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Filed under: Car Buying , BMW High commodities prices and the unflattering value gap between the Euro and U.S. Dollar are forcing a lot of European automakers to bump their prices here in the States. We told you a few weeks ago that BMW was planning on raising the sticker price on many of its products, and now we're starting to see the extent of the damage. The price changes range from an increase of $600 on a 128i to $1,400 on an M6. The 335i received several MSRP increases, with the sedan going up by $800, the coupe by $1,200, and a raise of $1,300 for the convertible. The 328i sedan, meanwhile, rose $700 to an MSRP of $33,400. Options also went up in price, as the dual clutch on the M3 has gone up by $200 making it a $2,900 option. The sport package for the 335i sedan and coupe has risen by $450, and some standard equipment like the Logic 7 Sound System has been nixed for 2009. Beginning in October, iPhone integration can also be had for $150. Since $150 is almost the price of the...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , SUVs , BMW Click above for a high-res gallery of the twin-turbo V8 BMW X5. BMW has continued to deny the existence of an M-version of the X5, and by all accounts, it's true. The blokes from Bavaria maintain that the 'ute's size, weight, height and packaging won't warrant the tri-tones of the vaunted M. But the doesn't mean BMW can't produce a hotter version of its biggie-sized SUV. Using the same 407 hp, 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found in the recently released X6, BMW is taking aim at the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. KGP was able to snap off a handful of shots of the turbo'd X5 running the 'Ring, and despite the lack of a factory-approved M on the hatch, it's looking decidedly more aggressive than its siblings. The front fascia is taking all the normal cues from BMW's motorsports department, with massive air intakes and a gaping central air dam, while a set of quad exhausts are framed within a new rear bumper. There's...
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Filed under: SUVs , Etc. , BMW , UK There are times in everyone's life when you have an idea that sounds brilliant when explained in the audience of friends, but in practice is "exposed" as pure idiocy. The passenger of a BMW X5 gave a Cramlington, UK speed camera an uncensored view of his backside in an obvious attempt at humor, but in the end (no pun intended) the stunt could result in some hefty fines. Since local authorities weren't amused by the Braveheart salute, the passenger could receive tickets for public indecency and for not wearing a seat belt. Well, that is if the driver is willing to rat on his or her offending comrade. While we admit this is kind of funny at first blush, mostly because we never before noticed that a BMW grille looks a little like a human butt, mooning a speed camera is stupid for a couple reasons. First, it's not cool to expose yourself in public. That's the kind of thing that will get you on a sex offender list if you're not...
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Filed under: SUVs , BMW Since July of last year, we've seen several spy photos of a BMW X5 mule making an appearance all over Europe. The quad-tipped, camouflaged prototype has always been assumed to be an upcoming M version of BMW's SUV, but according to the crew at BimmerFile, it isn't going to happen. The mule that's undergoing testing will be a "sport edition" of the X5, similar to the 4.8is, but it won't be equipped with the M5/M6's V10. Instead, it'll be packing the twin-turbocharged V8 currently found in the new X6, producing 407 hp and 443 lb.-ft. of torque. Expect some tweaked bodywork and a revised suspension to convey the new 'ute's sporting intentions when it debuts later this year. [Source: BimmerFile ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing , BMW This Monday, BMW will announce plans to expand its sole U.S. assembly plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This is more great news for Spartanburg, as BMW has increased production at the plant three times previously, and the facility is already running over capacity. Its stated capacity is 140,000 vehicles per year, but workers there cranked out 154,999 vehicles in 2007. BMW will reportedly expand its facilities in Spartanburg by 70,000 square feet, at a cost estimated at $27 million. This will bring the German automaker's total investment in Spartanburg to $4.83 billion since it opened in 1994. Clearly BMW has been a significant boost to the regional economy. The German automaker is currently manufacturing the X5 SAV , Z4 Roadster and M Coupes , and the upcoming X6 SAV at the plant. In 2010, it plans to send the Z4 assembly to Germany , but bring all X3 SAV production to the States (some X3 production is currently done under contract assembly...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , SUVs , BMW If you bought a BMW X5, you probably didn't do so because you wanted everyone to look at you. However, just in case you're a gawker-seeker who was somehow forced into purchasing an X5, Hamann has the kit to make sure you get all the looks you can handle. It's called the Hamann Flash, and in case you forget its name, or if someone else wants to know what it's called, "Flash" is written on the front doors. In addition to that exterior feature, it gets new front and rear aprons, fender flares, a roof spoiler, and four choices of wheel riding on a specially-developed suspension and halted by a bespoke brake system. All powerplant options get the power boost treatment, with the 4.4-liter V8 topping the charts at 368-HP, but we think we'd go with the 3.0sd with 320-HP and 486 lb-ft. And with the custom exhaust, all versions make a sound described as "growling thunder." Inside, the SAV gets exclusive Hamann black mat...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , SUVs , Tech , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW BMW's twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six has been a rousing success, with nothing less than a Wards 10 Best Engines award sitting in its trophy case. The praise is understandable and well-deserved, as the engine uses a combination of forced induction and direct injection to serve up a torque curve that's far beefier and flatter than what should be expected from a engine of its size. So what next for the propeller brand? Simple -- take similar technology, add it to the company's 4.4L V8 and toss in a dash of unconventional packaging to make everything fit. BMW put its latest jewel on display at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and we snapped some shots of it to give you an idea of why this engine is so special. We've included those photos in one of our galleries, and below the fold, we've thrown in a few observations. Gallery: Detroit 2008: BMW 4.4L V8 twin-turbo Continue reading Detroit 2008: BMW's twin-turbo...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , SUVs , Tech , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW click above to view more high-res images of the BMW X6 Dropping the "concept" descriptor that it carried in Frankfurt , the BMW X6 was just revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in full production trim. Not surprisingly, it's almost identical to what we saw in Frankfurt, with a sharply-raked backlight and hatchback replacing the squared-off rump of the X5. BMW likes to describe it as a blend between a coupe and a crossover, which leads us to ask - is it possible to crossover from something that's already a crossover? Does this mean that it's been double-crossed? The mind boggles. Follow the jump for our first impression... Gallery: Detroit 2008: 2009 BMW X6 - Live Continue reading Detroit 2008: BMW unwraps the production X6 Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , SUVs , Plants/Manufacturing , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW Despite slashing some 8,000 jobs worldwide , BMW plans to hire more workers to man its Spartanburg, S.C. production center, while simultaneously upping the night shift from eight hours to ten. The South Carolina plant currently produces the X5 and Z4, but with production of the X6 CUV beginning a few weeks back, BMW is looking to staff an additional 200 jobs to keep the assembly plant on boil. Although Z4 production is going to Regensburg, Germany in 2009, BMW plans to begin building the X3, which is overdue for a refresh, at the plant around the same time. Those of you looking for jobs in the Spartanburg area can apply through MAU Inc., BMW's U.S. staffing firm, and should expect to bring in $12.50 an hour during the day shift and additional buck if you're willing to toil away in the wee hours of the night. [Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Spy Photos , SUVs , BMW The proud parents at BMW just can't stop adding new runts to the litter. The latest, which looks to be a rather large runt, is what could be a BMW X5 M. Spotted on a car hauler somewhere in the Fatherland, the modified X sports quad pipes that don't emerge from their usual slots, but are spaced further apart than the usual M arrangement. It's also got a note inside informing drivers not to let the engine run for more than thirty minutes, which could have something to do with the blacked-out camo job covering the front spoiler. Some folks bet it will be powered by the 5.0-liter V10 from the M's 5 and 6. BMW has said, though, that that engine is reserved exclusively for those two cars. If not that, then it could be a twin-turbo V8 with 430 HP. That would be a 70 HP jump over the normally aspirated 4.8-liter V8, slotting the X5 M between the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo, and putting it 80 HP down on the Mercedes ML 63. Frankly, we don't think that sounds...
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Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show , China , Euro According to UK-based media service Headline Auto, one of the hot rumors flying around the Auto Messe in Frankfurt earlier this morning was that China Automobile , the German importer for Chinese automaker...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Sports/GTs , SUVs , BMW BMW has consistently argued that a vehicle like the X5 is not fitting with the whole 'M' philosophy of increased performance through reduced weight but despite this spy-photographers have recently come...
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Filed under: Frankfurt Auto Show , SUVs , China , Euro , BMW You might recall a post last week regarding a little tiff between Smart and Shuanghuan, the purveyors of the Noble, a dead ringer for the German firm's fortwo. That vehicle, along with an SUV...
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