BMW and Daimler continue to talk platform sharing, just like BMW has with Fiat and PSA Peugeot Citroen. BMW realizes that in order for it to remain “independent” (in quotes because we feel platform sharing is not really independent) it must share platforms on at least some of its models. There are internal and external concerns that platform sharing would not only diminish the characteristics of what makes a BMW a BMW, but the brand’s image.
“There are clear limits. The BMW brand, which one study has valued at $24 billion, must not be diluted or the brand identity damaged,” BMW’s Norbert Reithofer told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview according to Reuters.
The real question for us is if all this talk of platform sharing really makes sense to keep the brand alive. With the down turn in the economy, large scale manufacturers that rely on volume to stay a float are having serious issues and burning through capital reserves like it is going out of style. Toyota lost in excess of $6 Billion last quarter, in no small part because they can’t move the volume they need. While BMW had a loss for the quarter in the hundreds of millions, it was less proportional to the cash reserves on hand than the most manufacturers. Smaller brands have advantages in times like these.
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It’s early Saturday morning. Spring in Chicago. The kind of hour that an auto enthusiast looks at as the golden hour. The roads are clear and the weather is back from the brink of a wretched Chicago winter.
And I have a red BMW parked in my garage. Yes the MINI is gone and I’m back to rear wheel drive with a propeller on the hood. I wouldn’t call the car “just” a BMW, yet it doesn’t quite justify a real M badge (despite the peppering of that letter throughout the car by the company). It’s not single purpose driven like the Z4 M that I’ve lusted after for years, or the perfect urban runabout like a stock manual transmission Cooper would be. Instead it might just be the best all around automobile I’ve ever owned.
Every so often the right people inside a car company get just the right amount of freedom, time and budget to create something out of nothing. The BMW 330i ZHP was born out of these circumstances. It was 2001. The new E46 M3 had just hit the market and the critics were buzzing with glowing reviews and sales were off to a robust start. Yet the public (specifically the US market) was quietly asking where the four door version of this latest M3 was. The previous iteration (the E36 M3) had one, why not this new car? Where was the answer to the four door Audi S4 or the Mercedes C32? Why was BMW simply ceding this market?
As it turns out the accountants in Munich simply looked at the market for the four door, the tooling and engineers costs associated with bringing it to market and said no thanks. And that should have been the end of the story. But a few enthusiasts deep within BMW knew better. So they went about creating a hybrid of sorts. An Alpina tuned, M engineered and BMW individual designed creation that would turn out to be one of the best sport sedans ever released by BMW.
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Below you can find the 2009/2010 model year lease rates for May 2009. There may be regional variations to these rates and these are the base numbers. Dealers can mark up the money factor but the residuals are what they are.
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Official Release: Introducing the new BMW S 1000 RR on the legendary Monza Racing Circuit, BMW Motorrad is for the first time launching an absolutely innovative supersports with a straight-four power unit.
With this world debut, BMW Motorrad is indeed establishing a true milestone in the world of sports machines, combining engine output of 142 kW (193 hp) with overall weight of just 204 kg (450 lb) including fuel (183 kg/403.5 lb dry weight, 206.5 kg/455.3 lb overall with Race ABS).
Specifications of this calibre make this supersports machine not only an absolute highlight in terms of its power-to-weight ratio and performance, but also, equipped with Race ABS and DTC Dynamic Traction Control, a new benchmark in terms of riding dynamics, safety and innovation. continued →
The party starts this week. 50 years ago this week the first Mini rolled off the assembly line in England and changed the world. To celebrate we’d like to do something really exciting… like give away a beautiful British Racing Green 1963 Mini Cooper S. But we don’t have one. And if we did, we’re pretty sure we wouldn’t want to give it away either. So instead we’re re-publishing the 50th anniversary piece we posted a few weeks back to celebrate the brand, the day and the little car that changed everything. Enjoy!
The following is an official history of the Mini/MINI over the last 50 years. It details the rise of the small car in 1950’s Britain to today’s success worldwide. If you don’t know much about Mini/MINI history, this is a must read. And as a bonus we’ve also included the largest gallery of official Classic Mini photos we’ve ever seen on the web much less posted on MotoringFile.
Official Release: Five decades full of driving excitement and individual style – this, in a nutshell, is the history of MINI. But in its significance to the automobile world, MINI goes far beyond these achievements – no matter how outstanding they may be – alone. Indeed, only very few cars have characterised the development of the automobile in such an outstanding manner.
In April the BMW Group’s sales performance was again impacted by weak automotive markets resulting from the global economic and financial crisis. In addition, many countries also had two fewer workdays this month than last April. Over the past month deliveries of the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands decreased by 23.8% to 101,589 (prev.yr. 133,287) vehicles. Sales of the BMW brand were 24.6% lower at 84,218 (prev.yr. 111,737) units. MINI sold 17,320 vehicles (prev.yr. 21,462 / -19.3%) in April. Rolls-Royce reported a decline of 42.0% to 51 automobiles (prev.yr. 88) for the month. continued →
As we’ve previously reported BMW will be further downsizing their entry level engines for the next generation 1 and 3 series. More specifically for the first time in recent memory BMW will be using three cylinder engines rather than four. Reportedly some of the technology involved will be derived from the Motorcycle division’s recent powerplant work.
Here’s a quick list of the rumored three and four cylinder engine line-up. Note the six cylinder engines are not going away – they’re just not listed. (courtesy of Auto Motor Und Sport)
With the recent press introduction of the Z4 we thought it was ideal timing to unleash the ultimate gallery of the car. It’s a chance to get a better look at what many are calling the best looking BMW roadster since the 507.
This document is from the recent BMW USA press event for the Z4. It’s a great look into some of the thinking that made up the current Z4.
What model year is this vehicle?
It is being introduced as a 2009 model. What will be the vehicle’s on-sale date and what are the MSRPs of the two models? The new Z4 goes on sale May 9th and will cost:
- Z4 sDrive30i $46,575
- Z4 sDrive35i $52,475
Prices include $825 Destination and Handling
What features make the new Z4 Roadster worth the price increase over its predecessor?
The new Z4 Roadster is a completely new vehicle with added substance and value. It now features an aluminum retractable hardtop (20 seconds to deploy or retract) and the vehicle concept has been made larger to feature a new level of comfort, better storage space. It is now a “year-round roadster” and features tremendous practicality. It should be noted that the new model’s base engine served as the top-choice engine for the previous generation Z4. The versatility of the Z4 has improved to the point that it will now be considered more often to be used as a driver’s primary transportation (rather than serving as a weekend car). continued →
Press Release: Ludwig Willisch (52), formerly President of BMW M GmbH, will take over as head of the BMW Group’s European sales region with immediate effect. In this capacity, Willisch will be responsible for sales of BMW and MINI automobiles in all European countries outside of Germany. With sales of 517,000 vehicles in 2008, this region accounts for 39% of the BMW Group’s total global retail volume, making it the most important of the company’s six regions in terms of sales performance.
“In Ludwig Willisch we have an outstanding manager with a great wealth and depth of experience for this important position. He is the right person to lead our biggest sales region successfully, even through difficult times,” said Ian Robertson, Board Member for Sales and Marketing. continued →
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: In the Press | Opinion May 13th, 2009 2 Comments 
