New BMW 7 Series Saloon

Broad Oak BMW Canterbury are pleased to confirm full product details for the new BMW 7 Series Saloon due in November 2008.

The new BMW 7 Series delivers supreme levels of comfort in conjunction with enormous dynamic, performance and efficiency improvements over E65 and E66. This flagship model range also introduces a wide range of innovative technologies to enhance the experience for both drivers and passengers. [ Read More ]

Formula 1 News

Kent BMW Formula 1 News

All for 1. Victory For All

All for 1. All for the team. Everyone working towards one goal. Everyone working towards the first victory. The BMW Sauber F1 Team has achieved its goal: following a two-year development phase, in which the foundations were set for a successful future, the team from Munich and Hinwil can celebrate the first one-two victory in just its third season. The BMW Sauber F1 Team dedicates this victory to everyone who has made the success possible: drivers, team members, partners and, last but not least, the fans.

The essence of racing. All for 1.

Following his superb success in the Canadian Grand Prix - the race he had suffered his serious incident in last year - Robert Kubica was over the moon. The BMW Sauber F1 Team driver thanked the entire Munich and Hinwil based squad and hopes to be able to defend his top position in the Drivers' Championship until the season is over.

"I'd like to thank my team for having provided me with a competitive car that allowed us to secure a one-two," Robert said following the maiden Grand Prix win in his career. "This has been a fantastic result for me, the team, my country and my supporters.

"With the experience of just 29 races under his belt, the Pole made it to the highest step of the podium for the very first time. Curiously, Robert experienced this special moment just in Montreal where he had survived a serious accident virtually unharmed last year. With this triumph, Robert definitely proved that this bad moment encountered in the 2007 Canadian GP has made no impact whatsoever on him.

"The only thing that counts is the win," says Robert. "We succeeded in winning here in Canada were I have suffered a massive crash last year. Furthermore, we had set ourselves the goal to clinch our maiden GP win this year. Now I've taken the lead in the championship and I hope that the team will support me 100 percent to offer me the chance of defending my lead up to and including the final round of the season."

In the Canadian GP at Montreal, the BMW Sauber F1 Team also delivered a tactical masterstroke, representing a vital contribution to the first one-two of the Munich and Hinwil based squad.

There are many ways to make it to the podium. This fact was demonstrated by the BMW Sauber F1 Team in the Canadian Grand Prix - in impressive style. The key for Nick's great race from eighth grid position that ended with the runner-up finish was a one-stop strategy. While the top-seven - including Robert Kubica - had to pit simultaneously during the safety-car period, the German had enough fuel in the tank of his BMW Sauber F1.08 to stay out for numerous laps as the new race leader.

Following the re-start, Nick clocked numerous fast laps, thus laying the foundation for securing the fifth runner-up finish in his Formula One career. When he came in on lap 29 for his only stop, he had to remain motionless for clearly more than ten seconds as refuelling the car to the maximum took quite a while. Nonetheless, he succeeded in rejoining the race right ahead of Robert.

Both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers were aware of their chances of giving the BMW Sauber F1 Team its historic first GP win, this Sunday in Canada. Therefore, Nick did without battling it out with Robert when the Pole went next to him to then pass him, on lap 31. From this point in time it was clear that the following laps would be decisive. Robert's task: he had to quickly open a gap on Nick to have the chance of staying ahead of his team-mate, following his second stop.

And Robert did so. He proved to be truly motivated and lap by lap, he increased the lead over Nick who was hampered by his clearly heavier car. The Pole was temporarily slowed down by Toyota's Timo Glock but when the German pitted on lap 42, Robert could accelerate to put in another series of fast laps. And indeed: the gap he opened on Nick until he had to pit for the second time, on lap 49, was big enough to rejoin the race 5.2 seconds ahead of his team-mate. From this point in time, the BMW Sauber F1 Team pairing didn't take any unnecessary risks and with their focused performance, they secured the biggest success in the team's history to date.

"The final laps were the most difficult ones," revealed Robert. "Again and again, the team told me via the pit radio to keep my cool. They told me that I shouldn't take any risks to just bring the win home. And when I finally had made it, the feelings were just overwhelming."

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Formula 1 News

Kent BMW Formula 1 News (Bahrain Grand Prix)

Third and Fourth in Bahrain.

In the desert of Bahrain, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished third and fourth respectively, thereby giving the BMW Sauber F1 Team the lead in the Constructors' Championship, for the first in its history.

In the third round of the 2008 Formula One World Championship, the BMW Sauber F1 Team once again demonstrated its consistently increasing competitiveness by taking the lead in the Constructors' Championship. With 30 points to its tally, it now holds a one-point lead over Ferrari, with McLaren following another point behind. In the race, Robert and Nick were unable to fully match the pace of the Ferraris but proved to be clearly faster than the McLarens.

At the start, pole-sitter Robert was passed by Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and on lap three, Massa's team-mate Kimi Räikkönen also succeeded in overtaking the BMW Sauber F1 Team driver. At the same time, Nick gained two positions. At the start he was overtaken by Jarno Trulli (Toyota) but following Lewis Hamilton's poor start, which dropped him to tenth position, he was able defend his sixth place. On the second lap, Nick re-passed Trulli for fifth position and subsequently passed McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen with a stunning overtaking manoeuvre.

From this point, Robert and Nick continued in third and fourth positions, with Robert succeeding in closing the gap to Räikkönen. At the same time, lap by lap, Robert and Nick increased their lead over fifth placed McLaren driver Kovalainen. The Finn's team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, hit Fernando Alonso's
Renault from behind and had to pit for a new front wing. On rejoining the race he had dropped back to 18th position, thus dropping out of contention.

On lap 18, Robert was the first driver to come in for his first scheduled pit stop and rejoined the race in ninth position. Four laps later, on lap 22, Nick pitted for the first time, rejoining the race behind his team-mate. When all the front-runners had made their first stops, the BMW Sauber F1 Team pairing was back in third and fourth positions respectively, as they continued increasing their lead over Kovalainen.

For the remainder of the race, Robert and Nick experienced no problems whatsoever and the team delivered another two quick stops on the 42nd (Robert) and 45th (Nick) laps, thus offering the drivers the chance of finishing third and fourth. They crossed the finish line 4.9 (Robert) and 8.4 seconds behind race winner Felipe Massa, while the McLaren of Kovalainen followed, another 20 seconds further back.

"A great day for our team," said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. "Being the new leader in the Constructors' Championship is just fantastic. That's an achievement we didn't even think about prior to the race."
Reactions to the Grand Prix of Bahrain.

After the first three fly-away races of the season the BMW Sauber F1 Team returns to Europe leading the championship. The team celebrated its third consecutive podium and, for the first time in its young history, took the lead in the standings, although the gap is only one point.

Robert Kubica: "I am happy with the result. This is my second consecutive podium and the team is leading the constructors' championship. Unfortunately I had massive wheel spin at the start and hit some debris in the first corner of the second lap. When I drove through the oil I was sure I had punctured my tyre as at that point I didn't have the information about the oil. But this was a great day for the team. I am now looking forward to Barcelona."

Nick Heidfeld: "Now after the race I'm much happier than I was yesterday. Having finished fourth is a positive result after what was a difficult weekend for me. The car's balance on this track was just not how I wanted it to be. I hope I won't have such troubles again. Finishing the race just one position behind my team mate, who started from pole while I was sixth, is a good result. I enjoyed overtaking Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. Once again for us in the team everything went smoothly."

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "The third podium in the third race - this was really a tailor made start to the season for our team. Finishing third and fourth in Bahrain with Robert and Nick was a very good result. Our performance gives everybody extra motivation for the coming weeks. Both drivers lost positions at the start, the reason may be technical and must be analysed. Later on both drove excellent races and the pit stops went perfectly. In the end the gap to the Ferraris was really small. The car still has more potential for us to exploit, and we shall continue to do this carefully one step at a time."

Willy Rampf (Technical Director): "Basically the race went as expected. We knew we could not match the pace of the Ferrari's here and planned our strategy accordingly. Robert and Nick made the most out of it by finishing in third and fourth. It was pleasing to see that in the end the gap to the front wasn't big, and there was no real pressure from behind. After three podiums in three races, we shall make the most of our strengths in the short break and be really motivated to close the gap even further."

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Congestion Charge in London

Kent BMW and Kent MINI customers beat new Emissions Related Congestion Charge in London

BMW 118d three- and five-door, MINI Cooper D and MINI Clubman D exempt from Congestion Charge

Diesel-powered BMW X5 and X6 owners celebrate and save £4,335 a year

BMW Group cuts car CO2emissions more than any other manufacturer

BMW and MINI’s market positions as the number one premium cars within their segments in London were strengthened today (Wednesday 13th February) with the Mayor of London’s announcement of a new charging structure for entering the capital in a car.

New legislation that comes into effect in October means drivers of vehicles emitting less than 120g/km will be Congestion Charge exempt. Drivers of cars emitting between 120g/km and 225g/km will continue to pay the standard £8 a day fee, while those driving vehicles that record more than 225g/km will pay an increased daily charge of £25.

The change in charging structure means BMW and MINI owners will be financially better off than owners of other prestige cars. All MINIs and most BMWs will remain within the £8 threshold, but there was further good news for many BMW and MINI owners. The new BMW 118d, the MINI Cooper D and the MINI Clubman D all fall into the new sub 120g/km Congestion Charge free bracket. This means that from October 2008 an owner of one of these models will save £2,040 a year driving in the capital compared to owners of non-exempt rival products.

BMW 118d three- and five-door, MINI Cooper D and MINI Clubman D exempt from Congestion Charge

Four of BMW Group’s most fuel efficient production cars of modern times have set a new benchmark courtesy of advanced engineering. The three- and five-door BMW 118d now record an impressive 62.8mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 119g/km - putting it into the Band B category for Vehicle Excise Duty. The BMW 118d now costs just £35 a year to tax.

The 110hp MINI Cooper D and MINI Cooper D Clubman both better these impressive figures. The MINI Cooper D is currently BMW Group’s most fuel-efficient car recording 72.4mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of just 104g/km. The MINI Cooper D Clubman nearly matches these statistics recording 68.9mpg and 109g/km. Both cars are Band B in relation to Vehicle Excise Duty tiers and cost just £35 a year to tax.

All four vehicles employ technologies such as Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start-Stop and Electric Power Steering under the EfficientDynamics banner to help cut fuel bills and emissions. An optimum gearshift change indicator is included to encourage economical motoring. These innovations are in addition to high-precision direct injection engines on some models that further aid engine performance.

Jim O’Donnell, Managing Director of BMW (UK) Ltd, said: "While other manufacturers might claim to be environmentally-friendly, it is BMW who has followed through on its promise to lower CO2 emissions. Instead of producing one-off models or the odd concept car BMW has introduced EfficientDynamics across almost all of its range in 2007.

"No other manufacturer comes close to BMW in terms of combining the benefits of good fuel economy and low emissions while at the same time offering improvements in output and performance. This position was backed up recently in Autocar, who stated that BMW and MINI combined cut CO2 emissions in 2007 by nearly as much as all other manufacturers combined. Quite an achievement."

Diesel-powered BMW X5 and X6 owners celebrate and save £4,335 a year


The BMW X5 3.0d and 3.0sd are now the only conventionally-powered vehicles in the segment with automatic transmissions as standard with CO2 emission figures that fall below the 225g/km band for Congestion Charging. The X5 3.0d has a CO2 emission figure of 214g/km, while the sportier twin-turbo X5 3.0sd posts a 216g/km figure.

The introduction of new legislation means the owner of a new diesel-powered X5 will save £4,335 a year in Congestion Charge fees compared with rival, non-hybrid Sports Activity and Sports Utility Vehicles. The low emissions rating for the X5 3.0d and 3.0sd also qualify it for Band F instead of Band G Vehicle Excise Duty, saving owners a further £95 a year. This benefit is set to increase to £190 a year from 1 April 2008 when the VED charge for Band G cars increases. The cost savings for X5 owners are considerable as diesel-powered models account for 95 per cent of annual UK sales.

The BMW X6, the world’s first Sports Activity Coupé, is another model from the BMW line-up to slip under the 225g/km threshold for Emissions Related Congestion Charging in London. The BMW X6 xDrive30d and the X6 XDrive35d have CO2 emissions figures of 217g/km and 220g/km respectively. Despite boasting rakish looks and on-paper specification & handling akin to a sports car, BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology ensures that these exciting high-performance diesels remain in the £8-a-day charging tier.

Cleaner than a London black cab

By comparison the latest diesel-powered BMW X5s emit less CO2 than the Mayor of London’s preferred means of transport, the black cab. While the X5 3.0d and X5 3.0sd emit 214g/km and 216g/km respectively, the very latest LTI Vehicles TX4 2.5 produces 233g/km. By contrast the biggest selling BMW X3, the 2.0d automatic, produces just 178g/km.

It’s a similar story with regard to fuel consumption. On the combined cycle the X5 3.0d achieves 34.9mpg compared to a black cab’s 32mpg. The X3 2.0d trumps this by recording 42.2mpg. The X5 covers 9% more miles per gallon and emits 8.2% less CO2than the black cab while the X3 covers 32% more miles per gallon and emits 23.6% less CO2. The average owner of a BMW X5 will do less than 10,000 miles a year, while the average London black cab will cover considerably more.

BMW Group cuts car CO2emissions more than any other manufacturer

Independent research* has revealed that BMW is the manufacturer which cut its UK new car CO2 emissions the most between 2006 and 2007. Figures show that BMW and MINI together managed to slash CO2 emissions by 48,496 tonnes in a 12-month period following the widespread introduction of EfficientDynamics measures on its cars.

To calculate the figures researchers took the average CO2 of each manufacturers’ models offered between 2006 and 2007 then multiplied that number by the number of cars sold. The resulting figure was then multiplied by an average annual mileage of 10,000 miles per car to calculate the overall CO2 figures and the savings.

In stark contrast to the efforts of the BMW Group some rival manufacturers actually increased their CO2 output during the same period.*Autocar, 6th February, 2008
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Note:
As of 27 October 2008 a new Emissions Related Congestion Charge will apply to all cars entering London. The following outlines the charging criteria:·
Bands A and B 100 per cent discount (£0). Includes cars in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) Bands A and B (up to and including 120g CO2 per km) which also meet Euro 4 air pollution emission standards
· VED Bands C, D, E and those in F with emissions up to 225g CO2 per km, as well as those registered pre 2001 with engines up to and including 3,000 cc, will continue to pay exactly the same daily charge as at present - £8
· VED Band G and equivalent vehicles (above 225g CO2 per km), as well as those registered pre March 2001 with engines larger than 3,000 cc, will pay £25 a day
Discounts and exemptions:
· VED band A will 100% discount for vehicles with the lowest CO2 emissions. This will replace the existing Alternative Fuel Discount. Drivers already registered for the Alternative Fuel Discount would continue to receive the discount until January 2010, unless the vehicle changed ownership.
· The current discounts and exemptions for Blue Badge holders and Taxis & Licensed Private Hire Vehicles would be unaffected by these proposals.
· Under the Congestion Charging NHS reimbursement scheme, eligible claimants are reimbursed the £8 daily charge. This scheme would continue for the £8 standard daily charge; however those drivers of Band G vehicles would only be eligible for £8 reimbursement rather than £25.

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