Autoblog

BMW copyrights 2 Series, X2, M7, M10, etc.

Zach Bowman — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Europe, BMW, Luxury

BMW looks to be on something of a name-grabbing spree. The German automaker has reportedly trademarked a number of new vehicle names, including 2 Series, X2, M7 and M10 among others. Of course, just because a manufacturer lays claim to a name doesn't mean there's a production model around the bend, but the monikers at least give us an idea of what's being thrown around conference tables in Munich. While names like 2 Series, X2 and M7 are no real shock given the rumors we've heard as of late, it is interesting to ponder what an M10 might be.

The German manufacturer also planted its flag on awkward names like Compactive, Compactive Tourer and Urbanic. All of those badges could conceivably find a home on the new line of front-wheel drive BMW models set to be introduced in the near future. Check out the full list of trademarked names over at E90Post.com.

BMW copyrights 2 Series, X2, M7, M10, etc. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW M7 talk picks up speed

Chris Paukert — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW, Luxury

With Mercedes-Benz and Audi happy to slake the world's appetite for top-dollar, full-size luxury sports sedans through their AMG and S divisions, we can't help but wonder why it's taken so long for BMW to commit to an M7 model.

For years, the sportiest 7 Series in the U.S. has been the Alpina B7, which has been heavily breathed-upon by the namesake tuner and offered through official BMW dealers. Most recently, Car and Driver reopened the discussion just last month.

While the company still isn't officially committing to an M7, TheDetroitBureau.com quotes Ludwig Willisch, CEO of BMW North America, as bullish on the model's prospects. According to the the report, while BMW has long maintained that it wouldn't build a 7 Series M, "sentiment appears to be changing, especially with Willisch's counterpart in China also lending his support." Of course, if BMW builds such a model, that doesn't mean we'll see it in the States, but Willisch seems optimistic about our chances.

No timetable has been set, and BMW has been occupying its time with the just-revealed 7 Series refresh (and the M division is still busy readying the next M3), so if an M7 is in the cards, it wouldn't surprise us if we had to wait until the next-generation model's arrival.

BMW M7 talk picks up speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW banking on carbon fiber costs to broaden M range

Noah Joseph — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, BMW, Electric, Diesel, Luxury

There once was a time when BMW only produced a handful of its models in high-performance M guise. There was the M3, the M5, and that was pretty much it. Now, however, it offers M models based on the 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, X5 and X6. And that's only expected to grow.

The first on the docket, says BMW North America CEO (and former M chief) Ludwig Willisch speaking with TheDetroitBureau.com, will be an M7. The Bavarian automaker has long resisted going down the same road as the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and Audi S8, but that's slated to change in the near future. But while the X5 M and X6 M have been hot sellers, Willisch rules out the possibility of M versions of the smaller X1 and X3 crossovers, as well as bringing the M550d xDrive super-diesel-sport wagon (or presumably its crossover counterparts) to North America.

Of course, BMW could opt to apply a similar sub-M formula to the 7 Series like it's doing with the M135i. Either way, BMW is counting on the reduced cost and labor involved in manufacturing carbon fiber components for the viability of both its performance vehicles and its environmentally friendly i range.

As our compatriots at the Bureau note, the engineers at McLaren needed some 3,000 hours of labor to produce the carbon fiber components for the McLaren F1 over a decade ago. By the time it started building the SLR for Mercedes-Benz, it had cut that down to 400 hours. And with the new MP4-12C, it takes them less than six hours. As a result, costs have come down too, resulting in a lower street price for each successive model: $1 million, $400,000 and $250,000, respectively. And that's a model on which other automakers - like BMW - can seek to capitalize.

BMW banking on carbon fiber costs to broaden M range originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7

Michael Harley — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW, New Car Reviews, Luxury

Alpina Delivers Its Best Impression Of An M7

2011 BMW Alpina B7 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Try as it might, the BMW M3 Coupe can't lose the Alpina B7. The two of us are an unlikely automotive pair, playing cat-and-mouse on one long road to nowhere deep in the reaches of an unincorporated area of the California coastal mountains. The air is cool and the canyons are mostly quiet. Only the sound of two wailing V8s breaks the silence.

While the M3 dives into the corners with confidence, the B7 launches out with ferocious conviction. The M3 pulls energetically on the short straights, but the B7 puts its power down with resolve and steadily reels the smaller coupe back in. Even mid-corner, when the M3 is in perfect step, the B7 clenches a slightly wider line but still holds its ground.

We've been at this game for more than an hour, and neither of us is willing to raise a white flag. Only the illumination of the low fuel light in the smaller coupe has us calling it quits. Want to learn what it takes to harass an M3 owner?

Continue reading...

Gallery: 2011 BMW Alpina B7: Review

Continue reading Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7

Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Is BMW working on an M7?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, BMW

Don't get us wrong; we've got no beef with enormously powerful luxury vehicles. In fact, we love 'em. But while Mercedes' AMG division has shoehorned their bestial power plants into all manner of vehicles big and small, BMW's Motorsport division has always drawn a line in the Bavarian sand. They'd tune the 3 Series and the 5 Series along with a handful of coupes and convertibles, but that's where it ended. But that line seems to be eroding, as spy shots of what could be an M7 sedan have been snapped soon after the news of M-tuned X5 and X6 crossovers.

It's hard to tell from the shots exactly what we're looking at, but it appears to be a sportified version of the latest-generation 7 Series (codename F01), complete with quad exhaust tips and lightweight painted wheels. Of course, it could be a tuner special, a simple M-Sport appearance package or an Alpina version, but then why would the BMW badges be covered? If it is an M7, it would be a first for BMW, and could, according to speculation, derive its power from a twin-turbo V12 with over 600 horsepower. Coupled with some weight reduction, the BMW M7 could give the the Mercedes S63 AMG and Audi S8 a run for their money, of which there is plenty at stake in this stratospheric sub-segment. And as with the reported emergence of an xDrive 7 Series, the Bavarians might be growing tired of seeing their customers leave town for Stuttgart or Ingolstadt. Props to RJ for the tip!

[Source: MotorTips]

Spy Shots: Is BMW working on an M7? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW rumor mill: a smaller Roller? a bigger M-Series?

Stuart Waterman — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 15:06:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Europe, BMW

The skies over Germany were full of trial balloons this week, as BMW chairman Helmut Panke has been teasing the German press with possible new products. In an interview with auto motor und sport (rough English translation here), Panke alludes to several possible new BMW models:

an M7? An M-version of BMW's 7-Series would be positioned against Mercedes' S63 AMG. Panke says market demand for an M7 is particularly strong in the U.S.
a baby Phantom? With a fully-equipped long wheelbase 7-Series coming in at around $215,000, and the Phantom selling for about $460,000, Panke believes there could well be a potential market at a $300,000 price point. However, he doesn't think that this luxo-model should be a BMW, which suggests that a smaller Rolls might be in the cards.
a Z8 successor? BMW didn't set the world on fire with its upmarket sports car, but Panke still sees an unserved sports car market segment waiting to be tapped by the right BMW product.

[Source: auto motor und sport]

BMW rumor mill: a smaller Roller? a bigger M-Series? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Apr 2006 15:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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