Word just came down the pipe. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe production will run at 60 units per month for the U.S. market. Our sources indicate an 11 month production cycle which puts the total number of 1M vehicles produced for the U.S at 660 units. There are a total of 365 BMW dealerships in the United States, so if our math is correct, that’s nearly 1.8 cars per year per dealer. Same source indicate some larger dealerships will likely get 2 or 3 units, while the smaller shops may only get 1 unit every 2-3 months. Furthermore, the order bank for the 1M is already full at BMWNA and some dealerships with a large number of orders might have difficulties in filling in those purchase orders. Final pricing for all the options and packages will be released soon, and we are also anxiously waiting on information regarding the European Delivery allocation and pricing. The ED office has yet to determine if the allocation will come out of the dealerships’ bank or our favorite automotive program will actually get their own units for the year. While the information above have not been confirmed by BMWNA, we have all the confidence in our source. Stay tuned for more information this week! See the original post: Exclusive: BMW 1M production – average of 60 units/month for U.S. market

We can’t attest to the veracity of this market research, but Market Research World published some interesting facts about BMW owners. It is unknown the age of the data set used, as well as the focus groups, but nevertheless, some interesting findings are made available. Interesting facts about BMW owners: Those who have bought a BMW in the last 3 years are predominately male (53%), down from 60% in 1994. They are 46% more likely than the average to be in the ‘playschool parents’ lifestage group. BMW owners are 98% more likely to read a ‘broadsheet’ newspaper, than the average adult. They are 84% more likely than the average to be ‘very interested’ in cars and motoring issues in newspapers. They are 178% more likely than the average car owner to admit they are very ‘possessive about their car’ and are 84% more likely to ‘love a fast, punchy style of driving.’ They are also 82% more likely than average adult to have seen advertising at an airport in the past week. • They are 13% more likely than the average car owner to claim to ‘enjoy taking risks’ • Two-thirds of all BMW owners are happy with their standard of living, however they are 10% more likely than the average person in full-time employment to ‘worry about work during leisure time’ • BMW owners are 42% more likely than the average adult to ‘spend money without thinking.’ They are 35% more likely than the average to find expensive aftershaves/perfumes irresistible, and 35% more likely to wear designer clothes • 65% of BMW owners are concerned about “pollution and congestion caused by cars,” with 83% of BMW owners using unleaded fuel. • They are 28% more likely than the average adult to listen to the radio less than 10 ½ hours a week. They are 41% more likely than the average adult to visit the cinema at least twice a year • BMW owners are twice as likely as average to play golf Thanks for the tip Greg! Original post: The Guide to BMW owners

BMW Group launches a new Facebook application and a contest around car design. According to BMW, trend researchers have found that many young customers would like to personalize their cars. One way to do, is decorating the car with foils. To test the relevance, BMW launches a pilot project called “BMW EDIZIONE” in Italy. A facebook app allows fans of the BMW Italy brand page ( facebook.com/BMW.Italia ) to vote for a variety of foil designs created by young BMW designers. apps.facebook.com/bmwedizione . If the pilot becomes a success, it’s planned to roll out this customization option globally. As one of the top 10 brands on Facebook in Italy, this innovative approach in car design lets BMW customers decide on which products to design for the first time. The winning design will be produced as a limited “BMW EDIZIONE” for BMW Used Cars in Italy, including the foil and further components especially for young target groups (e.g. a navigation system and a black grill). The “Youth Formula” makes the offer even more attractive for young customers, because the younger you are – the less you pay. (20yrs=2.0% financing, 21yrs=2,1%financing, …). To vote on the foil designs, visit BMW Italy Facebook page . Go here to read the rest: BMW EDIZIONE Contest – Vote on foil designs created by young BMW designers

Proof that Opposites Attract – Honda’s CR-Z Offers Performance and Efficiency in a Sport Hybrid News Highlights NADAguides, the leading provider of vehicle pricing and information, names the all-new 2011 gasoline-electric “sport-hybrid” Honda CR-Z the NADAguides Car of the Month for February 2011. • The 2011 Honda CR-Z was selected as the NADAguides Car of the Month based on the quality of both interior and exterior engineering, as well as fuel efficiency, safety features, value and its ability to redefine the standards for the hybrid industry by pairing performance and efficiency with Honda’s 3-Mode Drive System. • The market analysts at NADAguides saw an 89 percent increase in consumer interest for the 2011 Honda CR-Z on NADAguides.com in the fourth quarter of 2010; representing the largest increase in traffic for its segment. • Website data also showed that the 2011 Honda CR-Z maintained an upward trend through December 2010, while the competitors in this segment (Scion tC, Mini Cooper, Ford Fiesta, Kia Forte Koup and the Mazda3) saw interest decline from the third to the fourth quarter of 2010. • Honda’s tagline for the two-seater CR-Z is "Complete Opposites in Complete Harmony" and the market analysts at NADAguides could not agree more. Honda has built the perfect oxymoron in the automotive industry: exciting performance with excellent fuel efficiency of 34 miles per gallon (MPG) combined. The CR-Z sport hybrid comes with exciting features such as the 3-Mode Drive System, Bluetooth®, Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™, Idle Stop Feature and a 6-speed manual transmission. • With a starting price of $19,345, the Honda CR-Z offers consumers great performance and features for an incredible and affordable value. Key Quotes • Troy Snyder, Director of Product Development at NADAguides: “The Honda CR-Z offers a complete enhancement to the compact sport driving experience. The 3-Mode Drive System sets this vehicle apart from any other sport compact. The “Sport” mode provides the ability to experience the full RPM spectrum of the 6-speed manual for an invigorating driving experience, while the “Econ” mode provides the ability to cruise with maximum...

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported January sales of 18,656 vehicles, an increase of 21.1 percent from the 15,410 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago. “The combination of strong December sales and miserable weather in many areas provided a real challenge for January,” said Jim O’Donnell, President and CEO of BMW of North America, LLC. “On the other hand, the new BMW X3 and MINI Countryman played a strong role in January’s percentage gain even though both continue building up their model range, which we will see in the next couple of months.” BMW Brand Sales Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 20.8 percent in January for a total of 15,905 compared to 13,163 vehicles sold in January, 2010. In January, best performing vehicles included the new X3 SAV – officially on sale in the U.S. for only two weeks – up 273.3 percent to 1,075 units; the 5 Series, up 76.2 percent to 4,350 units and the X5, up 23.6 percent to 3,038 units. The BMW SAV segment (X3, X5, X6) continues to show important growth with sales up 42.8 percent from the previous January. BMW Pre-Owned Vehicles In January, sales of BMW used vehicles (including certified pre-owned and pre-owned) increased 1.7 percent to 11,650 vehicles from the 11,451 vehicles sold in January 2010. MINI Brand Sales MINI USA reported sales of 2,751 automobiles in January, an increase of 22.4 percent from the 2,247 in January 2010. [Source: BMW ] Excerpt from:  BMW USA sales up 21.1 percent in January 2011

Lately automotive engines have been providing more for less – as in, less displacement and cylinders but increased power. Ford has made a big marketing campaign out of doing so with its impressive EcoBoost engine lineup, but other manufacturers are following suit as well – even BMW. A BMW trademark is its excellent inline six-cylinders. The company notably never switched to a V-6 engine and has used its inline sixes as the engine of choice for base models in North America. That rings true in today’s lineup, with the engine doing duty in base models of the 1-Series, 3-Series, 5-Series, X3 and Z4 roadster. That is about to change though. An official announcement today from BMW is confirming a switch to a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. It will be the first four-cylinder offered by BMW in the United States since 1999. The engine first made its debut in the X1 crossover, the sale of which has been delayed in the U.S due to high European sales. The announcement doesn’t confirm which models in the U.S will be getting the new engine. However, in Europe the 5-Series and Z4 roadster will be switching over to the 2.0-liter four. We doubt the 5-Series in the U.S will utilize the engine, but we could definitely see it doing duty in the 1-Series and Z4. This effectively will remove the inline 3.0-liter six-cylinder from most of BMW’s lineup. The engine’s main benefit is increased torque and reduced fuel consumption. It uses all the tricks in BMW’s arsenal to do so – twin-scroll turbocharging, high-pressure direct injection and VALVETRONIC intake control. The 2.0-liter four makes 260 pound feet at a startlingly low 1,250 rpm, versus 2,750 rpm for the six. Torque is increased by 30% over the inline six, while horsepower, at 240, remains the same. Other benefits include 16 percent better fuel consumption and lower emissions, says BMW. Specifics about when and in what models are few, with the only date given is that is coming later this year. It is likely that it will debut in the X1 crossover, which is slated to come later this year. Engine advancement will result in a similar power output with a very nice increase in MPG numbers, something that should go over quite well with consumers. It also means a BMW trademark will be...

In some cities, a so-called ‘War on Cars’ is being waged by governments as well as other groups citing environmentalism and congestion concerns. Passing certain rules and user fees against car owners residing in metropolitan areas has become common place. Some cities had posted special licensing taxes for residents to own an automobile within city limits. In England, vehicles traveling into many areas within the city of London streets are assessed a minimum £9 (equating to around $14.45 in US money) Congestion Charge to encourage alternative transit over excessive personal vehicle travel. Proposing an option that motorists can make a lump sum payment to obtain unlimited travel into Congestion Charge areas, a website called avoidthecongestioncharge.com has been advertising the benefits of a simple badge. For £799 (approximately $1,283 US), a DRIVe badge provides a driver exclusion from the Congestion Charge payment. While, in essence, the DRIVe badge can truly grant no cost access to the streets within City of London, the website was actually a guerrilla marketing campaign for a the much more expensive accessory to the DRIVe badge. Though the initial impression of the website leaves Internet viewers believing the domain is an independent website, the true motivation is made clear as the Volvo name and products began to pop on screen. After being automatically redirected to a new page, the invitation to see the newest CO2 low-emission vehicles of Volvo is offered. Diesel-powered Volvo C30, S40 and V50 make up the brand’s DRIVe range. Through their web of marketing, Volvo presses that the three DRIVe-badged vehicles indeed apply for special driving considerations. For vehicles emitting less than 101 gCO2/km and conforming to Euro 5 emission standards are granted a Greener Vehicle Discount. Another perk of this incentive allows these lower emission vehicles to enter Congestion Charge areas without payment. Road use incentives for low or zero emission automobile purchases is not unique to the English city of London. In the case of electric and hybrid vehicles in North America, some jurisdictions allow alternative powertrains automobiles to run in HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane or better known as carpool lanes even with only the driver behind...

BMW completed private testing of the WSBK contending S1000RR racers on the 28th of January. The test was held at Eastern Creek circuit which is not featured on the race calender, but the hot temperatures were nonetheless helpful for bike development. BMW completed over 1,453 km of testing with Corser setting a time of 1:29.5 and Haslam a second slower at 1:30.5 as he continues to learn the machine. BMW will next complete testing at Phillip Island circuit on the 2nd and 3rd of February. Once again, these will be valuable private tests where engineers can obtain highly accurate comparative data without traffic on the circuit. The final preseason 2011 testing will be held on the 21st and 22nd of February when BMW will join the entire 2011 WSBK field on track. The times for this test will be interesting, though still not necessarily indicative of relative performance since we won’t know who is running what fuel loads, tire compounds, or specific program. Troy Corser: “I am pretty happy with the progress that we made on my bike. We worked on electronics, traction and rear wheel activation. In all areas we made some good steps. I also tried some chassis, geometry and fork setting. We concentrated on these areas to give us some information and to understand what we need to do if we get the same situation. The lap times got better and better as we improved the bike and the better the circuit became. The lap time we got to quite comfortably is very good for this track.” Leon Haslam: “We mainly worked on the electronics, just trying to dial it in. We also focused on setting up the chassis to get a base set-up, because in the hot conditions the bike behaves very differently. We had a few issues but we are making progress with the bike. Certainly you always want to go faster and make things happen quicker. But we got in a lot of testing, which is good, and are definitely improving. I am very confident the team will give 100 per cent and that it should be good. I am just looking forward to the next test in Phillip Island. This is a track where we also race, so we know what lap times we should be doing. It will definitely be a good guideline for us.” We look forward to BMW’s WSBK effort in 2011! Go here to read the rest: WSBK 2011: BMW...