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BMW rolled out the red carpet for the debut of the new 2009 BMW 7-Series and BMW Concept 7-Series ActiveHybrid , both driving across the carpet under power of BMW's twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8. The difference is while the 2009 7-Series moved with the force of 400 HP and 450 lb-ft of torque, the 7-Series ActiveHybid had an additional 20 HP and 155 lb-ft of torque on tap thanks to the addition of an electric motor. The former will go on sale early next year while the latter is but a concept, though one we believe is close to the design of a future BMW hybrid. Press releases and live photos below. galleryPost('BMW7LiveLA08', 9, 'BMW 7-Series Live'); galleryPost('BMW7HybridLiveLA08', 9, 'BMW 7-Series Hybrid Live'); Check out more on the BMW 7-Series from CarandDriver.com BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid: The BMW of hybrids As an integral part of the BMW EfficientDynamics strategy, the BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid previews the potential of BMW ActiveHybrid...
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Ahead of its official reveal at the LA Auto Show , the official details on the BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid have finally been released after months of us sitting on the edges of our seats, waiting with bated breath. The ActiveHybrid (as opposed to the other name considered "LazyHybrid") is a "preview of potential" for things to come from BMW and shows off a mild hybrid operating from a motor integrated transmission, which was jointly developed with Chrysler and General Motors. The motor "assists" a 400 HP, 450 lb-ft, 4.4 liter V8 with it's own 20 HP and 155 lb-ft of torque providing oil barons with cognitive dissonance the feel-good benefit of 15% better fuel economy. Complete details in an uncompromisingly self satisfied press release below. galleryPost('hybrid7', 9, 'BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid'); Check out more on the 7-series Hybrid Concept from CarandDriver.com BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid: The BMW of hybrids As an integral...
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The next generation 7-Series has officially arrived, though if you've been paying attention you've already seen the 2009 BMW 7-series and therefore know that the design team has gone to great effort to correct the car's awkward-looking posterior. A new twin-turbocharged, direct-injection 4.4-liter V8 manages 400 HP and 450 lb-ft of torque, which should make the chauffeur happy. If you find yourself behind the wheel there's a plethora of technology to keep you from killing yourself including Active Cruise Control, Active Blind Spot Detection, BMW Night Vision and cameras on the side and rear of the luxo-yacht. The new 7-series is also the first BMW with a multi-link double-wishbone front suspension. It's something to think about on the way to the appointment with your increasingly distressed stock broker. galleryPost('09bmwsevenpre', 3, '2009 BMW 7-Series'); Check out more on the BMW 7-Series from CarandDriver.com BMW 7 Series again sets the benchmark...
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Why you should buy the 2009 BMW 135i : You like the idea of a driver’s car, but you don’t really like driving that much. You heard the 135i was the car to drive this fall. You’re a life-long BMW fan and you have a penchant for blinders. You’re a badge snob. You’re all of the above and you really don’t have an eye for a deal. Why you shouldn't buy this car: You want a four-seat coupe that drives like a sports car. You have a collection of old BMWs and want the modern equivalent to use as a daily driver. You’re one ticket away from losing your license. Your garage floor is only rated to hold 3383 LB. You’re spending your own money. galleryPost('bmw135iexteriordetail', 6, '2009 BMW 135i Exterior Detail'); galleryPost('135ireviewinterior', 6, '2009 BMW 135i Interior'); galleryPost('bmw135ireview', 6, '2009 BMW 135i'); Suitability Parameters: Speed Merchants: No Fashion Victims: Yes Treehuggers: No Mack Daddies: No Tuner Crowd: Yes Hairdressers...
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Exterior Design: **** Easily the best-looking Bangle BMW, the 2009 BMW 135i excels in proportion, if not in detail. Straight from the front, there’s little indication of the 135i’s purpose, but from there back it’s classic BMW two-door updated for the 21st century. Interior Design:*** Restraint and simplicity do the 135i’s interior many favors. Still, it would have been nice to see an even simpler approach taken without sacrificing the quality. Leather-clad Recaro sport seats would have been a good starting point. The 1-series European economy car roots show in the cheap secondary plastics used on the center console and dash. Not something we’d want in a $46,000 car. galleryPost('135ireviewinterior', 6, '2009 BMW 135i Interior'); Acceleration: ***** The twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six is the pick of BMW’s range, providing its bigger, heavier cars with ample acceleration. Here, it’s ridiculously fast for a non-M car, and much, much torquier too. You can pretty much leave...
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After teasing us with the new 2009 BMW 7-series , BMW's finally revealed the new 7 via an early leak of press photos to the web. After throwing everything at us from a flowbee-equipped mule to the teaser at the German golf outing , they've tossed the 7-series at us in every way possible but with the kitchen sink. But somehow these small press photos have wiggled their way out onto the web and we've managed to snap 'em up. galleryPost('7seriesleak', 9, 'The BMW 7 Series Revealed At Last'); After a quick glance we can positively say that despite taking it on the chin for the styling on the current 7-series, it seems BMW has only decided to fix one end of the car. The front end finally looks balanced and although bland, it's at least attractive with the headlights from the CSL concept we expected it to receive. The tail end? Well, that's been "blessed" with some really odd, droopy tail lights at the corners. Seems they want to make you look...
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Why you should buy this car: Odd vehicles fascinate you. You're open-minded and prepared to accept that a big, tall, heavy SUV can out-drive many a sports car. You always wanted a Lamborghini LM002 but are locked into a world of lease agreements. Your heart says sports car but your head says, "You live at the end of a dirt road in mountains that are snowbound nine months out of the year." Your own personal project car hell is creating the ultimate Dakar racer. Why you shouldn't: You think that lightness and simplicity are the be all and end all of automotive greatness. SUVs offend you. You need an SUV for off-roading and hauling manure. You have small children. The thought of $5 a gallon gas sends you into deep depression. galleryPost('x6review3', 6, 'BMW X6 Interior Details'); galleryPost('x6review2', 6, 'BMW X6 Exterior Details'); galleryPost('2009BMWX6', 6, 'BMW X6'); Suitability Parameters: Speed Merchants: Yes Fashion...
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Exterior Design: *** Like many parts of the BMW X6 , its looks are promising yet flawed. Doing a great job of disguising its bulk — the X6 is huge, that lip on the rear hatch is taller than an F-150's tailgate and the pictured wheels are 20-inchers — they're nevertheless awkward in some places — the huge rear end — and disappointingly conservative in others — the boring front. It's an extremely color sensitive shape; white showing off its surfaces best while the burgundy version is just boring. Interior Design: ** In short: conservative and impractical. By opting for a CLS-style rear console BMW unnecessarily reduced the X6's people capacity to four, but haven't made the interior special enough to justify its lack of space. It's also very color and spec sensitive; the dash looks great covered in dark leather, but the beige plastic found in base versions is just plain tacky. The rear window, big on the outside, looks like little more...
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var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/First_Review_of_new_BMW_X6_the_weirdest_BMW_ever'; The 2009 BMW X6 isn't great on a racetrack. This thought occurs during my third lap when I realize — the throttle wide open, exiting a corner at 100mph — this may not be the best sports car out there. My next thought is "But this is a 4,993lbs SUV." And that's the point where you realize what we have here is something entirely new. galleryPost('2009BMWX6', 6, 'Exclusive First Review - 2009 BMW X6'); BMW calls the X6 a Sports Activity Coupe. That seems preposterous given both their constant assertion that their best selling SUVs, the X3 and X5 , be reffered to as SAVs and the X6's four doors, which is 2 more than the unofficial definition of a coupe allows. The BMW X6 is based on that X5, its main difference, aside from the obvious low roof, swoopy bodywork and huge ass, is firm suspension and the addition of Dynamic Performance Control. It's...
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newVideoPlayer("Pontiac_v_BMW.flv", 463, 387,""); From the book of car, whatever that is, comes the latest in the march of ads for the Pontiac G8 GT . We all thought the Spy Hunter commercial was clever, and the Hot Wheels one was slick too. This new web-only commercial turns it up a notch, taking the fight right to the lion's den, comparing the new 2008 Pontiac G8 GT to the BMW 5-Series. Hmm, that's an interesting approach from the brand that never used to drive excitement, especially when they claimed they were , but since it's their ad, do we really have to say who comes out ahead in this one? What we really like about this latest commercial is the poetry slam vs. powerpoint presentation style, plus the funny pictures of goats. Subtle allusion to the Pontiacs of the past, perhaps, but automakers should remember that farm animals always make for a good direction for a car commercial. At least in our minds. [ Youtube ]
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We first dropped news of what seems to be the viral ad campaign for the 2009 BMW 1-Series called "Rampenfest" a couple of weeks ago, but now there's an update on the progress of things. We received an email from "Jeff Schultz," the apparent documentarian, congratulating us on being the first to discover the project and informing us there's a poster in our future for the effort. We smell direct marketing, but what the hey, maybe we can give away a poster. Anyway, the trailer for the film is over at the Rampenfest, and it's ripe with German stereotypes, bizarrely large teeth, and a ginormous ramp in the fake town of Oberpfaffelbachen.
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Ever feel like you need to have the wind in your hair while pulling 8,000 RPM powerslides in your BMW M3? Well now you can with the addition of the BMW M3 Convertible. The sleek and speedy vert has been unveiled after a long rumor mill process and the swiftly shifting hardtop is here to show the goods. While it gets 100% of all the things that make the M3 on it's own a fun little toy, the thing we noticed the most will be the something the golf playing lawyers who buy them. galleryPost('2009BMWM3Convertible', 6, '2009 BMW M3 Convertible'); Looks at that trunk space with the top down. One could barely fit a golf club in the trunk, let alone many golf clubs, so many in fact to necessitate the use of a golf bag. We dig that sporty body work and the lusty power train, but come on, if we can't get two golf bags at least , we just can't even imagine putting up with this car.
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Boy, put up one set of pics from somebody and they automatically think you want some more. The grocery store BMW X6 wasn't enough fame for David W, now he's sent us pics of the a whole gaggle of them outside the BMW factory. Why they're being led by a Z4 is anyones guess, perhaps they're practicing following a pace car for all the races they'll be in. Maybe it's a dealer ride and drive, validation of one of BMW's 74 types of precision, who knows, but they sure seem to be running them all over the place. In attendance you'll see what looks like the zippy 5.0 liter V8 model lurking around near the gate too. Mmmm, speedy grocery getter. galleryPost('x6parade', 6, 'The BMW X6 March'); x6parade
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Reader David W. captured some very nice shots of the recently unveiled 2009 BMW X6 in what we can only assume is its native environment - a grocery store parking lot. Is it bad we're already making fun of BMW's latest and greatest market blurring offering? Sure it's destined for innumerable trips to the salon and the Coach boutique at the hands of trophy wives everywhere, but shouldn't we give it at least a moment to shine? The tall car/sleek suvvie is still wearing its manufacturer plates, so don't get your designer hand bags out and run to get your own copy just yet. galleryPost('groceryx6', 6, '2009 BMW X6 Drawn to Grocery Like Moth to Flame');
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Last we saw a 2009 BMW 7-Series prototype, it had the typical plastic body cladding, missing decals and blacked-out everything. This time, the lads at World Car Fans managed to get their hands on the new 7-series done up in perhaps the most creative camouflage we've yet seen (though we have to wonder if this is the best way to draw attention away from the car) Pictures of the boring camo'd version below: galleryPost('2009BMW7Series', 3, '2009 BMW 7-Series'); Word on the street is the new 7-series will feature a range of engines including the 272-hp 3.0-liter straight-six, 414-hp V8 and probably some version of the 6.0-liter V12. We hear it'll be out on the streets during the next calendar year, but we hear a lot of things. [ World Car Fans ]
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