This is a TV Commercial for the BMW 1-Series Coupe in the USA. No Kermit the Frog this time as it seems Kermit likes the hatch better, but you’ll get to see a random guy who sneaked onto the assembly line admiring the 1 Coupe. The 125i Coupe costs RM323,800 while the “junior M” 135i goes for RM423,800 OTR without insurance.
Related Stories: Click here to read the rest of BMW 1-Series Coupe TVC in the US
BMW 130i M Sport Test Drive Review
Many considered the BMW X6 to be quite bizarre when it first came out. Its top half was of a coupe but with a bottom half of an SUV. Kind of like the love child of a 6-Series and a BMW X5. To top it all off the sloping roof threatened to destroy rear headroom in the way the GEN2’s roofline did, and it only sat 4 instead of 5.
Despite all of that many were taken in by its sexy looks and already over 6,000 units have been sold since its launch 3 months ago in Spartanburg, USA. Three models are available - two petrol and one diesel, and all three are turbocharged. The X6 was the vehicle chosen to debut BMW’s new 4.8 liter twin turbocharged V8.
The BMW X6 is now in Malaysia. One variant is available immediately, with the other two to follow next year. The BMW X6 xDrive35i is priced at RM698,000 on the road without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive + Repair. The xDrive35i model is powered by the N54 3.0 liter twin turbocharged inline-6 engine that produces 306 horsepower thanks to its twin parallel turbochargers and direct injection.
The other two X6 models available worldwide is the xDrive50i powered by the 4.8 liter twin turbo V8, and the xDrive35d powered by the sequential twin turbocharged 3.0 liter diesel engine from the 335d. I don’t think BMW Malaysia has introduced any models with the twin turbo diesel here in Malaysia (thanks to our diesel quality), so we may have to skip that one and have only one additional variant.
The X6 looked quite menacing in real life, with its huge wheels and equally large disc brakes. BMW had two cars showcased at its launch event - one was grey and the other was red. The red one had a fully black interior while the grey one was a combination of a black dash and beige seats.
Rear headroom was pretty much as expected (example photo after jump) - not as bad as 2+2 seaters but if you are a tall person the top of your head would be just a few millimeters away from the ceiling, which may not go well with people who feel claustrophobic.
Hopefully BMW will register a test drive unit for the media. But for the moment, please enjoy some photos of the X6 after the jump.
Related Stories: Click here to read the rest of BMW X6 xDrive35i available in Malaysia
BMW X6: full details, specifications and photos
BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid at Frankfurt 2007
BMW’s Director of Functional Integration Dirk Hacker talks about the various technologies and driver aids in the new F01 BMW 7-Series such as the Integral Active Steering (rear wheel steering), Driving Dynamic Control, Integrated Chassis Management and other technologies. An apt job for someone with a surname Hacker.
Look at the video after the jump. Click here to read the rest of Technologies in the new BMW 7-Series
Hamann has released tuning and bodykits for the MINI Cooper S and the MINI Cooper D, which both have turbocharged motors, making it easier to tweak as compared to normally aspirated cars. There are 2 options for the Cooper S. One is a boost up to 204hp at 5,500rpm and 300Nm of torque between 1,600 to 5,000rpm.
The other is the SPORTKIT CS 230 which gives the Cooper S a massive power boost to 230 PS at 6,050rpm and 330Nm of torque at 3,860rpm, making it more powerful than the recently unveiled MINI John Cooper Works however it loses the amazingly flat torque curve. The Cooper D gets its power upped from 110hp to 136hp at 4,000rpm and a peak torque of 300Nm between 1,750 to 2,000rpm.
The Hamann bodykit is said to provide aerodynamic benefits and includes a front skirt, side sills and a rear diffuser which integrates the two tailpipes of the Hamann sports exhaust system. The Hamann suspension lowers the MINI’s center of gravity by 30mm. There is also a height-adjustable coilover kit which can be lowered up to 500mm.
To complete the kit, Hamann rims available and the highlight is the one piece 18 inch HM EVO wheel finished in lacquered black. These wheels are wrapped with Hankook Ventus S1 EVO 225/35ZR18 tyres.
Look after the jump for hi-res photos. Click here to read the rest of Hamann Tuning Kit for MINI Cooper S
How often do we use our high beams? Many of us barely use them, in fact whenever I turn on my high beams in areas where there is no oncoming traffic and no cars in front of me, I’ve gotten remarks from passengers that using the high beam is unethical. This seems to be the opinion of quite a few motorists, which surprises me.
Apparently according to auto parts supplier Gentex Corporation, automakers and other parties in the auto industry are actually trying to encourage higher use of a car’s high beams. Studies have shown that the very low usage of a car’s high beams are due to a various reasons including forgetfulness, complacency and the fear of not being able to react to oncoming traffic and turning them off fast enough, resulting in other motorists getting dazzled or annoyed.
Gentex says even at speeds of up to 56km/h, a car’s low beams will not allow you to see far enough head to detect and react to a potential hazard. This is the whole point of high beams but in situations where high beams should by right be used, studies have found that high beams were only used less than 25% of the time.
Gentex’s solution to this is their SmartBeam system, which BMW has put in its cars and called High-Beam Assist. The High-Beam Assist system uses a tiny camera-on-a-chip combined with computer algorithms to automatically determine when to turn on and off the vehicle’s high beams depending on traffic conditions.
The camera is located on the interior’s rear view mirror and faces forward. When the system detects that it is dark and no other vehicles are present, the high beams are automatically turned on. When traffic in front is detected, they are automatically turned off. A manual override for the driver is also provided.
The BMW High-Beam Assist system is available in the BMW 5, 6, 7, and X6 models. It is also available in Malaysia on various models including the BMW 523i SE.
Imagine, you’re just moseying along driving your trailer carrying 9 imported BMWs trying to earn a living, when suddenly a rain of rocks fall from the sky and 4 of the BMWs you’re carrying get damaged, causing massive damage including broken windscreens and damaged body panels.
This is exactly what happened in China, where a group of kids decided to throw rocks at a passing trailer because, according to them, “it was fun.” When confronted, the parents of the kids were only wiling to fork out a maximum of 5000 yuan or US$729 for the damage.
Interestingly the news article seemed to indicate that the driver is in extreme distress trying to figure out how to cover the damage. No insurance policy?
The BMW E32 was the first 7-Series with a V12 engine. The BMW 750i featured the M70, a 5.0 liter V12 that was also installed in the E31 8-Series. It had a 4,988cc displacement, 2 valves per cylinder, one camshaft per cylinder bank, a bore and stroke of 75 x 84 and a compression ratio of 8.8:1. Peak horsepower was 300 PS at 5,200rpm while peak torque was 450Nm at 4,100rpm. 0 to 100km/h took 7.4 seconds.
The latest F01 7-Series was introduced with only three engines, with the largest being a twin turbocharged V8. As impressive as those sedans may be, I am still waiting for a 760i V12 to be unveiled, perhaps with that 8-speed ZF automatic that was rumoured to be installed to the entire F01 range.
Watch a video by BMW Web TV on the E32 V12 after the jump. Click here to read the rest of E32 BMW 750i: the first V12 powered 7-Series
The MINI John Cooper Works is now in Malaysia and available at Auto Bavaria and Sapura Auto showrooms for RM279,000. The MINI JCW’s 1.6 liter turbocharged engine gets boosted up to 211hp, with peak torque now at 260Nm (280Nm overboost) from as low as 1,850rpm. The MINI JCW is only available with a 6-speed manual, reflecting its more hardcore nature as compared to the Cooper S.
Other equipment that differentiates the JCW from the Cooper S is a sports suspension, JCW aerodynamic kit and a carbon fiber rear spoiler. BMW says all bodykit items serve aerodynamic functions instead of being just for aesthetics, improving handling and road-holding especially at higher speeds. THere are also exclusive 17 inch light alloys which weigh less than 10kg wrapped with 205/45R18W high speed run flat tyres.
DSC with DTC is offered as standard, an improvement over the DSC-only of the “baseline” MINIs. DTC is a less naggy version of DSC that only kicks in when you’re about to get into serious trouble, allowing you to have abit more fun with the car. When DSC (and DTC) is turned completely off, there is still Electronic Differential Lock Control.
The interior is done in Piano Black with Anthracite roof lining. The exterior comes in either Lightning Blue, Laser Blue, British Racing Green, Astro Black, Pure Silver, Dark Silver, and Sparkling Silver metallic, or Chili Red and Pepper White non-metallic.
Look at the linked related post for a hi-res photo gallery and videos.
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MINI John Cooper Works Details and Hi-Res Photos
Okay, so we’ve seen the Japanese market Honda Fit and Fit RS with the 1.3 liter and 1.5 liter engines, and the UK market Honda Jazz with the 1.2 liter and 1.4 liter engines and i-SHIFT gearbox. Before we see the Malaysian/ASEAN spec Jazz introduced here sometime this month, Honda has also unveiled the US version of the Honda Fit.
If you notice they are all basically the same car but with different engine and transmission options as well as minor styling changes here and there. The Japanese, UK and American models all have different front bumper designs. If you exclude the Japanese Fit RS, the American 2009 Honda Fit definitely has one of the more sportier styling elements out of the whole international range.
While the Japanese and UK cars have similiar tail lamps, the tail lamps of the US version have the same shape but a different lense design. The Thai version also has a different tail lamp design with more red than crystal as compared to its twins from the other regions, which is likely the version we will get.
Only one engine options is available in the US - a 1.5 liter i-VTEC inline-4 engine with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed auto, although it’s expected that a next generation 1.3 liter IMA gasoline-electric hybrid will be dumped into the Fit at a later date. Paddle shifters are available, and Honda also offers a sat nav system with the car.
More images after the jump. Click here to read the rest of 2009 Honda Fit for US market unveiled!
BMW has applied the latest E90 sedan facelift to its M3 sedan less than a year after it was first unveiled in October last year. Only the rear gets the facelift treatment, featuring the new taillamps that are now back to the classic L-shape and accompanying reshaped bootlid. The front is from the M3 Coupe which remains largely unchanged.
Continue reading to check out a hi-res photo gallery of the facelifted M3 Sedan. Click here to read the rest of BMW M3 Sedan gets facelift in record time
