Two of BMW’s most popular diesel engines are now available in the 1 Series Convertible. BMW’s most economical four-cylinder diesel engine ever and the award-winning twin –turbocharged unit are a timely introduction for new car buyers seeking open-air motoring but are worried about rising fuel costs.
The 118d Convertible is powered by a 1,995cc single turbocharged engine producing 143hp and 300Nm of torque. This results in a zero 
to 62mph time of 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 129mph. Most impressive though is the 118d Convertible’s ability to record a combined consumption figure of 57.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 129g/km. This means the vehicle, courtesy of BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies, is the most economical and least polluting convertible car in its class.
For those customers demanding greater performance the 123d Convertible comes with a 1,995cc twin-turbocharged engine producing 204hp and 400Nm of torque. This propels the 123d Convertible from zero to 62mph in 7.5 seconds before going on to a top speed of 143mph. It too comes with all the facets of EfficientDynamics and thus records a combined consumption figure of 52.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 144g/km – again the lowest compared to any competitor product.
Both models come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. The BMW 118d Convertible is priced from £23,660 OTR, while the BMW 123d Convertible starts at £28,105 OTR.
Seven-speed double clutch transmission slots into 3 Series:
The BMW 3 Series Coupé and Convertible are now available with a seven-speed double clutch transmission for enhanced performance and economy. The new gearbox, which applies similar technology to that used in an M3 equipped with M DCT, is now offered on the 335i Coupé and Convertible models. It improves performance and economy by splitting the gearbox into the two assemblies, each with their own clutch. This way as the revs build or decrease in the current gear another one is already selected. A near seamless transition in gears and power is thus achieved benefitting both acceleration and consumption. The DCT gearbox is offered as a £1,640 option.
News of the new gearbox comes as the new six-cylinder 2,993cc diesel engine announced for the new 3 Series Saloon and Touring models is offered in the Coupé range. Now the BMW 330d Coupé is powered by a 245hp powerplant, 14hp more than the previous engine, and 520Nm of torque, 20 Nm more than before. The upgrade in performance means the 330d Coupé achieves zero to 62mph in 6.0 seconds compared to 6.6 seconds previously, while also being capable of 49.6mpg on the combined cycle (Vs 46.3mpg) and emissions of 152g/km (Vs. 160g/km).
X3 production reaches half million mark:
The 500,000th BMW X3 has rolled off the production line at Magna Steyr, in Graz, Austria. BMW’s compact Sports Activity Vehicle has followed in the X5’s wheel tracks to become the second X model in the BMW product range to pass the half million milestone. To date a total of more than 1.25 million X models have been sold worldwide, confirming the international success story of these benchmark vehicles.
This milestone has passed at the same time the nomenclature of the X3 and X5 ranges changes to mirror that of the X6. Now, for example, the 3.0-litre diesel-powered X3 will be referred to as the BMW X3 xDrive30d. Every other X3 model will follow this format with the last two digits and letter denoting which engine is used.
New BMW X3 models announced:
Two special edition BMW X3s are now available in the UK. The BMW X3 xDrive20d SE Edition Premium and the BMW X3 xDrive20d SE Edition Exclusive come with additional equipment as standard compared to existing models. The Edition Premium adds uniquely-styled 17-inch light alloy wheels, chrome exhaust pipe and chrome kidney grille with graphite vertical slats, Space Grey metallic paint and matching interior trim. Pearlpoint cloth and leather upholstery is standard but can be upgraded to Nevada leather upholstery.
The BMW X3 xDrive20d SE Edition Exclusive comes with bespoke 18-inch light alloy wheels, chrome exhaust pipe and chrome kidney grille with graphite vertical slats, extended lighting, headlight wash and xenon headlights. To complete the package Mineral Green metallic paint, Nevada leather upholstery and a Light Walnut wood interior trim are standard.
The BMW X3 xDrive20d SE Edition Premium costs £30,345 OTR and the BMW X3 xDrive20d SE Edition Exclusive costs £31,925 OTR.
30 years of BMW M cars:
2008 marks the 30th anniversary of BMW M. Born from the M1 project of 1978 when the company built a mid-engined racing car to compete in a newly formed ProCar series, BMW M has since gone on to represent the pinnacle of performance BMWs.
Its adage of ‘From the race track to the road’ applies to the development of all its products. The BMW M3 is still the most successful touring car in history and this racing heritage is why M products remain popular with enthusiasts. Such demand is the reason BMW M recently delivered its 300,000th vehicle. The BMW M3 Coupé in Alpine White was presented to a customer in Regensburg, the home of M3 production.
Today BMW M cars account for around one percent of the BMW Group’s overall turnover worldwide with the USA, UK and Germany representing the three biggest markets.
Google Send to Car gets personal:
BMW’s innovative ConnectedDrive facility is now available with added capability courtesy of a link-up with Google. Customers who have specified their cars with navigation are able to use a new Google Send function to locate non-business addresses. The enhanced Google Send allows the driver to locate personal addresses as well as 750,000 business listings.
Google Send to Car allows the user to send the desired address straight through to the car’s navigation system from his or her office desk for added convenience, thus reducing the need to input navigation addresses manually. BMW is the only car manufacturer currently able to offer the bespoke Google function.
BMW wins more awards:
BMW has been presented with the Editor’s Award by What Car? magazine at its prestigious Green Awards held at London Motor Show. The marque scooped the honour for its widespread EfficientDynamics programme. It is the second time the car industry’s buying bible has commended the BMW product range for the advances engineers have made in performance, emissions and fuel consumption. What Car? awarded a similar accolade to BMW at its annual new car awards ceremony held in January, 2008.
BMW has also been presented with two honours in the 2008 Green Car Awards from the Environmental Transport Association. The BMW 520d won the Executive category and the BMW 320d the Large Family award for their EfficientDynamics derived low CO2 emissions figures and fuel consumption.
The Environmental Transport Association assessed over 1,300 cars on sale, examining their power, emissions, fuel efficiency and even the amount of noise produced to create a definitive ‘green’ buying guide for customers. Judges noted that BMW had achieved an 11 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions during the past 12 months with four BMW Group models making it into the top five ‘most improved category’.
The BMW 5 Series scooped the award for Best Executive car in the Fleet World Honours. The medium sized executive car beat other premium rivals to top spot on account of its driving dynamics, class-leading performance, consumption and emissions, and its comparative low running costs. The BMW 3 Series won Best Compact Executive car, the BMW X5 won Best SUV, while the BMW Group was presented with an industry-wide award for its EfficientDynamics programme.
BMW 118d sets new unofficial 24-hour record:
A new 24 hour record has been set in a BMW 118d. The team of drivers from BMW Car magazine took the current World Green Car of the Year on a pan-European endurance test to see what real-world performance figures could be achieved in the award-winning vehicle.
Their BMW 118d covered 1,461.9 miles in its 14 European country marathon, with the team recording an average speed of 71.6 mph, but using just 150 litres of fuel. The average consumption figure of 43.4 mpg was commendable despite some faster autobahn driving and high-gear mountain passes being negotiated en route.
The drive began in the UK and finished in the Czech Republic and the team nearly made it 15 countries but ran out of time only 50kms from the Polish border. The four-man crew consumed 12,000 calories in the form of sweets, snacks and fizzy drinks - next stop the dentist then…
Price adjustments across BMW model ranges:
The BMW range will be subject to a price increase in July 2008. The average price of cars increases by approximately one per cent. A full breakdown of the changes is outlined below.
Source: Infibeam.com
The post price hike prices of Maruti Suzuki will be costlier by Rs. 2,000 while that of the Alto will be higher by Rs. 2,500. The price of the cars in the compact segment Zen Estillo and Wagon R has been increased by Rs. 3,000 and that of the Omni van has increased by Rs. 2,200.
