Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Take it to the Bank: BMW Group to display new debuts in Frankfurt on exhibit hall track]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/09/take-it-to-the-bank-bmw-group-to-display-new-debuts-in-frankfur/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/09/take-it-to-the-bank-bmw-group-to-display-new-debuts-in-frankfur/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/09/take-it-to-the-bank-bmw-group-to-display-new-debuts-in-frankfur/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

BMW Group Frankfurt show stand - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's all about presentation. That's the sentiment which BMW is apparently embracing for the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, for which the Bavarian automaker has announced an intriguing element to its exhibition.
While auto shows typically are limited to showcasing new cars in static displays, this year BMW will feature a track built around the entire show stand which will display its cadre of new debuts for the show. And as we've been reporting incrementally, BMW's got quite a few unveilings scheduled for Frankfurt: the Vision EfficientDynamics concept, the X1 crossover, the production 5 Series Gran Turismo, 320d EfficientDynamics and ActiveHybrid versions of the 7 Series and X6.

On top of BMW's own, the company's Mini and Rolls-Royce subsidiaries have also got a few new debuts as well - including the Mini Coupé Concept, Mini Roadster and Rolls-Royce Ghost - and will for the first time be displaying with their parent company, taking full advantage of BMW's trackside accommodations. Details in the press release after the jump and photos in the gallery below.


Gallery: BMW track display for Frankfurt 2009

bmwfrankfurt-1bmwfrankfurt-2bmwfrankfurt-3


Continue reading Take it to the Bank: BMW Group to display new debuts in Frankfurt on exhibit hall track

Take it to the Bank: BMW Group to display new debuts in Frankfurt on exhibit hall track originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 frankfurt motor show2009FrankfurtMotorShowbmwbmw frankfurtbmw groupBmwFrankfurtBmwGroupfrankfurtfrankfurt 2009frankfurt auto showfrankfurt iaafrankfurt motor showFrankfurt2009FrankfurtAutoShowFrankfurtIaaFrankfurtMotorShowminimini frankfurtMiniFrankfurtrolls roycerolls royce frankfurtrolls-roycerolls-royce frankfurtRolls-royceFrankfurtRollsRoyceRollsRoyceFrankfurtWed, 09 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19153046/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/09/09/take-it-to-the-bank-bmw-group-to-display-new-debuts-in-frankfur/19153046/article-detail.xml 19153046 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/09/web630-bmwfrankfurt-2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/09/web630-bmwfrankfurt-2.jpg <![CDATA[<i>Dow Jones</i> names BMW the greenest automaker - for the fifth year in a row]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/07/i-dow-jones-i-names-bmw-the-greenest-automaker-for-the-fift/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/07/i-dow-jones-i-names-bmw-the-greenest-automaker-for-the-fift/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/07/i-dow-jones-i-names-bmw-the-greenest-automaker-for-the-fift/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's a lot of competition to be seen as the world's greenest automaker - just look at the branding efforts surrounding the Toyota Prius or the Chevrolet Volt for examples - but if you look at the way an automaker designs, builds and recycles its products, then BMW is the top dog.

At least that's the case if you're consulting the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World, which has declared BMW Group to be the "most sustainable automobile company worldwide." If this sounds familiar to you, well, perhaps you were reading the site last year - or perhaps it's because BMW has won the title for five years in a row now. In fact, BMW reminds us it is the only automaker that has been listed on the Index since it was created in 1999. Guess the DJSI likes BMW's responsibility - the Germans call it Verantwortung - a lot. You can check out the official press release after the jump, or sample BMW's soon-to-debut Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept by checking out our high-res gallery below.


Gallery: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

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[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Dow Jones names BMW the greenest automaker - for the fifth year in a row

Dow Jones names BMW the greenest automaker - for the fifth year in a row originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bimmerbmwbmw dow jonesbmw groupBmwDowJonesBmwGroupdjsidow jonesdow jones sustainability indexdow jones sustainability indexesDowJonesDowJonesSustainabilityIndexDowJonesSustainabilityIndexesgreenmost sustainable automobile companyMostSustainableAutomobileCompanysustainabilityVision Efficient Dynamics ConceptVisionEfficientDynamicsConceptMon, 07 Sep 2009 17:27:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19152902/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/09/07/i-dow-jones-i-names-bmw-the-greenest-automaker-for-the-fift/19152902/article-detail.xml 19152902 http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/09/bmw-efficient-vision-concept-630-blur-main_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/09/bmw-efficient-vision-concept-630-blur-main.jpg <![CDATA[Other Perspectives: Chris Bangle - The man who saved BMW?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/05/other-perspectives-chris-bangle-the-man-who-saved-bmw/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/05/other-perspectives-chris-bangle-the-man-who-saved-bmw/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/05/other-perspectives-chris-bangle-the-man-who-saved-bmw/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Chris Bangle, who left BMW earlier this week to move "beyond the automobile," did not create the butt that bears his name - Adrian van Hooydonk did. But most importantly, Bangle did not stand behind that butt; he stood in front of it. It was Bangle's vision for not just BMW, but for automobiles entirely, that allowed that bustle butt to come into existence. Two new essays that look at BMW design before Bangle and the scope of automotive design after Bangle are well worth reading, even if you aren't a fan of the man or his machines.

So while this particular blogger is unmoved by the current 3 Series and 7 Series, bristles at the X3 and X6, and thinks the 6 Series looks like some rare species of giant clam, this same blogger can readily assert that Bangle's vision did something lasting, influential, and important. The exact measures of those three feats will be determined by history's refining hand, but they will not be erased.

If nothing else, providence provided a man named Bangle to hang our epithets on, saving us from having to say "Hooydonk Butt" which just sounds dirty. Follow the links for the stories and see if you think that far from destroying BMW design, the man not only helped rescue the company but perhaps car design itself.

[Source: Speed Sport Life and Motor Trend]

Other Perspectives: Chris Bangle - The man who saved BMW? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You won't have Chris Bangle to kick around anymore. The BMW Group design chief famously (or infamously, depending on your point of view) took BMW styling in a radical new direction beginning with the 2002 7-Series, a car that featured the extremely controversial "Bangle Bustle," and then really pushed the envelope (and some enthusiasts' patience) with the "flame-surfaced" 2002 Z4. The automaker's designs have mainstreamed considerably in the intervening years, but Bangle's impact is without question. Cues he pioneered have since been aped by other automakers; take the bustled trunklid of the Acura RL, for example.

And now he's quit BMW.

According to a brief statement released by the automaker, the 52-year-old Bangle has left to "...pursue his own design-related endeavors beyond the auto industry." From the sound of things, the breakup would appear to be an amicable one, as he will "maintain strong ties to the BMW Group." Then again, that could simply be an oblique way of noting that Bangle's influence on the vehicle lineup will be felt long after his departure. Adrian van Hooydonk, the head of design for the BMW brand, will succeed Bangle at the top of BMW Group design.

UPDATE: Official press release added after the jump.

[Source: Dow Jones | Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty]

Continue reading BREAKING: Chris Bangle quits BMW, auto industry

BREAKING: Chris Bangle quits BMW, auto industry originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adrian van hooydonkAdrianVanHooydonkbangle quitsbangle resignsBangleQuitsBangleResignsbmw groupBmwGroupbreakingchris bangleChrisBangleTue, 03 Feb 2009 09:34:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1448699/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/02/03/breaking-chris-bangle-quits-bmw-auto-industry/1448699/article-detail.xml 1448699 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/chris-bangle-bmw-getty-oleg-nikishin_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/02/chris-bangle-bmw-getty-oleg-nikishin.jpg <![CDATA[BMW working on multi-function smart key]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/27/bmw-working-on-multi-function-smart-key/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/27/bmw-working-on-multi-function-smart-key/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/27/bmw-working-on-multi-function-smart-key/#commentsFiled under: , ,

BMW's research unit has announced its latest innovation; the groundbreaking research has led to.... a Mobil Speedpass. This new multifunction smart key, co-developed with NXP Semiconductor, is actually more functional than ExxonMobil's 11-year-old RFID gadget, but that's the general idea. Wrapping NXP's latest SmartMX chip into a prototype car key will enable users to pay for items with the key, as well as using the contactless payment feature to pay for public transportation and tolls, too. Personalized services using BMW telematics will also be possible with the key - whatever that really means, we don't know. Will you be able to play a Euro version of Michael Knight? The most important thing BMW's new smart key will do, however, is efficiently give access to your car and personal finances to someone else should you misplace the doohickey. Marvelous. Please, BMW, for your next trick could you add some simplicity to your cars?

[Source: Gizmag]

BMW working on multi-function smart key originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmw groupbmw nxp smart keybmw research smart keybmw smart keyBmwGroupBmwNxpSmartKeyBmwResearchSmartKeyBmwSmartKeyMon, 27 Oct 2008 10:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1352064/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/10/27/bmw-working-on-multi-function-smart-key/1352064/article-detail.xml 1352064 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/p0044469_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/p0044469_opt.jpg <![CDATA[BMW reports best-ever sales first half-year of 2008]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/08/bmw-reports-best-ever-sales-first-half-year-of-2008/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/08/bmw-reports-best-ever-sales-first-half-year-of-2008/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/08/bmw-reports-best-ever-sales-first-half-year-of-2008/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Demonstrating that there is good news still to be found in some sales departments, BMW Group announced their worldwide January through June 2008 sales for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands increased 4.7 percent compared to last year. The sales total of 764,874 automobiles marked the most successful half-year of sales in the history of BMW Group. All three brands contributed to the sales increase, in varying capacities. BMW sales grew 2.4 percent, thanks to the BMW 1 Series and 3 Series Cabrio, while MINI sales were boosted 17.9 percent as the MINI Clubman rolled into showrooms. Most impressive was Rolls-Royce, boasting a 68.4 percent increase in sales compared to last year. The only segment where BMW Group was unable to maintain sales levels was with its motorcycles, as sales fell 5.6 percent compared to last year.

[Source: BMW Group]

Continue reading BMW reports best-ever sales first half-year of 2008

BMW reports best-ever sales first half-year of 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BMWBMW GroupBmwGroupFinancialsNumbersSalesWorldwide SaleWorldwideSaleYearTue, 08 Jul 2008 17:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1248952/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/07/08/bmw-reports-best-ever-sales-first-half-year-of-2008/1248952/article-detail.xml 1248952 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/bmw_logo_250_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/bmw_logo_250_opt.jpg <![CDATA[BMW outsold by Mercedes-Benz in July]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/07/bmw-outsold-by-mercedes-benz-in-july/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/07/bmw-outsold-by-mercedes-benz-in-july/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/07/bmw-outsold-by-mercedes-benz-in-july/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For the first time in four months, Mercedes-Benz outsold arch-rival BMW in July, as sales for the BMW brand fell 7.7 percent. However, the BMW Group (BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce) handily outsold the Mercedes Car Group (Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Maybach).

A combination of factors are weighing down the BMW group at the moment:
  • MINI production is temporarily limited as the U.K. plant undergoes a major expansion
  • 3 Series coupe sales are slumping ahead of the new model's rollout in September
  • SUV customers are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for BMW's X3 and X5 models to get an overdue freshening (scheduled for August and late this year, respectively)
  • MINI sales are likely to taper off ahead of the introduction of the new model later this year.
Nonetheless, BMW is holding to its forecast of record unit sales in 2006.

[Source: Reuters]

BMW outsold by Mercedes-Benz in July originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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