June 8, 2010
BMW ponders new ways to sell cars
BMW is looking at how it can sell cars in future to counter the increasing diversity and complexity of its latest models.
The new 5 Series is a classic example of how the character of the car can be changed, depending on the options fitted to it. Things such as electronic chassis and steering control systems can make a big difference to how the car drives – and that is before buyers start looking at the vast range of comfort and luxury features also offered.
‘How do we satisfy the need to ensure our customers are able to buy the right car? There is no way that can be done out of a set of demonstrators at one point,’ admitted Ian Robertson, the board member for sales and marketing.
‘No single dealership will be able to have all vehicles present, so an electronic display of vehicles is becoming increasingly important. We have to find other solutions.
‘There is a massive list of options. It is too complicated,’ he said. ‘One way might be to follow the German example and group various options together. For instance, if a customer buys one option it might illustrate that he is clearly interested in safety, so we package related items with it.
‘What is certain is that we need to find different ways of handling it.’
June 3, 2010
Jeff Koons reveals his new BMW art car
American artist Jeff Koons has unveiled his new brightly coloured BMW M3 in Paris – his contribution to the world famous and long-runnning BMW Art Cars project.
The M3 GT2 is the 17th car in the art car series – a project that has featured Andy Warhol and David Hockney – the car was unveiled in artistic surroundings of Paris’ Centre Pompidou. The same venue where American pop artist Roy Lictenstien revealed his dramatic reinterpretation of the 320i in 1977.
“These race cars are like life, they are poweful and there is a lot of energy,” says Koons.
‘You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy . There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power.,” he added.
May 17, 2010
BMW drivers named as the worst
According to new Compucars.co.uk a BMW may be the “must have” cars but according to a survey they have commissioned of a 1,000 drivers they are the worst drivers in the country.
According to the statistics they are constantly losing concentration and have a lack of awareness.
They were also seen as aggressive, rude and prone to road rage and often tended to drive too close to the car in front.
Drivers of Ford cars were seen as the next-worst motorists, followed by Volvo drivers.
The poll of just over a 1,000 people showed that van drivers and young people were also considered the worst drivers.
London drivers were reckoned to be the worst on the roads, followed by motorists in south-east England and the West Midlands. Sunday drivers were seen as marginally worse drivers than those travelling in the rush hour.
Only 19% of those polled considered women to be better drivers than men.
Compucars.co.uk group marketing managing manager Rob Queen said: “BMW drivers unfortunately are left tarnished with the same brush, due to a minority of bad drivers.”
Urging BMW drivers to work on their driving etiquette, he went on: “For example, just saying thanks for being let through a space by another driver will score several brownie points and takes no effort at all.”
May 10, 2010
BMW cause bomb scare in New York
Martin Birkman, who is head of product planning at BMW north america cause a major security situation when he left a camouflaged X3 prototype running whilst he got some fresh air in Central Park.
A woman spotted the car thought it was suspicious – which is particularly understandable after last weeks car bomb attempt. This resulted in an evacuation of several blocks along Central Park West near the American Museum of Natural History this afternoon.
Police responded to investigate, and after clearing the area of bystanders, found no reason for alarm. Everyone was safe, although the back window of the X3 prototype was apparently shattered in the process. No doubt Birkmann will think twice about where he parks such vehicles in the future.
April 8, 2010
BMW reveal their latest Art car
BMW have revealed the latest design of the Le Mans racer and like the 17 before it, it has been created by a famous artist and this time it’s Jeff Koons.
Koons is the latest in a long line of artists that have a tasked in creating a livery for a BMW racing car, others have included greats like Lichtenstein, Warhol, Holzer who have all design paint work for BMW racing since 1975.
The finished Koons art car will be unveiled at Paris’ Centre Pompidou on June 1, 2010 before competing in the Le Mans on June 12-13.
To create the car, Koons collected images of racing cars for inspiration, and also took a test drive in a GT2. According to Koons, the finished car is “evocative of power, motion and light.”
April 1, 2010
The BMW PRAT
Soon we will be in a General Election and BMW has devised a Political Roundel Attachment Tag – Prat to you and me – is a stylised limited edition accessory (which limited to how many idiots their are in the world) BMW badge to show your allegiance to one of the three political parties.
Uwe Beanhadde (ahh clever), Head of Made-up Technology at BMW’s renowned Forschungs und Innovationszentrum in Munich, said: “We have been working on this innovation for a number of years and see it as a niche with potentially wide appeal. One of the most popular features, sure to strike a cord with the floating voter, is that the roundel can be replaced in a matter of seconds should the opposition suddenly seem more appealing”.
News of the technical achievement comes swiftly after the boffins at BMW offered other award winning innovations such as Canine repellant Alloy Protection that stopped dogs relieving themselves on customers’ wheels. Sounds like crap to me.
Better luck next year.
March 17, 2010
BMW chief hints at electricity tax for electric cars
There’s is currently no electricity tax, but this could all change with electric cars according to the chief sales and marketing man at BMW.
Ian Robertson, Chief of marketing and sales at BMW said: “How long do think it will be, for example, that governments realise that taxes raised from petrol and diesel are diminishing – they will start looking at ways to tax electricity for cars.
BMW is currently conducting trials with its MINI E model in a number of countries around the world.
Robertson said: “The most important thing for Electric Vehicles is standardisation, not just globally but locally as well. Things even vary in the state of California where we are running our electric MINI trials. Los Angeles and Pasadena have different standards while over in New Jersey they want different cables.
New Mini E proving such a success testers don’t want to give them back
The Mini E is proving so popular in its trial that many customers have said that they don’t want to give them back.
BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer said: “Some drivers have told me they would love to keep their MINI E.”
A mini test fleet has been on the road in markets around the world since the middle of last year and has proved very popular with its testers.
BMW expect to see a 6% growth in the premium small car market over the next few years, Reithofer also hinted that they are exploring the possibility of front wheel drive BMW’s in the future. This is expected to be the forthcoming Mega City all-electric car.
January 25, 2010
New BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible – class acts
The new BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible will now be available with a raft of improvements and changes.
The range now offers owners more power and torque with lower fuel consumption and emissions.
The class-leading new BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible come with design changes and interior enhancements.
The company will also launch the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon, its cleanest 3 Series ever. All the new engines and models make their debut in the UK market on March 20, 2010 and all conform to EU5 emissions standards.
Tim Abbott, managing director of BMW UK, said: “Competition in the car market is hotter than ever today.
“The BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible were already class-leading models, but we have no intention of sitting on our laurels and are offering customers more of what they want, on-road performance and ever more fuel efficiency with lower CO2 emissions combined with a refreshed look inside and out.
“These inspirational models come at the same time as a true CO2 champion in the form of the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon. This is a car which combines true BMW performance with astonishing fuel efficiency.”
The new BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible accelerate from standstill to 62 mph in 8.0 seconds and has combined fuel consumption of 68.9mpg complemented by CO2 emissions of 109g/km.
All new BMW 3 Series variants go on sale in the UK on 20 March, 2010.
Pictured: New BMW 3 Series Convertible and Coupe.
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