Car magazines around the world have been rendering images of the next 3 Series for some time now. Finally, we can compare the magazine renderings with some actual photos, although we could still wish for better. This aerial photo (below) of the 2012 3 Series (F-30 platform) is only a bird’s eye glimpse, but it is enough to whet our appetite for what is to come. The 3 Series has been BMW’s #1 seller for at least 2 decades, so it is an understatement to say that there is anticipation about its newest model.
What we do know for sure is that the underlying denominator of every BMW – sporty characteristics and sleek elegance – will be just as present and even more pronounced than ever before in the new 3. It will now share features of the new 5 Series, including similar, yet distinctive taillights. Several options from the 5 Series and 7 Series will now be offered on the 3, such as Heads Up Display – the laser information displayed beyond the windshield for easy viewing. Lane Departure Warning, Night Vision and radar-based adaptive cruise control are other available options.
Side turn indicators are now integrated into the side mirrors rather than the front side panel, where they have been replaced with sleek badging.
The most exciting addition to the new 3 Series is perhaps the replacement of the naturally aspirated 6-cylinder with the all-new turbo 4-cylinder engine. (If you have any doubts about a smaller engine, be reassured. The new 4 has more power, more torque and increased efficiency compared with the former 6-cylinder.)
Production of the 2012 N20-equipped 3 Series begins in November 2011, and we can expect to see them in U.S. dealerships by spring 2012. The 2013 BMW 3 Series will be released shortly thereafter in June 2012.
If it was a race, the 3 Series diesel’s reputation could keep pace with the sedan itself. It’s racing along untrod ground, redefining diesel and crashing diesel’s stereotypes for being noisy, slow and dirty. Like the Midas Touch, BMW has the ability to turn anything it touches into gold. As the future continues to forecast greener cars, BMW’s diesel production rolls smoothly into the limelight. They are known for their efficiency, high levels of torque (leagues beyond what gas-powered chassis’ can produce) and lower emissions.
So it’s exciting news that BMW has recently confirmed production of the 5 Series tuned M diesel sedan. It’s expected to have ridiculously high-levels of torque, somewhere in the neighborhood of 650 lb-feet (the gas-powered M5 is rated at 500 lb-ft). To handle that volume of torque, it is almost guaranteed that this diesel will be equipped with all-wheel-drive.
It’s likely that this engine will find its way in upcoming X5 and X6 models. The real question is, what will this new 5 Series be named? The Detroit Bureau has suggested 550dM or 550dXM.
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We’ve been familiar with the all-new 2011 5 Series. After some patient(?) waiting, we are finally being introduced to its lofty brother, the 2012 M5, the king of the luxury supersedan. Rather than the old M5′s V10, this model showcases a newly designed twin-turbo V8, a 0-62 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph. Other additions include more electronics, a 7-speed double clutch transmission, gorgeous 19″ light alloy wheels (exclusive to M cars), and an astounding 28.5 mpg fuel average.
It’s hard to even conjure the adjectives to describe this beastly yet elegant sedan. Has there been a fiercer BMW? 560 horsepower says no. In fact, bulging from under the M5′s sleek bonnet lies BMW’s most powerful production engine ever. Maybe that explains why they are storing the M5 in a hangar (image above). It can almost fly.
An example of an LCD screen
LCD? It stands for Liquid Crystal Display. If you haven’t seen it in the latest TVs you can look for it in the next generation 5 and 7 Series BMWs. It is the technology to be used in the driver’s gauge display that includes the speedometer, odometer, tachometer, fuel levels, and oil temperature.
The aesthetic value of a new gauge system is desirable, but BMW primarily wants to be innovative, and to create new, better ways to display crucial, pertinent information to the driver. For example, if the car is in Sport mode, the tachometer will automatically be displayed front and center. Customer customization will be available but kept to a minimum to ensure ease-of-use.
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The BMW i8, expected production date of January 2013
BMW’s fuel-efficient, speedy electric car is going to debut in the near future. Introducing the BMW i8: a car that looks like one of those futuristic cars you see in science fiction movies. It looks like Hollywood agreed because they chose it to be featured in the upcoming Mission Impossible 4. Read More
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Believe it or not, whales and BMWs have something in common. Whales open their jaws wide and allow plankton to stream into their internal abyss, and BMW’s jaws are starting to open wider and wider to allow for more intake of information. Designer of today’s Z4, Juliane Blasi, suggests future BMWs will intake information as you drive along and process it to the driver to provide revolutions in (3) categories: safety, infotainment and convenience. Read More
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