Autoblog

Translogic learns how BMW kept the London Olympics rolling

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, BMW, UK

BMW was one of the biggest corporate supporters of the 2012 London Olympics, earning the right to be its official car sponsor. But it wasn't just ponying up a few dozen 7 Series for the IOC that got it this plum gig. BMW made a commitment to meet specific CO2 emissions targets for the vehicles it provided.

BMW supplied about 4,000 vehicles to the London Olympics organizers, everything from motorcycles to electric Minis to hybrid 5-Series sedans to diesel X5 SUV's. Our sister site Translogic went to the Olympics to get a taste of the breadth and depth of the BMW Olympic fleet.

Scroll down to watch the full episode, wherein Translogic goes for a ride in a diesel X1, then rides an i Pedelec electric bicycle.

Continue reading Translogic learns how BMW kept the London Olympics rolling

Translogic learns how BMW kept the London Olympics rolling originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's Mini's R/C Cooper in action at the Olympics

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mini

There were requests from all around to see video of the electric "Mini MINI" radio-controlled cars that are being used to retrieve javelins, hammers, shots and discus' (disci?) at the London Olympics, and here it is.

The Olympic-liveried electric Cooper hatchbacks in roughly 1/4-scale ply the infield grass. The couriers are loaded up by judges in the field, who slot the particular sporting implements into holders built into the roofs, then the cars are driven back to the judges near the throwing area for retrieval.

Based on how many comments on the Mini R/C cars we've seen that are some variation of "Do want," we wouldn't be surprised to see these again somewhere else. You can watch them work in the videos below.

Continue reading Here's Mini's R/C Cooper in action at the Olympics

Here's Mini's R/C Cooper in action at the Olympics originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympics to use Mini Cooper R/C cars for javelin, discus retrieval

Chris Paukert — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:16:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Mini, UK, Humor, Specialty

We can't help but cringe at the notion of 'product integration' efforts most of the time, particularly when it comes to movies and sports. That's because as often as not, the placement efforts seem contrived. And while the notion of using a Mini Cooper to retrieve thrown javelins, hammers, shot and discuses at the London Olympics might not seem like the world's most natural pairing, we can't ignore the inherent cheek and charm in using radio-controlled cars for an otherwise unremarkable chore.

Dubbed "Mini MINI," these three electric R/C Cooper hatchbacks are rendered in about 1/4-scale - necessary to ensure adequate payload capacity for up to eight kilos (nearly 18 pounds). That's enough carrying capacity to lug around a hammer, a discus, a shot or a pair of javelins. The cars' large scale also helps them pack the larger battery arrays that Mini says are necessary to run them for 35 minutes (before being down for 80 minutes of charge time). The models are painted blue with orange Olympic livery and white roofs, and they even have working headlights.

The Mini MINI R/C cars will be used at both the Olympic and Paralympic games, and they join a fleet of 160 full-size BMW 1 Series Active E models and 40 Mini E hatchbacks as part of BMW's own all-electric Olympic team. While we're a little surprised Mini didn't choose to go with a Clubman or the load-lugging Countryman like we did in our recent giveaway, we think the marketing stunt fits in well with the brand's fun and funky spirit, and we're hoping that Mini publishes some video footage of their little helpers in action soon.

Olympics to use Mini Cooper R/C cars for javelin, discus retrieval originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London's special traffic lanes for Olympians branded 'Zil lanes'

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Government/Legal, UK, Specialty, Russia, Luxury

The British have a unique sense of humor - think Monty Python and Benny Hill - and there's no reason that the 2012 Olympics shouldn't be cause for celebrating it.

So when we caught wind of this story from the BBC, we had to smile. It seems Londoners fed up with the Olympic intrusion into their daily lives have dubbed the special lanes of traffic used by athletes and IOC officials "ZIL lanes," in reference to the notorious practice of having dedicated lanes of traffic for Communist Party poobahs in the Soviet Union.

ZIL was the manufacturer of the giant black limousines - like the 114 model pictured above - that denoted party power in the old USSR. Despite having little traffic at the time, Moscow had a few of these rezervniye polosy lanes, according to the BBC, one of which is still in operation. While the ZIL limos are now resigned to history, Kutuzovsky Prospekt now sees plenty of high-powered German machinery ferrying Russian officials past the proletariat.

London's special traffic lanes for Olympians branded 'Zil lanes' originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London's hydrogen buses grounded during Olympics due to security fears

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:44:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, UK

Is hydrogen a dangerous substance? It is, during the London Olympics, at least. That's why the fleet of five H2 buses that usually carries passengers between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway have been sent out to pasture for the duration of the games. Standard diesel buses will replace them.

The reason is that the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), which is responsible for "planning and delivering transport infrastructure and operations to support the Games," required that no hydrogen be stored at the buses' refueling site in Lea Interchange in Stratford between July and mid-September 2012 "in the interests of security," reports London SE1.

Since going into service, the buses have refueled over 1,000 times, writes Bus and Coach. Hydrogen supplier Air Products' Diana Raine said the buses have been "a great success to date," even though Bus and Coach also says the vehicles have been out of service almost as much as they have been in use because of maintenance issues and difficulty in getting spare parts. In any case, we're pretty sure that diesel fuel can be dangerous, too. It's not like the Olympic security rules make a whole lot of sense. WiFi hotspots, for example? Not allowed.

London's hydrogen buses grounded during Olympics due to security fears originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini reanimates Rocketman concept for London Olympics, is it reconsidering production?

Noah Joseph — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hatchback, Mini, UK, Design/Style

Has the Mini Rocketman concept really burned up like a fuse up there alone? Don't count it as grounded just yet, because while the last we heard BMW had canned the idea of producing the miniest of neo-Minis, it has given the original concept car a new lease on life.

As part of its partnership with the 2012 London Olympics, Mini has retrofitted the smaller-than-a-Cooper concept with a theme that celebratres both the games and the country hosting them. The red, white and blue of the Union Jack replaces the cold gray tones of the original, with the flag motif recreated out of the illuminated braces that support the glass roof. Carbon fiber still abounds, with white panels inside bearing the sites and years of previous Olympic games.

All in all, it's a rather stunning reimagination of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show concept, but only raises more questions in our minds as to whether the decision to axe the Rocketman's production possibilities isn't due for a rethink.

Continue reading Mini reanimates Rocketman concept for London Olympics, is it reconsidering production?

Mini reanimates Rocketman concept for London Olympics, is it reconsidering production? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini "Britalian Job" celebrates London Olympics with sendup of heist film

Zach Bowman — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Mini, UK, Celebrities

Mini is gearing up for the Olympics in a big way. The company has released a short film featuring a gaggle of former gold medalists, including Daley Thompson, James Cracknell, Jonathan Edwards and Matthew Pinsent. Thompson plays the ringleader of an elite driving squad sent to retrieve a set of gold medals pilfered by none other than supermodel Jodie Kidd. In the film, Kidd sets to tearing through London on a supermoto, pursued by three London 2012 Edition Mini Cooper models. The scenes feature some iconic shots lifted from the classic 1969 film The Italian Job.

Directed by Top Gear lead director Phil Churchward, the clip boasts some impressive stunt driving. There's even a close-formation jump that includes all three Mini models as they sail through the air. Check out the full show for yourself to see what we mean.

Continue reading Mini "Britalian Job" celebrates London Olympics with sendup of heist film

Mini "Britalian Job" celebrates London Olympics with sendup of heist film originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW unveils armada of vehicles for London Olympics

Noah Joseph — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, BMW, UK

Sponsoring most events is pretty straightforward for any company: fork over the right sum of cash and you're the new official automaker/timekeeper/jelly donut of whatever the event is. But for BMW, its status as Official Automotive Partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a bit more complicated.

Even pledging to fork over a massive fleet with 4,000 vehicles to the organizing committee wasn't enough for the German automaker to secure its status. BMW also had to meet the committee's stringent emissions requirements: while the average emissions of vehicles in the UK comes in at 138 grams of CO2 per kilometer, the automaker supplying these Olympic games had to come in below 120 g/km - which BMW did at 116 g/km.

To get there, a portion of the cars BMW is supplying are electric vehicles: 160 units of the 1 Series ActiveE and 40 of the Mini E, with another 40 of the 5 Series Active Hybrid. The rest of the fleet is comprised of the 320d EfficientDynamics (1,550 vehicles), 520d Efficient Dynamics (700), X3 xDrive 20d (17), X5 xDrive 30d (10) and Mini Countryman Cooper D (200 vehicles), plus another 25 R1200 RT motorcycles and 400 BMW Streetcruiser bicycles.

Wondering what they'll be doing with all those cars? They'll be used for everything from shuttling around the athletes, officials, medics and journalists to hauling boats out of the water. Scroll down below for the full details.

Continue reading BMW unveils armada of vehicles for London Olympics

BMW unveils armada of vehicles for London Olympics originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW lends its wind tunnel to test the Olympic torch [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW

In between bouts of Olympic games, the official torch that traditionally kicks off the opening ceremonies makes the long journey by a relay of runners to the host site. And you can bet that over the course of years, it has passed through some tricky environmental conditions. But is it ready to endure the unpredictability of British weather?

To find out, BMW - a main sponsor of the fast-approaching London Olympics - lent its wind tunnel facility to test the torch in a variety of conditions. Over the course of the grueling test, the torch was made to withstand temperatures ranging from 23 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, winds generated at upwards of 50 mph, with snow packed into the front and under driving rain. But all the while the flame stayed lit.

The tests were carried out at the BMW Energy and Environmental Test Centre in Munich, a facility which boasts three wind tunnels and two climatic test rooms capable of simulating weather from -4F to 131F, replicating the Arctic Tundra and the Sahara Desert, generating wind speeds at up to 174 mph, and simulating altitudes approaching 14,000 feet above sea level.

Watch a video of the testing procedure shown on the UK's ITV1 news by scrolling down.

Continue reading BMW lends its wind tunnel to test the Olympic torch [w/video]

BMW lends its wind tunnel to test the Olympic torch [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW delivers first 40 of 4,000 vehicles destined for London Olympics

Noah Joseph — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, BMW, UK

We couldn't fault you if it came as no great surprise that BMW was the main automotive sponsor of this summer's Olympic games in London. The Bavarian automaker has, after all, done its homework to promote the partnership, launching special edition 1 and 3 Series, a pair of special edition Minis, a commercial using the new M5, and a video series profiling specific athletes, all to highlight the point. But the biggest way BMW will be participating in the event is with the massive fleet of vehicles it is providing to the organizers.

All in all, BMW will be furnishing the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralymic Games (LOCOG) with a whopping 4,000 vehicles. The fleet is made up of diesel, hybrid and electric cars, plus motorcycles and bicycles. And because LOCOG has set a low CO2 target for the big event, each vehicle averages less than 120g of CO2 per kilometer.

The first 40 specially liveried vehicles, BMW announced, have now been delivered, including examples of the 520d and 320d. All the German automaker has left is multiply those a hundredfold and it'll be ready for the big games.

Continue reading BMW delivers first 40 of 4,000 vehicles destined for London Olympics

BMW delivers first 40 of 4,000 vehicles destined for London Olympics originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW The Ultimate Performance video series profiles four Olympians

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, BMW, UK, Luxury

BMW has again put filmmakers behind the lens to add some entertainment to the corporate cause, and the results are worth watching. BMW is the official transport provider of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, so its got four directors to profile four British Olympians, tying their stories to BMW's quest for perfection.

Three of the shorts are Olympics-themed: No Limits (also called Beneath the Surface) about swimmer Rebecca Adlington and the 3 Series, directed by Stevan Riley; Man and Machine about wheelchair racer David Weir and the ultimate connection to your vehicle, directed by Yannakis Jones; and Form and Function about gymnast Louis Smith and the i8, directed by Richard de Aragues.

The fourth film is a retro piece called Power, Speed and Endurance and covers BMW's return to DTM. It's subject is British middle-distance runner Steve Cram, who was breaking records on the track in the seventies and eighties, when racing BMWs were breaking other records at different tracks. It was helmed by Asif Kapadia, who proved his abilities with archival footage as the director of Senna.

Follow the jump for the press release from BMW and thirty minutes of good stories.

Continue reading BMW The Ultimate Performance video series profiles four Olympians

BMW The Ultimate Performance video series profiles four Olympians originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini celebrates London Olympics with new Bayswater and Baker Street special editions

Noah Joseph — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Hatchback, Mini, UK, Design/Style

With the Olympic Games coming up this spring, BMW is keen to leverage its sponsorship. And since they're taking place in London, England, the German automaker wouldn't miss the opportunity to include its more youthful, retro British subsidiary. And so it has released today not one, but two new special editions of the classic Mini hardtop hatchback, both named after London neighborhoods.

First up is the Mini Baker Street (pictured at right). Available on the Mini One (the entry-level model overseas), One D (the diesel version), Cooper and Cooper D, the Baker Street edition lays black V-shaped bonnet stripes over a light gray (or available white or black) base color, complemented by glossy black 16-inch alloys and mirror caps. Inside, the cloth and leather seats are finished in a diamond-pattern with gray trim and chrome accents. A whole mess of optional extras are bundled as standard, and include of course, there are the requisite special badges.

The Bayswater edition (shown above) - available on Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper D and Cooper SD models - takes a more sporting approach, with an exclusive shade of metallic blue (or optional black or gray) with a black roof, centered blue and gray stripes up the hood, with 17-inch alloys in glossy black with polished rims, and door mirrors that, well..."mirror" the racing stripe: blue on the right, gray on the left. Leather seats come in an exclusive shade of anthracite with blue and gray bolsters and top-stitching, complemented by piano lacquer trim, stainless steel pedals, bundled optional equipment and special badges.

No word just yet on whether these models will be available internationally (read: in America) or whether they'll be exclusively British editions, but you can check them out in the pair of high-resolution image galleries and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mini celebrates London Olympics with new Bayswater and Baker Street special editions

Mini celebrates London Olympics with new Bayswater and Baker Street special editions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW plan to provide 4,000 cars to Olympic dignitaries in London triggers controversy

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., BMW, UK, Luxury

The problem when a bunch of bigwigs want to do something good for the environment is that they won't stop being bigwigs in order to do it. Getting a lot of VIPs together means a lot of private jets and limousines, and next thing you know, you've got a situation like the 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen, when it only took a few days for 15,000 delegates to create as much filth as the town of Middlesbrough's 142,500 inhabitants.

According to the UK's Daily Mail, the 2012 London Olympics may be headed down the same carbon trail, with sponsor BMW planning to ship 4,000 cars to The City for use by dignitaries. Games organizers had promised that this would be the cleanest Olympics ever, and London mayor Boris Johnson said in 2009 that he wanted London to be the cleanest city in the world by the time the games arrived. Even though 200 of the BMWs are electric and all fall below the 120g/km emissions limit, the promise could still be difficult to fulfill with 3,800 more limos on top of the extra rides already called into service, especially once you factor in shipping them from Germany.

Some perspective, though: the addition of four thousand BMWs is being compared to London's aim for clean games; the extra metal really isn't that many cars considering we're talking about an event of this size. Only 250 vehicles will be allotted exclusively, the rest will be in shared service, and many will simply be displacing cars that otherwise would have been called into regular service. And, on the bright side: their use of BMWs will leave more room on buses and trains for the rest of you...

BMW plan to provide 4,000 cars to Olympic dignitaries in London triggers controversy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 BMW M5 irks Welsh seagulls with a romp in the sand

Noah Joseph — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW

There are many number of ways you can support your country's athletes heading into the Olympics. You could watch them on television. You could follow them to the site and get tickets for your favorite events. You could buy and wear some official team apparel. But if you're BMW, none of that will do. No, you're going to do some hooning. Something that involves, say, pulling donuts on the beach in a twin-turbo super-sedan.

That's just what the Bavarian automaker, which acts as official automotive partner (read: car sponsor) for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, has done to promote its participation and support the athletes. Which is fine by us, because it gives us the opportunity to watch... a twin-turbo super-sedan pulling donuts on the beach. Or to be more specific, the new M5 at the hands of stunt driver Wolfgang Weber at Pendine Sands in Wales.

Follow the jump to watch the footage.

Continue reading 2012 BMW M5 irks Welsh seagulls with a romp in the sand

2012 BMW M5 irks Welsh seagulls with a romp in the sand originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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