BMW 335D

In previous posts, I have outlined that the Germans are going to bring a number of diesels to the U.S. It has been almost twenty five years since the Germans have imported diesels to the U.S. This is the first salvo from BMW.....the BMW 335d....which is a rear wheel drive 4-door sedan. A coupe is available in Europe but will not be sold in the U.S. currently.

The BMW 335d is the most expensive 3-series this side of an M-series. Pricing for the BMW 335d starts with a base of $43,900 which is $1,700 over the standard BMW 335i, comparably equipped. Also there is a $900 tax credit for purchasing the diesel. The break even point on the 335d vs the 335i is 2-3 years depending on the price of gas and or diesel...currently the national average for diesel is nine cents lower than gasoline.

The motor is a twin-turbo 3.0 liter diesel with 265 hp. and 425 pound feet of torque. Compared with the 335i sedan, which has 300 hp and 300 pound feet of torque. The BMW 335d speeds down 0-60 mph at 5.7 seconds versus the 335 which is at 4.8 seconds. The 335d motor has been designated as one of the ten best engines in the world by Wards. The 335d is only available with a six speed automatic transmission.

The rest of the 335d experience is atypical 3-series with excellent steering, great body control, great brakes...which stop the vehicle in 161 feet from 70 to 0 mph. The real advantage versus diesels of the past is that you don't have the smoke and clattering of the motor. The diesel has more of a growl than the gasoline BMW v-6's.
Check out the AutoWeek video!

One additional maintenance issue is that it requires AdBlue(ammonia be added during services to keep the emissions clean). The BMW excellent maintenance program covers all maintenance during the warranty period of 4 years or 60 thousand miles. If this AdBlue level drops below the minimum level the car will not start after a number of starts.

SUMMARY:

My take is the this is one of the better green choices! The payback on the additional cost is fairly reasonable versus most hybrids.

The BMW 335d is not quite as ideal as the standard BMW 335i....but you willl not have to sacrifice driving dynamics like most hybrids. The mileage is not quite as high as the Lexus HS250h as in my previous post. The BMW 335d is one car enthusiast's green machine!

Honda Clarity FCX Concept

Here is a future technology that one day may power automobiles. Presently, Honda, GM, and BMW have hydrogen fuel cell autos in development. Today's post is on the Honda FCX Clarity, which is Honda's entry into the hydrogen fuel cell automobile race. Honda believes it could start mass producing vehicles based on the FCX concept by the year 2018.

The advantage to hydrogen powered vehicles is that they are non polluting, the only product to come out of the tailpipe is water vapor. Hydrogen would be manufactured locally, therefore concerns about the cost and availability price of imported oil are negated. Check out the cars.com video!

The vehicle is powered by a .57-litre, 100kW Honda hydrogen fuel cell stack. Electricity is stored in a 288V lithium ion battery. The electric motor has 134 horsepower and powers the front wheels of the vehicle. The Clarity goes from 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds, which is two seconds slower than the average four cylinder mid size car. The estimated range is 240 miles with a full tank of 4.1 kg compressed hydrogen. The Clarity is also available in one color Star Garnet Metallic.

Currently consumers are not currently allowed to purchase the vehicle. The Clarity is only available for leasing in the Southern California area.....where the hydrogen refueling stations are located. The leases are only available to a select 200 people over the next three years at $600.00 USD per month for 3 years. Fuel and maintenance are included with the lease cost! Here is an Car and Driver interview
with Jim Salomon the third person to lease a Clarity.

My take on this car is that Honda appears to be the most advanced of the manufacturers working on the technology. The Clarity launch is similar to the Saturn EVI launch back in the 1980's.

This could be the type of car that we are driving in twenty years. The most likely scenario is that a number of different technologies will be available in automobiles. Due to the major improvements in battery technology... the electric car may be the largest automobile technology in twenty years.

The problem with the hydrogen technology is that the hydrogen refueling infrastructure would have to be built to support those vehicles.

For additional information go to the Honda FCX Clarity website!

BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo Concept

I noted this unusual 5-series concept that BMW has developed. The Gran Turismo is based on the new 5-series which debuts in 2010. The Gran Turismo has a length of 196.8 inches makes three inches shorter than the 750i sedan and almost five inches longer than the X6 SUV.

The styling appears to make this vehicle a SUV/Crossover, but it has all the dimensions of a station wagon. BMW actually produces a 5-series station wagon. BMW for years called this concept a Progressive Activity Sedan....now they have dropped that name in favor of the 5-series Gran Turismo.

Many auto writers compare the Gran Turismo to the Mercedes-Benz R-Class since there are no other vehicles that are similar. The R-Class sales have been dismal, Mercedes has put substantial incentives on the vehicle.

The concept show is a 2+2 version, but the actual production version may be a 2+3 There’s no third row but the back seat area is large, along with a substantial storage space in the back. See the Car and Driver Video!

BMW hasn’t officially announced the engine choices but it's 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six will likely be the most popular engine. BMW will also probably offer the 3.0 liter turbo diesel with 265 hp, which should get a low 20 mpg EPA rating. The Gran Turismo is a rear wheel drive vehicle, with all-wheel drive optional. Pricing for the Grand Turismo is expected to start at $45,000 USD.

The Gran Turismo should be in showrooms in the Spring of 2010. How the Gran Turismo fits in BMW's SUV model line up X3, X5, and X6 SUVs is questionable!

My take is that this is a stylish form of a station wagon. BMW is trying to use a marketing gimic to sell a station wagon, since station wagons have a low public perception in the U.S.

Pontiac G8 GT

The Pontiac G8 GT is a new rear wheel drive model introduced for 2008. It is produced by Holden which is an Australian brand owned by General Motors (GM).

The development cost savings for GM to transfer an existing platform to a new model are substantial.

Bob Lutz was driving a Holden Monaro while he was in Australia. That came became the Pontiac GTO. GM had brought a Holden product called the GTO back to the U.S. in 2004. Actually, it is a good sports car, unfortunately the GTO did not sell well and production was cancelled in 2006.

He decided next to use the Holden VE Commodore as the GM Zeta platform, which is used for the Pontiac G8. Going back to the 1960's and early 1970's, Pontiac was GM's performance division. The Pontiac Tempest with a 389 CI 6.5 liter motor started the muscle car craze in the United States. Then Pontiac followed with the GTO, which was a hot car during that period.

Between then and now GM seems to have lost the marketing vision for the Pontiac Division. GM basically turned Pontiac from the performance division into another front drive bland rental car manufacturer.

Now the G8 is the first Pontiac in recent memory that evokes those images from the 1960's. The Pontiac G8 was on the shortly list for the North American Car of Year Award in 2009. Check out the Pontiac G8 video

The G8 is a car enthusiasts car, reminiscent of a BMW. The car drives well, it is fast, handles well and stops well. The GT comes with a 361 hp 6.0 liter V8, which propels the car from 0-60 in just over 5 seconds, with the quarter mile time of 13.5 seconds. Note the Pontiac G8 GT exhaust note!

The front exterior is nicely styled with the functional hood scoops. The seats in the G8 are excellent. The bolstering holds you in during cornering meanwhile the seats are supportive at the same time.

The interior is a cut above of GM standards. The interior design and materials although competent are not up to BMW standards.

The GXP version has a LS3 6.0 liter Corvette motor which takes the car 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. The GXP also has a 6-speed manual available as an option. Check out the GXP video.

In my opinion, this is a poor mans BMW. The Pontiac G8 GT starts at $31,755 and the GXP starts at $37,610. It has the interior room and performance of a a 5-series BMW V8 at a stripped 3-series price. My hope is that this model survives the difficult financial times. Shown below is the GXP model.

BMW M3

BMW's most popular car is the 3-series, which is the most awarded car that BMW produces. It is a perennial favorite at Car and Driver winning the 10 Best Award 18 years in a row. That tells you something about the degree of automotive excellence that BMW builds into this car.

The pick of the liter is the BMW M3 which was revised in 2008. The car is produced both as a coupe, a sedan and a convertible. Check out the Motor Trend review!

Under the bulging aluminum hood is a V-8 that makes 414 horsepower. BMW had to increase the horsepower to compete effectively against the Audi RS4 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG which both feature V-8 power. When stepping on the gas you realize there is a powerful beast lurking under the hood!

The roof is made of carbon fiber and saves 11 pounds compared to the steel top of the regular 3-series. The brakes are cross-drilled brake discs to stop the M3 in record time.

Overall the car is well balanced between the front and rear weight. It handles exceptionally well with great breaking. The M3 is an car that can be used as a daily driver. The handling is exceptional, you can take corners like your on a rail.

Visually, there is no confusing the M3 with the standard 3-series. The M3 shares the doors, windows, headlights, taillights and trunk lid. The differences are in the hood, the roof which is carbon fiber, the fenders flare out to handle the 19 inch optional tires and includes four exhaust pipes and a small spoiler to the trunk.

The cost of admission starts at $54,850 for the sedan, $57,850 for the coupe and $66500 for the convertible version. Check out the Car and Driver video.