Category: BMW

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BMW

BMW drags out 1M Coupé tease even more

BMW 1M Coupe at the 2010 Autosport awards

The world’s longest ever new car launch took another step at the recent Autosport awards when BMW revealed yet another 5cm2 of 1 Series M Coupé bodywork. This time it is the rear valance we are seeing uncovered, in full, for the first time. The pics have been added to the Closed Room of the M-Power.com website and show Dr Kay Segler and British racing driver Andy Priaulx uncovering a bit more skin.

Thankfully, we won’t need to endure too much more of these shenanagins as it is expected the 1 Series M Coupé will be revealed, in full, on 12 December (likely to be Monday 13 December Australian time).

More pics after the break, showing even less than the one above!

[Source: M-Power.com]

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BMW

Could BMW make a 332kW 1M “CSL”?

BMW 1M CSL rendering

Apparently, by this time next week BMW will have lifted the wraps from its highly anticipated 1 Series M Coupé. But that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from working overtime and we think most will like the latest 1M news to emerge.

Remember a couple of weeks back when we showed you that screen grab of engine specs, believed to be from an internal BMW source. Well, on that list was an N54B3OTO engine spec listed with 332kW (445hp). That’s a fairly healthy increase over the expected 250kW we will see in the 1M Coupé, right.

Turns out there is a chance that BMW, through a new Performance Program, could be getting ready to make a CSL-style 1M. The theory being this will be a nice little earner for the Munich massive while they’re busy developing the next model M3.

Is it really going to happen; well, we don’t know for certain. But it would be the perfect way to see out the 1 Series Coupé model cycle in 2012, that’s for sure!

[Source: Jon Sibal via BimmerFile]

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Audi BMW

Autocar: Audi RS5 v BMW M3

Audi RS5 v BMW M3

It’s the classic German duel—Audi v BMW—and Autocar has been kind enough to play out the latest fight for us. It’s the 331kW 4.2 litre RS5 up against the 309kW 4.0 litre M3. Will the extra power and quattro all-wheel drive in the Audi give it an edge over the benchmark rear-wheel drive M3?

There’s no fancy timing equipment, no drag strip and no race tracks to decide the winner here. It’s just a seat of the pants match up on a closed road. Just as it should be.

UPDATE: Auto Express has also had a crack at this comparison, and they did take the RS5 and M3 to the track. It’s not the world’s most in-depth review, but it’s still worth a look.

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BMW

250kW confirmed for BMW 1M Coupé?

BMW 1M Coupe engine spec

You’re looking at the strongest link yet to confirmed engine spec for the upcoming BMW 1 Series M Coupé. You need to focus on the bottom three lines in the lower right hand corner of the pic. The information comes via a 1addicts reader and he believes it to be the real deal. The key letters and numbers are the N54B3OTO engine code and 250kW. It also appears as if BMW internally refer to the 1M as “Pyrat”.

A peak power figure of 250kW (340hp) is no real surprise, but it’s still nice to see a quasi-legitimate confirmation. What is very interesting is the last line on that pic which lists an N54B3OTO engine code with a power figure of 332kW (approx 450hp), and with a US country code. Hmm, what does this mean?

Well, it would be no real surprise if the next model M3 returns to an inline six cylinder engine, and if it did then a 332kW turbocharged spec would be about right. However, with the current M3 V8 only packing a 309kW punch it would be a huge surprise to see a massive 332kW wallop in a 1 Series.

[Source: 1addicts]

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BMW

BMW 1M Coupé test drive winner tells all

BMW 1M Coupe test drive winner

Remember the competition BMW was running where the prize was one of 12 places at an exclusive 1 Series M Coupé prototype test drive event? Sounded pretty good, didn’t it. Well that event took place a few days ago. You can see a brief promo video from BMW after the break.

However, perhaps of more interest is a first-hand account of what this goose-pimple inducing 1M Coupé is like to drive. The chap on the left of frame above was one of the lucky few. He goes by the name of Woland’s Advocate on the 1addicts forum.

Here’s a taste of what he had to say, “The engine is astonishingly flexible with bags of torque to spare, so even at motorway speeds, strong effortless acceleration is available without shifting down from sixth. But when shifting is this slick, that would be a pity, especially given the engine’s epic mid-range punch. The gearshift’s throw has been shortened and the box on the car I tried was largely slick and intuitive—you can lightly flick it between gears with speed and precision.”

Follow the link below to get the whole story, it’s quite a good read.

[Source: 1addicts]

UPDATE: You can read another review from a 1addicts user HERE.

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BMW

Close to you

BMW 1M Coupe

BMW specialist website BimmerFile has a nice gallery of images showcasing the 1M Coupé. The pics of the newest M car were taken at the BMW Welt in Munich. Although still mostly under cover, as we’ve already seen, these shots do offer some closer details of the car. BMW are expected to show the 1M Coupé in full before Christmas, so we’ll be able to see how close these renderings are to the mark.

Follow the source link to access the full gallery.

[Source: BimmerFile]

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BMW Green Machines

BMW turns vision into reality

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics

BMW has recently announced it will be turning its Vision EfficientDynamics concept into a full production model. The concept version first saw the light of day at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The road going version will be headlined by BMW’s ActiveHybrid technology, which in this instance translates to a 3 cylinder turbo diesel with a hybrid synchronous motor at the front axle and a full-hybrid engine fitted at the rear. All those bits add up to a peak power figure of 241kW (328bhp).

Other numbers of note are the claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds, a supposed fuel consumption figure of just 3.76 litres per 100km and CO2 emission rating of 99g/km. The car is fitted with a lithium-polymer rechargeable battery that can be charged in two and a half hours. This is a good thing, too, because the total range available in full electric mode is only 50km. However, the total range of the car, including 24 litres of diesel, is around 700km.

Those following more closely will have been kept up to date on this model at the dontblogaboutthis website, where more info can be found. After the break you read BMW’s press release along with some more pics and a repeat performance of the company’s explanation of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept.

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BMW

New BMW 1 Series (F20) hatch under development

BMW 1 Series (F20) hatch

Development of the next generation (F20) BMW 1 Series hatch is well underway as this video from the Nürburgring shows. There appears to be at least five development cars at the company’s Nürburg facility.

Aside from the evolutionary development of the love it or hate it five door hatch body style there’s not much else to learn from this clip. BimmerFile tells us the F20 1er will be seen in or near production ready form by the end of next year.

Check out the clip after the jump.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

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BMW

Chris Harris drives 1M searching for the best of M people

Chris Harris drives the BMW 1M Coupé

Chris Harris has just driven a near production-ready BMW 1M Coupé. It was an odd gig, really; BMW flew him from London to Munich for a 20 minute test drive. Knowing his time would be brief, Harris compiled a list of the best things he likes about M-badged BMWs. When driving the prototype he cross-checked the feedback from the car against his “M car” list. He used words “like an M car” a number of times and concluded that he is “really, really excited” by the 1M Coupé and can’t wait to drive a full production version in the near future.

All of these thoughts were recorded to video and you can watch the clip after the break. Some of the audio is not great, but the content is definitely worth the effort. It sounds like the 1M Coupé has the potential to be future classic.

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BMW

BMW unscripted: Sabine Schmitz

BMW unscripted: Sabine Schmitz

Everyone’s favourite taxi driver, Sabine Schmitz, is featured here in unscripted, a new promo series from BMW. “No script, just real people,” says the marketing blurb.

This episode with Sabine gives a great, albeit brief, look at her history with BMW and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. For more on Sabine take a trip down memory lane and check the AUSringers interview from 2008.

Sabine’s unscripted clip can be seen after the jump.

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BMW

BMW M5 prototype sounds a bit better now

BMW M5 prototype

Back in September we brought you video of the latest BMW M5 test mule undergoing testing at the Nürburgring. Aside from the fact it’s always good to see a new M5 on the way the sound from the car in last month’s video was, well, quite disappointing, really. Never mind, though, as this new clip from Car magazine shows that BMW has started to put things right. The twin turbo 4.4 litre V8 is sounding much nicer now!

Reportedly, the M5’s V8 will be good for 578hp, a slight 22hp increase on the 555hp found in the X5 M’s 4.4 litre heart of gold.

It’s understood we’ll see an M5 concept at Geneva next March, with the production ready model on show at Frankfurt in September 2011.

[Source: Car via BimmerFile]

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BMW

Win a drive in a BMW 1M Coupé prototype

BMW 1 Series M Coupé

Here at AUSmotive we’re big fans of the upcoming BMW 1 Series M Coupé. It’s shaping up as being a real cracker of a drive. BMW are proving what good sports they are by running a competition where the prize is an all expenses paid trip to Germany to rip it up in a 1M Coupé prototype. Sounds like a bloody good idea to us.

Entries close at the end of this week and can be made via the Closed Room at the M-Power website. You’ll need to be available for travel from 17–19 November, so best get that leave application ready. There will be 12 winners, well, 11 after the AUSmotve Editor’s name is drawn out, so get on over to M-Power.com for your chance to win.

[Source: M-Power]