BMW Vehicles

BMW has issued a recall on more then 20,000 American cars because the passenger side airbag will not deploy during an accident. 2004-2005 5-Series sedans, 2004-2006 X3 SUV’s, and 2006 3-Series are all under the recall list.

According to the recall notice, a sensor that deploys the airbag could be deactivated by wear and tear caused by passengers opening and closing the car door. BMW dealers will begin servicing affected vehicles in September, 2008. As a courtesy, BMW will extend the warranty on the affected autos airbags for 10 years with no limit on mileage.

BMW will be obtaining the eight-speed automatic transmissions from ZF Friedrichshafen a German supplier that they often deal with. BMW has plans to debut the new transmission in the X6 Sport Activity Vehicle and 7-Series sedan.

The current BMW 7-Series both use six-speed automatics. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class utilizes a seven-speed automatic of their own design, while Lexus debuted their eight-speed transmission in the LS 460. Increasing the number of forward gears offers advantages in smoothness, acceleration, and improves fuel efficiency. Lower fuel consumption equates to reduced emissions, helping the powerful models meet increasingly stringent air quality standards in Europe and the United States.

BMW is already working on a way to bring the power levels of the AMG up by the time the new M5 is revealed in 2011. In order to accomplish this the output needs to be more than current model’s – which is 501 horsepower. BMW till have to get rid of the V10 5.5 liters and give it a couple turbos and use direct-injection in order to bring it up to at least 550 horsepower.

BMW stated today that they will be releasing their new in-car internet system to the markets located right outside of Germany sooner then they originally planned. The new ConnectedDrive allows drivers unrestricted access to the Internet through the EDGE network. EDGE is one of the fastest mobile Internet connections in the world.

People riding in the back seat will be able to connect and surf the net as much as they want. However, we don’t recommend drivers surfing unless they are at a complete stop. Unlimited service is going to cost consumers around 15 euros every month.

BMW created the original Hydrogen 7 to run on both gasoline and hydrogen. The hydrogen part of the V12 engine contains -253° Centigrade liquid hydrogen that can run for 125 miles. The gasoline part of the tank can hold up to 19.5 gallons of fuel that can last up to 310 miles. This makes it more convenient for consumers to use the gasoline more than the hydrogen.

We were excited to see the release of BMW’s new M3 convertible – but we were even more excited to see the long awaited seven speed dual clutch gearbox that will be in every M3 vehicle that BMW makes.

The M DKG setup uses two clutches with 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th (plus reverse) on one shaft and 2nd, 4th and 6th on the other. Both clutches are oil-cooled and, like the systems offered by other manufacturers, the dual-clutch setup offers both quicker shifts and better fuel economy.