BMW BOX

Beautiful pics of a member at e90post who recently got his new 335i M-sport. Check em out:

I have to say, the Audi S5 looks really nice. That front grille is really mean looking. Here are the pics of a BMW 335i and an Audi S5 next to each other. The drivers claim that they were pretty much even in every department (but I have to admit to you: chip the 335i and the S5 is toast). Enjoy

WheelSTO
CA Automotive
Eisenmann GmbH
JleviSW
Vorsteiner
360Forged
NITTO
Autotalent
Patrick BMW
www.eisenmann-na.com

ALPINA look back on a long and successful history in international motorsport.

ALPINA look back on a long and successful history in international motorsport. Well-known F1 and Touring Car drivers such as Niki Lauda, Jacky Ickx, Hans Stuck and Dieter Quester gripped an ALPINA steering wheel on their way to winning three European Touring Car Championships. ALPINA pilots also won the Nürburgring 24 Hours numerous times, as well as the 24 Hours of Spa in 1970.

“We think that the BMW 6 Series – especially with the super-charged, torque-laden 4,4 l V8 ALPINA engine from the B6 S (530 HP, 725 Nm) – provides the ideal basis to challenge pure-bred sportscars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin within the framework of GT3 regulations”, said Andreas Bovensiepen, ALPINA proprietor.

After 20 years out of racing, ALPINA will field a factory team, running the B6 GT3 in the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship, our race car based on the BMW ALPINA B6 S road car. ALPINA will field its this team in the FIA GT3 European Championship, as well as racing in selected important endurance races.

The idea of going racing with street-based dream cars has proven to be a great success for drivers, spectators and manufacturers alike. With this involvement in racing, ALPINA will be able to raise awareness of the ALPINA brand, especially in markets new to ALPINA. With ten distinguished automotive marques, the GT3 Championship is the Crème de la Crème, and with starting grids of 45 cars in the European Championship and multiple national championships, quite compelling. ALPINA see a well-thought-out concept at relatively reasonable cost. With his long racing history, Andreas Bovensiepen sees the benefit racing can bring, and has been the initiator of the new GT3 project from the very beginning.

Much like in the 1970s, ALPINA will also sell BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 race cars to private parties, collectors and race teams. This motorsport engagement will be ALPINA’s fourth business venture. It marks another milestone in ALPINA’s strategy of consistent, enduring growth. In addition to the race cars, ALPINA have been manufacturing road-going BMW ALPINA automobiles for over 40 years, and maintain a flourishing business trading in renowned wines from world’s finest growing regions. A new engineering centre, absolutely state-of-the-art in terms of its machinery and capabilities, will soon be completed. This will allow ALPINA to more quickly bring its products to market and to offer its engineering services to third parties.

Alpina Race Team Openings

So that we may build up our race team and successfully develop the race version of the BMW ALPINA B6 GT3, we’re looking for candidates with experience in motorsport. Your commitment and drive for perfection are the basis for future success. We expect a high level of flexibility, including weekends… Interested? Then compete for one of the following positions:

1.Project Manager
2.Automotive Race Engineer – Suspension and Aerodynamic Set-Up- Vehicle engineer: drivetrain and engine bay packaging construction
3.Automotive Engineer – Development, Chassis/Aerodynamic Panels
4.Automotive Engineer – Development, Drivetrain/Engine Bay Packaging
5.Race Mechanic, preferably with Lorry driving Licence
6.Technician, testing equipment and electronics
7.Purchasing/Logistics/Quality Control Specialist

Beautiful pics of a brand new 2008 Interlagos Blue E92 BMW M3. Shiny showroom pix, enjoy!

BMW chief Norbert Reithofer has confirmed to CAR Online that a range of tii performance options will be launched soon on the company’s smaller models. He has finally ruled out a rumoured M1 version of the 1-series and said the tii spec would be the most performance-oriented model, claiming the the twin-turbo 135i was quite fast enough (it does 0-62mph in 5.3sec, after all).

The tii concept shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show points accurately to the approach BMW is developing: performance kits for the 1-series coupe and hatchback, an aero package, carbonfibre details, fatter wheels and tyres, sports seats and instruments. There’s even talk of a new M-style steering wheel with integrated LED rev counter.

A tii for the masses

BMW is the past master at offering huge choice in spec and trim; subtle nuance of alloy wheel size here, and Sport spec there is the stuff of workplace car park folklore. The tii spec will slot above today’s M sport spec in the multi-faceted pecking order.

However, BMW plans for the tii models to be proper performance cars in the longer run. For instance, the next-gen 1-series, dubbed F20 and due in late 2011, will offer a tii version with a downsized twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol engine and a radically lighter body and chassis, we hear.

The 3-series tii

We’ll see the facelifted 3-series this summer - with mild revisions to the lights and bonnet - but there is likely to be a tii model, too. Expect the brakes from the M3, 19in wheels, sports suspension and a new twin-clutch transmission. Again, though, a harder core tii is likely with the next 3-series, codenamed F30 and due in late 2011.

Q&A with Norbert Reithofer

CAR: In Tokyo, BMW showed a vision for a 1-series coupe with tii genes. Fact or fiction?
Reithofer: ‘The response was positive. Expect to see tailormade tii packages in the very near future.’

Q: But the original tii was much more than a cosmetic equipment package…
A: ‘True. On the other hand, the 135i already plays kind of a tii role within the 1series.’

Q: What about an even stronger M1 as new top-of-the-line version?
A: ‘It´s not in the plan.’

Q: The tii approach epitomises core brand values for BMW. Are your smallest models most likely to get the tii treatment first?
A: ‘In terms of sportiness and vehicles dynamics, both the 1- and the 3-series are already well positioned.’

Q: Isn’t the danger that the tii suffix could be seen as just decorative? CAR thinks there should be substance to back up the badge…
A: ‘I don´t disagree. But we need a bit more time - to define the evolution of the tii theme and to physically develop it.’