Archive for the ‘BMW’ Category

The 2012 BMW 328i – Still the Heart and Soul of BMW

Posted: October 10, 2012 in BMW
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Since the BMW 2012 (internal code F30) BMW 328i arrived on our shores earlier this year, it’s been tested and written about endlessly by every car magazine, enthusiast website, TV show and blogger on the planet. Whenever a new generation BMW 3er arrives, there is much hand wringing as to whether it’s still the benchmark by which all other sports sedans are measured.

The near unanimous consensus is: Yes, the BMW 3er is still The One.

The 2012 BMW 328i Sport Line in Melbourne Red Metallic.

There are many competitors, including the Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, Cadillac ATS, Volvo S60 and Infiniti G. Each has admirable qualities and often one or the other beats the BMW in one or more statistics or test categories. Yet none quite add up to the BMW 3er. At least not yet.

The 2012 BMW 328i in Luxury Line in Imperial Blue Metallic, a new color.

Here’s what you will like:

  • Fantastic new 2.0L inline TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder direct injected engine making 240 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque – easily more than the old six. And you won’t find any turbo-lag with BMW’s excellent twin-scroll turbocharger. Why pay thousands extra for the thirsty 335i when you have this delightful, powerful and fun unit as the base engine?

    The engine bay of the 2012 BMW 328i. Note the TwinPower logo next to the BMW badge.

  • Empathic ZF 8-speed automatic transmission that always finds the sweet spot for the engine with overdrive gears that help the new drivetrain achieve impressive EPA numbers of 23 city, 33 highway 26 combined.
  • High-performance, lightweight, 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with anti-lock braking system (ABS), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC) and Cornering Brake Control (CBC)
  • Dynamic chassis with a sophisticated 5-link rear suspension and double-pivot type front suspension with spring struts and anti-roll bar
  • It’s bigger than the last 3er, but still only weighs 3,485 pounds – a weight gain of 133 pounds. You’ll never notice it with all the extra power.
  • Zero to 60 mph at 5.6 seconds according to Car & Driver.
  • Sporty, small-diameter, meaty, three-spoke multifunction steering wheel.

    The cockpit of the 2012 328i Sport Line is a great place to spend time. I love the new steering wheel and the Coral Red Dakota leather is outstanding.

  • Higher quality interior materials, even as it retains its aura of Germanic austerity.

    The interior is nicely appointed. Materials are mostly soft-touch plastics or leather. I like the new horizontal dash layout too. Fit and finish is excellent.

  • Terrific 10-way power memory sports seats. The standard 8-way power memory seats are good too.
  • Latest iDrive with navigation has terrific graphics, all on display in a lovely 8.8 inch full-color TFT screen. In addition to the 2-D view, it now has night view, height mode and 3-D perspective. A switch from DVD-based to a hard-drive make it all faster.

    I love the gigantic 8.8 inch iDrive navigation screen. Analog controls for HVAC and seat heating as well as some radio controls are nice to have.

  • Increased 1.9 inch longer wheelbase means a slightly better ride. Quieter too.
  • More interior colors and choices. I have a particular fondness for the available Fine-wood “Fineline Pure” textured, matte-finished wood trim available as part of the $2,100 Modern Line package. Many will find it too odd-looking, but it is unique in this class.

    A 2012 BMW 328i Modern Line with the Fine-wood trim ‘Fineline Pure’ textured. The interior is Oyster Dakota Leather.

  • Great new colors including my favorite, Mineral White Metallic (a $550 option).
  • New options not previously available on a 3er. Heated steering wheel, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, rear-, side- and top-view cameras, adaptive light control, park assistant (parallel parks for you) and automatic high beams. Just don’t ask the price.
  • Automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control and rain-sensing wipers are still standard equipment.
  • Tons of standard passive and active safety features, including air bags, electronic nannies and wizards, which all work behind the scenes, mostly completely unnoticed.
  • Handsome new, if evolutionary sheet metal. I find it hard to distinguish it from the last 3er and it looks eerily like a shrunken 5-series – which most consider a good thing.
  • Still the best warranty around. BMW’s Ultimate Care package includes no-cost maintenance for 4 years or 50,000 miles. You only pay for gas and tires.
  • Same prestigious blue and white badge – which is a representation of the flag of Bavaria, not the urban legend that it represents an aircraft propeller.

What you won’t like:

  • The low-rolling-resistance run-flat rubber all around. I hate the run-flats as the ride quality suffers significantly and road noise increases. But all new BMWs get them, so unless you want to spend the money to swap out the original equipment tires, it’s something you live with.

    The wheels look great and the low-profile tires are sporty. However, the cement-like firmness of the run-flat tires add to a harsh ride and more road noise.

  • All new automatic 3ers gets BMW’s electronic shifter. It’s sensitive and fiddly and it makes fast shifts between reverse and drive – something you try to do in tight parking spots while blocking angry traffic – difficult and frustrating.

    BMW’s electronic shifter looks good and functions well when going from Park to Drive. But rocking back and forth between Reverse and Drive is tricky and can be frustrating.
    Note the new iDrive controller with a bunch of dedicated short cut buttons. Much better.

  • The new electric power steering doesn’t have the precise on-center feel or quite as snappy feedback as the old hydraulic unit. But EPS isn’t going away as hydraulic units sap fuel economy. Even the new Porsche 911 has EPS. I think BMW will refine its system as time marches on, so this isn’t a fatal flaw. The sad fact is that most BMW drivers don’t know the difference and won’t notice. They only drive the car for its badge.
  • No cooled seats option.
  • The 2001 Space Odyssey-like obelisk iDrive screen (the standard 6.5 inch screen or the 8.8 inch unit included with navigation) is fixed in the center of the dash. It looks like it should retract when not in use.
  • Some of the switchgear looks cheap.
  • Terrible cup holders that are too small – still.
  • No diesel engine option – at least  not yet; Bi-Xenon headlights should be standard.
  • Price. The base MSRP, including freight, is $37,395 and you don’t get much for your money. The alarming German trend, pioneered by greedy executives at Porsche, to make just about everything optional, has accelerated. Even just a few option packages push the price well beyond $50,000. The base 528i sedan starts at $48,395 (of course, that is stripped too).

The 2012 BMW 328i in new color (and very handsome) Sparkling Bronze Metallic.

Now for the really important question that everyone is asking: When my 3-year lease is up, should I get a new BMW 3er or look elsewhere? My advice is to check out the competition, but I think you’ll feel as connected with this new F30 328i as with any in the past.

I’ve owned two 3ers over the years. First there was a 2003 (E46) 325i Touring then a 2007 (E90) 335i Coupe. Both were great cars that I remember fondly (except for those run-flats on the 335i). I’d buy or lease a new 328i in a heartbeat if – and that’s an important “if” – BMW discounts its interest rates or sub-vents its leases enough to soften the blow of the inflated sticker. The redesigned 2012 3er is the still Ultimate Driving Machine and the most pure expression of  BMW’s heart and soul. And I’m still in love.

BMW’s Z1 Turns 25 and Now You Can Import It to the USA

Posted: June 6, 2012 in BMW
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An interesting news tidbit came through the BMW PR department recently. The Z1, the ground-breaking plastic-paneled roadster with vertical power sliding doors, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In 1985, BMW’s Board of Management formed a 60-member team of engineers and designers specifically tasked with creating what became known as the Z1. That group, BMW Technik GmbH, came up with the Z1’s radical design incorporating BMW’s goals: superior performance, the ability to drive with the roof down, a sense of sheer originality and a dash of extravagance.  To say they succeeded would be a grave understatement.

The BMW Z1

The BMW Z1 in Top Red

The Z1 had a very low weight (2,760 pounds, about as much as a MINI Cooper Convertible) and low center of gravity, front mid-engine placement and compact dimensions. The “wow factor” came from the unique vertical sliding doors and the supporting sheet-metal structure with a plastic outer skin.  BMW announced on August 10, 1987 that it would present the Z1 Roadster at the Frankfurt Auto Show on September 11, 1987.  It would have a 170 hp straight 6-cylinder engine and it would go into production in June of 1988.

BMW Z1 Interior

While the Z1 may look radical, beneath that sexy skin beats the heart of a garden variety BMW 325i of that era [internal code E30]. The HVAC system and most controls and gauges were lifted straight from the E30.  The Z1 had a 2.5-liter straight-six with 170 hp (as advertised) and all Z1s had a 5-speed manual transmission.  The front single-joint spring axle was taken from the 3-Series, but the rear multi-link axle was unique to the Z1.  The car had excellent directional stability and it exhibited strong anti-squat and anti-dive control. The weight distribution was 49:51.

The Z1 would be considered slow by today’s standards. It’s zero to 62 time was just under eight seconds.  But it rode like a go-cart and it hugged the ground like it was a roller coaster on rails.  With the doors tucked safely under the carriage and the top down, people said it was like driving a 4-wheel motorcycle.

The BMW Z1 in Dream Black metallic

Only 8,000 BMW Z1 models were built between June of 1988 and June of 1991 – three short years.  Under U.S. law, in order to import a classic or antique car for personal use, the vehicle must be 25 years old or older so it doesn’t have to comply with the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).  Vehicles 21 years old and older don’t have to comply with any EPA requirements.

The BMW Z1 in Nature Green Metallic

To determine the age of the vehicle, the calendar year of manufacture is subtracted from the calendar year of importation. That means starting in 2013, the first Z1 models are eligible to be imported to the US without burden of Federal emissions or safety regulations (2013 less 1988 = 25).

Naturally, it’s not that simple for California.  Model year 1976 and newer vehicles are still required to pass a smog check. The good news, however, is that the engine and exhaust system for the Z1 are nearly identical to the BMWs sold in California at that time.  A good BMW mechanic should be able to make sure that an imported Z1 would pass California smog checks.

The metal frame of the BMW Z1

It lots of time and paperwork to import a classic to the U.S. and there are lots of companies that will assist with the process. It also may take some time to find a nice living example of a Z1 to purchase.  They are still expensive – at least $30,000 – and that’s before it gets on a boat and all the federal and California paperwork is done. But it’s just so damn cool. Who wouldn’t want one?

See the BMW Z1 press release.

In the spring of 1991, artist A.R. Penck decorated a Top Red Z1 with black graffiti. This Z1 was added to the other legendary members of BMW’s Art Cars.

A stripped-down Z1 without its unique plastic body panels and its futuristic, never copied, drop-down vertical doors.

Testing a Z1

The Z1’s engine, transmission and suspension.

A BMW Z1 in the styling studio.

An early Z1 design study.

Designer sketches for the Z1

The interior of the Z1 sported the driver-focused cockpit from the 3-Series. The seats were unique to the Z1.

The Z1’s styling is still fresh today. It was an instant classic and demand never waned during its short, hand-built run. They are highly sought-after as collector classics today.

 

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