of BMW finally returning diesel technology to us in the US we have given you a great deal of information on them; although for the most part we have barely touched the surface.
In order to meet strict US emissions requirements BMW (and other manufacturers) had to use a variety of technologies to bring us the amazing torque and efficiency of diesel motors once again.
BMW will be offering us in the US only two models initially: the 335d (sedan only) and the X5 xDrive35d. Though you can still dream of other models down the road as BMW is not opposed to offering them but rather letting the market warm to the diesels with the most popular models first. Can you blame them?
Even with German efficiency and caution mishaps can happen. Jonathan Spira, is reporting on the BMWCCA website that nine BMW employees were hospitalized for observation after fumes were detected at the BMW Welt. The public was not directly impacted though the streets around the Welt were closed for a short time. We hope that the employees are well and have no ill effects of the spill.
For ongoing coverage and further details please see the BMWCCA posting.
Now this is new. Edmunds has decided to pit the newest BMW against the newest MINI Cooper.
Season the Mini with a few options and it costs about the same as the BMW 1 Series. Both are known for being fun to drive and both are designed to hold two people comfortably but can accommodate four if the need arises. Both have usefully large cargo areas — the rear seats in each folds flat to enhance capacity. And both come standard with a six-speed manual transmission.
BMWNA Statement on voluntary recall involving front passenger seat sensor mat on U.S.A. model BMWs
08/13/2008
Today, BMW announced a voluntary recall regarding the front passenger air bag seat sensor mat involving approximately 200,000 Model Year 2004-06 vehicles. Affected are certain Model Year 2006 3-Series, Model Year 2004-06 5-Series, and Model Year 2004-06 X3 vehicles, depending upon seat type. BMW has found that the sensor mat may become damaged during vehicle usage depending upon the manner and frequency of the front passenger’s entry and exit.
BMW will begin sending customer letters in late September 2008. Affected owners may continue to drive their vehicles; however, customers should contact their BMW Center if the air bag warning lamp, and the passenger air bag “on-off” lamp are illuminated simultaneously. In this situation, BMW recommends customers not to use the front passenger seat and have the vehicle serviced immediately. At the present time, we are unaware of any accidents or injuries as a result of this issue.
The BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club of America
will be on the roads of California from 8/14 - 8/30 for their second US rally. The first occurred back in 2004 and was staged on the East Coast.
This years rally will begin in Aptos, Ca., head north to Eureka, then south onto Lake Tahoe and finally looping back to Aptos. When all is said and done the expected 65 or so vintage cars will drive around 2000 miles. Included in this rally will be cars from not only the US but from Europe as well. This event also coincides with, the top tier classic car events in the US, the Monterey Historic Automobile Races and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
So if you are cruising around in your BMW and see these rally participants give them some praise as these cars are not only historic but their passion!
To many BMW enthusiasts the words “convertible M3″ are a dichotomy. The popular belief among most enthusiasts is that a car like an M3 should be a focused device meant for precision on and off the track. It’s a tool that shouldn’t be inherently compromised by, say, cutting off a huge structural component like the roof. All this has made the convertible M3 traditionally a little bit of a poseur car in the minds of some automotive enthusiasts. And it doesn’t help that you’re more likely to see one parked out in front of a Starbucks rather than a track.
The problem with convertibles is really quite straightforward and it has less to do with perception and more to do with physics. While the normal M3 coupe is the last word in structural rigidity, the convertible version has a few major issues to overcome in that area. For starters the roof (typically a major structural component) has been eliminated. Never mind that BMW has fitted a smart (and relatively attractive) retractible aluminum hardtop to the new M3, the structural rigidity that was once there has been almost literally cut in half.
Today we bring you the official launch video for the refreshed 3 series sedan which we were (finally) able to obtain. The marketing department did an amazing job on choosing these locations, and with the overall composition of this piece. For some it may be a sigh of relief to see how the car looks in motion and how the light bounces off of all of the creases.
Video:BMW/ Auto365.fr (from our original which was asked to be removed/but this has been modified)
BimmerFile is dedicated to bringing you the most interesting news, links and reviews related to the BMW brand and it's vehicles.
We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: Official News, Sales/Marketing Aug 28th, 2008 16 Comments 
