The folks at Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (that’s BMW to you and me) will continue to apply a full-court press to the U.S. luxury market this year, featuring a growing lineup that will boast an ultimate driving machine for just about every taste—that is, unless you’re hungry for the BMW M5.
With the Bavarians currently focusing on a smooth launch for the redesigned 2011 BMW 5 Series—it will go on sale in the U.S. this fall—the company is putting the M5 high-performance version on “hiatus” for the 2011 model year. But while there’s currently no firm date for the intro of the next M5, BMW fans will still have plenty to look forward to in 2010.
This includes the BMW Z4 sDrive35is, the latest in the automaker’s line of eye-catching roadsters. The Z4 packs a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that makes 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque and pushes the car from 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds—probably less time than it takes to say the vehicle’s unwieldy name. The just-released price for this kind of hot performance: a cool $61,925, including destination and handling fees.
That being said, BMW does deserve recognition for keeping unchanged the base MSRPs of its entire lineup of “existing” vehicles, at least at “the start” of the model year. So, while it’s hard to guess what the future will hold, even the refreshed 3 Series coupe and convertible currently retain their base prices from the previous year.
Another BMW highlight will be the return of the BMW Alpina B7 later this spring. For those unfamiliar with Alpina, the company has a 45-year relationship with the Bavarians, during which it has become known for building cars that slot between the standard Bimmers and their high-po M brethren—in Europe, anyway.
Alpina-tuned BMWs—which are sold in BMW dealerships and get BMW warranties—have only occasionally come to our shores before, which is definitely whetting customers’ appetite for the new B7. The payoff: Using the BMW 7 Series as a foundation, Alpina has developed a car that is without a doubt a faster, better-handling, more-luxurious version of Bimmer’s flagship sedan. In fact, speedwise, the B7 shaves a noticeable .2 seconds off the Z4’s 0-60 time, despite outweighing the roadster by about half a ton.
BMW also is addressing the needs of its 7 Series buyers with the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 and ActiveHybrid 7L: Hybrid versions of the regular- and long-wheel-base versions of its big sedan. The resulting combination of a twin-turbo V8 and a “3-phase synchronous electric motor” is good for 455 hp, 515 lb-ft of torque and fuel economy that’s about 15 percent better than that on BMW’s comparable non-hybrid 7 Series models. For those who have to ask, the MSRP on the ActiveHybrid 7 starts at $103,175, while the longer version starts at $107,075.
At the other end of the spectrum, where the BMW 1 Series resides, the automaker is dropping a new single-turbo inline six-cylinder engine into its 135i, mating it to the company’s impressive seven-speed Double-Clutch Transmission. This won’t bump performance in any significant way, but BMW promises a notable increase in fuel efficiency and an MSRP starting at $36,925.
Now, I still haven’t mentioned BMW’s blasphemous assortment of SUVs or its X6, but my mother always told me that if I don’t have anything nice to say…
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