BMW

2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5

2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5
This ActiveHybrid 5 is essentially a 535i sedan that pollutes less, travels farther on each of its 17.7 gallons of fuel, is painted BMW’s alternative-propulsion color of choice, Bluewater Metallic, and weighs 330 pounds more due to its electric motor, electric power unit motherboard and lithium-ion battery pack. Both CO2 emissions and range are said to improve by roughly 16 percent in a car that performs up to par with a 535i, so it’s a likeable proposition. Sticking with the standard 17-inch wheel/tire setup and setting the Driving Dynamics Control to Eco Pro mode, that’d make the CO2 rate 240 grams per mile – an impressive stat that most Americans still don’t care about – and an average EPA city/hwy combined fuel economy score of around 31 miles per gallon.

With a base price of $61,845, the ActiveHybrid 5 will cost 17.8 percent more than the $52,500 535i when it arrives at U.S. dealers in late March. For comparison’s sake, the ActiveHybrid 750i costs 15.1 percent more than the 750i and the recently discontinued ActiveHybrid X6 ran a whopping 26.8 percent more than the X6 xDrive50i.

Source: AutoBlog

New BMW 328i more better than old 335d diesel

New BMW 328i more better than old 335d diesel
Admittedly, the 328i’s numbers are a far cry from the 265 ponies and 425 lb-ft of torque cranked out by the diesel-fueled 3.0-liter inline six in the 335d. Even so, the 2012 328i is considerably lighter and more aerodynamic. It also boasts a next-generation transmission, which helps the car get to 60 mph one tenth of a second quicker than the old 335d. That’s surprising, but not nearly as surprising as the fact that the 328i manages 1 mpg better than the diesel in the combined cycle. According to the EPA’s just-released figures, the 328i nets 24 miles per gallon in the city and an impressive 36 mpg on the highway. The 335i? 23 mpg city and 36 highway.

Source: Automobile Magazine

BMW M goes diesel – M550d, X5 M50d, X6 M50d

BMW M goes diesel   M550d, X5 M50d, X6 M50d

The new M models come in the form of the M550d xDrive sedan, M550d xDrive touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d. Each makes use of a 3.0-liter inline-six common-rail diesel with the aforementioned trio of turbos specifically developed for the M Performance range. Output is rated at 376 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 545 pound-feet of torque available from 2,000 to 3,000 revs. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s a bump of 80 hp and 103 lb-ft over the 535d and 74 hp and 103 lb-ft more than the 3.0-liter mill fitted to the diesel X5 and X6.

Each model comes equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and standard xDrive AWD, allowing the M550d sedan to hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds – just four tenths of a second off the all-new M5′s 0-60 run. You read that right. The M550d Touring hits 60 in 4.9 seconds, with the X5 M50d and X6 M50d passing the mark in 5.4 and 5.3 seconds, respectively. All models are limited to 155 mph and fuel consumption ranges between 6.4 liters/100km and 7.7 liters/100km.