Collection of Sports Cars: BMW

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BMW's new car-sharing scheme

BMW has launched a new car-sharing scheme in Germany that it hopes will create one million new customers for the brand by 2020.

The new scheme, called DriveNow, is a 50-50 joint venture between BMW and Germany’s biggest car rental firm Sixt. DriveNow will launch in Munich on 1 April with 300 Minis and BMW 1-series available to rent and a launch will follow shortly after in Berlin, which will have 500 cars.

Drivers will be able to book cars parked around the cities using the internet or a smartphone app, and will then access them using a chip embedded in their driving licenses.

Read more on BMW's new i range of cars

BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson said the firm was always looking at launching new businesses and adding new customers to the brand. The scheme will extend to other European cities and potentially other continents. New cars will also be added to the scheme according to demand, including BMW’s i range of electric cars from 2013.

Robertson said the scheme would offer people living in cities an alternative to car ownership that allowed people to use a car “on the spur of the moment” without many of usually associated costs.

Similar schemes are offered in cities around the world by Peugeot, Citroen and Mercedes.

The BMW 328

The BMW 328 is a sports car made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, with the body designed by Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after the World War II. Technically the car has been designed by Fritz Fiedler. It featured many advanced features for its time, such as a tubular space frame and a hemispherical combustion chamber engine. It was much praised at the time for its performance and handling, proving to be suitable not only for the BMW factory drivers, but also perfect for everyday motoring.

Specifications

Engine : straight-6 OHV (light alloy cylinder head)
Displacement : 1,971 cc (1.971 L; 120.3 cu in) (66 mm (2.6 in) Bore × 96 mm (3.8 in) Stroke)
Compression ratio : 7,5 : 1
Fuel feed : 3 Solex 30 JF downdraft carburetor
Power : 80 PS (59 kW; 79 hp)@5000rpm*
Valve train : Pushrod OHV, side cam shaft driven by duplex chain
Fuel capacity : 50 L (13 US gal; 11 imp gal) (if needed 100 L (26 US gal; 22 imp gal) possible)
Cooling : Pump (7,5 l water)
Transmission : 4-speed
Chassis : Aluminium body and steel ladder frame[2]
Suspension front : swing axle with transverse leaf springs
Suspension rear : live axle with leaf springs
Shock absorbers : Hydraulic shock absorbers
Brakes : 280 mm (11 in)-diameter hydraulic drum brakes
Wheelbase : 2,400 mm (94 in)
Track : 1,153 mm (45.4 in)/1,220 mm (48 in)
External dimensions : 3,900 mm (150 in) × 1,550 mm (61 in) × 1,400 mm (55 in)
Tires : 5.25 or 5.50–16
Unloaded weight : 830 kg (1,830 lb)
Top speed :150 km/h (93 mph)

Engine

The engine has hemispherical or cross flow combustion chambers. The intake valves are opened by the usual overhead valve push rod arrangement of a side cam, push rods, and rocker arms. The exhaust valves, on the other side of the cylinder head, are opened by the same cam shaft, vertical push rods, rocker arms, horizontal push rods, and a second set of rocker arms.

Awards

In 1999 the BMW 328 was named one of 25 finalists for Car of the Century by a worldwide panel of automotive journalists.

Motorsports

It won the RAC Rally in 1939 and came in fifth overall (first in its class) in the 1939 Le Mans 24hours.

Mille Miglia

In 1938, BMW 328 became a class winner in Mille Miglia.
In 1940, the Mille Miglia Touring Coupe won the Mille Miglia with average speed of 166.7 km/h (103.6 mph).
In 2004, the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupe became the first car to win both the Mille Miglia (1940) and the modern-day classical version of the race.^[3]

Production

After the Second World War, the manufacturing plant in Eisenach where the 328 had been built found itself in the Russian occupation zone, and automobile manufacturing in Eisenach would follow a state directed path until German Reunification in 1989.

Influence on Bristols

One of the Mille Miglia 328s (disguised as a Frazer Nash) and BMW's technical plans for the car were taken from the bombed BMW factory by English representatives from the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Frazer Nash companies. Fiedler, the BMW engineer, was persuaded to come too. Bristol Cars was set up to build complete cars, called Bristols, and would also supply engines to Frazer Nash for all their post-war cars. The first Bristol car, the 400, was heavily based on the BMW plans. This Bristol engine was also a common option in AC cars, before the Cobra.

( source : Wikipedia )

BMW 730Li

President Director of PT BMW Indonesia, Ramesh Divyanathan is proud to launch the BMW 730Li in Indonesia as one of the country to market. This strengthens the lowest variant line-up BMW-7 Series F01/02 generation that through September this year has successfully sold 37 units in the country.

With total sales of 618 units, BMW continues to experience growth after the crisis some time ago. "We saw a lot of demand for the Series-7", said Ramesh. "It is exciting to see our products becoming market leader in the premium luxury segment with prices above $ 2 billion", he added before the media at the invitation of the Grand Hyatt hotel.

BMW 730Li Comfort, was sold for USD 1.759 billion in off-road in Jakarta, using a 3,000 cc engine equipped Valvetronic system. The engine generates 258 hp and torque of 310 Nm. 6 speed automatic transmission san Efficient Dynamics technology makes it capable of producing fuel consumption figures 10.2 km / liter.

With comfort features like electric seats, A-zone climate control, audio system powered 600 Watt surround sound system with DVD and Dirac signal processing, 730Li is hardly just a variant of the lowest. Ramesh Divyanathan also not overly concerned with the implementation plan luxury tax and the progressive tax in the country. "We believe 730Li will record the success and sold more than 40 to 50 units by the end of this year", he added.

Mini Scooter E Concept

BMW has releases the MINI Scooter E Concepts that will officially debut at the Paris Auto Show next week. Created to bring together a youth-oriented lifestyle element and sustainable mobility, the scooters take significant design cues from the MINI lineup of cars while using a lithium-ion battery pack to deliver guilt-free mobility.

Mini's moped is, predictably, an uncannily retro two-wheeler. The step-through design, front fender, and curved body all bear a striking resemblance to vintage Lambretta scooters. Appropriate, we suppose, given the Lambretta -- like the Mini itself -- was once tied to the British Mod scene in the 1960s. Minor cues, including the chrome trim on the leg shield, the round projector headlamp, spoiler-like grab handle, and twin taillights do help tie the Scooter E to its four-wheeled Mini siblings.

Design-wise, the Scooter E Concept takes many cues from the MINI paradigm. The large wheels, 11-inch rims, give the scooter a bulky look, while the headlight unit is also sizable and round and the Scooter E features upright taillights similar to the MINI Countryman.

Apart from the compact battery, a charging system and connecting cable are integrated snugly in the rear of the MINI Scooter E Concept. The charging cable has a plug which fits into any conventional domestic socket. This has the major advantage that topping up the energy reserve does not depend on a special charging station being available. Stop-offs for shopping or visiting a café can be used for hassle-free battery recharging.

The three concepts, styled by a small team in Munich, Germany, under the guise of BMW Group design boss Adrian von Hooydonk, will be used to gauge public reaction before Mini decides whether or not to press ahead with a premium-priced electric scooter.

Source: BMW