Car Magazine has just released spy photos of what they are calling the next generation 1 Series testing in the Arctic. We know this car to not be the next generation 1 but rather a tuned version from our friends in Garching, ///M. We have seen this car before and it looks to be continuing on its development path sine the recent official green lighting.
With this testing it appears the Frankenstein look of the Carbon fiber may stay (I personally love it and hope to see it stay). We can expect upwards of 350 hp from a tuned N55 motor in this ///M as well as a real deal rear differential and wider track. All BMW models that are to be produced undergo stringent testing in the harsh frigid environment of Scandinavia in winter, so we now have proof once again that this car is in fact coming to market!
Rumors continue to point to the “Concept” version of this vehicle to debut in March at Geneva.
Official Release: Yesterday, BMW of North America accepted the Ward’s 10 Best Engines award for its groundbreaking 3.0-liter BMW Advanced Diesel engine at the North American International Auto Show. For the 2010 model year and the second year in a row, BMW’s sequential twin-turbo inline-6 diesel engine was elected to the 10 Best Engines list by the Ward’s AutoWorld panel of expert judges. To win a place on the 10 Best Engines list, an engine must score highly in measures of horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance, and comparative data. continued →
We originally broke the news last week of BMW bringing the 2011 335is to market but now that it has made its way around cyber-space we thought we show you some official documents from Canada. The “is” will be exclusive to coupes and convertibles. The boost in performance will be similar to the X6’s 7RR package and BMW Performance Kit with 22hp and 32 lb-ft bumps (322hp/332 lb-ft). The “is” will differ from those performance upgrades as it will feature “overboost” and provide a maximum of 369 lb-ft of torque.
Worth noting is that the list of standard features are for the Canadian market and there are some differences in content to the US, wheels being the main difference as the US will see 19s as at least an option. In other parts of the world these models will be referred to as the 340i.
The short answer is; we don’t know. But let’s take a look at what we know. Last weekend we exclusively broke the news that the 135i was not only getting the DCT 7 speed dual clutch transmission but also the N55 inline six turbo. More specifically BMW is replacing the N54 dual turbo with the N55 single turbo twin-scroll. It’s great news for fans of the 1 Series and DCT technology but what about that engine change?
As you may have heard from our interview with Martin Birkmann, the switch to the N55 is all about efficiency. And on paper it makes sense with identical numbers in regards power and torque. But what about the N54’s power being under-reported? We had heard for years from automotive magazines and websites that dynoed the engine that the N54 was actually putting out well over 320 hp (and sometimes much more). While no one yet has dynoed an N55 we’d guess that we will not see those kind of numbers from the single turbo twin-scroll set-up. What does all this mean? While on paper the N55 is a match for the N54, in the real world we can’t help but wonder if the 2011 135i and the 335i didn’t just lose a little power versus the 2010 models.
Anything lost (even unofficially) BMW will be giving back in the form of the forthcoming BMW Performance engine kit for the N55. Engineers are currently fine-tuning the kit and expect to have it available sometime in the latter half of the year. However beyond that option, BMW firmly believes that the N55 will be “tuner proof”. They expect that tuning the N55 will be infinitely harder to do as compared with the N54. So while the N55 has the efficiency, for the enthusiast it clearly has some downsides. If you take away the N54’s oil cooler issues it’s been a fantastic engine for BMW and the enthusiast market. It has fantastic power and torque while delivering respectable fuel figures.
Will the N54 equipped 135i and 335i be the more coveted cars in the years ahead? No doubt some will think so. However if true, we’d guess that would only be the case for the enthusiast market. The N55 will surely continue to serve multiple BMW models well while being noticeably more efficient. It’s just a shame that we may have lost some of that unadvertised oomph that the N54 was known for.
To take a slight break from NAIAS, we are happy to introduce you to our good friend Jonathan Spira’s latest endeavor into the blogosphere- The Diesel Driver. TDD is an online publication focussing on the experience of owning and driving diesel powered automobiles. The site provides reviews and information about diesel models from the classics to future offerings.
Of course this is relevant to us at BimmerFile because the main focus of the site will be Jonathan’s recent acquisition of a 335d via European Delivery. As I have said a thousand times before: “There is no better way to get your next BMW than via European Delivery!” Jonathan wholeheartedly agrees with that view and recently left his baby to be placed on a ship bound for the US of A. I am jealous of his latest pick-up as the 335d is one of my favorite cars currently on the road and it has been a few months since I was in Germany drinking the fabulous Augustiner!
So without further ado here is an excerpt from a recent post:
On December 30, I left my brand new 335d in the care of the E.H. Harms, a unit of BLG Logistics, in Munich. Harms is BMW’s shipping agent and takes care of all aspects of shipping the car to the United States, including booking passage and customs brokerage.
Harms booked the 335d on the Wallenius Wilhelmsen MV Manon, voyage CQ002-MAN, which left Bremerhaven today heading for Göteborg, Sweden.
For the full story and other offerings including his backstage pass through the Welt and BMW manufacturing in Munich click on over to The Diesel Driver.
With NAIAS behind us it’s time to look back on the show and what was released. For starters this was the public debut of the ActiveE 1 Series, Z4sDrive35is, an upgraded 135i with the new inline six N55 and Dual Clutch Transmission as well as the US debuts of the 740i and 535i GT. For the full wrap-up we’ve taken it upon ourselves to bring you every second of video from BMW’s press conference. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also included our full gallery of images and video from the two days. Enjoy.
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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.
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Sections: //M1\\ | E81/82/E87 1 Series | In the Press | Spy photos Jan 16th, 2010 14 Comments 
