Woodcliff Lake, NJ – November 17, 2010, 12:00am EDT… The BMW brand has won Best Resale Value Luxury Brand for the 2011 model year by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. In addition, the BMW X5 and BMW X6 Sports Activity Vehicles each won places on the KBB.com 2011 model year list of Top 10 Models for Best Resale Value, and the X5 xDrive35d Advanced Diesel was chosen as Best Resale Value for Hybrid / Alternative Energy Utility Vehicle. Not stopping there, the BMW X5 also won the 2011 Best Resale Value award in the Luxury Utility Vehicle category.
“At BMW, we believe our vehicles’ strong resale value is a result not only of the innovation, engineering and design aesthetics built into each one of our cars, but also the quality of the BMW ownership experience in total,” said Peter Miles, BMW of North America’s Executive Vice President of Operations. Miles accepted the awards for BMW on the eve of the 2010 Los Angeles International Auto Show, saying, “BMW vehicles serve as industry benchmarks when new then strongly influence the used-car market as they go on to satisfy additional owners. BMW resale value proves that.”
“Consumers should take a good look at the projected resale value of a car when choosing their next new-vehicle purchase, and they would be wise to carefully consider the 2011 Best Resale Value Award winning vehicles and brands on this year’s list,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com “Taking the time to research and choose vehicle makes, models and options wisely now can help new-car shoppers hold value down the road when they go to sell or trade-in the vehicle.”
Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Awards are based on projections from the Kelley Blue Book® Official Residual Value Guide, determined by an expert staff of automotive analysts. These prestigious awards honor vehicles expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original list price after five years of ownership. Low-volume vehicles and vehicles with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of more than $60,000 are excluded from award consideration, except in the luxury and high-performance categories.
Share on FacebookThe door softly closes you in to an interior that is the cockpit for performance. It showcases a unique Dark Glacier Aluminum Trim and an M-Sport steering wheel. A gentle press of the Start button and the engine burbles to life. Driving it is almost magical. There is no strain or hesitation, just immediate thrilling response. If you aren’t comfortable feeling a few g’s in your stomach, don’t test drive this. This car deserves to be tested to its limits. The question is…does it have limits?
It hugs corners like a python. Braking requires a light touch, and is smooth even with a sudden stop. With 320 horsepower, the zero to sixty is achieved in a breathtaking 5 seconds flat. Plus there is an extra seven second overboost function of 370 lb-ft of torque. Car and Driver Magazine comments that the 335is “rockets into triple-digit speeds as if towed by a Boeing 747.”
The 335is is the perfect in-between of the 335i and the M3. The “s” in 335is stands for sport, by the way. Car and Driver Magazine describes it as being “more exotic than a 335i but not as outlandish as an M3″ concluding that the 335is is ”a powerful 3-Series with a fantastic soundtrack.”
Made exclusively in coupe and convertible body styles, the 335is sports an M sport body kit with a more aggressive front fascia than the 335i.
Kuni BMW shot their own in-house film to celebrate the 335is. Enjoy watching here on youtube.
To view Kuni BMW’s 335is coupe and convertible inventory, click here.
The first thing you’ll notice about the 335is is the sporty exhaust note that burbles alive – Kuni BMW
Rumors have it that the next Mission Impossible 4 movie starring Tom Cruise will feature the all-new 2012 6 Series. We are promised some chase scenes with the 6 Series and other BMWs. Tom Cruise recently visited the BMW Munich site to preview the 6 Series.
Both the movie and the 650i and 640i Convertible will be available sometime in 2011.
Share on FacebookThe 2011 BMW 5 Series “the perfect symbiosis of aesthetic design and performance” stated by BMW Group, has been awarded yet again. The new interpretation of the 5 Series has been out for nearly a year and is still turning heads like crazy. With a 5 Star crash rating literally under its buckle, it has now been awarded Germany’s highest honor for Design – the 2011 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany.
This award is no simple feat. To even qualify the entry must pass rigorous requirements. The entry must have received a national or international award previously and must exhibit elements that express the nature of future design. The panel of judges are from different fields of industry, academia, design and the media. The award will be presented at Ambiente, the world’s biggest trade fair for consumer goods, in February 2011.
“Sheer presence and stylish elegance lend expression to the Sedan’s premium quality and outstanding ride comfort,” BMW said in a statement.
Spartanburg, S.C. – October 11, 2010…BMW Manufacturing Co. announced today it is implementing a new alternative fuel platform to use hydrogen fuel cells to power the plant’s material handling equipment. Hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklifts, tuggers and stackers will be used in BMW’s new assembly hall that produces the new BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle®.
Fuel cells take stored chemical energy, such as hydrogen in this case, and convert it into electrical energy through two internal electrochemical reactions. The only byproducts of hydrogen fuel cells are heat and water, making this energy choice more efficient than other more conventional energy sources.
“BMW has taken another important step to affirm our global commitment to sustainability with a project such as this in Spartanburg,” said Josef Kerscher, President of BMW Manufacturing. “There’s a clear vision and determination to reach our goal of using renewable energy as much as possible throughout the plant site.”
Implementation of this new technology has been done in concert with partners from Linde North America and Plug Power.
Mike Beckman, vice president of Linde’s alternative energy team, said, “We have partnered with BMW to work toward our companies’ shared goal of implementing cost-effective, alternative energy solutions that reduce emissions. BMW’s selection of Linde to supply the hydrogen and fueling system is testament to our significant capabilities, leading technologies and dedicated professionals who worked closely with BMW to implement the fueling solution.”
“We are proud BMW has selected to work with Plug Power as they continue to solidify their position as a leading sustainable automotive manufacturer,” said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power Inc. “The proven productivity increases on the manufacturing floor through the use of GenDrive will give BMW a further competitive advantage in the global automotive marketplace.”
Installation of a storage and distribution center within BMW’s existing Energy Center, an 11 Megawatt facility, along with six on-site fueling stations were recently completed by BMW at their only North American manufacturing facility in South Carolina. The hydrogen used for this project was manufactured at the most sustainable source within Linde’s network.
Initially, the hydrogen-powered material handling fleet will consist of more than 85 pieces of equipment, making it one of the largest hydrogen fuel-cell fleets in the U.S. In addition to the many other benefits, fuel cells offer a much longer operating life than lead-acid batteries. Fuel cells provide continuous power with no loss of power as the tank nears empty as opposed to battery-powered equipment that run slower as the battery nears empty. These units, when full, run on a 2 kilogram fuel tank and run for 8-10 hours. Fuel cell units can be refueled by a driver in less than three minutes at an on-site hydrogen fueling station. On average, it takes about 20 minutes to re-fuel a depleted battery.
Since hydrogen is the only source of energy for the fuel cells being used in the new facility, BMW Manufacturing estimates that this project will avoid 1.8 million kilowatt hours per year of electricity consumption at the plant that would have been used to charge a battery-powered fleet.
The Hydrogen Fuel Cell fleet is the perfect complement to BMW’s successful Landfill Gas to Energy initiative started in early 2003. BMW powers approximately 50% of the plant’s total energy requirements using methane from a local landfill, a previously wasted resource.
Implementation of the landfill gas program reduces CO2 emissions by 92,000 tons per year. To date, the landfill gas project has saved BMW an annual average of $5 million in energy costs.
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Woodcliff Lake, NJ – October 13, 2010 – 12:00pm EDT … BMW announces a base price of $37,625 for the all-new BMW X3 Sports Activity Vehicle®, which arrives in dealer showrooms by the end of the year. That is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the refined, 240-horsepower X3 xDrive28i. The turbocharged, 300-horsepower X3 xDrive35i will have an MSRP of $41,925. Both prices include $875 Destination & Handling fee. Both models feature a standard 8-speed automatic transmission and BMW’s acclaimed xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system.
BMW sparked the creation of today’s hottest industry segment with the 2004 introduction of the original BMW X3, a vehicle designed to be the best-handling light truck in the world – a true BMW – while affording its owners generous space and versatility to accommodate their active lifestyles. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then the competition has been very sincere indeed. The impact of the original X3 became unquestionable as other manufacturers rushed to join its unique place in the market.
For the second-generation BMW X3, the designers and engineers took inspiration from every lesson learned in the original X3’s seven-year life cycle and forged two new models that extend the reach and strength of the original. More versatile than ever – with a rear seat that can fold in three sections, not just two. Faster. More fuel efficient. Refined. The new X3 will re-establish the benchmark for the segment the original X3 spawned.
The new BMW X3 features the latest in BMW ConnectedDrive technologies, including an available rearview camera with Top View. The most comprehensive integration for the latest Blackberry smartphone devices will be available, making it possible to read emails from the Navigation screen while stationary and, through innovative text-to-speech technology, listen to e-mails while driving. As a true representative of The Ultimate Driving Machine®, the X3 offers a number of options to enhance driving dynamics and active safety. The available Dynamic Handling package includes two firsts in a BMW Sports Activity Vehicle: Driving Dynamics Control and the new Performance Control which works with Dynamic Stability Control to combine individual wheel braking with light throttle to help counteract the effects of understeer and oversteer. Variable Sport Steering is also included with the package. Additionally, for the first time, the X3 will be available with BMW’s Head-Up Display as an option.
With a base price of $37,625 for the X3 xDrive28i, the all-new 2011 X3 also represents a notable jump in value over its 2010 predecessor, which started at $39,725. The 2011 X3 will include more standard equipment, including Bluetooth connectivity, iPod/USB interface, anti-theft alarm system, and on the X3 xDrive35i, standard BMW Xenon Adaptive Headlights. Produced exclusively at BMW’s Spartanburg, S.C. factory, the new X3 will be supported by a state-of-the-art ordering and manufacturing system. Customers will be able to make changes to their vehicle order until six days prior to the start of production.
