BMW tagged posts

Last Friday (August 1st, 2014), BMW starts the second generation X6 (F16 X6) production in its Spartanburg, SC plant.

According to BMW, the first production X6 is a xDrive 35i wears the Sophisto Gray color, with Cognac Black nappa leather. That very X6 is heading for a dealership in China.

The BMW Spartanburg plant will also produce the upcoming 3-row-seat X7.

According to BMW insider, after the release of the M2 next year, the next exciting news for the M brand is the GTS model of the M4.

For your reference, the GTS trim is a more track-oriented variant, it usually deletes some non-necessary parts and incorporates structural enhancements. For example, the E92 M3 GTS weights approx. 300 lbs less than the standard M3. Of course, there may be other upgrades to the powertrain, suspension and braking system.

Currently there is no further information about the M4 GTS, we will keep an eye on it and report back any updates.

The S55 engine-equipped 2015 BMW M3 and M4 has been for sale for a while.

However, before looking at the below two technical documents from BMW, I bet you do not know the M3 and M4 in such depth. These two official documents provides precious details about these M cars and its heart: the S55 engine.

For example, some of the major differences between the S55 engine and the N55 engine (which is found in all BMW *35i models), are: 1. the S55 has closed deck crankcase, and the N55 is open deck; 2. the S55 has LDS-coated aluminum cylinder liners, while the N55 is using cast iron liners.

Download the documents for more insights.

M3/M4 Technical Document

S55 Engine Technical D...

Today, BMW China announced the MSRP for the brand’s electric car: the i3. Below is the pricing data:

This translates to USD $72,640 for the base i3 and $83,940 for the i3 with range extender. As mentioned before, please do not be confused by the imported car’s pricing in China, which seems to be much higher than the same one we see in the States. The reason is because the Chinese government is imposing heavy tariff on imported goods, especially for automobiles.

Benefited by the electric power source, which does not has an internal combustion engine (or just with a very small displacement engi...

Following the news that BMW will manufacture 3 more models in China, BMW also announced they are setting up a research and development center in Shengyang, China.

BMW’s Shenyang R&D center is focusing on new energy source vehicles and its new brand: Zinoro, which is dedicated to the Chinese market.

I bet you have never heard the name of “Zinoro”. Here is some background information: Zinoro is a brand that BMW created solely for the China market. It is dedicated to electric vehicles at this moment, and it has already released their first product: the Zinoro 1E.

You see it right, it looks like the BMW X1 – because it is actually the X1, but with electric motor and battery ...