Autoblog

Click either image for a high-res gallery of the 2009 BMW M3.

We've only had a few months to get to know the new BMW M3, but the 2009 model has already gone under the knife. For 2009, the M3 sedan gets the revised taillights that originally debuted on the 328i and 335i, but the nip and tuck up front won't carry over as the M3's fascia different from its lesser siblings.

In addition to the new iDrive controller that's filtering down from the 7-series, the 2009 M3 will be offered in a new color, Le Mans Blue, which has only been available on other models.

Check out the gallery to scope out all the revisions.

Thanks to all who tipped in.



[Source: M3Post]

Click above for 40 hi-res images of the freshened 3 series

BMW has unveiled photos and details pertaining to the facelifted, Euro-spec 2009 3 Series sedan and wagon. We touched on the visual updates yesterday, but to recap, the car sports a revised front fascia, a new hood, restyled mirrors, and reshaped taillamps. The changes are subtle, but good. Inside, the new iDrive trickles down to the 3, which also gets BMW ConnectedDrive in-car internet, as well as an 80-gig hard drive. The 3 Series sedans and wagons are available with 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The 7-speed DCT doesn't make it into the four- and five-doors at this time, but it becomes available on the 335i coupe and convertible. Read on after the jump as we run down the model variants and engine offerings.


[Source: BMW | Photos: BMW via BMW Blog]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the new 7 Series

BMW has officially announced the details pertaining to the 5th generation 7 Series, so let's cut right to the chase. In Europe, there are five models arriving on the market in November of this year: the 730d; the 740i and Li; and the 750i and Li. The latter two are powered by the same twin-turbo 4.4L V8 that debuted in the X6. In the U.S.-market 7 Series, the turbo eight is rated at 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, and it is the sole engine option being made available. If you want a BMW 7 Series in America, it will be a 750.

Europeans get more choices. The 730d's 3.0L diesel I6 pumps out 245 horses with nearly 400 lb-ft of torque. Despite the grunt, it boasts a combined fuel economy number of 32.6 U.S. miles per gallon (39.2 Imperial). The 740 models are powered by the now-familiar 3.0L twin-turbo gasoline engine. In the 7, the 3.0TT's power output is 326 horses and 332 lb-ft -- enough to hustle the 740Li from 0 to 62 mph in six seconds flat. All the engines are connected to a six-speed automatic. Follow the jump for more details and BMW's official press release.

We've already gotten a sneak peak of what the 2009 BMW 7-series will look like on the outside ahead of its official launch, but the interior – and iDrive in particular – is still veiled in a cloak of secrecy. However, Bimmerfile has supposedly gotten the inside dope on the new multi-function brushed aluminum mole.

According to Bimmerfile, the new iDrive interface will take a cue from one of our favorite in-dash control units – Audi's MMI – with a new interface that has a similar list design and selection system. The screen resolution is higher, which makes the maps and text "more visually appealing" and the submenus are reportedly "more like bookmarks," which should facilitate an easier flow of information.

The new display will also allow show maps in full screen, rather than the split screen in the previous version of iDrive, and radio and CD functions are now available in two separate menus. When playing a CD, the current song will be displayed in a "frame" at the top of the screen, with the list of tracks shown below it.

The major revision, aside from a new phonebook contact list that allows for multiple numbers, is the date, time and radio station bar migrating from the iDrive screen into a central mounted display nestled between the two gauges on the dash. This is one feature that Audi's MMI has had for a few years and is a very welcome addition to the new iDrive. We'll hopefully have official information about the new system in a few days.

[Source: Bimmerfile]

These days, technology and customization go hand-in-hand. Laptop computers and MP3 players now come in a rainbow of colors and your computer's operating system can be made to suit your unique preferences. BMW has big plans in store for its oft-criticized iDrive system which would make it and the vehicle in which it's installed extremely customizable as well. Simple choices such as color schemes and screensavers for the iDrive's graphical user interface pale in comparison to the ability to adjust transmission shift points and engine boost levels in an effort to either increase fuel economy or improve overall performance. Multiple users will be able to make their own adjustments and save their settings and the car will know the driver based on which key fob is in close proximity.

There are way too many new features planned for iDrive than there is space in this post to display them. For the complete and exhaustive rundown, click here. Thankfully, changes will be accessible from a web-enabled computer, which should simplify the in-car user interface somewhat. Rest assured, though, BMW's iDrive, already overcomplicated in the opinion of many, won't be disappearing from its dash-mounted perch anytime soon. Thanks for the tip, gear_shift!

[Source: BimmerFile]

Promising to make automotive navigation systems "easier, faster, and more convenient to use," BMW is (finally) rolling out its Google-partnered "Myinfo" service in North America (Europeans received BMW's similar "ConnectedDrive" late last year). With a click of a mouse from the Google Maps web site on your computer, up to 10 destinations may be automatically sent to the navigation system of the BMW Assist-equipped model (yes, there is no need to use the iDrive controller to painstakingly plug them in). The telemetry may be sent while the vehicle is parked, or while driving if you have shared your Myinfo data with a relative, friend, or co-worker.

BMW is making Myinfo exclusive to the 2008 BMW X6 right now, however it plans to roll it out across the lineup in 2009. Inputting address and destination data into any navigation system has always been grievous, so we welcome any technology that allows remote, one-click, uploading. BMW's system joins the upcoming eNav feature for GM's OnStar service, which works with MapQuest instead of Google Maps.

Hit the jump for BMW's full press release and a brief video of the system in action.

[Source: BMW North America]

When Automobile got their paws on a six-speed manual version of the M5, they were none too pleased that BMW's engineers wouldn't allow drivers to fully disable the traction control. At the time, we assumed that BMW's legal boffins pictured overly enthusiastic Americans, stomping the go pedal and promptly winding up in a ditch.

Not so, according to Car. The magazine learned that the M division had no way of controlling clutch plate actuation, which would normally quell the axle tramp caused by the V10's prodigious power delivery. Acceleration times would rise and drivetrain components' lifetimes would fall. Hence, the only conceivable solution was to make the DSC a permanent fixture within the Bimmer's brain.

Still, you can partly disable the system in M Dynamic mode within iDrive (if you dare), but that may not be enough for those who want to test the limits of adhesion of the 285s in the rear.

[Source: Car]

From CNN Money's Business 2.0 Magazine, we've learned of a proposal that is anything but indecent. Business 2.0 asked several venture capitalists what projects they would like to fund. Knowing this can be a touchy subject, they were pleasantly surprised to get some of the VCs to divulge their pet projects. The result is an interesting list of 20 business ideas, including websites, applications, batteries and even a luxury housing development. The one that naturally caught our "i" was a call for a next generation iDrive type computer interface that would utilize a heads-up display system. If you think you can build a better mouselesstrap, there could be a cool $5 mil in it for you and your team.

Investors Jonathan Fram and Howard Schultz, of Maveron, are willing to part with five million dollars for an "in-dash computer with a keyboard built into the steering wheel and a full-screen heads-up display projected on the windshield." The technology behind the system, laser or cathode-ray tubes that convert pixels into projected light, has been around for 30 years. Jet fighter pilots use it to read cockpit data without taking their eyes off the road sky. Commercial pilots use it too, and automakers have tried it with mixed results.

Projected displays don't distract drivers as much as cell phones or dashboard controls, and research has shown that our eyes can handle projected displays and the road much easier than refocusing between the road and the dashboard. Fram and Schultz (who helped create Starbucks) think that with the increasing technological needs of today's drivers and the obvious safety advantage of not having to take your eyes off the road, there is enough of a market for a functional system that $5 million is just a drop in the bucket. If you think you have a "deeply qualified 20-person team" that can deliver a prototype, as well as a plan to promote a commercial version to automakers in the next three years, the $5 million could be yours. Follow the read link for details.

[Source: CNN Money via Foursprung]

Mr. Paukert, our compatriot at Winding Road, was able to abduct a few BMW execs in Paris and beat them with stale baguettes until they finally put to rest rumors of an iDrive-like interface finding its way into the new MINI.

Since a touch screen setup was nixed due to design and placement issues, the joystick you see south of the shifter is there to control all facets of the new MINI's sat-nav. Furthermore, the crumb-encrusted execs made it clear that no aspect of iDrive's architecture will find its way into the iconic hatch, citing MINI owner's affection towards a (somewhat) simple, uncluttered motoring experience.

Motoring File is reporting that for 2007 the MINI will receive a new navigation system that is basically a slightly altered version of BMW's now infamous iDrive system. The iDrive controller will be a small joystick instead of BMW's trademark dial located directly behind the shifter. From there the driver will control a redesigned menu screen that can jump to "Entertainment", "Navigation", "Communication", and the setup screen. There is no link from the main menu to a climate control screen like in a BMW, however. MINI owners will still control the HVAC systems the old fashioned way,from the center console. In addition to interfacing with the system via the joystick, drivers will also be able to hit a button on the steering wheel and issue voice commands to the iDrive system like, "Stop being such a pain in the ass!" We kid, we kid.

[Source: Motoring File]