BMW News

bmwnewsbmwnews

BMW 330e wins Best Hybrid Executive Car award

BMW’s 330e won WhatCar’s Best Hybrid Executive Car at their annual awards ceremony

At the recent annual WhatCar awards ceremony, BMW’s 330e plug-in hybrid managed to win the award for the ‘Best Hybrid Executive Car’. WhatCar’s judges pointed out that in the past, executive cars used to be predominantly powered by diesel engines and they won awards without breaking a sweat. However, the new range of hybrids are so good, they put even the very best of diesel cars to shame, and none more so than BMW’s 330e.

During WhatCar’s ‘real world’ testing it managed excellent fuel consumption figures, even when the battery ran out, averaging nearly 40mpg on test. It’s important to point out that the 330e in all electric-only mode covered up to 37 miles on battery power alone, making the 330e perfect for those who have to commute into a city for work, where they can then recharge the car for the journey home. For someone who has a 20-30 mile commute to and from work, once topped up at home, it means the 330e will never need to use its petrol engine for these journeys, making it not only super economical but also fantastic for the environment. WhatCar’s road tester also praised the BMW G20 for its excellent build quality, comfortable upmarket cabin and its sporty driving characteristics, which makes the 3 Series range difficult to beat.

Damaged BMW Regensburg plant reopening delayed…

The huge Regensburg Plant, situated in Eastern Bavaria and home to F40 1 Series and X1/X2 production, was undergoing renovation work during the August summer break to prepare the plant for the further electrification of numerous models. During construction work, the roof on one of the production halls was severely damaged during demolition work to remove old machinery, meaning lengthy repairs were required. The restart of production was planned for September 14th, but a delay of at least two weeks was forecast as we went to press, something BMW could have done without after plant closures due to the C19 pandemic.

A two-week interruption in production corresponds to a five-digit total number of non-built vehicles; theoretically, a new BMW is built in Regensburg every 57 seconds. In 2019, a total of 255,804 vehicles were built – a figure that has already become unattainable in 2020 due to the Corona-related production interruption in the first half of the year. Just like at other plant locations of the BMW Group, plug-in hybrids and electric cars will also be able to be built on one line alongside conventionally powered models at the Regensburg Plant.

Thanks to the ability to produce all drive concepts on the same line, the BMW Group can react to market changes and demand at short notice. The X1 and X2 are already available as plug-in hybrids, the all-electric BMW iX1 has also been confirmed – and the BMW 1 Series will also be offered with an electrified drive in the near future.

Redux E30 M3 - Carbon Fibre Update: Moulds

After months of hard work, shaping and more re-shaping, Redux were delighted to report that the redesigning of the original steel and plastic E30 M3 body parts was now complete. Everything apart from the door skins and roof (Redux retains the factory sunroof in their builds) is being replaced with their unique, pre-preg carbon fibre panels. The remaining stage is to make a final inspection to carry out any last minute tweaks that may be required before the moulds are created.

Once the inspection is completed and the work signed off, the redesigned panels will be prepped for the moulds and hopefully the production of lightweight carbon fibre panels will soon follow.

Work on creating moulds to facilitate the production of carbon fibre body panels for the Redux E30 M3 is coming along nicely and CF body panels should start to arrive by the end of 2020

BMW’s Munich Plant readied for i4 production

After six weeks of intensive conversion work, series production of vehicles has resumed at BMW’s huge production facility in Munich, allowing production of the fully electric BMW i4 to begin. The entire development and conversion of the plant came at an investment of around €200 million, while approx. €700 million had already been invested between 2015 and 2018 to install a new, resource-efficient paint shop and to extend the body shop for production of the BMW 3 Series.

During the recent conversion of the Munich plant, the focus was very much on integrating the BMW i4 into existing production systems, but processes were also prepared for series production of the new M3, which will be manufactured on the same line.

Established in 1922, BMW Group’s home plant is now set to deliver a wide-ranging portfolio of models that includes not only the i4 but also all versions of the 3 Series Saloon and Touring, and of course, the new M3.

Rolls-Royce back up to speed at Goodwood plant

Like a lot of automakers worldwide, when the Coronavirus pandemic initially hit, Rolls-Royce paused its day-to-day operations. Initially, the factory in Goodwood went into complete lockdown, with its operations resuming in May but only partially. As time went by they have adapted to a new way of life. By mid-September, the British marque announced that production had now resumed at full operation, with pre-lockdown levels being reached.

The Goodwood plant is now working in a two-shift schedule once again and, the best news of all, the entire workforce was maintained and no jobs were lost. The current situation demands that special precautions have been put in place.

According to Rolls-Royce, demand for its cars is not slowing, but on the contrary, is growing across markets worldwide, particularly those where the C-19 peak has passed.