March News in Brief

BMW M2 crowned BBC Top Gear Coupé of the year.

Due to go on sale next month, the new BMW M2 has claimed the title of BBC Top Gear Magazine’s Coupé of the year. The BMW M2 is the latest compact sports coupé in a long line of legendary road and racing BMWs, such as the 2002 Turbo, E30 M3 and 1M Coupé. Cast in a similar mould, it brings the concept right up to date with the latest in motor sport derived technology.

Paul Horrell, Consultant Editor, Top Gear Magazine said: “It’s refined, well-equipped and nicely built. A quality item all round. Not too garishly styled either, but those widened wings tell the story to people who know….. It’s very hard indeed to think of a better new car for your £44,070.”

Each of the Top Gear Magazine Awards winners is picked by the publication’s expert motoring journalists – and The Stig – who rates and reviews more than 300 cars each year, before announcing the best in each category.

BMW Brand Protection – fake products, real threats.

Counterfeiting is often regarded as a victimless “soft” crime, however recent estimates suggest the annual cost of counterfeiting to the automotive industry has now reached £28 billion.

In order to protect our customers and our brand, BMW Brand Protection teams work closely with customs, law enforcement, detective agencies and law firms to tackle the growing issue of counterfeit items such as spare parts, accessories and lifestyle merchandise. A shocking 58 per cent of all counterfeit car parts are purchased online which at first appear to be a bargain, yet often prove to be an inferior quality imitation, presenting potentially serious risk and consequence.

Genuine BMW parts are thoroughly tested in the toughest of conditions, a wheel one of the most stressed components on a car, bearing the weight of the car and impact from the road. Over a 15-minute journey, with an average speed of 30mph a wheel could revolve 6,300 times which means they are working hard, even during the most relaxing journeys. The quality of counterfeit wheels varies significantly from wheel to wheel. Whilst a counterfeit wheel can look identical to a BMW design, it often performs differently and will not be tested to the same stringent procedure BMW follows, if it is tested at all.

The digital world has acted as a catalyst and sellers of counterfeit products enjoy the anonymity behind online marketplaces and social media platforms. BMW Group advises customers to take the following precautions when buying BMW goods:

1. Trust your instincts. Often, a significantly lower price is the first indicator of a counterfeit product. However, there may also be counterfeits that are priced at around the same level as the original.
2. Check the spelling and grammar on the website and of the URL. Poor-quality lettering and logos, or different colours and compositions are good reasons to be suspicious.
3. Look to see where the trader is based. Check to see whether that the seller has provided a genuine postal address. Although they may use a ‘co.uk’ address, do not assume the seller is based in the UK.
4. Protect your financial and personal details. Buying counterfeit goods runs the risk of financial and personal details being compromised and used for fraudulent scams.

Genuine BMW Parts and Accessories can be purchased via our Approved Retailer Network or from BMW Direct, our official eBay and Amazon stores.

A growing concern demands a global action. To find out more visit www.bmw.co.uk/brandprotection.

New BMW iPerformance range available from July.

BMW iPerformance, a new sub-brand that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show on the forthcoming BMW 740e, is to roll out across all BMW Plug-in hybrid vehicles from July onwards.

Plug-In Hybrid models benefit from the transfer in technical expertise from the BMW i models, this includes the electric motors, battery cells and electronic control systems. In the new move BMW Plug-In-Hybrids will now feature an eDrive logo on the C-pillar and customers will also have the choice to select features as a no-cost option to create iPerformance models. These include the BMW i logo on the front side panel, BMW i-style blue elements in the kidney grille and wheel hubs.

Aside from the already revealed BMW 740e the next BMW Plug-in-Hybrid due to go on sale is the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 225xe which comes in April. This model has recently received revised pricing and now starts at £30,045 OTR (inclusive of £2,500 government grant).

The BMW 225xe uses its combination of BMW eDrive and a 1.5-litre three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo engine to offer both an electric driving experience and unrestricted mobility. Its combined fuel consumption of 141.2 mpg and CO2 emissions of 46g/km sets the benchmark in its class.

With an impressive range of 25 miles, a charge time of just 2 hours 20 minutes (using a BMW i Wallbox) and a BIK of only 7 per cent, the BMW 225xe provides a compelling proposition for corporate customers to enjoy a mix of dynamic driving an efficiency. Not to mention the practicality and versatility of having a variable-usage boot of 400 litres without restrictions on primary load capacity, despite the addition of an electric drive system.

Sales of BMW Approved Used Cars continue to thrive.

The strong demand in BMW Approved Used cars has continued into 2016 with an increase of 10 per cent growth in sales compared to 2015 and a significant growth in enquiries.

In 2015, Approved Used Cars achieved its best ever UK annual sales to date, setting a new UK record. In total, 85,238 BMW vehicles (vehicles over three months of age) were sold, an increase of nearly 2,000 vehicles compared to the previous year.

The top selling model in 2015 was the 5-door BMW 1 Series Sport 116d, with a total of 1,888 sold. Followed closely by the petrol version, 116i Sport. In third position was the popular BMW 320d M Sport with 1,449 sold. From an engine perspective, the most popular derivative sold is the 2.0-litre diesel engine with total sales of 7,369 units.

For any further information on Approved Used BMWs please visit: http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/

BMW 7 Series wins double, gaining the title of Luxury UK Car Of The Year and World Luxury Car for 2016.

The BMW 7 Series has gone from strength to strength since it was launched last November and now BMW’s latest flagship model has been awarded two of the most prestigious awards - Luxury Car of the Year for 2016 at the UK Car of the Year awards 2016.

The UK Car of the Year Awards, sponsored by Cox Automotive are judged by 27 of Britain’s most-read motoring journalists. Each judge uses their expertise to pick out the top performer in 12 vehicle categories, before deciding the overall winner from their favourites in each class.

Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks, UKCOTY judge, commented on the BMW 7 Series: “The design team have successfully grasped the concept of modern luxury in a world heading towards autonomous driving, and in a world where luxury will mean a much more complex set of values. The 7 Series is an expression of modern luxury that is also very unique to BMW, one that has at its centre technology, and is about the joy of driving. The 7 Series is a brilliant fusion of understated elegance and advanced technology.”

The World Luxury Car category included an initial entry list of eight premium cars from all over the world. Vehicles in all award categories are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 73 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world.

The World Car jurors observed: “This is the flagship model for the Bavarian car maker, and so it simply has to be the epitome of what the brand represents in terms of technology, design and performance. And the new 7 Series certainly delivers. It is very much the new face of BMW in the new family design – and yet it is a classic BMW all at once”.

The BMW Group is no stranger to the World Car Awards – now in their 12th year. BMW cars have previously won the World Green Car title two years in a row (2015 – BMW i8; 2014 – BMW i3) and in 2008 for the BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics. In 2006, the BMW 3-Series was the World Car of the Year while in 2014, the BMW i3 won World Car Design of the Year.

The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series is both stronger and up to 130kg lighter than its predecessor, thanks to the intelligent use of multiple materials in the construction of the body, including carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the Carbon Core.

With a wealth of interior comfort and driving features, from remote parking and BMW Laser Lights to Gesture Control and new ConnectedDrive technology including the sumptuous Executive Lounge feature, the new BMW 7 Series redefines luxury on the move.

BMW UK triumphs at Fleet News Awards.

BMW Group has once again taken home two headline awards at the Fleet News Awards 2016 – Fleet Manufacturer of the Year and New Company Car of the Year for the BMW 3 Series.

A panel made up of fleet industry experts as well as senior members of the Fleet News editorial team were involved in the lengthy judging process, chaired by former SMMT chief executive Christopher McGowan and audited by Deloitte.

The judges praised the changes and improvements BMW Group Fleet & Business Sales has made in the past year stating “BMW continues to support the fleet sector with outstanding models, a committed and expanded sales team, dealership initiatives, connected technology and new repatriation schemes to boost RVs”.

Ends

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group had a workforce of 122,244 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

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For further information please contact:

Lauren Prema                                       BMW Media Relations Executive

Tel: 07815 370746

Email: Lauren. Prema@bmw.co.uk

Gavin Ward                                           BMW Media Relations Manager
Tel: 07815 371512           

Email: Gavin.Ward@bmw.co.uk

Piers Scott                                            General Manager, Product and Internal Communications

Tel: 07815 378190            

Email: Piers.Scott@bmw.co.uk

Graham Biggs                                       Corporate Communications Director

Tel: 07815 376867           

Email: Graham.Biggs@bmw.co.uk