German car manufacturer BMW is thinking of reconfiguring their strategy for naming their vehicles across all brand. This was according to the BMW marketing director during a recent interview in London.
BMW is foreseeing an evolution in terms naming the vehicles across the different brands. BMW has not revealed what the new smaller BMW model that will be positioned below the 1 Series will be called and so far the marketing department of BMW would not say a word. Director of marketing Ian Robertson though noted of the upcoming I models, and the Z, X, and M models. He added that a lot of numbers might be used in the future.
The naming of the cars for the Rolls Royce and the Mini can even get more complicated. Names that has already been copyrighted across the globe makes the situation even tougher. Robertson recalls his work with the Land Rover during which the company thought of giving the SUV the name Freestyle which can become Freelander for Europe and LR2 in the United States, but they found out that these names are already in use in different markets.
The marketing director of BMW did not give any hint of how the future Mini’s and Rolls Royces will be called but we think they will also be getting alpha numeric badges.
Different issues like copyright and the century long history of car production makes naming cars for different brands very difficult. We might see car names getting duller and boring as we go along.
Long time luxury car segment leader Lexus is outclassed by rivals Mercedes and BMW in terms of sales. Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus have been the annual top leader among the luxury car marques for eleven years.
The sales of Mercedes-Benz jumped by 11% or by 16,398 units compared to their last year’s numbers. BMW sprung by 21% or by as much as 15,905 vehicles. Lexus on the other hand fell by 17% or by 12,860 vehicles.
Lexus was able to protect its position last year and held off the two other rivals BMW and Mercedes to keep the top position in terms of sales in the Unite States. Lexus held the position for 11 years. The German brands have outpaced and outpositioned the Japanese Toyota unit with the X3 of BMW hitting the showrooms and the C-Class of Mercedes Benz getting a face lift.
The lead of Lexus is getting smaller with its 2009 19,473 units lead shrinkign to 9,216 last year. The sales of Lexus jumped 6.2% in 2010 or by around 229, 329 units while BMW’s numbers sprung by 12% or by as much as 220, 113 vehicles for 2010. Mercedes-Benz was able to achiev a 14% jump or 216,448 cars for 2010.
Lexus had a good push towards the end of 2010 to keep it afloat. The good race between the three luxury brands will impact the stats for the segment early this year. Lexus surely suffered from the recalls made by Toyota resulting to more incetive spendings for the company.
We do not hear very often how the car manufacturers design the sound of their engine. BMW is among the leader in this technology and they coined theirs as Active Sound Design.
Mini gets an engine note to make its 4-cylinder diesel powerplant sound like a V8 muscle car. The engineers actually came up with four notes which are now being tested with a Mini and with a prototype BMW 635d.
The sound technology makes use of the vehicle’s own sound system to create a better driving experience. Drivers will perceive that the vehicle is performing better when compared to a same vehicle with the same specs but without the V8 sound technology. The sound technology feeds a generated sound through the cabin via the sound system of the car while also utilizing panels to lower the real sound of the car coming from its engine bay.
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Just recently in Munich, the BMW 5 Series was revealed. This is the sixth generation of what is rightly classified as a sleek executive sedan, and this time around it has what can only be called an athletic, sporty design aesthetic. The elements are wonderfully evolutionary and the proportions are perfectly, flawlessly balanced.
BMW’s emblematic and signature design is clearly seen in the car, with its long hood and the one of a kind kidney grille. The body is shaped rather like a wedge, which creates something extremely dynamic. The profile is both eloquent and elegant, but at the same time it is said to interpret, with a modern twist, the unique Hofmeister kink characteristic of BMW.
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When you think about BMW – what is usually the first thing that comes to your mind? Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is never hybrid and never ever fuel efficient, however – BMW has switched their name around a bit and they are not becoming one of the premium hybrid car makers, starting with the all new 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6. This beautiful, wonderful and powerful BMW lives right up to the name and is certainly one of the hybrids that is not only pretty to look at … but absolutely powerful in every way possible.
The great thing about the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is that there is a ton of horsepower behind that engine – 480 HP actually and it has very impressive powertain that consists of twin electric motors and twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine. This car can run to sixty and will take just about 5 seconds to get to the top speed of 130 miles per hour.
2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is the car to get – it is a hybrid, it is fast and it is by far one of the coolest looking cars. What’re you waiting for again?
One thing that I have noticed about 2010 is that there is a new Land Rover that is in play and it is the Land Rover LR4. This car is absolutely incredible and it is the fourth generation of the Discovery. The Land Rover LR4, is all new and while there might just seem like some minor tweaks, there are some large tweaks that have been made as well. For example, the outside is still a little bulky but it has been trimmed down a little bit and the brand new interior is very soft to the touch. There is also a group of more functions that are all in the central touch screen.
Under the hood, this car features the old 4.4 liter V-8 engine, but it also features a new and direct-injected 5.0 liter unit that jumps this car to 375 HP and 375 lb-ft of torque. That is incredible for a car like this huh?
Personally, I have never driven a Range Rover, but I have heard that they look absolutely incredible and to be honest, they are the height of luxury – so really, check them out and see what you think, after all, it’s brand new!
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Cars are definitely something that are constantly changing, shifting and taking on new and great shapes and that is exactly what this incredible BMW car is. This car, while a concept right now is definitely one car that is going to be huge. The 2010 BMW M6 RZ is absolutely incredible and while it might have been somewhat made up back in 1976, with all of the latest and greatest technologies, this car has been improved upon greatest just like all BMW M Cars!
One thing that I absolutely love about the newest cars in the world is the fact that they look sexy – whenever you are driving around or going to be driving around in a 2010 car, they look nice and you look nice in them and that is one of the main reasons why so many people are constantly purchasing cars!
So really … check out the 2010 BMW M6 RZ. After all, BMW is still the height of luxury and these cars will last you forever!
What a looker. This new BMW M1 Hommage Concept Car really is a symphony of modern technology and ancient (in car-historical terms) looks…
I’m loving it!
Source: BMW Blog
