At the Geneva Motor Show, BMW introduced the F20 125i M Performance vehicle designed in close collaboration with BMW M in the areas of powertrain, suspension, aerodynamics and cockpit. The BMW 125i Hatchback showcased at the BMW stand in Geneva takes advantage of a BMW M Performance aerodynamic package with 19-inch BMW M Performance light alloy wheels, a BMW M Performance brake system and BMW M Performance Top Stripes. In a new video released by BMW, the company explains the process that takes place behind the scene before the M Performance car comes to market. The focus of this video is primarily on the design of exterior and interior components, as well as the M Performance exhaust system and upgraded braking system. Interesting is the fact that the M Performance Parts are also tested in the wind tunnel for optimized performance. The video is in German, but BMW provides English subtitles. More:  Video: BMW M Performance Parts Development

A student can only be as good as their teacher – with the rare exception of a freakishly sharp student – so naturally, you want to learn from the best. The best is exactly who we had on hand for MINI’s inaugural Winter Driver Training program. We learned from the likes of Philippe Létourneau, Sylvain Champoux and Jean-Francois Dumoulin – three battle scared, successful racing drivers. On this unique occasion, we also learned from Rauno Aaltonen, the father of rally racing and the godfather of MINI performance driving. Having Rauno on hand made for a rare occasion to learn car control techniques from someone who invented them. Literally, invented them. Two techniques immediately come to mind: left-foot braking and the Scandinavian flick. Rauno invented both of these techniques in the heat of battle on the world rally circuit, and he perfected them to the substantial result of claiming victory in the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally. He also ran in the European Rally Championship which predates the WRC or “World Rally Championship” – claiming overall victory to be crowned as the 1965 champ. Rauno knows rally, and since much of his time behind the wheel was spent racing on snow and ice – he also knows a thing or two about performance driving on snow and ice. To that end, MINI Canada set up a brilliant training course on packed snow and ice in the frigid cold of Montreal, Quebec. Thankfully, the weather was quite temperate during our time at the training event, and we were not severely punished for forgetting our long johns. The venue was situated behind a new abandoned airport – that’s right, new, not old. A waste of money it may have been, but the advantage of training on smooth, flawless concrete and asphalt was much appreciated and added to the quality of the course. Most of the concrete was covered up by a thick base of ice and snow anyway, but the smooth base translated into a smooth surface to train on. The facilities were also modern and very well maintained, making you feel at home from the moment you arrived. Breakfast and lunch was also catered, and the food was delicious and nutritious – just what you need to distract yourself from traction circle graphs when it’s finally time to...

Money can’t buy you love. But, in the automotive industry it can buy you a whole lot of other things, such as advertising and research and development. According to Automotive News, BMW is coming to second in the profit margins race to Audi. That is despite BMW’s lead as the world’s best-selling premium manufacturer last year. Both Audi and BMW are experiencing record global sales, profits and profit margins. Audi is just growing at a faster rate, in addition to generating higher margins. That is a no brainer. Why, when BMW is known for its ability to command high asking prices? It is because Audi’s products are based on Volkswagen Group platforms. Audi has the benefits of being under a huge corporate umbrella that enables large economies of scale for purchasing materials, as well as the amortization of R&D dollars. The BMW Group, on the other hand, has no such advantages. Still, the spread between the two in terms of margins isn’t all that big: 11.8 percent versus 12.1 percent by Audi. How an analyst called that “disappointing” is beyond us. That is just .3 percent of difference – we’re surprised the spread isn’t bigger. BMW’s ability to charge higher premiums for its vehicles does mitigate some of Audi’s advantages. For BMW, the 11.8 percent result is up significantly from last year’s 8.0 percent. This is all riveting stuff, we know – but it sheds some insight at some of the trends underneath the surface at the luxury manufacturers. Every one of the top three global manufacturers, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz is growing by every metric. This has all been happening in the face of financial difficulties in the European market. Last year, 1.67 million BMW Group vehicles were sold. This year, with the new 3-Series launching, BMW plans to push sales well above that mark. In the future, the brand’s front-wheel drive platform is planned as a basis for a lot of future growth, much to the chagrin of enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz has similar plans in achieving future sales growth. No related posts. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read more from the original source: Who Can Grow Fastest? Audi Bests BMW’s Profit Margin, Both Post Record Tallies

Yikes. Fisker hasn’t had the best streak of news lately. Last year Karmas began to be delivered, the Department of Energy was pumping in hundreds of millions and everything at Fisker appeared to be on track. Now, with the use of DOE funding turning into a partisan issue, the government is looking upon funding for Fisker much more warily. Today, attention is not turned to funding but rather the product itself. Few will disagree that the Karma is a visually stunning vehicle. Gorgeous, in fact. The Karma looks exotic and every bit worth its asking price. As far as functionality goes, it is a different story and it is evidenced by issues Consumer Reports is having with the car. The first interesting fact is that CR decided to test the car period. CR is better known for its straightforward evaluations of the appliances purchases that make up a majority of car sales. Anyhow, the magazine, as is par for the course with its evaluations, purchased the car from a local dealer. This means the car was bought in the same fashion as the consumer, with no special treatment given to the manufacturer. Days into the evaluation, the Karma was performing initial speedometer calibration tests when a dashboard message began to sound indicating a major fault. The car was stopped and CR’s technician put it into park in order to determine the issue. Then the car’s transmission disabled any motion gears until an hour later when it was put into drive for just a few feet. This is all happening with under 200 miles clocked the car’s odometer. The Karma is powered by an Ecotec four-cylinder from General Motors, mated to an electric drive system and lithium ion battery pack. Given these issues, CR called the Fisker dealer who sent out a flatbed truck to tow the vehicle away. $107,850, brand new, tow truck. Sounds like a PR disaster. Hopefully Fisker will get the situation fixed very quickly and the car won’t experience any other issues in CR’s car. Unfortunately for Fisker, having the Karma in CR’s possession only ensures each issue will be sounded out through a megaphone. No related posts. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Go here to read the rest:  No Go: Consumer Reports Tests Fisker Karma, It Breaks Down

BMW of North America, LLC today announced its annual Center of Excellence honors, awarded to the top performing dealerships in the U.S. Thirty-one of the 339 BMW dealers nationwide achieved “2012 Center of Excellence” status based on their 2011 performance in customer satisfaction, outstanding brand representation, operational excellence and profitability. “BMW customers have high expectations of their vehicle and their dealer,” said Peter Miles, BMW of North America Executive VP of Operations. “It takes extraordinary and consistent effort to attain the level of a COE dealership.” The BMW Group continues to lead the automotive industry as the number one premium auto manufacturer in the world and is the primary mobility provider for the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams. During 2012, BMW will launch a number of new vehicles in the U.S., including the all-new 3 Series Sedan, 6 Series Gran Coupe, and the M5 Sedan ensuring their position as the number one luxury brand in the U.S. “The Center of Excellence winners have done exceptionally well,” said BMW of North America President and CEO Ludwig Willisch. “In this Olympic year, these 31 are our top athletes, so it’s fitting that we send them to the London 2012 Olympics as their reward.” 2012 Center of Excellence Award Recipients 1. Hendrick BMW – Charlotte, NC 2. Don Jacobs BMW – Lexington, KY 3. Peter Pan BMW – San Mateo, CA 4. BMW of Bridgeport – Bridgeport, CT 5. Dreyer & Reinbold, Inc. – Indianapolis, IN 6. Kuni BMW – Beaverton, OR 7. BMW of Houston North – Houston, TX 8. Schomp BMW of Highlands Ranch – Highlands Ranch, CO 9. Savage BMW – Ontario, CA 10. East Bay BMW – Pleasanton, CA 11. Performance BMW – Chapel Hill, NC 12. Bobby Rahal BMW of South Hills – Canonsburg, PA 13. United BMW of Gwinnett Place – Duluth, GA 14. BMW of Stratham – Stratham, NH 15. Thompson BMW – Doylestown, PA 16. Passport BMW – Suitland, MD 17. BMW of Ridgefield – Ridgefield, CT 18. Momentum BMW – Houston, TX 19. Advantage BMW – Houston, TX 20. Sandia BMW – Albuquerque, NM 21. BMW of Myrtle Beach – Myrtle Beach, SC 22. BMW of Monrovia –...

Announced today is a ‘strategic realignment’ of the BMW board of directors effective April 1, 2012. Quoting the press release, “Board of Management members Dr.-Ing. Klaus Draeger, previously responsible for the R&D Division, and Dr.-Ing. Herbert Diess, previously responsible for the Purchasing and Supplier Network, will switch roles: Diess will assume responsibility for the R&D Division within the Board of Management, and Draeger for the Purchasing Division. Ian Robertson will be responsible for Marketing and Sales for the BMW brand and its BMW M and BMW i sub-brands, as well as the BMW Group distribution channels. Harald Krüger will remain the Board of Management member responsible for Human Resources and continue his role as labour relations director until June 30, 2012. In addition, he will manage a newly-formed division with responsibility for MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, including the product lines and marketing and sales for each area. He will also be in charge of expanding the BMW Group’s aftersales business, which is a key focus of the company’s Strategy Number ONE. Effective 1 July 2012, Milagros Caiña-Andree will assume responsibility for the BMW Group Human Resources Division and take on the role as labour relations director. She is currently Head of Human Resources in the Transport and Logistics division of the Deutsche Bahn Group and the board member responsible for Human Resources at Schenker AG.” So let’s start with the appointment of Milagros Caiña-Andree to the board. She comes from a great company, Deutsche Bahn. As head of HR for DB she oversaw a big operation, roughly 229,000 employees as of 2006. So she has the experience and with a comparably sized workforce. DB, of course, is a state owned enterprise, but having had the pleasure of using the passenger service of DB, it’s been (so far) a good customer experience. The current head of HR moves, eventually, to the division responsible for the product lines, marketing, sales, and aftersales business for BMW Motorrad, MINI, and Rolls-Royce. This frees up Ian Roberston to focus on BMW cars, M, and the i sub-brand. The message to me is, i is BIG. But why are they switching Dr. Draeger’s and Dr. Diess’ roles? Merely to offer each exposure...

This week Volvo introduced the all-new V40 hatchback in Geneva. It replaces the C30 and V50 and is destined for buyers in the Europe only. Given the amount of model it is replacing, a lot is riding on this car’s success. It is a questionable sales strategy, but we hope it works out the best for them. Despite being its entry-level model though, Volvo is pushing envelope of safety with the V40. It almost sounds like a conceptual idea but Volvo has developed a pedestrian airbag that deploys on the exterior of the vehicle on low-speed pedestrian crashes. Volvo developed a software algorithm as well as an array of sensors that is capable of detecting when the car strikes an occupant. For years, Volvo has been a pioneer in vehicle safety. The company aims for there to be zero deaths in its vehicles by the year 2020, a most admirable goal. More recently, Volvo has turned its attention on protecting pedestrians outside the vehicle as well. Part of this is a way to accommodate new pedestrian safety standards that are going into effect around the world. City Safety is a component of this. It first debuted on the XC60 as a way to avoid and reduce low-speed collisions with other vehicles. Then, on the S60 and V40 it has expanded to include Pedestrian Detection. With an exterior airbag, Volvo is adding another layer of safety. First is crash avoidance, second is mitigation should one occur. We have a few questions about the system, one being, does it total the vehicle if deployed? And also, it appears to completely reduce the driver’s visibility after the crash occurs. We imagine Volvo will be briefing us a lot more on this technology in the upcoming days ahead. For now, it is great to see Volvo pushing the boundaries of safety for drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike. Check out Volvo’s video below to check out the system in action. No related posts. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts View original here: Volvo V40 Offers World-First Exterior Pedestrian Airbag

Draeger head of Purchasing and Supplier Network. Diess to manage R&D Division. Robertson responsible for BMW Sales and Marketing and Future Retail. Krüger assumes responsibility for MINI, Rolls-Royce and Motorrad. Caiña-Andree joins BMW Group Board of Management as Head of Human Resources The BMW Group will undertake a strategic realignment of its Board of Management structure, effective 1 April 2012. “The rigorous implementation and refinement of our successful Strategy Number ONE will place even further demands on our company in the future. We need an organisation that can handle the increasing complexity of the tasks involved to ensure that the BMW Group maintains its successful course in the future,” said Dr.-Ing. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in Munich on Thursday.   Some of the structures and responsibilities within the Board of Management will be reorganised accordingly: Board of Management members Dr.-Ing. Klaus Draeger, previously responsible for the R&D Division, and Dr.-Ing. Herbert Diess, previously responsible for the Purchasing and Supplier Network, will switch roles: Diess will assume responsibility for the R&D Division within the Board of Management, and Draeger for the Purchasing Division. Ian Robertson will be responsible for Marketing and Sales for the BMW brand and its BMW M and BMW i sub-brands, as well as the BMW Group distribution channels. Harald Krüger will remain the Board of Management member responsible for Human Resources and continue his role as labour relations director until June 30, 2012. In addition, he will manage a newly-formed division with responsibility for MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, including the product lines and marketing and sales for each area. He will also be in charge of expanding the BMW Group’s aftersales business, which is a key focus of the company’s Strategy Number ONE. Effective 1 July 2012, Milagros Caiña-Andree will assume responsibility for the BMW Group Human Resources Division and take on the role as labour relations director. She is currently Head of Human Resources in the Transport and Logistics division of the Deutsche Bahn Group and the board member responsible for Human Resources at Schenker AG. “All BMW AG Board of Management...

A usual presence at auto shows around the world, the future BMW hybrid sportcar, i8, makes another appearance at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The first iteration of the i8 premiered back in 2009 at the Frankfurt Auto Show and it was initially marketed under the Vision EfficientDynamics name. Eighteen months later of intensive development and the BMW i8 is preparing for a market launch in late 2013. The major change fro the original configuration is a new 1.5 liter petrol engine replacing the initial diesel unit of same capacity. The engine is mounted at the rear and drives via a dual-clutch gearbox. BMW i8 will make use of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The weight of 1480kg is the equivalent to a power-to-weight ratio of 236 horsepower per 1000 kilograms. A 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time is said to come in under five seconds, with a combined fuel consumption in the European test cycle of less than 3 liters/100 km (78 MPG) and average real fuel consumption of between five and seven liters (33 – 47 MPG). According to BMW, the beautiful glass seen on the doors of the i8 Concept will be replaced by conventional materials, a request that was mainly driven by customers who requested more interior cabin privacy. Base price of the BMW i8 is expected to fall around the $160,000m mark. See more here: 2012 Geneva Motor Show: BMW i8 Photo Gallery

At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Buchloe-based automaker ALPINA introduces a limited edition of the B3 GT3 racing car. The super fast and tuned up 3er is strictly limited to 99 units and comes with a hefty price tag: 90,000 euros. Here is a photo gallery from the Geneva show. Press Release ALPINA’s recent return to international motor sport peaked last year, with the drivers Alexandros Margaritis and Dino Lunardi winning the German GT Series, the 2011 ADAC GT Masters Championship, in the BMW ALPINA B6 GT3. With this achievement ALPINA purposefully demonstrates that despite a long absence from motor sports, cutting edge automotive know-how and technical expertise continues to be the foundation for the development of exclusive BMW ALPINA automobiles. Ideal circumstances to re-kindle the long-standing ALPINA tradition of creating ultra small series limited editions. The BMW ALPINA B3 GT3 combines exceptional characteristics and technical features of the ALPINA B6 GT3 race car with classic design elements of iconic ALPINA automobiles of the past – to the delight of ALPINA customers and enthusiasts worldwide. Strictly limited to 99 cars, the BMW ALPINA B3 GT3 will be available from spring 2012 at a price of approx. € 90.000,- including 19% VAT (German specification, ex-works Buchloe). View original here: 2012 Geneva Motor Show: ALPINA B3 GT3 Limited Edition

Many of the cars at BMW and other luxury performance manufacturers are suitably powerful and well-handing enough in their standard iterations. Some just want the standard package with a sportier look or better handling, and don’t want to shell out the dough for a full-on M model. This is the premise of Volvo’s R-Design package, which we tested out in Arizona last week. BMW is joining the fray as well with its new M Performance line of parts that it is debuting in Geneva. It is BMW’s focal point at the show, and to show off a collection of the parts offered it has created the M135i Concept. The M135i Concept shows off a three-door hatchback 1-Series, something that hasn’t yet been introduced in Europe for the current F20. Last year, BMW launched a redesigned 1-Series generation that we haven’t gotten here in the United States. That’s because we only get the coupe and convertible 1-Series here and they curiously weren’t updated to the new generation. Maybe that will come later. Regardless, we don’t get the five-door and don’t hold your breath for the three-door if it does get produced either. Three-dor RWD hatchback fun sounds like an appealing notion to some enthusiasts in Europe, and the 135i is happy to oblige. Under hood is BMW’s TwinPower turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, making over 300 horsepower (BMW quote exact power specs). The suspension has been stiffened and new 18-inch M wheels fitted. The result is M tacked on to the M135i moniker, and it sounds like a lot of fun to us – if only we could get our hands on it. Word on the street is that BMW is likely to approve it for production in Europe soon. Many still are on the fence about the car’s snout; decide for yourself in our gallery below. No related posts. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Continued here:  Geneva: BMW M135i Concept

Our Annual Autos Issue presents a dizzying array of facts and figures, all aimed at helping car shoppers choose the right model for their needs and budget. While we rate the automakers and present numerous best and worst lists , we haven’t offered a simple guide to the best and worst models by brand. Until now. As you become immersed in the data, it is clear that assumptions based on brand reputation can be misleading. The reality is, every brand offers models that perform across a spectrum, with some clearly better than others. While we have highlighted those differences previously with reliability , here is a chance to look at the models based on strictly test score. The test performance variation differs from brand to brand, with a brand’s worst model being still doing rather well, actually. Take Subaru, for example. Its worst model, the Tribeca, scores a 70 (out of 100) and meets our performance standards, safety, and reliability criteria to be Recommended. Meanwhile, the best Jeep is the Grand Cherokee Laredo V6. It earns 71 points in our tests, just one more than the worst Subaru. However, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited marks the low point in our current ratings, despite gaining three points in a recent test-it scored a 20. The points gap can be even broader. Toyota, for instance, spans from the Toyota Camry Hybrid (93) to the FJ Cruiser (36). Let me repeat: Don’t make assumptions. The list below includes all brands for which Consumer Reports has tested at least three different models recently, thereby excluding Fiat, Porsche, and Smart. Best Worst Acura MDX RL * Audi A6 3.0 Premium Plus Quattro Q7 Premium Plus (V6)* BMW 135i 325xi (wagon)* Buick Regal CXL (turbo) LaCrosse Touring (V6) Cadillac CTS Premium (3.6) Escalade (base) Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Colorado (5-cyl.)* Chrysler 300 C 200 Limited (V6) Dodge Grand Caravan R/T Avenger SXT (4-cyl.) Ford Flex Limited (EcoBoost) Fiesta SE (sedan) GMC Acadia SLT2 Canyon (5-cyl.)* Honda Accord EX-L (V6) Insight EX Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Accent GLS (sedan) Infiniti G37 Journey (sedan) QX 56 Jaguar XJL XF (base)* Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo (V6) Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Kia Optima SX (2.0T) Soul Plus * Land Rover LR4 LR2 SE Lexus LS 460L GX 460 Lincoln MKZ MKX (3.7) Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring Mazda2...

Among the big BMW debuts this year at the Geneva Motor Show, the new F30 BMW 3 Series xDrive almost went unnoticed. The xDrive version of the refreshed 3 Series will be available this fall and in the U.S. will come in two variants: BMW 328i xDrive and 335i xDrive. The model showcased at BMW exhibit is the 320d xDrive which shares the same engine as the EfficientDynamics edition model: a 2.0 liter commonrail DI variable geometry turbocharged lump, but with different power output – the ED Edition has 163 hp, while the 320d produces 184 hp, both at a similar 4,000 rpm. The total torque numbers are rated at 380 Nm @ 1,750-2,750 rpm. In previous driving tests, the BMW 32d0 was rated at 5.4 liter/100 km, so expect a similar figure for the slightly heavier xDrive variant. Here is the photo gallery from Geneva Motor Show! View original here:  2012 Geneva Motor Show: F30 BMW 3 Series xDrive

Another ALPINA debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show is the super sporty B5 based on the F10 5 Series. The upgraded B5 uses a tuned up V8 4.4 liter engine with two Honeywell-Garrett turbochargers that produces 540 horsepower and a maximum torque of 730 Nm. This is 33 hp and 30 Nm higher than the Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo revealed last year. The full power is reached at 5,200rpm and the maximum torque of 730Nm is available from 2,800 to 4,500rpm. The updated D5 BiTurbo runs to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds (0.2 seconds faster than previous model) and the top speed is reached at 320 km/h. Here are the first shots from Geneva Motor Show! See the original post:  2012 Geneva Motor Show: ALPINA B5 BiTurbo

The highly-efficient F30 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics edition shows up at the BMW exhibit in Geneva. Available only to European customers, the 320d ED is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder diesel engine with common rail direct fuel injection and variable intake geometry. To increase the fuel economy of the BMW 320d to a maximum, the EfficientDynamics Edition saw a reduction in power from 184 hp (135 kW) to 163 hp (120 kW). Furthermore a centrifugal pendulum absorber was integrated in the dual-mass flywheel of the engine. Innovative Energy Saver tires with reduced rolling resistance,  along with other fuel savings features, allow the BMW 320d ED to be driven 1,375 km (855 miles) with the 57 liter (15 gallon) fuel tank. The fuel economy is 4.1 l/100 km (57 mpg). Unfortunately for US customers, BMW has no plans to offer the amazing diesel on this side of the ocean. View post: 2012 Geneva Motor Show: BMW 320d EfficientDynamics