Audi BMW

The second generation of the BMW 1 Series is just around the corner and for the compact model, BMW will offer new powerplant choices, including a modern four-cylinder gasoline engine with turbocharging and direct injection.

Next generation 1 Series will launch in 2011, first in a hatchback form, followed a year later by the Coupe and Convertible models. Along with the redesigned bodystyle, the new 1er family will offer a wide range of engines, including turbo-petrol engines with three or four cylinders.

The 1er will remain a rear-wheel drive vehicle and shares the same L7 architecture as the next 3 series. At the same time, the L7 has the flexible firewall location geometry that will allow it to accommodate FWD, RWD, or AWD models.

Rendering by AutoBild

First, a couple 2.0-liter four-cylinder will be introduced, producing 204 and 238 horsepower. But this is only the first step, because the engineers have set themselves the goal to integrate diesel and gasoline more closely together.

Despite the higher development costs, the long term savings from mass production will offset any initial investments. For now, BMW has scrapped any plans to offer an electric and hybrid drive for the new 1 Series. The decision to move forward with the highly-efficient N57 1.5 liter diesel engine was driven by the results obtained in testing the Vision EfficientDynamics vehicle. The horsepower range for the three-cylinder powerplants goes from 95 to 177 horsepower.

The gasoline version, dubbed N30, comes in displacements of 1.2 and 1.5 liters with power output of ranging from 70 to 184 horsepower.

At the high-end of the line-up, it is expect that BMW will continue to offer the six-cylinder N55 Twin-Scroll engine for its 135i Coupe model.

The new BMW 1 Series Hatchback Concept will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011.

In 2012, BMW will begin refreshing the 1 Series line-up. First model to receive a complete overhaul is the hatchback variant. Due to be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the new generation 1 Series hatchback is built under the codename F20, and will feature a slightly longer wheelbase and wider track than the current model.

It will be available in three and five door variants with both models using the new modular/expendable platform. The backbone of these models was designed especially for this purpose so every model can have a variation backbone, simply be moving suspension points and firewalls to areas that will benefit each vehicle. Corroborated with more parts sharing, this new approach will allow BMW to reduce even more the production costs.

The three and five-door hatch will only be available in Europe, but coupe and convertible variants will make their way onto the U.S. soil.

First test mules have already been circulating around Munich’s surroundings, but today, we have a new rendering by Autobild. While adventurous and dynamics, the exterior look reminds more of the 5 Series GT, and we believe the final design language will vary considerably. The car is expected to have a more aggressive look, fitted to the 1 Series bodystyle.

Inside, the car will inherit some cues from the 5 Series, but also some design structure from the upcoming 6 Series.

New three and four turbo engines will be used across the 1 Series models, from a 1.3 liter engine with 136 horsepower to a new 1.3-liter turbo powerplant developing 177 horsepower. The gasoline version, dubbed N30, comes in displacements of 1.2 and 1.5 liters with power output of ranging from 70 to 184 horsepower.

At the high-end of the line-up, the 135i will be using the N55 Twin-Scroll engine.

In the diesel segment, a new three-cylinder 1.5 liter N37 engine will have a power output ranging from 110 to 125 horsepower. The threes-cylinder engines will use about 10 percent less fuel.

As we mentioned earlier, a new BMW 1 Series Hatchback Concept is rumored to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011

BMW releases a new limited edition vehicle. BMW 120i Coupe Performance Unlimited Edition makes its exclusive debut in the Japanese market, in a limited edition of 30 units. The special 1er sports the M Sport Package which was further developed from the BMW Performance aero package.

On the exterior, the right-hand drive 120i Coupe features the M Aerodynamics package, black kidney grille, carbon mirror covers, carbon rear trunk spoiler, White Pearl Individual paint and Le Mans Blue. The BMW 120i Coupe Performance Unlimited Edition seats on double-spoke styling 216 18″ M light alloy wheels.

Inside, BMW fitted the M multifunction leather M sport steering wheel, BMW Individual high-gloss shadow trim, aluminum door sills and pedals and M sport seats.

The car become available for order on July 30th and has an MSRP of ¥ 4,350,000, approximately $50,000.

As with the new X3, BMW offered some private testing to selected automotive magazines. Car and Driver slipped into the cockpit of the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe, on the passenger side, and shares their first impressions aboard the new M driven by one of the BMW drivers. The engine figures shared below are also estimates since BMW has yet to revealed the “real” numbers.

“The 1-series’ body and track have been widened significantly front and rear, there is a unique front bumper, the trunklid gets a spoiler lip, and the exhaust flows through quadruple tailpipes. The M-specific interior—which was not installed in this prototype—will feature sport seats, unique trim, and special instrumentation.

The N54’s Last Stand?

While the 300-hp 135i has switched from the twin-turbo N54 to the single-turbo N55 engine, the 1-series M Coupe—like other BMWs recently unveiled with high-powered inline-sixes—gets a more powerful version of the N54, upgraded to about 335 hp. It’s mated to a slick six-speed manual gearbox—no automatic or dual-clutch transmission will be offered.

Segler’s troops still may shave a few pounds off the 135i’s total of almost 3400, but there is no budget for expensive lightweight materials. Zero-to-60 times should be in the mid-four-second range, and top speed will be governed to 155 mph. As it does with other M cars, BMW might offer the option to raise the limit, but we doubt it would go much beyond 170.

………….

Getting the small M into a slight drift seemed as effortless as recovery, and the kick provided by the uprated engine represents a major step above the 135i. Turbo lag is slight and doesn’t significantly detract from the experience. Compared to the M3, you sit lower to the ground, the cabin is more compact, and thus you get a much better sense of speed than in the bigger car.

……

The 1-series M Coupe began life code-named “Pyrat,” and BMW thankfully refrained from calling it the M1.”

Full article at Car and Driver

In an interview today for M-Power, BMW M Division boss, Dr. Kay Segler, revealed more details around the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe model.

What might such a model be like?
This model will be based on the BMW 1 Series Coupé and also be focused on the essentials – the fascination of driving. And it will reflect a love of detail, too.

Will the model be called BMW M1?
We have discussed this point too. BMW M1 is a name with powerful historical associations. So we have decided to follow our second nomenclature method. In the tradition of the BMW Z4 Roadster and of the current models BMW X5 M and X6 M we will put our brand identifier at the end of the name, so our new model will be called the BMW 1 Series M Coupé.

When can we expect to receive further information?
We will be publishing more detailed information before Christmas. And we may release the odd detail beforehand. Wait and see!

Where will the information be provided?
You can register here on M-Power.com. In this way you can be sure not to miss any information on the BMW 1 Series M Coupé.

From when will the BMW 1 Series M Coupé be supplied?
You can expect the first vehicles to be with customers in the first half of 2011.

What else is in store in the near future?
There is a lot more for BMW M fans to look forward to in the second half of 2011 as well. We will be presenting the next generation of the BMW M5 with V8 turbo engine. But let’s talk about the details another time.

Moments ago, BMW has just released the first teaser of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, the rumored M1 or 1M vehicle everyone has been talking about.

“This very special M” as BMW calls it has become more real than ever and if there was any doubt that BMW M Division is working on a new M, the video below should clear this confusion.

After months of speculations around the naming convention, BMW settles on the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, quite different from the rumored M1, 1M, 135i M and many other speculations we have been guilty for.

Stay tuned for more news!

With this occasion, BMW offers the possibility for everyone to register and with a little luck, could be one of the first to take the wheel of the new BMW 1 Series M Coupé.

The Diesel Driver takes on another task in the diesel world, a trip to BMW’s Leipzig plant aboard a BMW 120d 5-door, one of the most popular 1 Series models in Europe. Let’s have a look.

“Although my 120d 5 Door wasn’t built in Leipzig, I nonetheless decided to take it there for a visit. The drive from Munich to Leipzig is ca. 425 km and the route takes us on the Autobahn A9 for all but 20 km of the route.

Our 120d came in an elegant space grey metallic with business navigation and multiple BMW EfficientDynamics fuel-saving options including regenerative braking and auto start-stop.

Regenerative braking recovers energy that would normally be wasted as heat through the brakes and the start-stop technology turns the engine off to avoid unnecessary idling when stopped.

The 120d’s engine puts out 177 hp (130 kW) with a combined fuel economy rating of 4.7 l / 100 km (~ 42 mpg in the EU test cycle. The EU test cycle has three components: city or urban driving (the first 800 seconds of the test), highway or extra urban driving (the next 400 seconds), and combined (the complete cycle).

On a 300-km stretch with an average cruising speed of 120 km/h (75 mph), the 120d only used 4.5 l / 100 km or 52 mpg. This figure beats the combined fuel economy figure and comes very close to the highway (extra urban) figure, which is calculated at a slower average speed (see chart).”

Full article continued

Five years of production, four body variants and one million times Sheer Driving Pleasure in the compact class. The BMW 1 Series has already reached a seven-digit production volume in its first model generation, clearly confirming its status as a genuine best seller in the international car market.

Accounting for one million units sold since its debut in 2004, the BMW 1 Series is also one of the driving forces for the outstanding success of the world’s leading manufacturer of premium cars.

The anniversary model was delivered to its proud owner on Monday, 12 April, on the occasion of the Leipzig Motor Show, the Auto Mobil International (AMI). The car, a three-door BMW 118d built at BMW Plant Leipzig, was handed over jointly by Frank-Peter Arndt, Member of the Board of BMW AG for Production, and Stanislaw Tillich, the Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony, to a customer from Leipzig.

The BMW 1 Series offers an incomparable combination of sporting driving pleasure and outstanding efficiency. Now available as a three-door Sedan, a five-door Sedan, a Coupé and Convertible, the BMW 1 Series stands out clearly as the only car in the compact segment with rear-wheel drive. High-tech suspension technology unparalleled in this class to this very day also serves to guarantee characteristic driving pleasure in the BMW 1 Series.

As yet a further essential feature, the BMW 1 Series is available with Active Steering varying not only steering assistance, but also the steering angle as a function of speed.

Germany’s leading premium manufacturer also proves the unique position of the BMW 1 Series versus its competitors through new concepts and philosophies in communication. Young, fresh, unconventional – this is how BMW’s highly successful compact model has been presented from the start. Highlights unforgotten to this day are the launch campaign starring Kermit, the frog from the Muppets Show, sitting at the wheel, or the highly dynamic launch campaign introducing the BMW 1 Series in the USA, where at an imaginary place in Bavaria the BMW 1 Series is to be “shot” straight to the USA on a gigantic ramp. And last but certainly not least in this context, the launch campaign for the BMW 1 Series Coupé was lauded as the best advertising by Auto Trophy, the German car magazine, under the title “Condensed Intensity”.

BMW 1 Series as the pacemaker in reducing both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

From the start, the BMW 1 Series played a significant role in giving BMW EfficientDynamics a broad impact in the market. The wide range of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies including Auto Start Stop, a Gearshift Point Indicator, Brake Energy Regeneration, Electric Power Steering as well as other ancillary units activated and operated on-demand – naturally all this featured as standard – highlights the four-cylinder models in the BMW 1 Series introduced in the 2007 model year for the first time.

Ever since, the ongoing popularity of the BMW 1 Series has helped to consistently reduce both fleet consumption and average CO2 emissions. In 2009, for example, the average CO2 emissions of all BMW Group cars registered in Europe was 150 grams per kilometre, equal to fuel consumption of just 5.9 litres/100 km (47.9 mpg imp). This once again makes BMW far superior to the most important competitors in the premium segment in terms of CO2 management and emission control.

Boasting a model range larger than ever before, the BMW 1 Series once again emphasises its unique position in 2010 as the pacemaker for efficient mobility combined with supreme driving pleasure in the compact class. In all, the four body versions of BMW 1 Series now come with a choice of six petrol and, respectively, four diesel engines. The power range extends from 85 kW/ 115 hp in the entry-level BMW 116d all the way to 225 kW / 306 hp in the two top athletes in the segment, the BMW 135i Coupé and the BMW 135i Convertible.

Currently no less than five models in the BMW 1 Series already come with a CO2 emission rating of less than 120 grams per kilometre. The absolute leader in terms of fuel efficiency and emission management in the series is the BMW 116d, its 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel delivering maximum output of 85 kW / 115 hp, peak torque of 260 Newton-metres/192 lb-ft, and, in combination with various BMW EfficientDynamics technologies also featured as standard on this model, average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of just 4.4 litres/100 kilometres – equal to 64.2 mpg imp – and a CO2 rating of 118 grams per kilometre.

The unusually good balance of driving pleasure and fuel economy makes the BMW 116d particularly attractive also for the operator and owner of company and commercial car fleets. Immediately after its launch into the market, BMW’s entry-level diesel scored a class victory in the campaign for the “Company Car of the Year 2009”. In this contest organised jointly by the German motor journal “Firmenauto” and the DEKRA Technical Inspection Company, the BMW 116d came first in the category of compact cars.

This award proves once again that fleet managers appreciate efficient driving pleasure in two respects as a feature helping to motivate a company’s employees and at the same time keep the company’s budget as low and economical as possible.

Internationally, the BMW 1 Series has likewise gained an outstanding reputation through its supreme efficiency: As early as in 2008, the three-door BMW 118d was chosen as the “World Green Car of the Year”. This special award presented by an international jury of motor journalists honours vehicles and technologies making a specific contribution to the reduction of emissions and in this way symbolising the outstanding environmental awareness of the respective manufacturer.

The BMW 118d powered likewise by a 2.0-litre 105 kW / 143 hp diesel is now available in all body variants of the BMW 1 Series.

Premium quality and innovative model features for even greater driving pleasure in the compact class.

The BMW 1 Series is made even more appealing by its uncompromising premium quality and a wide range of model features quite unique in the compact segment. One example is the latest generation of BMW’s trendsetting iDrive control system also available in the BMW 1 Series. Originally conceived and developed for the luxury class, BMW iDrive ensures particularly easy and intuitive management of entertainment, communication, navigation, and comfort functions.

Another highlight again unique in the compact segment is the extremely wide range of driver assistance systems and mobility services offered by BMW ConnectedDrive. Hence, the BMW 1 Series may be fitted with features either not available at all from the competition or only in their top class and luxury models. These include a High-Beam Assistant, Adaptive Headlights or the Park Assistant, as well as unrestricted use of the internet in the car.

The services offered through BMW Assist and BMW Online may be used throughout Europe in the language of the car’s respective owner. Additional safety and comfort is ensured by the Enhanced Emergency Call function informing rescuers in the event of an accident of the type of damage and the likelihood of injury and thus ensuring appropriate medical services from the start, the Driver’s Profile function for convenient application of personal settings, or the Mobile Office / Online Office enabling the driver to use various office functions in his mobile phone, for example presenting and processing mails received in the car’s display.

Further highlights are the enhanced integration of Smartphones and external entertainment devices.

When going on a journey, the owner of a BMW 1 Series may download his route planned in advance through BMW Online into the car’s navigation system, putting together destinations and sights on the way or going to special destinations directly through Google Local Search.

The latest weather information, to present yet another example, may be shown in the navigation map and the Enquiry Service is able to provide data on automatic cash machines, local pharmacies as well as cultural events, flights, restaurants or hotels, specialists at the BMW Call Center making bookings or reservations on request for the driver and his passengers.

Particularly attractive, sophisticated and carefully matched features are available in the 2010 model year in both the Lifestyle and Sport Edition models of the three-door and five-door BMW 1 Series.

Production of the BMW 1 Series at BMW’s ultra-modern Leipzig Plant stands for maximum efficiency, flexibility, and quality. The outstanding level of quality is also borne out by the lasting value of the car and its superior reliability confirmed time and again in non-partisan tests. Currently, for example, the BMW 130i holds the top position in the ranking of endurance car tests carried out by the German car magazine “Auto Bild”: Covering a distance of 100,000 kilometres or 62,000 miles, this sporting version of BMW’s most compact model scored the best result of all cars tested in 2009. Giving the BMW 130i a 1+ mark, the journal’s professional testers lauded it clearly as the “Best Auto Bild Endurance Test Car of All Times”.

BMW Plant Leipzig plays an important role in the current and future plans of Germany’s leading premium car maker. Currently both the BMW 1 Series and the BMW X1 are built in Leipzig. At the same time, however, BMW Plant Leipzig is being prepared for production of an all-electric production model currently being developed by the BMW Group. The plan is to establish an integrated production network with two sites in Bavaria, important components being built in Wackersdorf and Landshut and the car itself, the Megacity Vehicle planned as part of BMW project i, coming off the production line in Leipzig.

BMW Plant Leipzig was built in the north-east of the city at an investment of more than Euro 1 billion and is conceived as a production plant with an integrated Delivery Centre for external suppliers. Some 5,000 employees work throughout the entire premises on the production of premium cars for the BMW brand, making BMW the biggest employer in Leipzig.

Applying flexible working time concepts and shift systems, BMW Plant Leipzig currently builds up to 700 cars a day and more, depending on demand in the market.

Ever since the Plant started production in 2005, no less than 662,000 cars have come off the line here. In Germany alone, sales of the BMW 1 Series amount to 336.017 units since the introduction of this model.

[Source: BMW]

The new BMW M1, or whatever name will carry, won’t be available for another year or so, but that doesn’t stop the respectable BMW tuner from coming out with their own version of the rumored M1 model….or at least, something close to it.

The well respected tuner Dinan is working on a new project, called Stage 3 135i, in which they plan to turn the 1 Series Coupe into an M-like model. While an M car involves more than just an engine upgrade, we have to give Dinan credit for giving it a shot.

They pumped the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 up to 380 bhp (from the stock 300) on 91-octane fuel, or 408 bhp on 93 octane.

To bring it closer to an M experience, Dinan also tweaked the Coupe’s suspensions.

Total bill? $11,890 for the engine tuning and suspension, that’s on top of the $40,000+ price for a well equipped 135i Coupe.

[Source: Road and Track ]

We have seen all sort of “crazy” colors on BMWs, from matte Orange to Gold metallic and Ontario Gold, but today, we have something quite unique.

During his visit in Leipzig, our own Benny over at BimmerToday, captured some photos of a “lime green” looking BMW 1 Series Coupe.

The color is actually called “Power Green” and it is featured on a 120i Coupe sitting a BMW center in Leipzig, and judging by the photos below, it doesn’t get flashier than that. Regardless of the “unique’ color, the overall look is not near as bad as one would expect, and certainly would appeal to some of us, more adventurous bimmer fans.

The BMW 120i Coupe is an European only model and is powered by a 170-hp four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. The car in question comes equipped with the M-Sport Package, giving the 120i Coupe an even more aggressive look.

As advertised, the Power Green 120i Coupe costs 38,970 euros, approximately $52,150, not a small amount for those of us used to the U.S. pricing.