BMW Which? Best Car

BMW named Which? Best Car Manufacturer 2009
15/06/2009

BMW has been named Best Car Manufacturer in the prestigious Which? Awards 2009, at the British Museum in London.

The company was rated higher than its short listed rivals by the members of Which? who number more than a million. Which? is long established as a champion of the consumer and a trusted advisor to buyers of all manner of goods and services, lending particular weight to this award.

Chief Executive of Which?, Peter Vicary-Smith, said: “BMW drivers seem to love their cars with 87 per cent in our survey describing themselves as very satisfied with the ownership experience. The company’s vehicles always excel in our road tests, while BMW’s innovative EfficientDynamics measures mean some of the best cars to drive have also become incredibly fuel efficient.”

Accepting the award, BMW Group UK’s Managing Director, Tim Abbott, said: “We are delighted to have won such a prestigious award, particularly as it is our customers who have rated us so highly. We take great pains to ensure that the quality of service we offer both directly and through our dealers matches the excellence of our cars.”

The BMW Group is the most sustainable car company in the world – as the latest Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) recently confirmed for the fourth year in succession. The company offers the most efficient cars in the premium segment courtesy of EfficientDynamics technologies and the BMW 118d was named World Green Car of the Year 2008.

Goodwood Festival

Goodwood Festival of Speed 3 - 5 July 2009

Once again, BMW are an official sponsor of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, with its legendary hill climb showcasing several BMW vehicles including the new Z4, M3 GT 2 and a V12 Le Mans Racer.

Celebrating over 100 years of motor racing and car culture, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is known as the world's biggest and most diverse motorsport event, featuring a vast exhibit of vehicles from 19th Century carriages to 3000bhp dragsters, motorcycles, classic rally cars and modern Formula One cars.

The biggest names in motor racing also make an appearance at the Festival of Speed including Stirling Moss, Mario Andretti, Jenson Button, Emerson Fittipaldi, Fernando Alonso, Petter Solberg, John Surtees and the youngest F1 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton.

Founder Lord March says: 'BMW was one of the first companies to support the Festival of Speed. The partnership is a good fit for us, with BMW having both a collection of historic cars and a range of high-performance cars.'

The theme of this years' Festival of Speed is True Grit - Epic Feats of Endurance, celebrating triumph over adversity and the determination to succeed, displayed by champions such as Jackie Stewart when he overcome rain, fog and a broken wrist to win the 1968 German Grand Prix and Mick Doohan, who returned to motorcycle racing in 1992 just eight weeks after a serious accident damaged his right leg, risking amputation.

BMW at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Visitors interested in the new BMW Z4, can sign up at Goodwood within the Supercar Paddock for more information and enter a prize draw to win one of 50 pairs of tickets to a MotorSport Vision BMW driving day.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed also offers an exclusive preview of the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. One of the most innovative designs to originate from BMW, the Gran Turismo intelligently combines elegance, space, comfort and practicality and takes the best elements of the saloon, sports activity vehicle and touring body styles to create a car which can adapt to all lifestyle requirements.

To find out more about the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo please fill in and return an information card from a member of the BMW Events team, found within the main exhibition area. This will enter you into a prize draw to win a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo for a weekend.

Entrance to the Goodwood Festival of Speed is by ticket only.

Contact the Ticket Hotline on +44 (0)1243 755055 or book online: www.goodwood.co.uk/fos

The new BMW 760Li

The new BMW 760Li - the pinnacle of the BMW portfolio


New flagship model with first ever BMW twin-turbo V12 engine and first eight-speed automatic transmission

BMW’s new flagship model will launch in September and feature two world debuts. The BMW 760Li will be powered by an all new 5,972cc twin-turbocharged V12 engine and be the first BMW production car to feature the marque’s new eight-speed automatic transmission, offering outstanding levels of performance and refinement in the premium segment.

At its heart, the new all-aluminium V12 engine produces 544hp at 5,250rpm and 750 Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm through to 5,000rpm, delivering over 100hp and 150 Nm of torque more than the previous model. This equates to a zero to 62mph time of 4.6 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph – a performance which eclipses many sports cars, yet delivered with effortless tranquillity.

BMW 760Li

Power Hp: 544
@rpm: 5,250
Torque Nm: 750
Zero-62mph Seconds 0-60: 4.6
Top Speed Mph: 155*

* Electronically-limited

Helping to transfer such prodigious performance to the road is a new eight-speed automatic transmission offering effortless in-gear performance. The unique eight speed configuration is achieved without gaining in size or weight over the former traditional six-speed transmission. This innovative arrangement, incorporating four simple gearsets and five gear change elements, ensures that only two clutches are open in each gear at any one time, significantly reducing frictional losses.

Please click here to find out more about the BMW 7 Series.

BMW new scrappage incentive

BMW puts weight behind new scrappage incentive

Following yesterday’s Budget announcement about the government’s scrappage scheme, BMW UK has today confirmed that it will participate in the programme. The government’s £1,000 contribution will be matched by BMW to make a total saving of £2,000 off a new BMW or MINI.

To see how the new scrappage incentive will affect new car buyers, the example below outlines the financial savings that are possible. Now a customer will be able to get behind the wheel of a new BMW 116i Sport for just £242 a month, with zero deposit. With the government scrappage payment, the matching BMW offer and an additional dealer contribution the total discount available on this model equates to £3,260. The BMW 116i has class-leading economy and low CO2 emissions and, like all other EfficientDynamic-equipped BMWs, makes excellent financial sense too. A zero to 62mph time of 9.8 seconds and output of 122hp results in a car that is also fun to drive.

BMW 116i Sport 3-door

40 monthly payments: £242
On-the-road cash price: £17,220
Customer deposit: £0
Government scrappage payment: £1,000
BMW scrappage payment: £1,000
Additional dealer contribution: £1,260

Note: Above quote is based on a typical 7.8 per cent APR, the amount of credit offered is £13,960, first monthly payment would be £416, optional final payment would be £6,574 and the total amount payable £16,670. The contract mileage is 35,000 miles with excess mileage charged at 4.5p per mile.

BMW has a long established recycling network to ensure that scrapped cars are handled responsibly. The Authorised Treatment Facilities, operated by ‘Autogreen’, will ensure that these vehicles will be treated and recycled correctly. Full details on BMW’s sustainability programme can be found by clicking here.

Please click here to find out more about BMW's scrappage scheme.

BMW greenest premium manufacturer

BMW named as greenest premium manufacturer

BMW has the lowest average CO2 emissions of any premium car manufacturer for the second year in a row according to new independent research. Courtesy of its award-winning EfficientDynamics programme, BMW records a UK fleet average of 159.4g/km based on all BMWs sold in 2008.

By comparison the research by www.cleangreencars.co.uk found BMW’s premium rivals wanting when it came to cutting CO2 emissions. The volume weighted CO2 emissions figure for Audi is only 173g/km, while Mercedes-Benz records 189.9g/km, Jaguar 198.3g/km, Land Rover 251g/km and Porsche 271.7g/km. The total industry volume average for 2008 is 158.7g/km.

It was a similar story in 2007 when BMW recorded a segment leading average of 177.5g/km – itself a substantial improvement from the 190.3g/km 2006 figure. Currently 21 BMW models on sale in the UK emit less than 140 grams of CO2.

BMW first offered EfficientDynamics as standard in 2007. A raft of models received Auto Start / Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration, Active Aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tyres, Electric Power Steering, on-demand of ancillary systems and optimum gearshift indicator features. These built on the existing lightweight engineering principles and direct injection engine technology introduced over the previous few years.

News of a record low in BMW car emissions comes as the impact this technology is having on the environment has been revealed. EfficientDynamics-equipped BMWs sold in the UK during the last two years have been responsible for an approximate 58,000 tonnes reduction in CO2 emissions.* Models graced with the new technology since 2007 recorded improvements in fuel consumption by up to 24 per cent with emissions down by up to 21 per cent compared to 2006 models.

BMW’s online vehicle comparator, which uses independent data to compare potential new car purchases, helps consumers compare BMW’s figures to its rivals. The site measures engine output, performance, fuel consumption, emissions, Vehicle Excise Duty and running costs to get a true picture of ownership.

To use the online vehicle comparator general access can be gained by going to www.bmw.co.uk and clicking through the EfficientDynamics link. Alternatively, the following link to www.bmw.co.uk/bmwuk/efficient_dynamics/bc/carcomparator provides instant access. Further information on EfficientDynamics technology can be gleaned from www.bmw-web.tv

*Figure based on comparison between volume weighted sales of pre-EfficientDynamics model range in 2006 and subsequent model ranges in 2007 and 2008.

BMW Z4 debut Detroit

New BMW Z4 to make international debut at Detroit

BMW’s first roadster to come with a Retractable Hard-Top roof makes its international debut at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month. The two-seat sports car, offered with three six-cylinder petrol engines with a range of outputs from 204hp to 306hp, is also the first BMW roadster available to be specified with a Double Clutch Transmission and an Adaptive M Suspension. Following its debut in Detroit the car will then be showcased in Geneva.

The new BMW Z4 goes on sale in the UK in May 2009. The BMW Z4 sDrive23i costs £28,645 OTR, the BMW Z4 sDrive30i is £32,660 OTR and the BMW Z4 sDrive35i £37,060 OTR.

For a behind the scenes look at the design process and the testing programme of the BMW Z4 log on to www.bmw-web.tv The full press pack for the 2009 Detroit NAIAS can be downloaded from www.press.bmwgroup.com

BMW Sales

The full year sales of BMW’s 1 Series Coupé and the widespread acceptance of BMW’s award-winning EfficientDynamics technologies helped BMW weather the credit crisis storm in 2008.

In what was a difficult year for the motor industry as a whole, BMW managed to stay ahead of the market trend by the end of December. The first full year of 1 Series Coupé and a sales growth in three-door 1 Series model uptake combined with a 22 per cent increase in 5 Series Touring sales were highlights in 2008. Year-end sales figures show BMW finished the year with 113,132 registrations.
While the overall car market was down 11 per cent, BMW managed to increase its market share to 5.31per cent of Total Industry Volume despite sales falling by seven per cent.

Tim Abbott, BMW UK Sales Director, said: “2008 was very much a year of two halves. A strong first six months saw BMW sales increase overall, but this was unfortunately cancelled out by the difficult times all manufacturers faced in the last six months. BMW has not been immune to the current credit crisis but has ended the year in a stronger position than the market as a whole and with an increase in market share compared to 2007. Following a degree of restructuring in 2008, BMW is now well placed to tackle the challenges that lie ahead in 2009.”