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December 31, 2003
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Happy New Year from BMW
World!
At BMW World, we have been tracking BMW vehicles and the BMW
experience this past year with our Picture of the Week and
Vintage Picture of the Week features. So, at the end of the
year 2003, we present our picks for the top ten BMW pictures
in 2003. More...
Here are all of our Photo
of the Week feature stories for the year 2003. We hope you've
enjoyed them as much as we've enjoyed bringing them to you.
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November 17, 2003
The BMW X3
made its official North American debut at the South Florida International
Auto Show in Orlando, the home of Disney World. With the introduction of
the X3, BMW expands its successful Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) concept.
The new BMW X3 combines the versatility of a BMW SAV with unprecedented
levels of agility, thanks in large part to the debut of xDrive, BMW's
innovative new all-wheel-drive system. The BMW X3 2.5i will have an MSRP
of $30,995 and the X3 3.0i will start at $36,995, including destination
charges. The X3 will arrive in BMW SAV center showrooms for test drives on
November 28th. More...
For 2004, the
BMW X5 Series gets some product enhancements.
The changes include:
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A new
all-wheel drive system, xDrive, that adjusts front/rear torque
proportioning according to road and operating conditions
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Adoption of
the Valvetronic V-8 engine in the X5 4.4i model, resulting in greater
power (+25 hp) and significantly improved fuel economy.
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New 6-speed
transmissions – manual in the 6-cylinder X5 3.0i model, automatic in the
X5 4.4i.
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Freshened
exterior design, with an entirely (yet subtly) new front end, new
taillights and several fresh colors.
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Standard
rain-sensing windshield wipers and automatic headlight control.
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New wheel
designs for four of the five available wheel/tire configurations.
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Enhanced
interior equipment, including 8-way power seats in both models, and new
optional wood treatment.
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Availability
of the BMW Assist services and telematics system.
It didn't take
long for 50 lucky
people to get a BMW 6 Series Coupe for Christmas! The 2004 BMW 645Ci
featured in this year's Neiman Marcus Christmas Book went on sale recently
via a phone hotline. Less than 7 minutes later -- 6 minutes and 57 seconds
later, to be exact -- all 50 of the U.S. limited-edition models were sold.
Featuring stratus Gray exterior finish and soft crème beige leather
interior, the 645Ci is powered by a 4.4-litre, V-8 engine that produces
325 horsepower and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds.
More...
October
21, 2003
Driving
lessons rush into the fast lane with BMW's new Advanced M School, an
aggressive two-and-a-half day class held on the NASCAR track at Lowe's
Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. It's the latest driving adventure
offered by the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, S.C. Classes are
scheduled for November 9-11 and December 7-9, 2003.
More...
Formula One
constructors have revealed few technical details about their racing
engines. Now, thanks to BMW, we learn that the potent BMW P83 engine that
powers the FW25 of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team packs more than 900 horsepower,
revs to 19,200 rpm, yet weighs less than 200 pounds.
More...
50 lucky
people will get a BMW 6 Series Coupe for Christmas!
More...
September 19, 2003
There are only a few
days left to attend the Frankfurt Auto Show. Catch it if you can!
On the racing
front, Ralf Schumacher was forced to sit out the Italian Grand Prix after
a 150 mph collision during preliminaries at the Monza circuit. Marc Gené
got the ride instead and finished a respectable fifth, while Juan Pablo
Montoya took second place behind the World Champion, Michael Schumacher.
Ralf is expected to be back on the track when
Formula One moves to the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway for the USA Grand Prix. It is a testament to the safety of
these cars that a driver can walk away from a 150 mph collision!
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And speaking
of Monza, Italy's Alex Zanardi will race a BMW at Monza next month. You
may recall Zanardi lost both of his legs in a collision two years ago.
Zanardi, who almost died at the Lausitz EuroSpeedway during a CART race on
September 15, 2001, will drive a specially adapted BMW 320i car in the
final Italian round of the FIA European Touring Car championship on
October 19. |
Meanwhile, in
San Francisco Bay, Oracle BMW Racing is
contesting another world champ, Alinghi of Switzerland, the America's Cup
champion in the 2003 Moet Cup. Amidst the backdrop of Fisherman's Wharf,
the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, USA-76 (Oracle BMW) and SUI-64 (Alinghi)
are competing in both the Owner/Driver and Pro-Driver regatta series.
We'll keep you posted on the results.
BMW's leader,
Helmut Panke, has been invited to sit on the
board of directors of Microsoft Corporation. "Helmut will bring a valuable
global perspective to our board," chairman Bill Gates said in a news
release. "His experience as chairman of one of Europe's most successful
companies will be invaluable."
The new
BMW Z4 convertible was the only one of 21 vehicles tested to win the
US government's highest rating for its ability to resist rollovers,
according to test results released by the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
August
20, 2003
Soon it will
be September and time for the IAA, the semi-annual auto show in Frankfurt, Germany. You
may recall the show in 2001 was marred by
the tragic events of September 11.
This year's show will feature BMW's largest lineup of new cars ever,
including the new Z4, the new 6 Series Coupe,
the
new X3 off-road vehicle, and the
new 5 Series Sedan.
The 2004 model year promises to
be one of the most exciting year's in BMW history.
Unlike last
year when Michael Schumacher won the World Driving Championship by July,
Formula One is back in 2003 with some exciting racing action. First, at
the beginning of the year, it was Kimi Raikkonen in his Mercedes-McLaren
racer challenging the world champ. Then, it was brother Ralf Schumacher.
with victories at
Magny-Cours and the
Nurburgring. Now, all eyes are
on Juan Pablo Montoya following his victories at
Monte Carlo and
Germany. Stay tuned as the BMW
team gets set for victory.
Bye, bye C1! Launched in the spring
of 2000, the BMW C1 was a two-wheel alternative means of transport for
travel in urban areas. 10,614 C1's were sold in 2001, the first full sales
year of the C1, following sales of 6,649 in the launch year of 2000. But
only about 2,000 were sold in 2002 and production was stopped. Great ideas
don't always sell.
July
10, 2003
 BMW 6 Series Launched
Just as
Dr. Panke promised, BMW has
launched its second new series with the
introduction of the new 6 Series Coupe. Mark
your calendars, for the new BMW 6 Series Coupé will be making its debut at
the September Frankfurt Motor Show.
Victorious Again
The summer is
turning out to be very hot indeed for BMW and Williams, its Formula One
racing partner. First, Juan Pablo Montoya won at Monaco. Then, Ralf proved
he may be the next Schumacher to become world driving champion with two
consecutive Gran Prix wins. Ralf's nearest competitor in both contests --
Magny-Cours and the
Nurburgring -- was Juan Pablo
Montoya. And Juan Pablo could manage no better than 13 seconds back, which
is a lifetime in F1 racing!
June
17, 2003
BMW X3 Launched
With the
introduction of the X3, BMW expands its successful Sports Activity Vehicle
(SAV) concept to the 3 Series. Check it out!
Engine
Awards
BMW has won
three out of a total of 12 awards at the renowned International Engine of
the Year event in Stuttgart, Germany. By winning engine Oscars number 16,
17 and 18, the BMW Group has once again collected the industry's most
significant award for automobile engines.
Victory at Monaco
Juan Pablo
Montoya achieved the first victory of
the Formula One 2003 season for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team at the Monaco
Grand Prix. It is the sixth victory since the beginning of the team's
partnership which began in 2000. The last victory for the team was at the
2002 Malaysian GP. WilliamsF1's last Monaco victory dates back to 1983
with Keke Rosberg.
May 7, 2003
The Italian Job
returns
Michael Caine
and the Mini starred in the original 'Italian Job' movie, made in the
60's. Now, stay tuned for the remake, with an even more exciting car chase
scene. More...
It's a Gas!
BMW is in the
(energy) news again, this time with a report that 25% of the Spartanburg
plant is fueled by methane. More...
Formula
One quits smoking
A Formula One
motor racing team is to be sponsored for the first time by a company which
sells quit smoking aids. Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline announced its range
of stop smoking products, NiQuitin CQ, will sponsor the BMW WilliamsF1
team. The deal began at the recent San Marino Grand Prix, in Imola.
Formula One has long been associated with cigarette advertising.
April 8, 2003
The New 5 Series
BMW's new E60
5 Series follows one of the most successful model series in BMW's history,
the 1997-2003 E39 5 Series. The 2004 BMW 5 Series will make its debut in
Europe in July and its first appearance in the USA this fall, bringing
both numerous technical innovations and more lightweight construction with
an aluminum/steel body and an all-aluminum suspension and chassis. In
appearance, the E60 resembles the E65/6 7 Series, right down to the iDrive
controller, but it would be wrong to consider the new 5 Series a smaller
7. More...
BMW and GM to
Cooperate on Hydrogen
BMW and
General Motors have announced an agreement to work jointly on developing
refueling devices for liquid hydrogen vehicles, which could replace
gasoline or diesel-burning cars and trucks in the future. BMW and GM will
work to establish global standards for hydrogen refueling devices, such as
the coupler to connect liquid hydrogen fueling pumps to future cars. As
BMW World has reported, BMW is studying burning hydrogen in internal
combustion engines as a more practical alternative to developing electric
motors and fuel cells. By working with BMW, GM could speed the arrival of
the infrastructure to support hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles.
March 3, 2003
The month of
March promises to be an exciting one for BMW. First, the Geneva
International Motor Show will showcase the latest from BMW. Models on
display include MINI, Rolls-Royce, 760Li High Security, Z8 Alpina and the
M3 CSL. Not since the 50's when BMW featured the Baroque Angels alongside
Isettas and roadsters like the 503 and 507 has their been such a diverse
product line.
As soon as the
Geneva International Motor Show has ended, the Formula One racing season
begins in Australia. Early indications are that BMW will have to work hard
during the course of the racing season to topple Ferrari.
February 24, 2003
Jesse
James Creates a Monster MINI
How about a
MINI Cooper that can claw its way over 4-foot snow drifts and speed
effortlessly across a frozen lake? Is this the next new model? Not
exactly. A MINI Cooper was transformed into a larger-than-life,
300 horsepower snowmobile by Discovery Channel's Monster Garage TV
program. Once completed, the Monster Garage MINI will be pitted
head-to-head with a Polaris snowmobile in snowy Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Monster Garage's Jesse James will be behind the wheel of the monster MINI
while Richard Petty of NASCAR fame will pilot the snowmobile. The Mini
Cooper/Snowmobile episode makes a World Premiere on Monday, February 24,
from 8-9 PM (ET/PT) on the Discovery Channel. The encore episode airs
Saturday, March 1 from 7-8 PM (ET/PT).
3 Series New
Front-End Styling
We have
pictures of the
front-end styling of the 2003 3 Series Coupes and Cabrios. You may
recall the new look for 2002 on 3
Series Sedan and Touring models included a new kidney grille, lower front
and rear valance, a new headlight and indicator design, and the inclusion
of the side repeater indicator into the line behind the front wheel arch.
February 8, 2003
The BMW Z8
Roadster is slated to end production in 2003 when BMW sells the last few
hundred units of a special-edition Z8 - the
BMW Alpina Roadster. Alpina plans to
build 555 BMW Alpina Roadsters, and 450 will be exported to the USA,
beginning in the spring of 2003.
BMW enters
their fourth Formula One season
with a new chassis and an improved engine. Check out the
official launch pictures.
January
3, 2003
At a launch
party held Friday, January 3, 2003, at its $100 million Rolls-Royce
factory in Goodwood, England, BMW announced the
new Rolls-Royce, called the Phantom. Rolls-Royce expects to sell an
average of 1,000 units a year over the 10- to 12-year life cycle of the
Phantom.
Each year the
world's bravest drivers come together to compete in the
Paris-Dakar Rally, a grueling 7,000
mile trek across every imaginable terrain, from Paris, France, to Dakar,
Senegal, Africa. They do battle in trucks, cars, motorbikes and ATVs, all
striving for the honor of being called the ultimate off-road champion.
Did you get a
calendar for Christmas? Check out
our MINI calendar. You can download it for free!
We've archived
all of our Photo of the Week pages
from the past year. If you like past BMW models, check our our
Classic Photo of the Week
features, too.
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