Viral videos are one of the best weapons in the online world, and this one makes no exception. Apparently setup by the cellphone maker Nokia, the short viral clip showcases a pair of Chinese guys using the recently launched Nokia C7 phone to control via Bluetooth a BMW 1 Series Hatchback. This brings back memories of James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies when Pierce Brosnan controls a 7 Series via a smartphone. While the special effects and bad guys are missing from this new clip, the results is quite extraordinary as well. Details around this project are scarce at the moment, but we’re hoping to learn more soon. To plug in the C7 for Nokia, here are some of the background information on their new smartphone: it has a 3.5 inch OLED display with a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels, does quadband GSM/EDGE and pentaband 3G, meaning you’ll be able to get high speed internet access on this thing regardless of where you are on the world and which operator you use, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi b/g/n, 8 GB of onboard memory, 8 megapixel camera, and the ability to capture 720p video. [Source: Intomobile ] See the rest here: Video: Control a BMW with a Nokia C7

A new BMW documentary went live today. In a series of four short films, BMW will begin promoting its upcoming ActiveE electric car. Instead of choosing the now classic TV advertising, BMW decided to turn to the online medium and leverage some of the social and viral characteristics. The online documentaries run between 4 and 10 minutes. Rich Steinberg, manager of electric mobility at BMWNA, said “[the] intent was to get some people in the space to join us, to talk about their view of mobility and the future of cities,” The short films were created by ad agency Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, and feature some important figures in the US: Blade Runner designer Syd Mead, Marissa Mayer, Google vice president of location services, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, among others. BMW’s recent focus on social media comes to show the importance of non-traditional advertising spaces, with the online world become a somewhat cheaper, but more effective way to reach potential customers and fans. “This is complicated dialog that’s a good fit for social media,” says Marian Hawryluk, electric vehicle project manager for BMW North America. The first BMW short films debuted in 2001 when a series of Hollywood stars and directors worked on what become the famous BMW Films, short flicks that didn’t include the usual sales pitch. More information can be found at www.bmwactivatethefuture.com . Stay tuned for more info in the next days! [Source: Mashable ] The rest is here: BMW Activate The Future Goes Live!

According to Bloomberg , BMW, Mercedes and Audi AG, the world’s three largest luxury-car makers, will expand factories this year to ease capacity constraints driven by record demand for their vehicles. Volkswagen AG’s Audi is aiming to overthrown BMW as the world’s bigger maker of premium vehicles by 2015, and plans to increase production for cars and SUV to more than the 1.15 million produced in 2010. BMW and Mercedes have similar plants with increased production at the Leipzig and respectively Stuttgart plant. “The top three are poised for further growth,” said Juergen Pieper, a Frankfurt-based analyst with Bankhaus Metzler who recommends buying VW, Daimler and BMW shares. “The momentum in luxury markets will continue this year and also in 2012. It’s a necessity for manufacturers to take steps to address this.” The increase in automobiles sales is a direct link to the expanding Chinese market which became one of the two largest auto markets in the world. United States continues to remain the largest one. Audi plans to spend 11.6 billion euros ($15.7 billion) through 2015 on plants and new models. BMW has spent 1.5 billion euros alone on its German plants since 2009, while Daimler is building an 800 million-euro small-car plant in Hungary. While BMW plans over 20 new models in the next five years, Audi said will roll out a total of 13 new models and upgraded vehicles this year. The VW unit will spend more than 5 billion euros at two German factories in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, where the A6 will be built. Audi also said it will begin work this year to expand a factory in Gyor, Hungary, to increase capacity to 125,000 cars. BMW anticipates record sales in 2011 with more than 1.5 million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce models. The Munich-based automaker is spending 400 million euros at its factory in Leipzig, Germany, to prepare for the production of the Mega City electric car by 2013. Just recently, BMW completed a $750 million expansion of its U.S. factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to make room for the revamped X3 SAV. BMW is also expanding capacity in China, India, and South Africa. See the rest here:  Due To Record Sales, BMW and Audi to Expand Factories This Year

Just moments ago, BMW began another teaser campaign. The official BMW Youtube Channel published an interesting short video that appeares to announce a new concept car: the BMW ConnectedDrive Concept Vehicle. With the Geneva Motor Show in sight, we can only assume the new concept will make its debut at the first important European auto show of the year. As the name suggests, we expect to see a concept vehicle which will showcase the latest advancements in the ConnectedDrive area. While details are scarce at the moment, we predict that BMW will demo some of their latest car-to-car communication features, road safety technology and many others. The ConnectedDrive Futurelab website gives a short teaser description of the ConnectedDrive Vehicle: “2011 is also the year in which we are setting the course for the future. Initial insights are already available to you now in the FutureLab from BMW ConnectedDrive. Or soon right here, with an extraordinary vehicle, which will once again revolutionize driving in terms of comfort, infotainment and safety. Exactly as you have come to expect from BMW”. Okay BMW you have our attention…. View post:  Teaser Video: New BMW ConnectedDrive Concept Vehicle

After months of complete silence, the BMW Z2 Roadster comes back to focus. Back in 2009, we learned for the first time that BMW is planning a new entry-level roadster that will sit, as expected, below the Z4. The BMW Z2 Roadster will launch in the second half of 2012 and a Coupe variant will follow as well. BMW Z2 is based on next generation 1 Series platform and it is build under the Project i umbrella and the BMW’s EfficientDynamics program. It uses a high strength steel body, while the door skins and aluminum front bonnet, front wings and bootlid are made of composite materials. Propshaft and engine block are manufactured from magnesium. Target weight for both Coupe and Roadster is 2,200 lbs (1000 kg). The Z2 will feature front movable front spoiler to provide extra down force, opening and closing intakes and grille slats provide cooling for the engine or battery. The roof of the BMW Z2 will retain the conventional easy folding soft-top. The Z2 will be a rear-drive vehicle and will feature different powertrains. The options considered are an all-electric engine, a hybrid with range extender petrol engine and a new 1.6 liter turbocharged engine developing near 200 horsepower. The latest rumors around these new models mention that the cars are being design by BMW Designworks studio in California. The latest rendering from Carmagazine UK shows a stylish Z2 Roadster with the upside-down kidney grille rumored to appear on future BMWs. As we advanced well into the year, we expect to learn more about the production details of the new Z2. View original post here:  Rendering: BMW Z2 comes back to focus

Once the Fiat-Chrysler partnership came to fruition, it opened up a lot of possibilities about how to best integrate each manufacturer’s brands. There have been ill-conceived plans speculated about along the way, such as rebadging Alfa Romeos as Dodges. A possibility that has remained promising since the beginning is the pairing of Fiat’s mid-level luxury brand, Lancia, with Chrysler. That means a sharing of new models. Hopefully, in the future Lancia will keep a unique Italian design touch on vehicles rather than just rebadging. For now though, it seems the holdover models will receive little more than a few tweaks until all-new next-generation models arrive. Automotive News Europe reports that the redesigned 200, has been confirmed to arrive in Italy badged as a Lancia. There was rumors of this happening for quite awhile, and now the decision has been confirmed by Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marcionne. Speaking with Automotive News, he said “The new Chrysler 200 will come – cabriolet included – to Europe as a Lancia, and Flavia is a very good hint as its possible name.” The car will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show as a replacement to the Chrysler Sebring. Chrysler-badged cars will no longer be sold in European markets. The Geneva show is set to bring a number of debuts for Lancia. Rebadged versions of the 200 and 300 dubbed Thema and Flavia are rumored to be coming, as well as the possibility of the Town & Country minivan doing duty at the brand. As Lancias cars will be differentiated only tweaks to the exterior, interior and engine options. In other words, they will look about the same as their Chrysler counterparts. Perhaps most important of the debuts for Lancia is the five-door hatchback Ypsilon. The Ypsilon is Lancia’s best-selling model, and currently is only available in a three-door body style. The five-door segment of cars in Europe is much higher volume, and Lancia is aiming to appeal to more customers by entering the segment. Hopefully, while rebadged, the cars will have some meaningful changes that really make them look like Lancias. We’re eager to see what they look like in March when the Geneva Motor Show rolls around. Related posts: Group B Friday: Lancia’s Mid-Engined Monsters World Debut...

Press Release: Only 20 days after its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe will appear at the Daytona International Speedway as official pace car alongside the legendary BMW M3 for the 49th Rolex 24 at Daytona , January 28th-30th. The 1 Series M Coupe’s arrival at Daytona is one of few special opportunities for fans to see BMW’s newest M model before it goes on sale in May. “There’s no better way to greet your most enthusiastic fans than from the front of the Rolex 24 field,” said Dan Creed, Vice President of Marketing for BMW of North America. “BMW M is synonymous with motorsport. With six BMW-powered entries in this year’s field and on the 35th anniversary of our overall win, it’s perfect that the new 1 Series M Coupe was chosen as pace car. This will be the first time most fans are able to see our newest M car in action.” The BMW 1 Series M Coupe pace car will carry an on-board SPEED television camera to give viewers a unique eye on the twice-around-the-clock action. With a 335 horsepower inline-6 engine, a 6-speed manual transmission, and the suspension and brakes from the M3 Competition Package, no modifications to the 1 Series M Coupe will be needed for pace car duty. This year’s contest marks the 35th anniversary of BMW’s overall win at the classic endurance event. In 1976, Peter Gregg, Brian Redman and John Fitzpatrick drove a BMW CSL to victory. BMW has three class wins at the Rolex 24, a M1 driven by Hans Stuck and Alf Gebhardt took GT1 honors in 1981. The BMW Team PTG M3 scored back-to-back wins in the GT3 class at Daytona in 1997 and 1998. Bill Auberlen and Boris Said were co-drivers in those victories and will team up again this year in the BMW-powered Turner Motorsport M3 Coupe. Rolex Sports Car Series. Two race cars expected to be in view at the front of the 2011 field are the No. 01 and 02 BMW powered Daytona Prototypes of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Finishing second by only 20 seconds last year, both Ganassi BMWs are sure to contest for overall honors. This year, the team is boosted by a stellar driver lineup that includes BMW of North America driver Joey Hand. Hand will co-drive the No. 01 TELMEX Target BMW Riley with Graham Rahal and defending Rolex...

German magazine AutoBild places on their latest cover a rendering of the new BMW Compact model. The front-wheel drive vehicle is said to launch in 2013 and according to some BMW sources, the rendering is fairly close to the final design. The Compact is BMW’s interpretation of a front-wheel drive city car. The typical BMW design elements give a new impression of a totally different idea in BMW design. The overall shape of the car differs completely from the typical MINI or conventional 3dr hatch format, the closest intention on the market today is possibly the Honda CR-Z. The designers have gone for an edgier three-dimensional appearance. It forgets the use of lines to enhance wheelarches and now becomes more three-dimension as it is now stamped so you can see the widening of the rear quarter. One idea intended here was to signify the new direction for BMW. The design is expanded and the cues mentioned previously are accompanied by an enclosed normal glasshouse that is pushed inwards allowing the metal around the rear to enclose the glasshouse allowing a line that curves around the rear window forming the typical BMW kink impression in metal instead of the glass that swipes strikingly through the doors to the front wing. The A-pillars follow the direction shown with the Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept and continue down into the front wing leaving a typical BMW wheel at each corner look; triangular shaped lights sit upon each corner of the rear. The roof is towards the rear a typical BMW sloping roof. With the typical BMW double round headlights placed one slightly below the other one, the idea is the inclusion of indicator signals directly underneath the angel eyes. The front of the car gets a smaller twin kidney grille, again more three-dimensional as the front of the car allows the grille to be pushed further back. BMW are not just going front-wheel drive to further improve their emissions targets, but also to provide a profitable strategy by developing a new platform structure, modular in form to accommodate both MINI and BMW. The front-wheel drive is part of a strategy to help the next generation MINI and its future variants to become more profitable and more cost effective for BMW to produce. Expect to see a concept form of the BMW Compact in 2012. Continued...

UK magazine WhatCar? reviews the new 2012 BMW 6 Series Convertibl e. In Europe, the new 6 Series Convertible will debut on March 26, 2011 with the 640i and 650i models. A few months later, the 640d will join the line-up, including the xDrive option. Both the 640i and 650i will join the US line-up. The entry-level 6er Convertible is powered by the N55 TwinScroll turbocharged engine. The engine produces 320 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm. The 640i Convertible weighs 1,840 kilograms, but still manages to run from 0 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. 2012 6 Series Convertible has the alure of an athelete, combined with svetlness, classic looks and the 6 Series shark nose. The car sports a sweeping hood surrounded by a muscular profile. Like the lines projecting outward from the nose of the car and continuing along its full length, the harmoniously curved surfaces of the body take their cue from the movement of waves sent out by a the bow of a motor boat piercing the water. The new 6 Series receives the full LED treatment, as previewed on the 6 Series Coupe Concept. Let’s have a look at the video review. View original here: Video Review: 2012 BMW 6 Series Convertible

This week, BMW is hosting the International Media Launch of the new 2012 BMW 6 Series Convertible. The event takes place in Cape Town, South Africa and courtesy of Autospies we are bringing some live photos from the launch. Before jumping into the small photo gallery, let’s have a look at the new 6er as described by our own Shawn Molnar: “As is so typical of many BMW cars, the new 6 series must be seen in person to be appreciated. Whereas it looks sharp in photos, with bold lines and cut edges around the lights and front fascia – all details flow together in a very fluid way when you see this car in the flesh. We learned from Nader Faghihzadeh, 6 series exterior designer, that water served as key inspiration for the new 6 series design, both exterior and interior. On the exterior of the car, fluid shapes intercept hard lines and sharp creases. The stamped aluminum hood creases initiate from the hood roundel, and then curve away to the outer edges of the A-pillars – reminiscent of the bow wave following a speed boat. Along the side of the car we again see convex and concave shapes meeting at the shoulder line in a very bold, sharp crease that runs horizontally for the length of the car – now a trademark BMW design highlight. A thin sheet of water falling from the sharp edge of a waterfall comes to mind, then flowing over smooth, swooping rock surfaces. A small spoiler sits inset on the trailing edge of the trunk. The spoiler has a prominent edge elevated at the highest point of the rear trunk lid, running parallel to the bold, outermost edge of the trunk. These parallel edges in the composite material work in beautiful, purposeful harmony. They also serve aerodynamic function, cleanly breaking the laminar airflow over the car to reduce drag. BMW has kept the soft top for their new convertible and we applaud this decision. Not only does it allow better trunk space when the roof is stowed, but it is substantially lighter where it counts – at the highest point of the car. Lastly, the soft top retains the exotic trailing edges meeting the composite trunk in sharp contrast.” Stay tuned this week for first driving impressions and new photos of the 6 Series Convertible. Go here to see the original: BMW 6 Series Convertible photos from International...

Press Release: Starting on January 20, BMW customers will have unique access to the creation of their custom-made BMW X3 vehicles via an online video portal that will show them footage of their customized X3 being produced at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, SC. “Customization is essential to the new BMW X3. With more than 10 million distinct configurations available, we wanted to get customers excited about the birth of their unique vehicle,” said Trudy Hardy, Manager, BMW Marketing Communications and Consumer Events, BMW of North America. “This production footage of the BMW X3 vehicles from our Spartanburg plant enhances the overall customer experience that is part of the BMW brand.” Customers can view the footage by creating a My BMW account on bmwusa.com and entering their X3 order number or VIN. Using seven cameras in BMW’s South Carolina plant, BMW deliver X3 customers with video that tracks their vehicle through the various stages of final assembly. The video does not have an expiration date, giving consumers round-the-clock access to the assembly footage, and the video can also be downloaded and shared with interested friends and family members. Available this month, the new BMW X3 builds on the success of its first generation counterpart, offering drivers increased space, functionality, efficiency and comfort. The first BMW X model to be equipped with electro-mechanical power steering as standard equipment, the vehicle also offers owners the option of Dynamic Driving Control and BMW ConnectedDrive driver assistance systems. Continued here: BMW Launches BMW X3 Customer Video Portal: Consumers Can Watch Production of Their Custom-Made BMW X3

The next generation BMW 1 Series is just around the corner. The new 1er Hatch will be unveiled this summer and will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Latest spy photos show the car in the final evaluation phase when the camouflage slowly comes off and more design details are being revealed. This last spy shot gives us a glance at the creased hood, similar to the new 5 or 6 Series models. Following a similar design language, the new 1er aims to move up on the luxury scale. The car is expected to have a more aggressive look, fitted to the 1 Series bodystyle. The three and five-door hatch will only be available in Europe, but coupe and convertible variants will make their way onto the U.S. soil. To align with current models, inside, the car will inherit some cues from the 5 Series, taking the sometimes criticized 1er interior to higher luxury levels. Starting in 2013, BMW will add two more 1 Series variants to their line-up, and rumors around a front-wheel drive, and even xDrive, continue to surface monthly. To generate enough volume, BMW will link its FWD/AWD newcomers to the third-edition MINI, which happens to debut almost simultaneously. The following year, BMW plants to introduce a Gran Turismo version of the new 1 Series. Dubbed 1 Series GT, the new model will be a 5-door vehicle, a mix between a hatch, wagon and sedan. 1 GT will be 2 inches (5cm) longer than the 3-door and 5-door models, but it will sport an unique front-end. To reflect the Gran Turismo design, the 1 GT will have an elevated driving position, as seen in the  5 Gran Turismo . Inside, the 1 Series GT should provide an alternative between two individual rear seats separated by a central console or the classic rear seats setup. Its fastback body follows the tone set by the 5-series Gran Turismo and upcoming 3-series GT due in 2013. Starting in 2013, however, BMW will add two more 1-series variants, this time with a choice of front- or  all-wheel drive , thereby following a recipe chosen by Audi for the A3 and by Mercedes for the next A-/B-class. For enhanced synergy effects, even the body styles offered by the two brands are closely related. There’s a , and a fastback BMW that shares its vehicle structure with next Mini Clubman. Our sources indicate that new three...

2010 was great year for us at Automoblog.net. We brought on board a couple great new editors, Tony and Chris, as well as some new guest writers. Readership has grown by leaps and bounds since 2009, so thank you! Back in February we launched the biggest change to Automoblog so far – a complete redesign and restructure of the site – Automoblog.net 2.0 . The redesign was a huge success, and got tons of positive feedback! We had some very successful articles published in 2010, and below I’ll list some of the most popular of the bunch, categorized by type: Features Is Your Car Made in America? (Infographic) History of the Electric Car Girls & Booth Babes of SEMA 2010 – Photo Gallery How Does a Rotary Engine Work? The Worst Car Modifications in the World? Why Manual Is So Much Cooler Ten Best Drifting Cars Top 10 Fastest Cars in the World (updated) Car Reviews 2010 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI Review 2010 Mazda RX-8 R3 Review GM SUV Face-Off: 2010 Chevy Traverse vs. GMC Acadia 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Review 2010 BMW M3 Convertible Review Car News Koenigsegg Agera Unleashed at Geneva VW’s New Jetta Order for 2011 The New Scion tC Bows At New York Another Ferrari 458 Italia Bites the Dust Top Gear America Review – I Watch the First Three Episodes Thank you again for all of your support, and we can’t wait to give you more car news, reviews, and interesting articles for you to read. As always, if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, do not hesitate to contact me directly and let me know! Related posts: VW’s 2.0L TDI Engine Named a 2010 “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” Contest: Win a Top Gear Prize Pack from Automoblog.net Welcome to Automoblog.net Version 2.0! Read the original here:  Automoblog.net: Best of 2010

Story of the day in the BMW world revolves around the new highly efficient 2.0 liter four-cylinder TwinPower engine. Dubbed N20, the engine will be first used in the new X1 xDrive28i and produces 245 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque (258 lb of torque). The engine can be matted to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 8-speed automatic transmission. In the EU test cycle, the BMW X1 xDrive28i runs with 7.9 liters/100 km or 35.7 mpg imp (an improvement of 1.5 liters / 5.7 mpg), has CO2 emissions of 183 g/km (down by 38g). Closely modelled on the BMW in-line six-cylinder engines, the all-new 2.0-litre engine with all-aluminium crankcase comes with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology features high-performance twin-scroll turbocharging system, High Precision Injection direct petrol injection with innovative solenoid injectors, and the latest further enhanced version of the BMW-patented VALVETRONIC variable valve control system. Our own Hugo Becker has put together a comparison between the N20 four-cylinder TwinPower and the N52 six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine previously found in the xDrive28i. Along with the first exclusive photos of the engine, we have a new set of wallpapers showing the X1 from different angles and driving scenarios. Excerpt from: Photos of the new 4-cylinder TwinPower engine and new BMW X1 xDrive28i

In November, we reported news about Ford’s EcoBoost Race Truck finishing the Baja 1000 in 38 hours and 20 minutes. The truck racked up 1,061 miles finishing the desert race. No doubt that is an impressive feat, given that less than half of the competition, many with modified engines, finished the race last year. Ford has used the race to prove the durability of the EcoBoost engine. If you think a grueling 1,061 mile desert race is the whole story behind the EcoBoost’s durability though, think again. The process began with the random selection of an EcoBoost engine off the line at Ford’s Cleveland engine assembly plant. Then the engine was put through an equivalent of10 years – 163,000 miles – of harsh usage on the dynamometer that included shock testing with rapid cooling to minus 23 degrees and heating up to 235 degrees. Then, it was installed in a 2011 F-150 to work as a log skidder in Oregon, where it towed 110,000 pounds of logs. If that wasn’t enough, it was then used to tow a 11,300 pound trailer continuously for 24 hours at a high-speed NASCAR track, averaging 82 mph and racking up 1047 miles in the process. Finally, before being sent for installation in the F-150 race truck, it was used to compete in a steep-grade towing competition, where it bested the other entrants from Chevrolet and Dodge. The engine was then stored, not to be opened until a public teardown at the North American Interna and they are a definite validation of the EcoBoost engine’s durability. After the teardown, the engine managed to produce just one less horsepower – 364 – than its official rating. It produced the same amount of torque, at 420. All the tolerances were within factory standard and the only noticeable element is a 13-percent loss of compression in one cylinder, an impressive figure considering the absolute abuse this engine has been put through. The race has stood as a huge validation of the EcoBoost and Ford’s developmental capability with the engine. Eric Kuehn, chief engineer of the 2011 F-150, commented that “The Baja 1000 is always a tough race, and many of our customers and enthusiasts saw this event as the ultimate challenge…..it was an outstanding opportunity to showcase the 3.5-liter EcoBoost truck engine’s...