Feds Probe E65/E66 BMW 7-Series after Cars Break Free

U.S. safety regulators are investigating an estimated 120,000 BMW 7-Series sedans from the 2002 to 2008 model years (E65 and E66) after receiving a complaint from a consumer alleging a roll-away incident after parking and exiting a 2006MY BMW 7 Series.
According to the complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], the vehicle was fitted with BMW's Comfort Access electronic access and ignition system and an electronic transmission shifter with the gear selector mounted on the steering column.
The shifter automatically puts the vehicle in Park under a variety of conditions, including after the driver has pressed the ignition button to turn the engine off.
The safety agency said BMW submitted additional reports describing other rollaway incidents in "similarly equipped" 2002-2008MY BMW 7-Series vehicles.
"Thus far, no cause has been identified for any of the rollaway incidents," NHTSA said in a statement adding that "a Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and causes of rollaway incidents in the subject vehicles".

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Video: BMW Union Workers in California Fight Back

The showdown between BMW and the 68 union workers set to lose their jobs on August 31 at the Bavarian firm's distribution plant in Ontario, California, continues to escalate after Teamster members and their families protested outside 50 BMW dealerships in 11 states in the beginning of the month.
Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that represents the soon-to-be-laid-off employees said union members of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) have been organizing informational pickets at 10 ports in nine countries over the past few days to show their solidarity with the BMW workforce.
"This is what international solidarity is all about: Crossing state lines, seas and borders to help workers whose jobs are threatened," said ITF President Paddy Crumlin.
"BMW is planning to outsource good, middle-class jobs," said Bob Lennox, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 495.
"Many of these employees have worked there for decades – some as long as 30 years. BMW told these workers they were a family, and then proceeded to hire union-hostile lawyers to help it exploit America's plant-closing laws. BMW and its lawyers at Jackson Lewis are condemning 68 American families to poverty and misery" Lennox continued.
In addition to the protests, BMW union workers recently launched a dedicated website under the name "BMW Ultimate Misery" where they have uploaded a series of videos to aid their cause.
On its behalf, BMW said that the decision not to renew the contracts of the 68 workers is not related to the union or wages but about operating its Ontario facility in the same way it does with its other North American plants through third-party workers. 

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Audi Preparing Q6 Crossover to Battle BMW's X6 in 2016

As already reported, the success of Audi's Q-series has convinced company officials to expand the firm's presence in the SUV/Crossover segment. In 2010, sales of the Q7 increased by 37.1% compared to 2009 rising to 47,700 units while the Q5 recorded a 32.4% growth to 155,000 deliveries.
Add to that another 100,000 annual sales that Audi expects from the recently launched Q3 and it’s pretty clear why Ingolstadt's bosses want to double the luxury brand’s range of crossover models.
Sources from within Audi have hinted at the development of three new production models. The first one to be launched in 2014 or 2015, will be the sporty Q4 based on the revised version of the Q5 that will rival the likes of the Range Rover Evoque. In addition, a Q2 model build on a smaller platform is also under consideration.
However, as CAR magazine reveals, it is the Q6 that could be the most interesting of Audi’s new crop of SUVs. The British publication says the Q6 will also be loosely based on the Q5, and while Audi could launch it as soon as 2013, the report claims the Germans will most likely wait for the unveiling of the second generation Q5 to use an extended version of its updated platform architecture.
What prompted Audi to develop the Q6 is the same thing that made Mercedes-Benz plan a new, sporty SUV for 2015: the success of BMW’s X6, which last year alone sold 44,000 units. Car says Audi intends to outperform its rivals by offering a more spacious and practical interior. And although platform sharing with other SUVs in VW Group’s empire sets certain restraints, Audi’s designers have opted for an aggressive stance with a low roofline and raked windshield and rear window.
The Q6 is said to be offered with a wide range of engines from Audi’s more than ample portfolio. The base version will likely be powered by an updated version of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder TFSI with an output of around 220HP.
Further up the range there will be a new 3.0-liter petrol V6 similar to the one found in the S5, but with a turbocharger replacing the supercharger and a maximum output of 300HP.
Consumption-conscious buyers who don't want to sacrifice performance will be able to opt for Audi's 3.0-litre TDI V6 diesel with 250HP and 550 Nm (406 lb/ft) of torque or the plug-in hybrid version that will combine the 2.0-liter TFSI with a 100HP electric motor.

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BMW Turbocharges X3 with Two Engines

A pair of new turbocharged engines will soon be added to the range of the recently-launched BMW X3. These include a base four-cylinder gasoline unit and a flagship straight-six diesel.
The new entry level version of the X3, the xDrive20i, is powered by a 2.0-liter aluminum four cylinder gasoline engine featuring a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, Double Vanos variable camshaft control and Valvetronic variable valve control system. It delivers 184HP at 4,800 rpm and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque from just 1,250 rpm.
The X3 xDrive20i will be offered with either a 6-speed manual or, optionally, an 8-speed automatic transmission both of which (as the “x” denomination reveals) will direct power to all four wheels.
The second new powerplant is a 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel with twin-stage turbocharging and the latest generation of BMW's common-rail direct injection system with up to 1,800 bar of pressure. It will power the X3 xDrive35d, which with 313HP and 630 Nm (465 lb-ft) of torque from 1,500-2,500 rpm, is the most powerful version yet in line-up.
At low engine speeds, only the smaller turbocharger operates with the compressed air passing through the larger one building up pressure. Thus, when maximum power is needed, an electronic controller engages the larger turbocharger promising “spontaneous response”. The xDrive35d comes standard with four-wheel drive, an 8-speed auto gearbox and an auto stop-start system.
Both the xDrive20i and the xDrive35d will go on sale this fall.
Other changes to the X3 include the revised Auto Hold and ConnectedDrive systems plus new interior trim options.

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BMW Group Publishes Results of first Mini E Trial

We all know about the merits of electric vehicles but have you ever wondered how it would really be like owning one and driving it on a daily basis?

In collaboration with the British government, the BMW Group launched a trial program in the UK with 40 pure-electric MINI E cars given to 62 citizens and 72 pool users over two six-month periods, from December 2009 until March 2011.
Now that the trial period is over, MINI and the Oxford Brookes University, which undertook the research, have released their findings.
Here are the MINI E trial project results in numbers:

• 40 MINI Es


• 12 Months


• 138 Drivers (32 women, 106 men)


• 258,105 miles (415,380 km)


• 33,345 Journeys


• 80,282 kWh Electricity


• Highest mileage by an individual driver over six months: 7,954 miles (11,270 km)


• Average mileage per vehicle over six months, including fleet pool cars: 3,226 miless (4,830 km)


• Average single trip distance: 9.5 miles (15.3 km), compared to UK average of 7 miles (11.3 km)


• Average cost to charge over six months: £60, less than 2p per mile


• Virtually all recharging carried out at home.


• Almost all participants said they’d consider buying an electric car as a result of taking part in the program.


• 80% of the participants trips were made exclusively in the MINI E. With the addition of rear seats and a bigger boot, this number would increase to 90%.

The MINI E is powered an electric motor that produces 204HP and 204 Nm, while drawing energy from a 35kWh Li-Ion battery. It has a top speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) and an official maximum range of 149 miles (240 km), although the company admits that 112 miles (180 km) is a more realistic figure.

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Hacking your Car through a Smart Phone

Security consulting firm iSec Partners warns drivers that thieves could exploit smart phone apps that allow the unlocking and starting of cars remotely.

Researchers Don Bailey and Mathew Solnik have hacked the protocols some of these apps use and demonstrated how they can take advantage of them using a laptop.
According to Mr. Bailey, the whole process of hacking and improvising the signals these apps send – what he dubs “war texting” – can take as little as two hours.
Mr. Bailey will discuss the research at Black Hat Technical Security Conference in Las Vegas this week. Of course, he won’t name the products or provide full technical details of Mr. Solnik and his work until the software makers can patch them. GM, Mercedes-Benz and BMW all use the technology in one form or another.
Bailey and his cohort intercepted messages sent between the server and the target vehicle over standard mobile networks. He explains:
"We reverse-engineer the protocol and then we build our own tools to use that protocol to contact that system.”
Researchers at iSec think this is indicative of a more widespread problem created by the proliferation of “cheap and easy” mobile networking technology.
Bailey suspects that security considerations are often minimally addressed, thereby making devices using the technology susceptible to exploitation and misuse.

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BMW 1 M Coupe Crash No2

The brand-new BMW 1 M Coupe hasn’t been around from more than a few months, but we already have the first recorded accident of which we know about.
The unlucky owner of the car, who is from South Korea, posted these photos of the mishap over at the BMW 1Addicts forum. He said that he was the first customer to receive one of the 80 BMW 1 M Coupes scheduled to arrive in the South Korean market.
He also claims that the accident occurred after another car ran through a red light and crashed into his BMW. Take a look at the car before and after the accident in our gallery after the break.

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BMW 1-Series M Coupe Crash

We now have the second mishap regarding the Bavarian firm's turbocharged sports model.

This accident took place in Poland when the driver reportedly lost control of the 340HP rear-wheel drive BMW sending the small coupe to the side of the road and into the grass. Fortunately for the owner, no other car was involved in the incident and the exterior damages appear to be fairly limited.
Of course, there may be hidden damages under the body but it could have been worse.

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Mercedes-Benz Wants to Take Top Spot from BMW

If Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche's dream comes true, Mercedes-Benz is on course to become the world’s leading premium car maker both in sales as well as in profits. As Automotive News reports, Zetsche sent a letter to the firm's employees admitting that chief competitors Audi and BMW are growing faster than Mercedes.
"Some of our competitors are now growing faster and more profitably than we are. Granted, those are just snapshots in time and should not be overestimated. After all, many of our best new products are yet to come" Zetsche wrote in the letter.
But he didn’t stop there: “We can’t be content to be in a solid second or even third place. We are Daimler – we should be far ahead of the pack! And if it requires something we don’t have, we’ll identify and develop it”.
Currently the premium car market is enjoying great success mostly due to the boom in China and the rebound of the US market. However, Mercedes-Benz global sales, despite increasing by 9.7% to 610,531 units in the first half of the year, still trail those of BMW (689,861 deliveries) and Audi (652,970 units).

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Video: BMW Shows Off i3 EV and i8 Hybrid Concepts

The headline story on the automotive front today (that would be Friday, July 29) is no doubt the presentation of the first concept models of BMW's new division for alternative fuel vehicles that we will come to know as the "i" series.
We've already given you a first look at the i3 pure-electric hatchback as well as the sporty i8 gasoline-electric hybrid coupe concepts, but BMW has also released a series of films on both vehicles.
For the time being, the films show computer generated version of the i3 and i8 but we reckon it won't be long before BMW releases real-life videos of the two concept cars that will receive their world premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

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BMW i8 Concept

BMW's showdown continues with the presentation of its i8 Concept, a plug-in hybrid sports coupe that joins the i3 pure-electric hatchback to form the first models of the Bavarian firm's i sub-brand.

The i8 Concept is a further development of the 2009 Vision Efficient Dynamics study and it opens the way for a production model, which is scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2013.

The sportiest member of the i series models combines the modified electric drive system from the i3 Concept, but this time fitted over its front axle instead of the rear, with a high-performance, 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine (in place of the Vision ED's diesel unit) developing 220HP (164kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb.ft) at the rear.

The gasoline unit drives the rear wheels through a dual clutch transmission, while the electric motor uses a twin-speed transmission to motivate the front wheels.

Working in tandem, the two drive systems produce a combined output of 349-horses and 550Nm (405.6 lb.ft) of peak torque offering coupe model a 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time of just 4.6 seconds and an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

At the same time, BMW says the i8 returns an impressive combined fuel economy in the European cycle of 2.7 liters per 100km (approx. 87mpg US or 104mpg UK).

The i8's electric motor is fed by a large lithium-ion battery, which can be fully charged from a domestic power supply in 1 hour and 45 minutes, offering a pure electric driving range of up to 35 km (approx. 20 miles).
BMW says the positioning of the electric motor and engine over their respective axles result in an optimum 50/50 weight distribution, while the extensive use of lightweight materials including aluminum on the chassis and CFRP (carbonfibre reinforced plastic) on the body, help keep the weight down to 1,480kg or 3,262 pounds.
The i8 is a 2+2 seater and measures 4,632mm long, 1,280 mm tall and 1,955 wide. The concept model will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.

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