There are similarities in the BMW X1 and the Mini Countryman’s dimensions, and it targets the same kind of consumers. Thus, a size comparison would definitely be of help to those who still can’t decide which BMW made SAV to choose. In general, the BMW X1 is has a longer wheelbase and larger cargo capacity. Here are the measurements, photos follow below:

BMW X1

Length – 175 inches (4454 mm)
Height – 60.8 inches (1545 mm)
Width – 70.8 inches (1798 mm)
Wheelbase – 108.6 inches (2760 mm)
Cargo capacity – 420 liters

Mini Countryman

Length – 161.3 inches (4097 mm)
Height – 61.5 inches (1561 mm)
Width – 70.4 inches (1789 mm)
Wheelbase – 102.2 inches (2595 mm)
Cargo capacity – 350 liters

Source: xbimmers

Horsepower Freaks presents a series of videos that will walk an ordinary car enthusiast through the secrets and processes of building daily driven 1000 RWHP BMW race engines. Each of these videos take 10-15 minutes but is definitely worth it. Enjoy!

The 2011 BMW 535i is a midsized sedan with a 3.0-liter I-6 N55 single twin-scroll turbocharger that produces 300 horsepower. It has a new suspension and a ZF-built eight-speed automatic gear box. The 2011 5 Series is the first of the 5 Series fleet to have electronic power steering (EPS).

Inside Line takes the F10 2011 535i for track testing. This test car has the Dynamic Handling package ($2,500), Sport package ($2,200), and Sport automatic transmission option ($500). This video shows the performance results that they were able to achieve: 0-60 time, 1/4 mile, slalom speed, skid pad lateral acceleration (G’s), and braking distance.

The verdict?

Acceleration Comments: Wide range of settings means wide range of results, from normal drive to sport/DSC off. At worst, it stumbles off the line, then gets with the program at @ 3,000 rpm. At best with brake torque and DSC off, it’s still not what I’d call “snappy” off the line but at least the boost is in the right place for a decent run. Very smooth upshifts in every mode, but it seemed to delay 1-2 (possibly 3-4) in Sport mode. Crossed the finish in 4th gear.

Braking Comments: Highly susceptible to pavement irregularities, hence 10-foot variance in otherwise fade-free set of runs. Some smoking front pads, but no discernible loss of power. Obvious anti-dive suspension and lots of rebound damping. Firm pedal and straight stops throughout.

Handling Comments: Slalom: With DSC off in Sport, the tires were the limiting factor. Good balance between understeer/oversteer and good steering response but not enough ultimate grip to make it all work. In Sport + DSC on, the brakes would grab abruptly just as I approached a cone (expecting a little slide), so I had to back down the speed to keep from being pulled into cones by DSC. Skid pad: hard to balance/steer on the line with boost varying wildly — requires constant steering with DSC off. With DSC on (Sport +) it requires virtually no steering, and throttle was more consistent (obviously being managed by computer), steering weight was appropriate, but almost no feel.

Source: Edmund’s Inside Line

Remember BMW’s S54B32 engine and it’s sound? Here is the commercial released by BMW two years ago that will remind us why this engine was loved by many automotive enthusiasts:

BMW was unable to resist the lure of ever-increasing cylinder counts and therefore shifted into the V8 which is in the current M3. Unfortunately, this decision ended the production of S54B32 — the greatest straight six ever.

The V8 engine is a beauty in its own right, but the excellence of straight six engines are rare. Here’s an excerpt from Jalopnik’s article on what makes the S54B32 engine great:

What makes the S54B32 so wonderful is not the mountain of engineering awards. Not the incredible g’s its poor valves must resist at maximum revs. Not the horsepower-to-displacement ratio of a 1960’s Formula One car.

What makes the S54B32 so wonderful is the noise. It’s the only engine this side of supercar lunacy that has such a—for lack of a better word—voluminous sound. You’ll know it when you’re around one when the air around you suddenly fills with this high-grade metallic substance, this gray-blue vapor of noise that fills an S54B32’s surroundings with such fearful urgency. What makes this even sadder is that BMW was fully aware of what they had on their hands.

Source: Jalopnik

BMW Australia is one of the first to announce the introduction of two diesel engines into the market: the new 2011 BMW 520d and the 535d.

The 2011 BMW 520d has a four cylinder turbo diesel engine capable of 185 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is just at 5.2 litres per 100km and C02 emissions are measured at 137 g/km.

The BMW 535d on the other hand has a straight six-cylinder engine featuring BMW TwinPower Turbo technology capable of 245 horsepower and 600Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is at 6.1liters per 100km and Co2 emissions are  measured at 162g/km.

Press Release: BMW Group Australia today announced the addition of two new diesel variants to its critically-acclaimed BMW 5 Series range.

The new BMW 520d Sedan and BMW 535d Sedan bolster a portfolio of BMW diesel vehicles already available in Australia, renowned for powerful engine outputs, combined with extremely low fuel consumption and emissions.

BMW Group Australia Managing Director, Mr Stavros Yallouridis said the popularity of BMW diesel models is growing rapidly in Australia.

“BMW diesel engines are winning international accolades and challenging many preconceptions about diesel technology as a whole,” said Mr Yallouridis.

“The combination of enormous torque, blistering power and extraordinary fuel economy from our latest diesel engines is winning many fans in Australia,” he said.

The ultra-efficient 520d features a four cylinder turbo diesel engine producing a power output of 135kW and 380 Nm of torque. Despite boasting fuel consumption of just 5.2 litres per 100km, and C02 emissions of 137 g/km, the BMW 520d is still capable of accelerating to100km/ hr in just 8.1 seconds.

The 520d is priced from $83,300* and is loaded with additional features compared to its predecessor, including 8-speed automatic transmission, 17” alloy wheels, electric power steering, Head Up Display, Interior trim in black high-gloss, through loading system, Park Distance Control (PDC) front and rear and active bonnet to reduce risk of injury in case of accident with a pedestrian. BMW EfficientDynamics technologies available on the 520d include low rolling-resistance tyres, brake energy regeneration, and air vent control.

The new diesel hero model, the 535d, offers extreme power with its straight six-cylinder engine featuring BMW TwinPower Turbo technology producing 220kW and a whopping 600Nm of torque. The new BMW 535d sprints to 100km/hr in 5.7 seconds while sipping just 6.1litres of fuel per 100km and emitting 162g/km of C02.

The 535d Sedan is priced at $134,400* and enjoys standard specification over and above the 520d Sedan including metallic paint, 1 8” alloy wheels, 8-speed sports automatic transmission with Steptronic, adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights including washer system, rear view camera, electric seat adjustment with driver’s seat memory function, sports leather steering wheel, Comfort Access System and 12-speaker HiFi system to name just a few.

BMW 520d and 535d Australian Pricing:
# BMW 520d – $83,300
# BMW 535d – $134,400

The BMW 520d Sedan is now available in Australia. The BMW 535d Sedan will be available in BMW showrooms from November.

Here’s a video of the speed tachometer of the 2010 BMW 535i GT gives us seriously awesome numbers. This was taken by BimmerToday as they took the 535i GT to a test drive. The top speed was at 250 km/h. The 535i GT has a N55 twin-scroll turbocharged engine. For the first time, High Precision Injection and variable Valvetronic is featured on the 2,979cc six-cylinder powerplant. It is capable of 306 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque available from just 1,200 rpm. Sixty mph arrives in an estimated 6.3 seconds and speed tops at 155 mph.

See how the acceleration maneuvers from 100 to 200 km / h and from 60 km / h electronically limited top speed of up to 250 km / h in this video:

Feeling a bit adventurous and interested in modding your car? There are a lot of aesthetic upgrades, performance parts, and upgraded interiors to choose from. The BMW Performance Aerodynamics Kit released two years ago includes a BMW kidney grille in black high-gloss look. If you want to change your grilles and don’t know how, here’s a step by step process on how to install it on a new BMW 5 Series in 20 minutes using a Torx-20 screwdriver:

1. Remove rubber strip in the center on the hood right in front of inside bumper.

2. Two hex bolts will be exposed underneath.

3. Start removing the 6 hex bolts using the Torx-20 screwdriver. The 2 in the center is straight forward but the two right on top of each headlight has a cover the needs to be removed first.

4. There’s two clips/locks holding the cover in place. Pull the center pin up using your fingers.

5. Repeat process on other side

6. Once all screws are removed you’ll need to pull the center of the front bumper forward to remove chrome grilles. There’s nine clips holding it to the bumper. With one hand just pull the grill out on the portion of the grill where you are pushing the clip down with your other hand.

7. Once both grilles are removed you’ll see this.

8. Now install BMW Performance Grilles.

9. Side by side comparison.

10. Time to put everything back. The two hex bolts on top of the headlights need to be put on first before the clips/lock pins.

11. Then place the clip/lock pin in and press down then put lock pin in to secure.

12. The center piece removed in the beginning need to snap back in.

Here are extra instructions on how to paint the silver trim near the fog lights. 1. All you have to do to remove the mesh is take two fingers and pull forward on each corner to remove the mesh.

2. Unclip the three parts holding the trim to the mesh.

3. Paint trim with matte black or gloss spray paint. Your choice. Then reverse process and install.

4. Here’s the completed look.

Source: Lacster of 5post

Making it to the top ten list for the past ten years is a serious compliment. It is also one of the best proofs that a car’s design, performance, and all other factors that make people buy them, endures through time. Here is what Car and Driver says about the BMW 3 Series constantly making it to their top 10 list for the past decade:

Nineteen eighty-three was the first year of our annual 10Best competition, in which we test the coming year’s newest metal to find the top 10 cars in the U.S. Every year, we drive thousands of miles, slurp gallons of coffee, munch hundreds of doughnuts, and get tangled in some raging arguments, all in the name of crafting another 10Best list.

Like any competition, there are rules. A changing price cap based on vehicle transaction price is the only variation each year. If a car wins the previous year, it is invited back, but all other competitors must be new or significantly altered for the coming model year. Our three main questions are: How well does a car perform its intended purpose? Is it a highly engaging, fun-to-drive vehicle within its category? And what kind of value does it represent?

We’ve compiled another 10Best list to mark the end of the decade, this time running down the cars that dominated our competition over the past 10 years.

BMW 3-series: 10Best Appearances

Ten, count ’em, ten consecutive titles from 2000 through 2009 (with another nine in a row before that). Simply slide behind the wheel of one, and you’ll understand why the 3-series is considered the benchmark entry-luxury sports coupe, sedan, wagon, and convertible.

What We Said:

“The 3-series’ effortless competence also manifests itself in responsive handling, consistent and powerful brakes, and notably linear and progressive controls.” —January 2000

“For a car enthusiast, everyday drivers don’t come any better.” —January 2007

Source: Car and Driver on Yahoo

Road America has been gracious to the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team; the BMW M3 GT winning for the past two years.

The win that the BMW RLR Team got this year was exhilarating. The No. 90 BMW M3 GT driven by Joey Hand and Dirk Müller completed 66 laps of the 4.0-mile circuit in the American Le Mans Series race and won by 2.6 seconds. This automatically gave BMW a six point lead in the Manufacturer point standings.

But as a window opens, another closes. Lady luck has not been so gracious to the other GT car. The No. 92 BMW M3 GT driven by Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner was hit hard from behind and got involved in a high-energy crash — basically destroying the vehicle. The chassis was permanently damaged, but no serious injuries were inflicted on the drivers. No. 92 retired from the race early and the No.90 continued for the win.

BMW RLR team and crew chief and chief mechanic Greg Cates shares an update on the buildup process for the No. 92 M3 GT on this video:

From BMWBlog .com – To find out more interesting BMW news and stories, visit their site here.

BMW has always been interested in charity and fund raising work for a good cause. BMWNA CEO Jim O’Donnell will be hosting a special Teen Driving School to raise funds for scholars. Here is the statement from BMW of North America about the upcoming event:

Please join Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC as he hosts a special Teen Driving School at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, IL on September 7, 2010 starting at 10 AM. Group 1 Automotive is sponsoring the fundraiser with all proceeds benefiting the Evans Scholars Foundation.

Evans scholars and teens from the local community will improve their driving skills and increase their road knowledge through classroom instruction, driver awareness activities and hands-on driving exercises. BMW driving instructors will be in the vehicles with teens giving immediate feedback on safety precautions and vehicle handling corrections.

Additionally, BMW will launch its “DRIVE IT HOME – DON’T TXT & DRIVE” campaign reinforcing the message texting while driving is one of the most dangerous actions a person can do behind the wheel.

Attendees:
Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, LLC
Earl Hesterberg, President and CEO of Group 1 Automotive
Pete DeLongchamps, VP Manufacturer Relations and Public Affairs, Group 1 Automotive

Source: BMW Blog