autoMedia Auto News Blog : BMW

Quick Take Test Drive: 2009 BMW 335d

Editor — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:20:00 GMT

Combine one of the best sport sedans on the market with one of the best ways to save on fuel and what do you get? The diesel-powered BMW 335d. Yep, diesel. And like the Jetta TDI diesel we tested recently, this is a new-generation diesel that’s smooth, quiet and powerful. While we found the Jetta to be fun to drive, the 335d is a blast. At the core of the performance is a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter 6-cylinder pumping out 265 hp—not a bad number. But the real game changer is a gargantuan 425 lb.-ft. of torque at just 1,700 rpm. This translates into tremendous low rpm oomph that makes the 335d a monster at the stoplight grand prix, yet never feels like it’s working hard. Unlike some other diesels, it’s also happy to rev up to its redline (only 5,000 rpm) for a sporting feel befitting the BMW badge. The 335d is available exclusively with a six-speed automatic. Ours had the optional sport steering wheel with shifter paddles for added fun. And when you take advantage of this super smooth transmission, you’re rewarded with a relentless wave of power that will put a huge grin on your face. Driving aggressively, we still averaged around 30 mpg in combined city and highway driving, probably 5-6 mpg...(read more)

autoMedia CARnival 11-20-09: This week in Auto Blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:06:00 GMT

It's the week ending November 20, and we've browsed our favorite automotive ...(read more)

Quick Take Test Drive: 2010 Lexus IS 350 C F-Sport

Editor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:03:00 GMT

Sometimes you get lucky. And sometimes you get really lucky. We’ve been looking forward to testing the new Lexus IS C retractable hardtop convertible for a long time. Aimed squarely at competitors such as the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G37 retractable hardtops, the IS 250 C with a 204-hp V6 starts at $38,940, while the more powerful 306-hp IS 350 C starts at $44,390. Either model gets you a sophisticated looking 2-door coupe that transforms into an even-better looking open vehicle in just 20 seconds with the touch of a button. So about that lucky part — Well, we’d have been happy to test any IS C, but Lexus sweetened the deal with a very special IS 350 C, brimming with performance goodies from Lexus’ F-Sport catalog. And frankly, this transformed the car into the most exciting and well-balanced Lexus we have ever driven. Yes, even including the $58,000 416-hp, V8 IS F sedan. At first glance, our tester was a jaw-dropper. In Obsidian black, with a black leather interior, it was sleek and sophisticated. Sitting on its lowered suspension with massive charcoal 19-inch forged wheels, it was the epitome of badness. The IS had the performance goods to back up the looks. A beautiful stainless...(read more)

Automakers Support Texting Ban

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:12:00 GMT

The days for lawful texting while driving are numbered, with several government and academic studies exposing the extreme dangers of this popular distraction. Ahead of a Department of Transportation-led safety conference in Washington, D.C., next week, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) has announced its support for banning text messaging using a hand-held device or calling using a hand-held device while driving a motor vehicle. The AAM is an 11-member industry group consisting of BMW Group, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Several AAM members are developing solutions to facilitate text-based communication, all offer Bluetooth connectivity to allow hands-free phone operation. There is general consensus on the problem and the risks, with some studies equating texting to drunk driving, or worse. However, the debate continues on how to reduce those risks, through legislation and/or technology. (Read “Cell Phones Quadruple Chance of Crash.”)

AAM has come forward with the strong statement: …"texting on a hand-held device while driving is challenging the ability of most drivers to perform the function safely and should be banned."

If and how remains to be seen, and we expect it will be discussed at length next week in the nation's capital.

Also read:
Driving While InTEXTicated: Put Down Your Device & Drive!
AAA Study Shows More Than a Third of Drivers Feel Less Safe

autoMedia CARnival 8/14/09: This week in the auto blogs

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:33:00 GMT

It's the week ending August 14, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. This weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year for car fans, with the Wooodward Avenue Dream cruise in Detroit, and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey. No matter whether you prefer classic American musclecars or the most beautiful and rarest historic automobiles these two events are certain to indulge your wildest automotive fantasies.

AutoBlog has more than a few stories on the West Coast's Pebble Beach activities so take your pick: You can choose to check out this 2010 Morgan Aero SuperSport, peruse the debut of the new Porsche Panamera or wish for a woodie from the Nick Alexander Woodie Collection.

The New York Times has several features on Woodward, including a happy, sentimental feature on a true love story that began more than 50 years ago in a Ford Model A on Woodward Avenue, a gastronomical observation on participation in the nostalgic event, as well as an economical observation of the event's financial importance.

At the beginning of the week, General Motors announced the EPA has created a new methodology for evaluating electric vehicles and proclaimed its upcoming Chevy Volt would be rated at a stunning 230 mpg. The rating seems so difficult to believe that The Detroit Bureau calls the new EPA Mileage standard bogus, but the smart folks over at Consumer Reports break its economy down into numbers and figures that make more sense. Or cents. Whatever.

Porsche gets a second mention in this week's carnival, this time in a series of articles at Jalopnik about the truth or falsehood of the rumored Cayman Shooting Brake. Based on such supporting evidence as a screen cap supposedly snapped from the yet-unreleased Forza 3 for Xbox 360 and a "leaked" photo showing the vehicle being prepped for its anticipated Frankfurt Motor Show reveal, it was ultimately discovered to be a going-away hoax from the-website-formerly-known-as-Top Gear USA. Awesome prank! Jalopnik got pwned!

This week's Greenlings column over at AutoblogGreen explains why today's gasolines include ethanol, and explains whether your car needs any modifications to use this ethanol-infused gasoline.

LeftLane News has two stories on the new BMW ActiveHybrid cars released this week. The first report covered the upcoming X6 ActiveHybrid sports activity coupe, set to reach dealers by the end of 2009. Powered by a gasoline twin-turbo V-8 and two electric motors, the X6 hybrid promises acceleration to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and a total of 480 horsepower. In addition to that one, they also share details of the new top-of-the-range ActiveHybrid 7 hybrid sedan. Powered by a three-phase electric motor and a twin turbo V-8, the ActiveHybrid 7 will crank out a combined 455 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. Word on the street says these hybrid versions will improve economy by 15 to 20 percent.

As the extra $2 billion 'cash for clunkers' extension settles in with lawmakers, Motor Trend reports many dealers are still waiting for their rebate money from the original CARS plan. Apparently one Toyota dealer in Southern California has 450 unpaid claims totaling $1.9 million. Another in North Carolina has only received $26,000 of his $319,000 unpaid claims.

So, do you enjoy the broad variety of headlines and automotive websites here in our weekly carnival? If this still doesn't provide a broad enough selection of car content, then you should check out autos.alltop.com: They've got links to more than a hundred automotive websites, and list the five most recent headlines at each. So whether you're looking for auto & transportation press releases from PR Newswire, the most popular auto items at Digg.com, and anything in between, autos.alltop.com is the place to go when you've got too much time on your hands, and an insatiable appetite for car news.

Thanks for joining us for this week's autoMedia.com CARnival! Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? Then fill out our online form so we can be notified of your interesting entry to our weekly blog CAR-nival. Check back next week for another installment--until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, Contributing Editor

autoMedia CARnival July 10, 2009: What is happening this week in the auto blogs?

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:55:00 GMT

It's the week ending July 10, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. The biggest news of the week is that GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson led a "state of the company" address this morning, describing the three top priorities for the new General Motors as it emerges from bankruptcy....(read more)

autoMedia CARnival June 26, 2009: What's happening this week in the auto blogs?

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:09:00 GMT

It's the week ending June 26, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel is the highlight from each. The biggest news of the week is death of Michael Jackson, and even the car sites are talking about it. Besides that, we've got high-performance road tests, long-distance road trips, and green news too! And let's not forget about the Cash for Clunkers/CARS legislation signed into Law by Obama this week!

Big News: President Obama signed the Cash for Clunkers legislation into law this week, only it's been renamed the "Car Allowance Rebate System." In case you missed it, we've got a complete description of the new auto sales incentive program here at autoMedia.com Are you ready to go shopping? Do your research first here in our online New Car Buyer's Guide.

Autoblog spent three days in the upcoming 2010 Porsche Panamera assailing the Bavarian Alps, streaking across the German Autobahn at speeds up to 170mph, and meandering through picturesque Alpine towns. What did they think of Porsche's gorgeous four-door sedan? It sounds as if they liked it.

Although the closest thing you can get to an electric car at BMW these days is one with Start & Stop technology, a hybrid (in the near future) or, the Mini E, apparently BMW has had a long history of developing electric cars. AutoBlogGreen shares a photo gallery highlighting BMW's collection of historic electric vehicles from the cute little E1 coupe and the plug-in 3-Series sold in the 1990s, to the all-electric 1602 featured at the 1972 Olympic Games. Over at LeftLaneNews.com, they've got reports that BMW will release a new four-seat electric vehicle, dubbed the "City" to United States treehuggers by 2012. Sizewise, the little carlet will be smaller than the 1-Series and MINI, and about the same as vehicles like the Honda Fit.

The death of Michael Jackson yesterday almost shut down the internet as curious fans sought additional information about the pop star's staus. Knowing that the words "Michael Jackson" are incredibly good for SEO right now, a couple of creative automotive sites found ways to exploit the search term - and who can blame them? Jalopnik has a three-minute clip from Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker" film, in which he transforms himself into a Lancia Stratos Zero and Examiner.com has infor on the Ford ambulance that took the King of Pop on his last ride to the hospital.

Have you been following Ford's Fiesta Agents, as they share their adventures in this highly anticipated sport coupe? Brooklyn Hilary has put more than 13,000 miles on the odometer as she has traversed the country these past couple months. You can read about her experiences over at AutomotiveTraveler.com Hilary, how many gallons of gas have you used as you roam the country? Are you tired of driving yet?

He was the numbers guy, figuring out how to make things work. But the world turned upside-down for Frederick A. "Fritz" Henderson, when the White House drove General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner into sudden retirement and gave Fritz an unexpected promotion. In this Q&A article, Paul Eisenstein chats with Henderson to get an update on the bankruptcy process and find out more about what's going on behind the scenes with General Motors' bankruptcy proceedings. Read the interview at The Detroit Bureau.

Motor Trend's Editor at Large Arthur St. Antoine pits Chevy's awesome "Blue Devil" -- the Corvette ZR1 -- against its toughest adversary yet: a Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet. This high-def YouTube video is almost 20 minutes long, but worth it: viewers get a seat inside the Corvette, and the jet for high-speed and high-performance maneuvers. Unbelievable!

Thanks for joining us for this week's autoMedia.com CARnival! Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? Then fill out our online form so we can be notified of your interesting entry to our weekly blog CAR-nival. Check back next week for another installment--until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, Contributing Editor

autoMedia.com CARnival June 19, 2009: Father's Day Gifts for the Ultimate Car Guy

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:54:00 GMT

Father's Day is this weekend, so we've collected an assortment of gadgets and gizmos meant specifically for that Car Guy you love so much: It doesn't matter if he's your Dad or Husband, Brother or Uncle, Son or special friend, if he loves cars, we know you'll find something here that's perfect for him.

I personally LOVE the products at Busted Knuckle Garage: Their gear is perfectly suited (as they say) "for the guy with the hands of a lobster and a workbench that looks like an environmental disaster." Their unique line of herbal skin care products helps ease skin exposed to gasoline, oil and solvents, and is great at healing abrasions and cuts! They've got a great assortment of value-priced gift packs that include tee-shirts and cool memorabilia for father's day, but my absolute favorite items in their line are the Mechanic's lip balm/hand salve, and Mechanic's Muscle Easing Salve. Each 1.75-ounce tin is just $6.95, so you can get Dad one of each and a tee-shirt too!

He doesn't have to be behind the wheel of a Porsche to appreciate the exciting world of Porsche racing: Instead you can give Racer Guy some extraordinary accessories from the Porsche Design Driver's Selection. Whether it's as simple as a car-themed silk tie, Porsche-badged cap, or durable polycarbonate travel cases, the entire product line features meticulous craftsmanship, high-quality materials, and beautiful designs exclusive to Porsche. These high-quality gifts can be ordered at your dealership, online, or by calling 800-PORSCHE. Online purchases placed during the month of June receive free standard shipping!

Die-Cast Models: No matter which car dad already drives -- or longs to have in his driveway -- he can keep an amazingly detailed 1:18 die-cast model on his desk. Dad can desk-race his choice of practically anything in the vehicle lineup, including the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, Carrera GT, or Cayman S all the way up to the real racecars like the RS Spyder from the 2008 American LeMans series or the Porsche 917L "Hippie" model seen at the 1970 LeMans. ($77 to $142 MSRP).

RC Racers: If true Remote Control racing is more Dad's style, consider stepping up to one of their pistol-grip-controlled RC cars. These genuine 1:14-scale reproductions of the 911 Carrera S, 911 GT3 Cup VIP, or Cayenne Turbo (1:28 scale) are capable of traveling of speeds up to 25 mph! ($129 to $324 MSRP)

Porsche Driving School: If desk and RC racing aren't enough, enroll him in the high-performance driver education courses at the Porsche Sport Driving School. Under the guidance of famed Porsche drivers from all types of racing backgrounds, Dad can learn about the true capabilities and performance Porsche cars offer while increasing his own confidence and skill behind the wheel. A one-day driving course on the essentials of high-performance driving starts at $1795; multi-day courses with personal instruction reach up to $5,295. This intensive and comprehensive experience is something Dad will never forget! Click here to ride in the passenger seat for one lap around the course!

From the makers of The Ultimate Driving Machine come the Ultimate Dad's Day gifts: accessories, apparel, and other items that capture the true spirit of BMW. Regardless of whether your Dad has a BMW parked in the driveway, or just wishes he did, this assortment products from BMW Lifestyle easily win the race for the best Father's Day gift. You can browse the BMW Lifestyle collection at your local authorized BMW center or online at www.bmw-online.com. Here are a few BMW-themed Father's Day gift ideas to help you get started:

Wheeled Cargo Duffel: For the gentleman who spends more time in the air than on the road: elegant and innovative, this roomy carry-on duffel has wheels and telescoping handle for easy transport, finished with discreet BMW logo. ($110 MSRP)

BMW Chronograph: For the dad who makes every minute count: Tourneau timepiece with brushed stainless case and anthracite dial boasts a host of high-tech features, along with BMW logo on face next to 30-minute, 1-second and 1/10-second timers. Available with black nylon strap or stainless bracelet. ($285 to $320 MSRP).

Your father has provided guidance your entire life, so now is the time to return the favor. A portable GPS navigation device can provide guidance on road trips, drives to new places, and route around traffic on the daily commute. If he's one of those who hates to ask for directions, you can spare his honor with one of these great gadgets. (Prices and products vary so check the links to help you choose an item that best fits your price range.)

Garmin nuvi 2x5 GPS: Industry sales-leader Garmin provides a wide range of models. Smart money is on the nuvi 2x5 line, with the affordable basic nuvi 205 navigator being a good choice for occasional use and the nuvi 265WT for daily use. These are easy to use and provide good basic navigation, with the 265WT adding a wide screen and free ad-supported traffic service. (The ads are not intrusive, nor frequent.) New 1200 and 1300 series units have just hit the market, meaning the nuvi 2x5 should be great values right now.

TomTom GPS: TomTom has a broad range of products, from entry-level to high-tech, connected devices. On a budget, the One 130 is a solid choice, though the newer One 140 adds the helpful IQ Routes feature that allows the device to provide guidance based on historical traffic data - very helpful around metropolitan areas. The "S" models add text to speech, allowing the device to announce street names, rather than give simple "left" or "right" directions. The XL models are wide screen, making them easier to read and enter addresses. The XL 340 S is tops for this group, and it is just $200 from the manufacturer right now. TomTom has a wide variety of character and celebrity voices that can be installed. If Dad is a Simpsons fan, the Homer Simpson voice is a hilarious download for $12.95.

Finally, you know Dad loves his car, and what better way to show him you love him than to do something nice for his personal chariot? Don't just buy him a collection of car care products, why not give his ride a quality hand detailing that will make his paint shine all summer long? Excellent tips on how to wash it yourself and quick-detail it yourself, along with this excellent guide to Spring Cleaning and Car Care can be found right here at autoMedia.com.

Happy Father's Day, from Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com Contributing Editor

autoMedia CARnival: What's happening this week in the auto blogs?

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:54:00 GMT

autoMedia.com is starting something new this week! Lots of events have been in the news, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel are the highlights we found at each. Consider this your carnival of cribnotes to items of interest in the automotive arena.

AutoBlog: Now's Your Chance: Repo'd Nissan GT-R up for auction
It's barely got 3000 miles on the odometer and already the owner has defaulted on his Nissan GT-R car loan, so the bank is putting it on the auction block at Matley's Richmond Auto Auction today in Virginia. Blogger Dan Roth says he'd "be hiding this thing in a garage more secret and secure than *** Cheney's undisclosed location while we sold an organ or two on the black market to pay its bills." After all, "You've got a spare kidney, but it's not like the GTR comes along every day."

Los Angeles Alternative Transportation Examiner: 145 mph on chocolate?
Matt Kelly, the Los Angeles Alternative Transportation Examiner asks "is that milk or dark chocolate?" Apparently, he says, "London scientists have unveiled what they hope will be one of the world's fastest biofuel vehicles, powered by waste from chocolate factories and made partly from plant fibers. The car "fuel" is vegetable oils and chocolate waste that has been turned into biofuel." The car, named the "WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car," will go on display at several races including the European Grand Prix and Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Bring your own sweet tooth.

iMotor Friday Fun: Motoring Look-a-likes
The folks over at iMotor got chatting the other day about how some people just look like other, more famous, people. So they created this photo gallery of ten auto industry celebrity look-alikes. You've got to review the selection of photos in this gallery to truly appreciate how well they did their homework! And I promise you, some of them are going to make you laugh out loud! (For instance, what auto industry mogul do you think of when I say "Monopoly Man"? or How about "Emperor Palatine"?) Plus, if you let them know what you think, they might just make another batch. ... I'm picturing Betty Boop and Danica Patrick...

Left Lane News Review: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
"The cougar - the female variety, not the Merc' - in the late-model Porsche Boxster slowed as she drove past. As our eyes caught, my heart fluttered a little and I grinned in her direction. But she didn't see me. No, she saw the Cab - the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet." In his review at Left Lane News, Mark Elias asks, "Could this be one of the most impressive two-seat sports cars ever made?" A direct descendant of the shape that made the brand famous upon its introduction at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, it's still able to turn heads 40 years after its debut (as demonstrated by the aforementioned platinum blonde in West Palm Beach).

The Detroit Bureau: Smile For the (Speed) Camera! Radar camera maker nabbed by his own gear
Some folks wind up being hoisted on their own petard. In Tom Riall's case, he's been nailed by his own camera. According to Paul Eisenstein, "The 49-year-old Riall is chief executive of the home affairs division for the British company Serco, and one of their best-known, if most-reviled, products is the radar-triggered camera that's been used to catch countless U.K. traffic offenders as they push past the local speed limits." Even more ironically, Eisenstein says, "it was the third time the balding executive was captured playing fast and loose with the speed laws, which are being more and more heavily monitored in the U.K. after years of lax enforcement. You know that old adage that says "turnabout is fair play?" Looks like this speeder got his just rewards!

AskPatty: Mother's Day Gift Guide
Yes, Mother's Day is just a few days away. Jody DeVere knows choosing the right gift can be a challenge, so she's gathered up some gift ideas that should be perfect for your car-loving Mom. Some are practical, some are elegant, but all of them will please a Mom-on-the-go -- regardless of whether she's cruising a beatup old minivan, or tearing up the tarmac in a Porsche Cayenne. If you still need a mother's day gift idea, be sure to check out this gift guide full of things perfect for your first and most important chauffeur.

Motor Trend: Toyota's January-March Global Loss Beats GM
Todd Lassa highlights an important fact that may have been overlooked by folks who might be too focused on our domestic automotive concerns: "If you're one of the holdouts who believe the depression in the automotive market has only hit the weak, Toyota's results released Friday ought to put that to rest. The World's Number One automaker posted a January-March loss of the equivalent of $6.9-billion, beating GM's first-quarter loss of $6 billion. To make it clear; these numbers are for all global operations. While GM counts January to March as the first quarter of fiscal year 2009, Toyota works on a March-to-March basis, so it has just closed the books on a fiscal year. For March '08 to March '09, Toyota posted an annual loss of 560.4 billion yen, or $5.9 billion."

The Car Connection Spy Shots: 2011 BMW 6-Series
There it is: the tightly cropped front bumper shot of a heavily disguised 2011 BMW 6-Series. According to Marti Padgett, the next-gen 6-Series will be getting an evolutionary new shape; though from the crazy, swirling wrapper on the test mule in the photo, he says it's tough to tell how much exactly will change with the new version of BMW's hefty supercoupe and convertible. But like the new 2009 BMW 7-Series, Padgett says it's likely the same styling themes will get a little more mature and will turn back the clock on the company's controversial "flame surfacing" that's been a point of contention for most of the decade. I just want the awesome paint job for my own car!

Thanks for joining us for this week's auto blog carnival. Check back next week for another installment. Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? We'll have information soon that will help you submit ideas to us. Until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, Contributing Editor

Foreign Auto Plants Received $3.6 Billion in Aid

admin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:42:00 GMT

With all the muckraking surround federal aid to the Detroit 3, the media hasn’t dug deep into how foreign transplant factories have been subsidized with state funds. Good Jobs First reports that $3.6 billion in aid has been provided since 1980 through property and sales tax exemptions, income tax credits, infrastructure aid, land discounts, and training grants.

A national policy resource center for grassroots groups and public officials, promoting corporate and government accountability in economic development, Good Jobs First says this estimate does not include joint ventures with U.S. companies, nor funds granted to hundreds of foreign-owned auto supply companies that have located in the same areas.

Government-supplied subsidies include:

Honda, Marysville OH, 1980, $27 million
Nissan, Smyrna, TN, 1980, $233 million
Toyota, Georgetown, KY, 1985, $147 million
Honda, Anna, OH, 1985, $27 million*
Subaru, Lafayette, IN, 1986, $94 million
Honda, East Liberty, OH, 1987, $27 million
BMW, Spartanburg, SC, 1992, $150 million
Mercedes-Benz, Vance, AL, 1993, $258 million
Toyota, Princeton, IN, 1995, $30 million
Nissan, Decherd, TN, 1995, $200 million
Toyota, Buffalo, WV, 1996, more than $15 million
Honda, Lincoln, AL, 1999, $248 million
Nissan, Canton, MS, 2000, $295 million
Toyota, Huntsville, AL, 2001, $30 million
Hyundai, Montgomery, AL, 2002, $252 million
Toyota, San Antonio, TX, 2003, $133 million
Kia, West Point, GA, 2006, $400 million
Honda, Greensburg, IN, 2006, $141 million
Toyota, Blue Springs, MS, 2007, $300 million
Volkswagen, Chattanooga, TN, 2008, $577 million

Through these subsidies, states have secured major manufacturing facilities that provide thousands of local jobs. This highlights how many so-called “imports” are actually American made.

BMW Offers 0.9% Financing

admin — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:05:00 GMT

Just when its well-heeled customers are reeling from the financial roller coaster on Wall Street, BMW provides its own economic stimulus plan in the form of ultra-low finance rates on its full 2008 product range.

The 0.9% offer is applicable to everything from the thrilling BMW 128i all the way to the premium Alpina B7. This could be a great time to buy the 3 Series, X3, and M-powered car you always wanted. The deal is available only to “qualified customers” through 10/31/2008. It is subject to credit approval, and your local dealer can advise if this Halloween-time incentive is a trick or treat.

Research eligible BMWs in our 2008 new car buyer’s guide, or look ahead in our 2009 guide. All BMW road tests can be found in our Reviews section.

Neiman Marcus 2009 BMW 7 Series

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:23:00 GMT

While the economy experiences a meltdown, there still remain well-heeled power brokers throwing money around like confetti. (A few executives from AIG come to mind…)

For those with the business acumen and courage to remain financially sound during these stormy times, BMW has teamed with Neiman Marcus to offer a limited edition 2009 BMW 750iL. Commemorating the 7 Series' 31st anniversary, only 31 of these personalized uber sedans will be built by BMW Individual.

The redesigned, fifth-generation 7 builds on its long tradition of being a large, powerful, high-tech sedan worthy of being the flagship for the "ultimate driving machine" brand. It is powered by an all-new V-8 engine with direct injection and twin turbochargers, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Gizmos galore, the 7 will offer massaging, air-conditioned back seats, hard-drive music storage, active blind spot detection, night vision with pedestrian detection, and a heads-up display. Among its many new features, the new 7 Series introduces Driving Dynamics Control, which enables the driver to select from four progressively sporty driving programs - Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus - with the touch of a button. Each program features different settings for shock-absorber firmness, transmission shift characteristics, engine-throttle response, and power-steering assist.

The Neiman Marcus 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series is finished with iridescent Diopside Black metallic paintwork and BMW Individual Champagne Merino full leather. Even the smallest details - contrast piping and trim - are customized for the limited run. The automobile is accented with interior Piano Black trim elements and BMW Individual steering wheel in Piano Black finish with wood ring insert and BMW Individual branding.

Holiday shopping can begin early, with the Neiman Marcus 7 going on sale October 16, prior to its November unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show and 2009 launch date. (To order, call 1-866-303-2696 at noon on the 16th.)

Buyers can take delivery of the automobiles from the BMW Welt in Munich, Germany, in April 2009 and then set off on a multi-city lavish vacation in the South of France. A grand European tour includes travel to Monaco, Nice and Cannes, during which they will be able to road test their new vehicles along the sumptuous French Riviera. Upon completion of the trip, the purchaser's new vehicle will be shipped back to the United States for immediate delivery.

We’ll have more details on the redesigned 7 Series after the LA Auto Show.

The approach of the new car may mean deals could be found on the outgoing model. Research the current 7 Series in our new car buyer’s guide and read our BMW 760iL review.