Wednesday, November 30, 2011

BMW recommends the Brake Fluid be replaced every 2 years

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BMW recommends the Brake Fluid be replaced every 2 years regardless of the mileage on your vehicle. So, stop in today a treat your car with our Brake Fluid Flush Special. Simply print the coupon here and stop in anytime between now and the end of December. Trust me, your car will be happy you did!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

BMW and Toyota Are to Work On Electric Car Batteries

German carmaker BMW and Japanese rival Toyota Motor are planning to cooperate on research into lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Tuesday.

 

It was also reported over the weekend that the two were in talks for a partnership on 'green' vehicles, with BMW set to provide the Japanese firm with diesel engines.

The two companies are expected to announce the cooperation at a joint press conference at 0700 GMT on Thursday in Tokyo, the source said.

BMW and Toyota both declined to comment.

Under Akio Toyoda, who became chief executive in mid-2009, Toyota has forged partnerships with a string of companies including Tesla, Microsoft, Salesforce.com and Ford Motor Co to co-develop hybrid trucks.

Senior sources at Toyota said they believed BMW was a good match as a partner, with corporate cultures that could work well together.

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Toyota earlier on Tuesday unveiled a plug-in Prius hybrid car with high-capacity lithium-ion batteries ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show, touting it as the world's most practical green car.

A tie-up between Toyota and BMW comes at a time when rivals Nissan Motor Co, Renault SA and Daimler AG are working on various joint projects, sharing engines and other technologies to save on R&D costs that are ballooning with the need to meet stricter environmental regulations.

Since an electric car often costs twice as much to buy as a conventional car powered by a combustion engine, researchers are searching for a way to make the lithium-ion lighter and less expensive.

Toyota has said it was willing to share its hybrid technology with rivals and also has plans to supply Mazda Motor Corp. It is not new to working with other brands on engines either, co-developing many of its sports car engines with motorcycle maker Yamaha Motor, in which it has a small equity stake.

Source: reuters.com

Monday, November 28, 2011

Wouldn't you like to see this beauty under your Christmas tree?

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This 2012 BMW 6 Series continues its evolution as a world-class grand touring coupe and convertible because of it's powerful engine, adept large-car handling and superbly crafted interior.
Learn more about this vehicle.  

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

ATTENTION to all Businesses: Tax Code 179 will change at the end of 2011.

ATTENTION: To all Businesses, Tax Code 179 will change at the end of 2011. This will be the last year to claim 100% of all of your equipment and vehicle purchases on taxes. Next year, 2012, it changes to 50%. Consult your CPA for details!

BMW rocks the present and looks to the future

Amid this difficult economic environment, sales of import luxury cars in the U.S. have actually improved. One manufacturer in particular stands out -- not just for its performance today but also for its development of future strategies. That company is BMW Group. Instead of merely indulging in its prosperity, it is investing in new structural technologies and venturing ever further into the post-oil world.

First, a look the present. BMW brand sales in the U.S. for the first ten months of 2011 were up 13%, even though production of its two best-selling models, the 3-series and 1-series, is winding down in anticipation of model changeovers. With unit sales of 199,552, BMW is closing in on Mercedes-Benz for luxury car sales leadership.

BMW's Mini brand isn't doing badly either. With the addition of the Countryman SUV, its sales have climbed this year to 47,050 from 38,538. The only group laggard is Rolls-Royce, which is selling in the low double digits. BMW's performance in the U.S. paled in comparison to China, now the world's largest car market. Sales there jumped 21% in the third quarter, and BMW is confident it can maintain the momentum even as the Chinese economy cools.

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These robust sales have supercharged financial results. BMW's third-quarter earnings before interest and taxes rose by 44% year over year, while profit before tax went up 21%. The operating profit on autos was 11.9%, dwarfing Mercedes and causing one analyst to crow that BMW was simply "out-executing" its longtime competitor. An understandably ebullient chairman Norbert Reithofer said "We have recorded the best third quarter in the company's history. During this period, we achieved new records for sales volume, revenues, and earnings."

Car of the Year: Early picks

The opinion of analysts is almost unanimous: BMW remains one of the best-managed and best- positioned OEMs globally, with a great brand. It should continue to benefit from an improving model range, cost-restructuring, and growth in China.

BMW is also making an aggressive effort to reduce development and piece costs. Analysts say it will save 7% to 9% on parts costs for both the 1 and the 3. Many parts and components have been purchased at fixed prices for the lifetime of the new model. BMW has also lowered vehicle-testing costs by 30%.

With this remarkable performance in hand, BMW's best days lie ahead of it. The new 1-Series, its lowest-priced line, was unveiled at the Frankfurt show in September and is now being rolled out across Europe. The new 3-series, the model line that accounts for more than half of BMW's U.S. sales, will reach dealers in 2012. Early reviews are inconclusive, but its engineers have achieved the remarkable feat of making the 3 larger while still reducing its weight by 90 pounds.

BMW cars will be getting even lighter in the future. Last week, the company announced it has bought a 5% stake in SGL Carbon SE, a company that makes carbon fiber -- the advanced lightweight material used in building the Boeing (BA, Fortune 500) 787 Dreamliner. The purchase represents a change in strategy for BMW, which heretofore has shunned financial ties with suppliers and points to its increased use in future BMWs. But carbon fiber, which is used only sparingly now because of its cost and complexity, is understudying for a larger role.

BMW demonstrated just how large a role at the Los Angeles auto show earlier this month. For starters, it unveiled the i3, a battery-powered car with a carbon fiber body affixed to an aluminum frame that weighs just 80% as much as a typical 3-series. In all-electric mode, the i3 is designed to achieve a range of 80 miles per charge, which should be enough for most uses. For those who feel nervous, a second model will be available with a smaller engine. The i3 is designed as a commuter car and features carriage doors that maximize access to the rear seat. It can wear the BMW blue-and-white spinning propeller with pride: It scoots to 60 miles per hour in less than eight seconds. Models go on sale in 2013; figure on a price around $40,000.

Far more exotic is a carbon fiber sports car, the i8 plug-in hybrid. Performance is eye-popping: The i8 screams to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and is capable of getting to a top speed of 155 mph. More pertinently, the i8 can travel around 20 miles on pure electric power before switching over to gasoline. Another 2+2 like the i3, the i8 concept was equipped with impractical butterfly doors for the show that are unlikely to show up on the production version. It is due to go on sale in 2014, and you can expect to pay in excess of $100,000.

BMW has been an unheralded pioneer in electric cars. While General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) and Nissan have been jousting over bagging rights, BMW has been field-testing 500 Mini Coopers whose back seats have been replaced by a pack of lithium ion batteries. Under idea conditions, the Mini E is said to be capable of a range of 156 miles.

The tests have produced some valuable findings. In May 2011 the Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle (PH&EV) Research Center at the University of California, Davis published the results of a consumer study of the U.S. Mini E field trial. The study showed that households adapted their driving around the capabilities of the electric car, and respondents said the Mini E met 90% of their daily driving needs. Another study in the U.K. found that one week was all that was needed for customers to adapt to the characteristics and peculiarities of driving an EV, such as charging, range, regenerative braking, and low noise.

Whether or not a car like the Mini E ever makes it into production, BMW clearly has its eye on the future -- and is developing a coherent storyline about how to get there. It has found that its highly-focused reputation for producing driving machines, which many analysts believed would be a drag, is actually turning out to be an asset in getting ready for the post-oil 21st century. 

Source: cnn.com

Monday, November 21, 2011

Free Tire Rotation and Nitrogen Fill With Purchase and Installation of Four Tires

Receive a nitrogen fill and free lifetime tire rotation with the purchase and installation of four tires at Plaza BMW. Offer good through the end of the year.

Click here to print your coupon.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

BMW debuts i8 plug-in hybrid and i3 all-electric cars

There's a lot of redefining going on at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, particularly among performance- and luxury-oriented auto makers as they fold fuel efficiency and sustainability into their designs.

The new direction BMW showcased yesterday with the North American debut of its i8 plug-in hybrid and i3 all-electric concept cars combines the efficiency of a ho-hum commuter with the exhilaration of a sports car.

Both concepts will be going into production. The i3 will have the distinction of being the first premium electric vehicle to come to market in 2013. The i8 is scheduled to follow one year later.

Both cars use something called LifeDrive architecture, which divides the car into two so-called modules. One piece is the aluminum chassis, or Drive module, which holds the battery, drive system and crash devices in a lightweight, high-strength compartment. Packaging the heaviest part of the car -- the battery -- as part the vehicle's structure helps lower the car's center of gravity and improve handling.

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The second piece of the puzzle is the Life module made from lightweight and strong carbon fiber, which holds the driver and passengers. Carbon fiber is as strong as steel but 50% lighter.

The all-wheel-drive i8, a version of which can be seen speeding and skidding in the new "Mission Impossible" film,  is skinned in carbon fiber. A twin-turbocharged, 3-cylinder 220-horsepower gas engine is positioned over the front axle and coupled with a 170-horsepower electric motor in the rear. The car can travel about 20 miles on electric power alone. Together, the engine and motor can reach a top speed of 155 miles per hour and make 390 horsepower. BMW anticipates the car will get 78 miles per gallon.

The i3, also wrapped in carbon fiber, uses a drivetrain that's currently being proved in BMW's soon-to-be-available-for-lease Active E electric car. The i3 will be able to travel up to 100 miles on a charge and reaches a top speed of 93 miles per hour. Its electric motor is positioned above the rear axle and makes 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

BMW will make both cars at its plant in Leipzig, Germany, which is powered with renewable energy, the company says.

Source: latimes.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

BMW Plans To Show Future Electric Cars in Los Angeles

BMW’s electric and plug-in hybrid prototype cars from its BMW i brand will make their North American debuts at this week’s Los Angeles International Auto Show. The car make will present the pure-electric powered i3 compact city car and the hybrid i8 sports car this Wednesday at 4:10 p.m. PST.

The company says the i3 and i8, which it first revealed in Frankfurt last summer, represent the first purpose-built electric and hybrid cars made mainly of carbon fiber. The i3 is slated to go on sale in 2013 with the i8 to follow in 2014.  

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The BMW i8 Concept — which is also the successor to the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics car featured in the coming film “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” – is low-slung and exotic-looking, with doors that flip upward. The i3, previously known as the “megacity vehicle,” has a small footprint designed for driving in congested city traffic. Its large glass doors are hinged at the rear for easier entry and exit.

BMW said it will also show its 560-horsepower M5 sport sedan in Los Angeles. The hotrod luxury car is designed to combine three attributes rarely found in one car: sports-car performance, long-distance comfort and fuel efficiency.

Source: wsj.com

Monday, November 14, 2011

Get your BMW ready for anything!

See what our Parts Department can do to get your BMW ready for anything! Stop in today and receive 20% off all in stock accessories with this coupon.
Print coupon.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans, please stop in Plaza BMW today and receive employee pricing on vehicles!

Happy Veterans Day!
Veterans, please stop in Plaza BMW today and receive employee pricing on vehicles purchased as well as parts and service. We appreciate everything you have done for our country!

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

BMW Stands For the Future Of Urban Mobility: BMW Scooters

BMW Motorrad enters a new level in mobility. This is the world-premiere of the first BMW scooters. You can see them at the EICMA 2011. The Maxi-Scooters BMW C 600 Sport and C 650 GT will be available from spring 2012.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

2008 BMW 528i: By Far One Of the Most Satisfying Midsize Luxury Sedans to Drive

Among all the midsize luxury sedans out there, this 2008 BMW 5 Series is by far one of the most satisfying to drive! Equipped with exceptional ride and handling dynamics, a smooth yet vigorous engine, premium cabin furnishings and a strong resale value; you can't go wrong when choosing this BMW 528i as your next car.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

J.D. Power Names the BMW 5 Series “Most Appealing Midsize Premium Car”

J.D. Power and Associates, best known for its customer satisfaction research on new-car quality and long-term dependability, names the new BMW 5 Series the “Most Appealing Midsize Premium Car.”

The F10 5 Series Sedan scored the highest points in the following categories: Overall Performance and Design, Performance, Comfort, Features and Instrument Panel and Style.

In the Initial Quality assessment,  the ratings for the 5 Series varied from three to four and a half stars, lowest scored was registered in the Powertrain Quality Mechanical and Powertrain Quality Design categories.

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With a new, fresh and safe design, the F10 5 Series has already exceeded the company’s sales expectations and remains a strong product around the world.

In the United States, BMW offers three models, the entry-level 528i with a four-cylinder engine that just went on sale, the more powerful 535i with a twin-scroll turbocharged six cylinder engine and the top model 550i with its V8 twin-turbo powerplant.

With the introduction of the new four-cylinder engine, we expect the sales for the 528i model to overpass the other models and become one of the most sought midsize premium sedans.

The 2.0-liter produces 240 hp at 5000 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque from 1250 rpm. That matches the horsepower figure for the old six and surpasses it in the torque department with 30 additional lb-ft, peaking 1350 rpm earlier. A ZF eight-speed automatic will be the only transmission available, although the 2012 528i will see the addition of xDrive all-wheel drive as an option. BMW estimates a fuel consumption of 24/34 mpg city/highway.

Souce: bmwblog.com

Monday, November 7, 2011

Thank you jtbrunts for your kind words, we appreciate it!

"I had a very positive interaction with everyone at Plaza BMW, and I will recommend to anyone who has any interest in buying or leasing a BMW vehicle." - jtbrunts

Thursday, November 3, 2011

BMW to Unveil the BMW i3 and BMW i8 Concept Vehicles for the First Time in North America

Special Sneak Preview Event on Wednesday, November 9th in New York City

The Fully-Electric BMW i3 and Hybrid-Electric BMW i8 are the First Purpose-Built Electric and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles to be Made Primarily of Carbon Fiber.

BMW will host a special sneak-preview event to unveil for the first time in North America what it considers to be the cars of the future – the BMW i3 and BMW i8 concept vehicles.  These concepts represent the first purpose-built electric and electric-hybrid vehicles to be made primarily of carbon fiber when they become available in 2013 and 2014, respectively.  The unveiling will take place in New York City on Wednesday, November 9th at 11:00 a.m. EST at Center 548 (548 West 22nd Street between 10th & 11th Avenues).

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The BMW i8 Concept, which is also the successor to the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics car featured in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol starring Tom Cruise to be released in December, is a sleek, low-slung, silver and bright blue sports car with flip-up doors.  The BMW i3 Concept, previously known as the “megacity vehicle,” is more compact for congested city driving and features the same color scheme with large glass doors that open “coach” style, i.e. the rear doors opening in the opposite direction from the front.

 Both vehicles will make their official North American debuts at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16th and 17th, but will be featured at this special sneak-preview event which will also include a presentation on the BMW i brand, a walk-around of both vehicles by their exterior designer, Richard Kim, and presentation by BMW Manager of Electric Vehicle Operations & Strategy, Rich Steinberg.

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Because of its light weight, carbon fiber technology is expected to fundamentally change the car industry, allowing automakers to create lighter, more efficient and sustainable vehicles with reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions.

 In 2025, 8 billion people will live on the planet; 4.5 billion will live in cities. There will be 1.8 billion cars on the roads.  In order to address the personal mobility needs of people living within the world’s most densely populated urban city centers, BMW created BMW i – the sustainable new sub-brand whose mission is to develop visionary vehicles and mobility services.

Source; beachcarolina.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Help Us Win the Battle Aganist Hunger!

Donate 5 cans to our canned food drive and feed a starving family.
You will also receive a $25 gift certificate for your donation.
Print coupon.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

BMW Head-Up Display in Color

BMW was the first European manufacturer to offer a head-up display in 2004 when it became available as an integral part of BMW ConnectedDrive for the 5-Series. Initially head-up displays only showed a car’s speed but nowadays they are used to deliver a lot more information, including navigation directions.

A Head-Up Display is now offered for most BMW models and it has improved considerably over the years as it can display information in full-color, which makes it even easier on a driver.

Research shows that it takes a full second for a normal driver to read the speedo or to glance at a navigation display. While the driver is distracted, without his or her eyes on the road, the vehicle covers a distance of around 14 yards when traveling in urban areas at a speed of 30 mph – and a lot can happen suddenly in that time.

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With a head-up display, the time required by the driver to assimilate information is reduced by more than a half, according to BMW, making for safer driving. The virtual image projected onto the windscreen is perceived as “hovering“ at eye level above the hood and is visible only to the driver. Additionally, research shows that this form of display is less tiring as the eye does not have to constantly change between close-range and remote vision.

BMW brags that its new full color Head-Up Display is even better than the monochrome head-up display technology in many jet fighters. Perhaps BMW should license their technology to jet fighter manufacturers.

Source: roadandtrack.com