Autoblog

BMW carried out a survey of 2,068 motorists in Great Britain and found that no matter what motorists claim to want, what they really want is a BMW. While 20% of respondents said they look at CO2 levels when they research new cars, 75% said they'd only buy a car if they saved money. Which really means they'd only buy a car that slurped less gas than the one in the driveway. Another notable tidbit in the "Driving Change" survey revealed that only 13-percent of people believed that other folks were really buying environmentally friendly cars because of reduced emissions. That means that those Britons know why you really bought that Prius...

Fifty-four percent of the surveyed motorists also said that diesels are better on highway journeys than hybrids, and an unknown percentage of them "are demanding premium performance as well." It's a good thing then that BMW has a line of diesels mated to its EfficientDynamics technology that gets better gas mileage, emits fewer emissions, costs less in taxes, and has higher residual values. And in case you didn't know this about BMW, they're supposed to be a lot more fun to drive. If you have a massive amount of time on your hands, you can read the full report here. Otherwise, skip the words and do your duty: buy that BMW you've had your eye on, save the Earth and have fun doing it.

[Source: BMW]

UPDATE: Added BabelFish-translated press release after jump.
UPDATE 2: Press pics added to the gallery.

Click the image above for over 60 high-res images from the live unveiling.

At the reveal of its X6 Concept, BMW gave the all-too-common explanation that while just a concept, the X6 could be produced. Swap "could be" with "will be" and you've got the truth of the matter. The X6 is on a fast track to production and the "concept" you see here is close to final form. Of course, the most talked about feature of the X6 is its raked roof that begins plunging after the B-pillar until it meets the rear deck lid. Compared to other CUVs, rear seat headroom and cargo space is obviously compromised, but BMW is betting that form will be more important than function to an X6 customer.

On hand, BMW showed the standard X6, along with its EffiecientDynamics sibling that gets power from a hybrid drivetrain. BMW assured us that, after seven-years of development, the EfficientDynamics system will be available on every model the automaker makes.

BMW has found another way to tweak mileage and CO2 output levels through its Efficient Dynamics program. In this case, its efforts were spent on a revised gearbox for the Z4. While past efforts have included the adoption of formerly hybrid-only technology like regenerative braking, an Automatic Engine Start/Stop System, and even full-on hybrid research, this latest move is a lot more conventional.

The technology being shown on the Z4 illustrate how little changes can add up when combined. By using a new, more efficient rear transaxle, the Z4 is able to record lower CO2 emissions levels and better economy. The improvements can be seen on all six-cylinder Z4s except the Z4 M, with a typical improvement of 1-2 percent across the board. Again, it's not much, but definitely a move in the right direction. Four cylinder cars get other changes to their engines that result in similar improvements. All of these eco tweaks will go into effect on cars being produced starting next month.

[Source: Autocar]