The New BMW 3 Series Convertible: World Premiere at NAIAS in January
Woodcliff Lake/Detroit - December 20, 2006 -- The fourth generation of BMW's 3 Series four-seat convertible will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January. A new dimension in the world of motoring comes with the introduction of a retractable hardtop for the first time on a BMW.Made of lightweight steel, the three-piece roof opens in just 22 seconds and folds smoothly into the rear compartment of BMW's newest convertible. The new roof structure ensures a lower level of noise even at high speeds while the ultra-stiff platform provides extreme torsional strength for rigidity and the superb handling inherent to all BMWs. .
2005 BMW 3 Series E90 SE from UK and Ireland
I do not find the new 3 (e90) to be ugly at all. Some of you folks just need to get with the times. When the new 5 came out I thought it was ugly too, but over the years it has grown on me and now I rather see it as a work of art, really. When the 5 series came out it was ahead of it's time.
And just look at Benz and Lexus/Toyota now copying the Bangle-Butt.
The new 3-series is modern looking and can you really fault BMW with making it somewhat bland than radical looking?
Fix the spelling and grammar of this comment Request deletion of this comment 12th Dec 2006, 13:53
Yes, sad to say, but the Bangle butt has now become an automotive trend. Who'dve thunk it?
But I still think the 5 series is hideously ugly. One magazine compared its front to the face of Dame Edna and I agree.
The Z4 goes bi: Hartge Biturbo Z30
BMW tuner Hartge is no stranger to building fast BMWs. Stuffing the 5.0-liter V10 into a 3-series, and a 4.4-liter V8 into a 1-Series are just a couple of their recent feats of magic. The latest transformation is the H30 Biturbo, taking the twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight six from the 335i and filling the bonnet of a Z3 with boost. Producing 380 horsepower and 332 ft/lbs of torque, the modified motor will get you to 62 miles per hour (100 KMH) in a scant 4.8 seconds on your way to a top speed of 177 miles per hour.More info and pics after the jump.
[Source: AutoMotorundSport]
Braking comes from 4-piston calipers gripping 380mm front rotors with 324mm rotors in the rear. The 20-inch wheel and tire combination featuring 245/30ZR20 front and 295/25ZR20 rubber in the rear also allows the H30 Biturbo to take full advantage of the chassis.
New life for the hardtop that hides itself away
The folding of a retractable hardtop is the automotive equivalent of a Busby Berkeley routine: The hard roof rises, the roof folds and is then shoved into the trunk. It is such a wonder that it would be natural to assume that this engineering feat is a recent development.
Not so. In 1934, a Parisian dentist and part-time car designer, Georges Paulin, designed and patented a retractable hardtop for a small Peugeot coupe. Paulin's patron and coachbuilder, Marcel Pourtout, also custom-built several of Paulin's designs on a larger Peugeot chassis. The cars were attractive and extremely well received.
Paulin sold the retractable hardtop design and patent to Peugeot in 1935. Until World War II, Peugeot built a limited number of cars, called the 402BL Eclipse Decapotable, using Paulin's design.
Eight-year itch
BMW was one of the first automakers to introduce a genuinely sporty SUV with its 2000 X5 model, but it has been essentially left unchanged until the new 2007 model arrived. That's an eternity for a model in today's market, but the all-new X5 seems worth the wait.
The American-built X5 looks much like the 2000-2006 model. But it's more powerful, with a revised chassis, more responsive 6-speed automatic transmission (now standard for both six-cylinder and V-8 engines) and -- for the first time -- an optional third-row seat. That seat is best suited to kids and mainly offered to make the X5 more desirable to families.
The fact that BMW also offers the sporty compact X3 SUV allowed it to go whole hog in redesigning the new X5. For one thing, it's been made larger despite the general move toward smaller vehicles.
Greener motoring
Manitoba motorists buying hybrid-fuel vehicles will soon find them easier on the earth -- and their wallets.
Purchases or leases of new vehicles running on combinations of regular fuel and electricity will soon be eligible for rebates of $2,000 for Manitoba drivers, under a program that will roll out in the new year.
"It's a great idea. Anything the government can do to offer incentives for cleaner air or better fuel efficiency and less emissions can do us good," said Kelly Irvine, general manager at Jim Gauthier Chevrolet in Winnipeg.
The timing of the two-year program's launch is uncertain but the rebates will be retroactive to Nov. 15.
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