BMW has joined the hybrid bandwagon in a big way, contributing to greener cars, with lower carbon dioxide emissions. While its M series of cars is extremely fast and performance and speed oriented, BMW will probably use the KERS hybrid drive system on the new M5 model which is being designed, though the car will not be available till 2011.
In all likelihood the high output version of the new 4.4-liter V8 like the one in the X6 M will replace the 5.0-liter V10 in today’s M5. It is also possible that BMW will add a power on demand button which will use available power to boost engine power. Though there are rumors that two cylinders will be added, this is unlikely because the increased torque on the V8 should be sufficient to give higher performance with lower weight.
2009 BMW Z4 Roadster is actually a hardtop convertible, complete with a two-piece aluminum roof that electrohydraulically deploys from the trunk in 20 seconds.
Two engine choices are available… The flagship sDrive35i model gets a twin-turbo 3.0-litre. This produces 301bhp and goes from 0-62mph in just 5.1 seconds. Top speed is a governed 155mph limit and average fuel consumption is 30.1mpg…. The 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive30i has the normally aspirated, 255-hp 3.0-liter inline-6, and it gives you a choice between a six-speed manual and a conventional six-speed automatic. Both model designations include “sDrive,” which is BMW’s new nomenclature for rear-wheel drive.
BMW notes that the Z4 sDrive35i is actually quicker with the dual-clutch gearbox than the short-shift manual transmission, accelerating to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.0 seconds compared to 5.1 seconds with the manual. The Z4 sDrive30i gets to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds with its manual transmission and 6.0 seconds with the automatic.
As with the expectation with a hardtop convertible, there’s more room for humans, as it has 40 percent larger side window and 52 percent larger rear window, with this extra room, must not forget prices, as it will be high accordingly… An sDrive30i with a manual transmission is 221 pounds heavier than its 2008 counterpart while the sDrive35i with a manual is up 364 pounds over its predecessor… Prices will be announced closer to the on-sale date in May. They are likely to start from at least £25,000.
Inside Line says: The Z4 leaves its largely unsuccessful life as a sports car and tries on a luxurious (and expensive) convertible hardtop for size. — Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
BMW is working on the next-generation BMW M3 CSL which will arrive with the updated 2010 M3 model year. With no radio, no navigation system and no air-conditioning. BMW will also drop a lot of weight with the extensive use of carbon fiber in the front apron, hood, roof, side panels and rear bumper.
According to AutoZeitung , power will come from the same 420-hp 4.0L V8 engine of the standard M3. However, the ‘M’ division will make some mechanical changes to extract an additional 50 horses for a total of 470-hp. 0-60 is expected to come in well under the 4.5 seconds of the standard M3 with top speed rumored to be around 185mph.
The 2010 BMW M3 CSL is expected to make its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. BMW will make only 100 units of the M3 CSL with pricing estimated at less than 90,000 euros ($143,176).
- BMW M3 Concept
BMW M3 Concept 2010
M1 – with Cool Sporty Concept!
BMW Introduced their M1 Homage Concept at the 2008 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held in Cernobbio, Italy. I appreciate old concept cars, but now the designers were really trying to figure out what the future car industry would be like. Example is just here… Look at BMW M1, a stunning, cool mid-engine car…
2008 BMW M1
The M1 was powered by a 3.5-liter six-cylinder that was later modified and used in the M5 and M6. No powertrain details were shared for the M1 Homage as the car was built as a design showpiece.
Produced from 1978 to 1981, the M1 was BMW’s first and only mid-engined street car. The project was originally contracted to ‘Lamborghini’ for chassis development and assembly, but when the Italian firm hit a financial rough patch BMW took over. A total of 456 M1s were built.
2008 bMW M1
BMW M1 homage Concept
The BMW M6 is a more powerful version of the elegant 650. Available as either a coupe or a convertible, it is designed to appeal to the sport luxury enthusiast, providing heightened performance and subtly aggressive styling.
The M6 boasts the same muscular 500 hp 5.0-liter V10 engine as the M5, along with enhanced suspension and brakes. A 7-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) with steering wheel paddles is standard; a conventional 6-speed manual transmission is also available. Both the coupe and convertible are built using lightweight aluminum, carbon fiber and composite materials, allowing the M6 an excellent power-to-weight ratio. Distinguishing standard features include exclusive M designed 19-inch forged alloy wheels, heated leather M sport front seats and BMW’s M Drive button on the steering wheel to save and retrieve preferred driving settings.
For 2008, the BMW M6 receives a minor exterior refresh, with a revised headlight design, LED turn signals and a more pronounced rear trunk lip. New options for 2008 include a heated steering wheel and High-Beam Assistant autodimming headlamps.
The 2008 BMW M6 is a car that can only really be appreciated on the track. Its cabin electronics make it suitable for everyday driving, but its fuel economy keeps it from being practical.
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The World’s First crossover Coupe called by BMW a Sports Activity Coupe.
2008-2009 BMW X6 – four door coupe - looks awesome with corners – combination of sports car and SUV – Dynamic Performance Control – two twin-turbocharged models, with inline-6 or V8 power …
The X6 comes in two trim levels. The $53,275 “X6 xDrive35i” comes with that coolest 300-hp, 300-lb-ft twin-turbo in-line six that we adore in the 135i, the 335i, and the 535i. Saddled with the X6′s weight (4894 lb), the overachiever of an engine still manages a 6.5-second 0-to-60-mph time. lovely!
The ”X6 xDrive50i” starts at $63,775 and has an all-new V-8 under the hood. At 4.4 liters, the engine is smaller than the 4.8-liter in the other 50i-engined cars (the 550i, 650i, and 750i, to name a few) and the X5 4.8i. In place of the displacement, it packs two small turbos in the valley of the engine block’s vee, and consequently it makes even more power: 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. (The normally aspirated 4.8-liter makes 350 hp and 350 lb-ft in the X5). The engine’s power – and its huge torque plateau – are nice, but it experiences a lot more lag than the six-cylinder does, even at high rpm.
The conclusion I got about this technology is that the X6 is a complete rocket around a racetrack. Both 35i and 50i models understeer slightly, but they generate truly astonishing grip, brake very well, and accelerate very quickly. It’s doubtful that any SUV on the planet could keep up.
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