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Hybrid U-Turn
 Star of the BMW display was of
course the X6 concept, a coupe/
SUV crossover which BMW reckons
has created yet another new niche
in the market. According to BMW
chairman Norbert Reithofer speaking at the
show, the concept on show was pretty close to
the car you’ll find in the showrooms very soon.
The X6 has been rumoured for ages of
course, but what was surprising was that
BMW chose the model as the basis for its
first hybrid – the X6 Active Hybrid. This
represents a pretty major U-turn for the firm
which has always maintained that its state of-
the-art diesels are more efficient than
petrol-electric hybrid designs.
The hybrid car represents a kind of halfway
stage in the long-term plan for BMW
Group’s Efficient Dynamics strategy, with the
firm remaining committed eventually to using
hydrogen power. We poked and prodded the
X6 Active Hybrid concept on the stand though
and apart from the fact that it’s apparently a
V8, couldn’t ascertain whether it was diesel
or petrol powered. It promises to be a cut
above the rest of the hybrid pack though,
using a twin electric motor set-up.
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2007 -November
BMW’s Future
Unveiled
BMW occupied the courtyard
with what looked to be a village.
Outside, there was a Hydrogen 7
Shuttle Service, which involved
an attractive driver taking you out
for a drive around the suburbs of Frankfurt
in an environmentally friendly manner. Read more>
1-series coupe
A
significant model in the BMW Pavilion
was the 1-series coupe which attracted
everyone with a notepad or camera.
Designed as a 2+2, it offers a fresh
alternative to the conventional three and
five-door models. The 123d on display uses a 204 bhp four-cylinder variable twin-turbo diesel
which can return 54.3 mpg and manages to reach 60 mph in 7 seconds. Read more>
Virtual M3
A popular attraction on the BMW
stand was an unveiling of a
gaming nature – the new BMW
M3 Challenge, which is a race
simulator built in collaboration
with Blimey! Games. Read more >
200 mph M3
OK, so BMW’s M division
has upped the ante by
stuffing a V8 into the
new M3, but if you really
want wheeled 3-Series
madness, put in a call to German
tuners G-Power and ask for their
V10 conversion. Read more >
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