BMW Forum

Despite it being still early in the year, BMW have been very busy. First of all, to celebrate the launch of the new BMW1 series, they have teamed up with Picturehouse Cinema. The ‘Origins Film Season’ has been introduced along with an advertising campaign using the ‘Origins’ theme to showcase the variants in the new series. The film’s curator has chosen four different pairs of films that explore a single theme in their unique ways but end up with a unifying concept – should be interesting – especially since a lot of the chosen films being parodied are nothing but glorified porn. Call it ‘rite of passage’ all you like – it won’t change that fact.

It has been over thirty-one years since BMW UK sold its first vehicle and they have now passed to two million mark – quite an acheivement! The first car, sold on January first, 1980 was an E12 5 series saloon. One million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine cars later, the two millionth model sold was a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. The 5 series has been one of the most popular cars since the company began, selling over five million worldwide since it was launched. The Gran Turismo has been popular with the buyer looking for something a little more unique.

The new BMW ’3 series’ has retained the prestigious ‘WhatCar’ crown for the seventh consecutive year for ‘Best Compact Executive Car’. It was commended for being smooth and refined while still giving inordinate pleasure when driving. Added to the fact that its CO2 emissions are so low that it falls within the cheapest 13% company car tax band, it’s a well deserving winner.

BMWs renewed partnership with motorsport vision means there will be many more thrills on the track to look forward to in 2012.

The Hire is a highly acclaimed marketing campaign by BMW and many consider it to be one of the best marketing campaigns ever produced. It has received many awards and it has pioneers many aspects of online marketing. The campaign took place in 2000 and rather than featuring any particular models of BMW cars it concentrates entirely on the BMW brand.

There are five films in the series and all of them are directed by top class and well established film directors. The films also star many famous actors and peformers including Madonna, Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, Adriana Lima, Don Cheadle, Ray Liotta, James Brown, Gary Oldman, Danny Trejo and Marilyn Manson.

The first five all feature Clive Owen who drives a BMW in each of them. In chronological order they are Ambush, which is directed by John Frankenheimer and features a 7 Series; Chosen directed by Ang Lee which features a 5 Series; The Follow, directed by Wong Kar-wai which features a 3 Series; Powder Keg directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu which feature an X5; Star directed by Guy Ritchie which features a M5; Ticker, directed by Joe Carnahan, Hostage, directed by John Woo; and finally Beat the Devil directed by Tony Scott.

Each one of these short films is a masterpiece and each one has a distinctive style. The direction is always spot on as is the acting and plot, but best of all is the driving as each of the cars is really put through its paces in various scenarios. The individual storylines of each film are subtly linked and each features a specific adventure the theme of which is reflected in their titles.

The success of these short films can be seen by the fact that in their first year BMW sales rose 12.5% and in their second sales rose by 17.2%. They have been viewed over 100 million times.

The total cost was $25 million and they films won numerous awards including Cyber Lion Grand Prix at Cannes; Best Excuse for Broadband; Titanium Lion; and several more.

The whole campaign was inspired by the fact that 85% of buyers of BMW cars use the internet before purchasing. Using the internet is a great way to find a car, and a great place to search at is www.motors.co.uk.

Volkswagen produces cars with the onus quality and engineering. The small car market represents one of the biggest incomes for any manufacturer. This is due to the rising costs of motoring caused mainly by extortionate fuel prices. For years the Polo has been one of Volkswagen’s most trustworthy sellers and what is more, it now comes with Bluemotion technology.

The Bluemotion Polo is on sale at around £15,480. This may initially seem expensive for a 1200CC car but once you look at the fuel consumption figures the potential savings become evident -80.7mpg combined cycle and 91g/km CO2. To some drivers this could in essence mean cutting your trip to the fuel pump by half. The magic behind this figure is relatively simple. It has very long ratios in third fourth and fifth gear to avoid overly high revving. The gearshift indicator highlights optimal times for gear changes and the car is fitted with the new roll resistant tyres that seem popular these days (although expensive to replace). It sits slightly lower than the average Polo reducing wind resistance. Stop/start technology is fitted to save fuel at traffic lights.

There is a turbo charge to reduce the lag in acceleration caused by the fuel saving low idling speed. The tendency to horse the car to achieve better performance may invalidate what the car is. It’s designed more for its planet saving credentials and economy than outright performance. The consumer is generally aware of this and that is exactly why they chose the car.

The consumer should not be put off this by the low engine size. The Polo Bluemotion is all about frugal fuel economy and that is where the critics focus should lie. With this in mind the Polo is nearly unparalleled with that astonishing 80.7mpg figure. Irksome trips to the petrol station will be dramatically reduced.

There are a number of current offers from BMW across all of its ranges. Among the current offers in the company’s 1 Series range, are the new 3-door Sports Hatch Performance Editions. These limited edition models were launched in April 2011 to mark BMW’s role as sponsors of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. The Sports Hatch Performance Editions have all the features of the standard BMW 3-door Sports Hatch Edition, but feature additional exterior and interior equipment costing up to £3,225. These include M Sport suspension, high gloss Shadowline outer trim, 18-spoke light alloy wheels in dark chrome and London 2012 designed exterior badges. The Performance Editions are available from £18,00 to £22,000.

In the 3 Series Saloon range, current offers include the new Sport Plus and Exclusive Editions, which offer a variety of features not available with the standard 3 Series Saloon models. For the Sport Plus, these features include sun protection glass, Bluetooth telephone preparation and a choice of Le Mans Blue, Alpine White or Black Sapphire colouring. For the Exclusive, the additional features include 17” 339 wheels with Star-spoke style and a metallic paint finish. These editions are available from between £24,000 and £30,000.

Current offers in the BMW 5 Series executive car range, include the upgrades to the 5 Series Touring and Saloon models – although these are available only for the six-cylinder models of each. For the 6 Series Convertible, the BMW Select 50:50 finance offer allows the customer to pay 50% of the price initially, wait two years and then choose to either pay the remainder to complete the purchase, part exchange for a new model or return the car.

Further details of these and other offers can be found on the BMW company site, while for those looking to purchase second hand, many offers on BMW models can be found through online car classifieds sites such as www.motors.co.uk.

Source:

www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/offers_new/0,,1156181246516_bs-Mw%3D%3D%40bb-TekwOA%3D%3D,00.html

Wherever you are located in the UK you will find a BMW dealership not too far away. The easiest way of finding one is to go the BMW website, click on dealerships, and then you can search by town, by postcode and alphabetically.

There is a huge number of BMW dealerships spread across the UK and in order to give you some indication regarding the variety and choice that you will find here are some statistics.

Taking the London area, there are over 30 listed and the majority of these supply new BMWs along with used BMWs that are approved officially. They also provide servicing and the majority of them a body shop as well as supplying motability vehicles. A few of them also offer rental services.

The situation is similar in all of the major cities in the UK. For instance you will find 5 dealerships in and around Birmingham, 5 around Manchester, and 5 around Newcastle upon Tyne. The same situation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and it is only if you live in the more remote regions that you will need to travel a relatively long distance.

Many BMW dealerships are chains. Examples of these are Cooper which has premises in sixteen locations across the UK. Another example of these is Stephen James but there are many more too.

BMW has very strict codes of conduct to which its dealerships must adhere, so no matter which one you use you are likely to find a similar very high standard of service and advice. If you are looking for a new BMW model, then generally there is one that you can test drive immediately or if not then one will be found for you very quickly.

Also the approved used BMWs offer excellent quality and great value for money. They are all specially prepared and come with extensive warranties.

When it comes to performance cars like the BMW Z4, insurance can be a costly added charge. This makes the internet a particularly important resource when looking for a reasonable quote.
Endsleigh cheapest car insurance is always a good place to look.

The BMW Z4 falls in at group 35 for the smaller engines and group 43 for the larger 35i’s – around the same category as a Porsche Boxster – which means that your choice of insurer is ever more important. Endsleigh offers a service that searches a vast range of UK providers in order to bring you the best deal going. The Z4 has now been on the UK market for around eight years and they are now readily available second hand for reasonable prices. Insurance costs should not deter the potential buyer should they be able to find a reasonable quote. If you were to shell out £8,000 on a second hand Z4, you wouldn’t want to have to add a further £2,000 on insurance.

The BMW Z4 is one of the most attractive high performance cars to appear on the market. Its sleek powerful curves give it real presence on the road. With a long nose and muscular body, the weight is distributed nicely and road holding is supreme.

There are sites like gocompare.com or confused.com which will compare the market for you to give you an idea of what a reasonable price may be. There are also providers who offer specialised BMW insurance.

Many people feel like performance cars, even second hand, are beyond their means due to pricey insurance policies. When cars like the Z4 fall into the ‘reasonable second hand’ bracket, most buyers first thought will be insurance. This need not be the case as Endsleigh’s comprehensive insurance policies can offer competitive rates on this exact model.

The BMW M3 is one of the most legendary cars ever made. This particular line of BMW cars is famous for having superb performance, spotless drivability, and of course sleek and stunning exterior design. After the success of previous generations, BMW introduced the fourth generation of BMW M3.

Using built codes E90, E92, and E92, the fourth generation of BMW M3 is simply fascinating. The exterior design screams sporty, featuring sleek lines and amazing body contours. It is obvious that BMW is pursuing larger market segment, since this latest generation of M3 can very much be popular among young and old drivers alike.

The engine is no less impressive. It is an impressive 4.0 L V8 engine with 414 BHP power. Capable of a peak torque at 400 N-m at 3,900 RPM, this engine is 22% more powerful compared to the E46 M3. This much of a power needs to be contained, and BMW does the job well by adding the latest, state-of-the-art, drive-by-wire technology that will help you maximize the engine’s potentials at all times.

As mentioned earlier, we have three models within this release of M3. The E90 is a four-door sedan, while both the E92 and E93 are two-door coupe and cabriolet respectively. You can simply go with the make you like the most and enjoy all the perks of owning an M3. They said Aston Martin’s DB7 defeated the previous generation of M3, but with the release of E90, E92, and E93 M3 it is clear that BMW is reclaiming their throne.

When looking for your ideal car, many find buying from new exceeds their budget and therefore leaves them finding an alternative to their dream motor.

Buying a second hand or used car can be a great deal for anyone looking to purchase their ideal model. It is common belief that most top class models are not available on the second hand market and if so, are not sold at a high quality standard. This is simply not the case, when searching online for second hand cars, there are many high standard websites, such as motors.co.uk, that offer great deals on quality vehicles.

If you’re struggling to find the perfect car for you why not try the BMW Series 1 Convertible. This popular drop top is beautifully designed and very spacious, suitable for any family. This series 1 convertible is an extremely enjoyable ride, proving to be ideal to handle with a comfy and appealing environment behind the wheel. The large engine gives plenty of power for faster drivers, ensuring safety at all times with its quality of control thanks to the communicative steering.

The design of the series 1 convertible is solid and well engineered with a reliable engine that proves to be exceedingly quiet. This great convertible is just one of many cars available online at great second hand prices, ensuring that buyers do not have to sacrifice quality or beauty for an affordable budget. Furthermore when looking for your perfect family car check out the many sports type cars available, offering a high standard in engineering technology yet providing sufficient space and requirements to suit all the family members.

When buying a car, the one thing that absolutely everybody is looking for is value for money. Whether you are buying a brand new Aston Martin or searching Auto Trader and the internet for used cars for sale under £1000, everybody wants to know that they are getting the best for their money. If you are shopping around for a used car, there are many things to take into account, with two of the most important things being, of course, price and reliability. You do not want to pay thousands of pounds on a car that performs well for a couple of months and then breaks down. One of the best makes of car to look at in this situation is BMW. The German manufacturer has garnered a reputation for making brilliant, reliable vehicles that are created to a high quality so that they will last for ever. When buying a BMW though, there is still advice one should heed to make sure you get the right car.

The best way to buy a used BMW is definitely to do so from an officially approved BMW dealership. This means that you will get a full warranty from BMW themselves, including roadside assistance, guarantee against part failures or other defects. You can also renew this warranty every year until five years after you purchase the car. These are great but they will come at a price and you will pay more at an approved dealer than in a private sale.

Private sales have other advantages other than price as well. You will be more likely to find a wider range of models through private sales as dealerships generally only sell contemporary models. This means you can find some fantastic cars for low prices, something that will attract motoring fans.

The best advice to take is to shop around as much as you can. Look on the internet, in magazines and at dealerships and don’t be afraid to haggle. If you do this then you are far more likely to get the best value BMW for your money.

Global warming is a serious issue, and many corporations – especially the automotive industry – are taking the issue seriously by releasing eco-friendly versions of their products. BMW as one of the leading car manufacturers in the world is making a move towards eco-friendly cars as well. They recently introduced two of their hybrid prototypes, the BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid and the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid.

The technologies used in both concept cars are actually different despite the fact that they are both using the ActiveHybrid signature. The BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid features mild hybrid engine while the X6 ActiveHybrid uses full hybrid technology. Mild hybrid is basically a technology designed to minimize fuel consumption using hybrid engines; you can still get the maximum power of the engine by switching to non-hybrid mode to boost performance. The full hybrid used in BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, on the other hand, don’t have this particular feature. The engine power is purely produced using hybrid engine technology that is eco-friendly and environmentally save.

Since both cars are based on existing BMW models (the BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid is based on BMW 750iL while the X6 ActiveHybrid is based on petrol-fueled BMW X6), you will also see common luxury and high-tech features. The iDrive and of course tons of luxurious features commonly found in BMW cars are still available in both ActiveHybrid.

Both cars are scheduled to be released later on this year. If you want to drive an eco-friendly BMW, be sure to wait a little longer before making your purchase and pick up one of these two ActiveHybrid models.