Our sources were able to acquire what appear to be early marketing material scans of the upcoming LCI for the 3 series set to debut this fall.
These images show off the new front hood lines, lights and mirrors. The new wheel designs look to be improvements to the car as well. What is interesting to note is that in these materials the front bumper appears to still have the inset for the license plate which we were led to believe had been changed a good deal more.
Along with the exterior features we see here the interior should also receive a refresh with new materials and strong indication is that optionally the new iDrive system we exclusively reported on earlier will be available.
Overall the changes are subtle but still provide the car with an overall updated and more appealing look, taking some cues from the coupe along the way.
We will continue to bring you updates as we receive them.
All indicators are go for the PAS (Progressive Activity Sedan) according to Auto Motor und Sport and it will hit the stage in Frankfurt next year.
Essentially think F10 5 series, in hatch back form rather than a sport wagon, an X6 without the “X”. There have been some spy shots on the net but this artist impression is a good look at what the overall theme of the vehicle will be.
It is interesting that they are going to build this “hatch” and more than likely target the US with it but have no plans to bring the hatch people actually want, the 1 Series. BMW does intend to design and build a car for each niche market moving forward but the real question is if this model will replace the sport wagon and/or just impact the sales number of them.
People always ask us about the latest news, what our sources say and what will come to fruition. Even with the greatest sources and information some things that are in design never make it to production or even designs are so secretive only a few people know about them.
The GINA concept is the latter. No one has ever indicated its existence. The funny thing is it has shaped much of the current model design of BMW and has been around for a long time. It will be at the BMW museum not as a new concept but as part of the history of the brand.
That period of design is history so BMW has decided to “declassify” it to the rest of us.
BMW will introduce the world to a further customizable automobile. As we recently hinted at, BMW has all intentions of making their future cars feature 2-way communication and a completely customizable experience. Much in the same way a personal computer can be customized the vehicle will be able to be, screen savers, colors of the menus etc. These customizations will not need to be made within the car, they can be made remotely on a personal home computer and transferred to the vehicle via a remote server from the internet (GSM Telematics unit) or from a portable device (car key fob, USB fob drive, CD/DVD, etc.)
What is of greater interest is what else we have learned: Functions for the engine and boost levels will also have user preferences that can be customizable for performance or economy, diagnostics can also be accomplished via two way communication with the server. Time shifting radio (Tivo for the radio is now possible with a hard disk based system) the ability to log on to the net and start the HVAC system, to schedule when the seat heaters turn on etc.
All of this will be done via the web (or as above) eliminating much of the fuss associated with making changes within the car, this builds on the current use of Connected Drive. Each user can customize the car to his/her preferences and the car will automatically adjust the setting once the key fob is detected just as many features today do.
Last month we broke the news to the world that there was a new iDrive on the horizon for most of vehicles in the BMW lineup. This was met with some skepticism. As sources have continued to verify it there is very little doubt that it will indeed happen sooner than later.
What we did not know was the total package. One of our sources indicated that the car would have a hard disk and a system from Harmon Becker but we were unable to confirm this information at that time. Time has rolled on and our good friend, Jonathan Spira, has confirmed some of the same information. He has acquired information that essentially has spilled the beans on much of the up coming iDrive.
We still are a bit puzzled by the hard drive allotment; 10GB for a phone book? All in all this sounds to be a much improved system when you also consider the fact it will also feature the new controller. As we know all too well sources sometimes give you bits and pieces of information and you have to sift through them, we commend this effort and can at least agree that the system will feature a hard disk; we know this from the interior of the F01 7 series as there is only one slot! The details may still not be finalized and changes are happening regularly so the system we will eventually see may be a bit different. Information we have obtained indicates that there will be a multimedia showing of the new iDrive around the launch of the F01/02 on 07.07.08.
Official BMW AG Press Release: To mark the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1 super sports car, BMW Group Design is presenting a homage to this legendary model as part of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2008. The BMW M1 designed by Giorgio Giugiaro was a car of superlatives and a highly emotive vehicle that was uncompromisingly primed for the race track. Spawning this development was the BMW Turbo by Paul Bracq, a revolutionary concept car which, in addition to its groundbreaking functional design, also boasted a raft of technical innovations. It is from these two unique vehicles that the BMW M1 Homage takes its cue - a design study that pays tribute to its forerunner models and an embodiment of the competence, creativity and potential of the BMW Group Design team.
“For BMW, heritage is always also a living heritage. Drawing inspiration from your own past and thereby reinventing yourself - that is exactly what the BMW M1 Homage demonstrates in impressive style.”
Dr Klaus Draeger, BMW Group Board Member, Development
Photos of the new BMW M1 concept have hit the web. The concept car is intended to pay homage to the M1 and (if rumors are to be believed) generate interest in a potential production model. Does this mean that what you see to your right may actually point towards the long rumored mid-engined super-car? We’re doubtful but it’s certainly fun to speculate. And speaking of super-cars, Supercars.net has the entire scoop. Here’s an excerpt:
At the Villa d’Este Concours, BMW ignited passion for its heritage by reincarnating the seminal M1. The new design was shown at a private party over the weekend to generate interest in the program. It was placed alongside an original M1 as well as the 1972 Turbo Concept.
Over the next several months we expect a lot of spy photos to be taken as BMW is redesigning or launching a number of models. We got a tip off to some spy photos of the upcoming X1 and thought instead of giving you just photos of it we would give a gallery of it and other BMW models we have.
“Fireball” Tim Lawrence takes a chance to review the design of the new 1 Series.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with his work, Tim has designed everything from futuristic weapons and vehicles for Hollywood blockbusters, ride cars for Disney and Universal and some of the coolest MINI Coopers you’ve ever seen!
Tim is the host of MyRide.com and already has a few of these in the can. Follow the link for even more.
Official BNW Press Release: With its successful performance at the red dot award 2008, BMW Group continues its career of excellence in pioneering design. This year, a total of six members of the BMW Group won the internationally acclaimed label. Two of them, the BMW 3 Series Convertible and the BMW G 450 X motorcycle also won awards in the special category “red dot: best of the best” for outstanding design achievements in the automotive, transport and caravan segment. The trophies will be presented on 23 June, 2008 on occasion of the awards ceremony at the Aalto Theatre in Essen/Germany. Other finalists for the red dot awards 2008 were the BMW X5, the BMW 1 Series Coupe, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and the BMW HP2 Sport motorcycle. BMW Group globally operating subsidiary BMW Group DesignworksUSA also impressed the high-profile members of the jury. The design studio won a red dot award for the interior design of the Embraer MSJ business jet and the design of the Zeydon Z60 luxury yacht.
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: Design, E90 3 Series Jul 3rd, 2008 13 Comments 
