BMW Top News

New BMW Performance products now enable the genuine enthusiast to express his or her penchant for supreme technical performance in all other models in the new BMW 3 Series. Retrofi ttable options on the drivetrain, suspension, aerodynamics and the cockpit designed specifi cally for the new BMW 3 Series Saloon and the new BMW 3 Series Touring convey know-how from motorsport to the road for even greater and more enjoyable driving pleasure.

The BMW Performance Aerodynamics Kit featuring a striking front apron with an integrated surround on the BMW kidney grille in black high-gloss look and dynamically contoured side-sills serves to optimise the dynamic driving qualities of the car and ensure a truly powerful look in everyday traffi c.

Further accessories made of carbon-fi bre and tailored to each model include a BMW Performance carbon rear spoiler for the Saloon as well as carbon exterior mirror caps and a BMW Performance carbon diffuser on both body versions.

To enhance the suspension to an even higher standard, the discerning customer has the choice of BMW Performance sports brakes, the BMW Performance suspension, a BMW Performance spring strut dome bar made of carbon-fi bre, and two attractive light-alloy wheels.

The BMW Performance sports brakes come with extra-large vented brake discs cross-drilled at the front and upgraded by slots in the discs for optimised cooling. The six-piston fi xed-calliper brakes on the front axle, in turn, come in brilliant BMW Performance Yellow and bear the words “BMW Performance”. The same proud designation is to be admired on the spring strut dome bar fi tted within the engine compartment for further enhancement of body stiffness.

With its particularly sporting set-up, the BMW Performance suspension ensures enhanced handling and optimised performance when driving in very sporting style. But at the same time this special suspension maintains an equally high standard of comfort in everyday traffi c.

The BMW Performance suspension lowers the entire car by up to 25 millimetres or almost 1″. Coil springs in sporting BMW Performance Yellow also set an optical highlight through their particular style and colour.

New BMW Performance double-spoke wheels 313 highlight the sporting character of the car and promote the high standard of agility through their particularly low weight. These special wheels are available in 18 inches for the BMW 1 Series and 19 inches for the BMW 3 Series.

Optimised air fl ow and highly attractive tailpipes.
The new BMW Performance air intake system enhances the supply of air to the six-cylinder petrol engines in the new BMW 3 Series. Proceeding from the standard air intakes, both the fi lter and the internal fl ow of air have been modified to improve air fl ow and reduce the extent of a possible loss in pressure.

At the same time the system provides a particularly sporting sound experience within the car, the BMW Performance air intake system thus optimising both the development of power and the effi ciency of the engine.

The BMW Performance silencer system provides exactly the right sound accentuating the greater power and traction of the engine. So without in any way impairing the car’s long-distance comfort, the silencers provide a discreet but distinctively dynamic and sporting sound effect, twin tailpipes made of chrome-plated stainless steel emphasising the high-tech status of the car also in terms of its looks.

BMW Performance products also serve to give the interior the touch of a genuine sports car. BMW Performance sports seats in bucket motorsport design and fi nished in black alcantara offer perfect support and superior seating comfort, with the side airbags also integrated in the seats.

These special BMW Performance sports seats are available for the driver and front passenger on the fi ve-door, three-door and Coupé versions of the BMW 1 Series as well as the BMW 3 Series Saloon, the BMW 3 Series Touring, and the BMW 3 Series Coupé.

Supplementing these features, the new range of BMW Performance options also includes an innovative multi-function sports steering wheel. Finished in alcantara and leather, this special steering wheel is particularly pleasant and safe to hold, an LED display in the upper section of the steering wheel rim presenting a wide range of technical information such as the oil and coolant temperature, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, as well as the gearshift points and the time of day. To retrieve this information, all the driver has to do is press the appropriate buttons in the steering wheel rim.

Over and above these highlights in terms of the car’s looks, the BMW Performance gearshift lever helps to ensure a very dynamic gearshift at all times. In its optimum ergonomic design, the gearshift knob made of chrome and black alcantara ensures a very precise shift process while the gearshift lever shortens shift travel by approximately 25 per cent versus the standard version.

The new BMW Performance range likewise comprises an appropriately designed automatic transmission selector lever as well as a handbrake lever in the same design.

The current range of BMW Performance products is rounded off, fi nally, by dark stainless-steel door cutout bars incorporating the designation “BMW Performance” in yellow illumination, trim strips in carbon design on the centre console, the dashboard as well as the front and rear door covers and the side area at the rear, and pedals and footrests made of aluminium.

All BMW Performance components are available individually, enabling the driver of a new BMW 3 Series to highlight those features and qualities of his or her car which he regards as particularly signifi cant in terms of sportiness and dynamic performance. At the same time all BMW Performance products may also be grouped within a harmoniously tailored overall package.

BMW Performance products are sold and fi tted by BMW Dealers and Service Partners as well as BMW Retail Outlets.

BMW Performance Power Kit: entering a new level of performance.
Going beyond the maximum limit, re-defi ning the conventional – precisely these are the challenges successfully mastered by the engineers responsible for developing the BMW Performance Power Kit. The result is an increase in output on the straight-six power unit featured in the BMW 135i Coupé, the BMW 135i Convertible, the BMW 335i Saloon, the BMW 335i Touring, the BMW 335i Coupé, and the BMW 335i Convertible.

On all of these models the BMW Performance Power Kit increases engine output by 15 kW/20 hp to 240 kW/326 hp, boosting maximum torque to 450 Newton-metres/332 lb-ft. On the road the most important result of this enhancement of engine power is signifi cantly faster acceleration and fl exibility the driver will clearly notice and enjoy on all models.

The power unit further upgraded by the BMW Performance Power Kit is already the most powerful six-cylinder within the wide range of BMW engines. Featured in the top versions of both the BMW 3 Series and the BMW 1 Series, this outstanding power unit comes with Twin Turbo Technology and High Precision Injection, offering maximum output in standard trim in the BMW 3 and BMW 1 Series of 225 kW/306 hp and maximum torque of 400 Newtonmetres/295 lb-ft.

In the BMW Performance Power Kit this top-of-the-range engine now enters a new dimension of engine power, the BMW Performance Power Kit being made up of software and hardware components perfectly matched to one another in their functions and specially developed for the 3.0-litre straight-six.

Appropriate modifi cations in engine management have a positive effect on the development of power, an additional radiator outside of the engine itself as well as appropriate air fl ow ducts and a high-performance fan on the main radiator serving to adjust the engine to the change in thermal conditions.

Apart from the increase in maximum power to 240 kW/326 hp, the BMW Performance Power Kit boosts peak torque to 430 Newton-metres/317 lb-ft on manual-gearbox models and an even more significant 450 Newton-metres/332 lb-ft on models with automatic transmission.

On the BMW 335i Coupé and the BMW 335i Convertible, the BMW Performance Power Kit may also be combined with BMW’s seven-speed automatic sports transmission complete with double-clutch operation.

Whatever combination he chooses, the driver will always enjoy a significant increase in power and performance clearly confi rmed by actual measurements. As an example, the BMW 335i Saloon with the BMW Performance Power Kit accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, thus completing this standard sprint 0.2 seconds faster than its regular production counterpart. And acceleration from 80–120 km/h (50–75 mph) even comes 0.5 seconds faster than in the regular model.

Character:
• With the future still offering sufficient room for an exciting new driving experience, BMW has once again defined a brand-new vehicle segment: The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo is the series-based adaptation of the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS) in the upper midrange segment, offering an impressive outlook on the extension of the BMW 5 Series by a new, additional concept.

• With its stylish appearance and comfortable driving experience, the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo transfers the characteristics of a classic Gran Turismo to a very special four-door vehicle with four seats. These features so typical of a Gran Turismo are then enriched by the highest standard of intelligent, versatile functionality.

• The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo combines elegance, space, comfort and variability. In a combination never seen before on any other car, the characteristic features of a prestigious sedan, a modern and versatile Sports Activity Vehicle, and a classic Gran Turismo are all united in this unique Concept Car.

• Besides the typical BMW proportions, the coupe-like roofline accentuates the elegant yet sporty character of the car and the sheer length of the car’s body. In addition, the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo has four frameless doors and elegant aluminium highlights.

• The luxurious interior is surprisingly generous considering the coupé-like silhouette of the car, creating a spontaneous feeling of well-being for driver and passengers. This impression is further enhanced by a comfortable entry to the car, the slightly elevated seating position, and the panorama roof providing a particularly pleasant travel experience.

• The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo is highly versatile: a flexible interior comprising the rear seats, the partition wall wall, and the luggage compartment allows the adjustment of the interior individually to personal requirements - from a separate luggage compartment, like in a sedan, all the way to a loading capacity of 1,650 litres or almost 58 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. This flexibility is rounded off by a two-piece tailgate with separate openings for additional convenience.

• The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo addresses a demanding and modern target group - discerning individuals who attach great importance to genuine style, luxurious comfort and flexibility in use. This gives BMW the opportunity to win over customers who today drive either a sedan, an SUV or an wagon model in the respective competitive segments.

• The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo extends the BMW’s model range by an intelligent, new and indeed unparalleled vehicle concept for modern mobility at highest standard. Through its unique combination of elegance, space, comfort and variability, the car creates a powerful impression of relaxed presence. Indeed, these new characteristics enrich Sheer Driving Pleasure to an even higher standard and appeal to additional target groups. And last but not least the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo authentically visualises premium quality and a new standard of sporting performance borne out by the car’s dynamism and efficiency.

Interior design:
• The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo offers a spacious and luxurious ambience with inspiring and modern interior design. As the world’s only combination of variable spaciousness and uncompromising premium quality, this new concept car also stands out through the most sophisticated materials and excellent quality of finish. Supreme harmony in interior design, reflected by the trim surfaces extending from the front to the rear doors, creates a modern symbiosis of the two seats at the front and the seats at the rear. The panorama glass roof, in turn, further intensifies the light and generous ambience inside the car, while the stylish cockpit emphasises the sheer width of the vehicle through its horizontal lines, black panel technology and a fully integrated 10.2-inch Control Display.

• Supreme seating comfort, ample headroom and elbow room in the front provide the standard of a luxury performance automobile, the slightly elevated seating position ensures an optimum overview and makes access to the car particularly comfortable. Tilted slightly to the front, the instrument panel, finally, optimises the degree of control comfort on the driver’s seat.

• Convenient and ergonomically optimised access as well as significant freedom of movement characterise the generous atmosphere on the rear seats. Extending all the way to the rear, the centre console in the concept car emphasises the length of the interior. Outstanding variability, in turn, is ensured by single seats at the rear infinitely adjustable fore-and-aft, their backrests folding forwards individually and under electric power at the touch of a button and the adjustable backrest angle ensuring further comfort and style.

• With the rear seats in their regular position, the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo offers the passengers at the rear the same legroom as in the BMW 7 Series and virtually the same headroom as in the BMW X5. In this configuration, luggage compartment capacity is 430 litres or 15.1 cubic feet. The partition wall behind the rear seats separates the passenger and luggage compartments from one another in terms of both acoustics and climate conditions, like in a sedan. If necessary, the rear seats move fore-and-aft by up to 100 millimetres or more than 3.9″ - so that with the seats moved as far forward as possible, the occupants still enjoy the same legroom as in the BMW 5 Series Sedan, with luggage capacity increasing to 570 litres or almost 20 cubic feet. Then, once folding down the rear seat backrests and the partition wall, the luggage compartment further increases in size to its maximum capacity of 1,650 litres or nearly 58 cubic feet. The firm cover on the luggage compartment may be stowed away in the floor of the compartment, again in the interest of extra convenience.

• The two-piece tailgate allows unique variability in loading the luggage compartment: Opening the small, sedan-like tailgate beneath the rear window enables the driver and passengers, in combination with the closed partition wall, to load the luggage compartment without creating any drafts into the passenger compartment or changing the temperature the passengers wish to enjoy. To conveniently load bulky objects, in turn, all the driver has to do is open up the large tailgate similar in its configuration to that of a Sports Activity Vehicle.

Exterior design:
• The BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo combines the modern, up-todate interpretation of a Gran Turismo with four doors and all the prestige of a Sedan and the variability of a Sports Activity Vehicle. The proportions so typical of a BMW are borne out in particular by the long engine compartment lid, the long wheelbase, the coupé-like roofline, and the greenhouse moved far to the rear.

• The dynamic character of the car’s front-end design is accentuated by the large BMW kidney grille positioned low down and standing upright at the front, as well as the large air intake. Tilted to an angle, extending far round to the side and highlighted by a striking surround, the dual round headlights give the front end of the car a particularly modern look. The corona rings of the daytime driving lights, finally, come for the first time in LED technology.

• From the side, the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo clearly visualises its innovative character, the striking waistline and the coupé-like roofline accentuate the elegant look of the car and the sheer length of the body. Following the example of a sporting coupé, the BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo comes with four doors and frameless windows. The aluminium surrounds on the side windows are milled out of one solid unit and holding the elegantly designed exterior mirrors as yet another important design feature. Yet a further striking element on the side is the exciting re-interpretation of the famous “Hofmeister kink” so typical of BMW at the rear end of the window graphics.

• Horizontal lines at the rear emphasise the width and sporting character of the car, further accentuated by the waistline extending from the side into the rear panel, a three-dimensional chrome bar and the flared wheel arches. The outer rooflines merge into the air spoiler and encompass the rear end in its sporting fastback design. And as yet another feature typical of BMW, the L-shaped rear light clusters come with horizontal rows of lights extending far round into the side of the car.