BMW ready with fifth-generation 7-series, car to come to India in 2009

The fifth-generation BMW 7-series is likely to come to India by early-2009!

BMW is now putting the last finishing touches on its fifth-generation 7-series luxury saloons, which are likely to come to India early next year. The new 7-series will officially debut at the Paris Motor Show in October this year, but going by the details already available, the car could give stiff competition to Mercedes-Benz S-class, Audi A8 and Lexus LS cars.

The fifth-gen 7-series will boast of new styling (don’t hold your breath though – think evolution rather that revolution…), a new range of petrol and diesel engines, substantial improvements to the chassis, and a reworked infotainment system that, according to some sources, will be similar to Audi’s new MMI system.

The new BMW 7-series will be longer than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbase and lower ride height. The bodywork will be aluminium, primarily, while high-strength steel will be used in the floorpan and inner structure. Six-cylinder diesel and petrol engines will be offered, while there’ll also be a twin-turbo petrol V8 for those who don’t want to compromise on performance.

BMW has also changed the 7-series suspension completely – the traditional MacPherson strut setup now gets a new double-wishbone arrangement up front and multilink setup at the rear. Other highlights include an advanced damping control system, which is said to vastly improve ride quality.

Finally, the new 7-series will not only get BMW’s latest Active Steering system, but also an optional rear wheel steering system called Integral Active Steer. This speed-sensitive system is capable of altering the angle of the rear wheels by up to three degrees, which makes for improved maneuverability at low speeds as well as better handling and stability at high speeds.

For more information on when the new 7-series will be available in India, contact your nearest BMW dealership.

BMW M GmbH celebrates 30th anniversary

BMW M GmbH has completed 30 years, over which it has delivered 300,000 cars!

Three decades after commencing with the assembly of their first series production model, BMW M GmbH has now delivered its 300,000th vehicle – an alpine-white BMW M3 Coupe – which was handed over to a customer in Regensburg. This East Bavarian town is also the location of the BMW plant in which the high-performance sports car is produced.

In the year 2007, BMW M GmbH automobiles accounted for about one percent of the BMW Group's overall turnover worldwide. In 1978 the company, which was established six years previously as the BMW Motorsport GmbH, presented the M1, a legendary sports car with a mid-mounted straight-six engine. And BMW M GmbH never looked back…

The aim, for BMW M GmbH, was to develop high-performance automobiles, which were suitable for everyday road traffic and which would fascinate through discrete aesthetics and engine and suspension technologies directly inspired by motor racing. Various M5, M3 and other M cars have been built over the years using this corporate philosophy, and its always been a winning formula for BMW.

Today, the USA is the most important market for BMW M cars, and on the European continent, M cars are much coveted in the UK, Germany and Italy. The BMW M GmbH portfolio currently comprises nine models, including the Z4 M Roadster and Coupe, M5 and M5 Touring, M6 Coupe and Convertible and M3 Coupe and Convertible. BMW M cars are now also available in various Indian cities, through authorized BMW dealerships.

BMW to source parts, engineering services from India

An interesting video that shows BMW cars being assembled at the company's high-tech manufacturing facility in Leipzig

The BMW Group has set up an international purchase office (IPO) in Delhi and is looking at sourcing automotive components and engineering services from India, for its global operations.

Herbert Diess, BMW board member (international parts sourcing), recently said that India is an important market for BMW and that the German company recognises the engineering talent available in India. ‘We already source some components for bikes and auto parts for some of our cars and bikes from India. Considering the increasing capabilities of Indian vendors to provide quality spares, we plan to source more parts and services from the country,’ said Diess.

The BMW Group is said to be negotiating with various India-based automotive component manufacturers for sourcing car parts. The company also plans to increase the number of Indian suppliers for its motorcycles business. However, the company has not set any specific targets for sourcing from India. ‘We need to study the Indian market as it should conform to our quality standards,’ said Diess.

BMW wants to source engine and chassis components from India, for its high-end motorcycles. The company is also exploring the possibility of tying up with Indian IT companies and software development firms, for developing in-car applications for BMW vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz, BMW may collaborate on sourcing components and developing engines

Mercedes-Benz working with BMW on buying parts and sharing R&D costs of developing new engines? It just might happen!

According to a report on the Wall Street Journal, BMW AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz cars division are exploring the possibility of working together in the area of developing, producing and purchasing car components. This rather surprising move may be because of a hyper-competitive environment where even big, profitable brands like Mercedes and BMW need better economies of scale in order to be able to do better.

The two German companies are looking a various ways of working together, including the possibility of working together on specific individual projects, where they may collaborate on sourcing components and even developing new engines.

While there is no immediate short-term pressure on the two companies to get to an agreement, issues like a strong euro, rising input costs, and the need for constant technology inputs to meet newer fuel-efficiency and emissions norms may encourage them to find collaborative solutions as soon as possible.

Of course, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will continue to compete with each other in all car segments – luxury sedans, SUVs, sports coupes and so on – and will ensure that this is no dilution of brand values of either company. But since things like components, drive systems, electronics, chassis, safety and braking systems etc are beyond the conscious periphery of most consumers, a little cooperation in these areas can’t possibly hurt anyone.

According to the WSJ report, both Daimler and BMW have appointed key executives to head ‘profitability teams’ which will look at new ways to enhance profitability. The companies are looking at substantial business innovation to get ahead, and are ready to explore new ways of spreading out costs pertaining to research and development and parts procurement.

BMW twin-turbo engine wins 2008 International Engine of the Year award

The BMW X6 is fitted with BMW's 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine, which is supposedly the best engine in the world!

A BMW 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine has won the International Engine of the Year title for the second year running. The powerful BMW mill uses turbocharging to achieve high power output from smaller displacement, uses less fuel and produces less CO2.

Another class-winner from BMW was its 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel unit, which makes 204 horsepower, and only sips 5.2 litres of fuel per 100km. This engine picked up the ‘Best New Engine of the Year’ award.

‘BMW rightly views these awards as the highest industry recognition of its outstanding achievements in engine technology and manufacturing. It is an honour for our 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine to have secured the highest accolade for the second year running, and we are truly delighted that so many of our other engines have been judged as class-leading,’ said Peter Langen, BMW’s director of powertrain.

The Tenth Annual International Engine of the Year Awards ceremony took place at the Engine Expo 2008 in Stuttgart, Germany, today. The event, one of the annual highlights of the worldwide automotive industry calendar, saw a total of 12 Awards given to manufacturers who have been judged to have achieved excellence in their powertrain engineering.

One of the judges for the awards, which are judged by 65 motoring journalists from 32 countries from four continents, includes Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar India magazine.

International Engine of the Year Awards 2008: Winners

Best New Engine of 2008
BMW 2.0-litre Diesel Twin-Turbo (123d)

Green Engine of the Year
Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius)

Best Performance Engine
Porsche 3.6-litre Turbo (911 Turbo, 911 GT2)

Sub 1.0-litre
Toyota 1.0-litre (Aygo, Yaris, Peugeot 107, Citroën C1, Subaru Justy)

1.0-litre to 1.4-litre
Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Jetta)

1.4-litre to 1.8-litre
BMW-PSA 1.6-litre Turbo (MINI Cooper S, Clubman, Peugeot 207, 308)

1.8-litre to 2.0-litre
Volkswagen/Audi 2.0-litre Turbo (A3, A4 Cabrio, A6, TT, Eos, Jetta, Golf GTi, Seat Altea, Leon, Skoda Octavia)

2.0-litre to 2.5-litre
Subaru 2.5-litre Turbo (Forester, Impreza, Outback, Legacy)

2.5-litre to 3.0-litre
BMW 3.0-litre Twin-Turbo (135, 335, X6)

3.0-litre to 4.0-litre
BMW 4.0-litre V8 (M3)

Above 4.0-litre
BMW 5.0-litre V10 (M5, M6)

International Engine of the Year 2008
BMW 3.0-litre Twin-Turbo (135, 335, X6)

New BMW showroom opens in Kolkata

For a mere Rs 74 lakh, Kolkata residents can buy this mighty BMW M3

In a bid to increase its presence in India, and take on established players like Mercedes-Benz, BMW is now committed to opening new showrooms in the country, and the latest one has recently been opened in Kolkata. This new showroom will ultimately allow BMW to provide sales, service, and spares to its customers in Eastern India.

The new BMW showroom in Kolkata is spread over 4300sq.ft., and soon, the entire BMW lineup, including 3-series, 5-series, 6-series, and 7-series, as well as the X- and M-cars, will be on display there. Currently, the star attraction in the showroom is the BMW M3 coupe, which Kolkata residents can buy for a mere Rs 74 lakh!

Speaking on the occasion of the showroom launch, BMW India president Peter Kronschnabi said, ‘The market demand for BMW is increasing in India every year. Last year 1,387 cars were sold and this year the sales figure is expected to go up to 2,000 cars. We expect this showroom to sell around 100 cars a year [and] once this first Kolkata showroom starts rolling, we will think about launching our 4S dealership [which provides sales, service, spares and systems under one roof] here.’