New BMW 4-series unveiled.

By -
BMW has unveiled the all-new 4-series Coupe. 
 
The upcoming Frankfurt motor show is set to give the 4 series its public debut in September. The car is set to come with three turbocharged engine options with three more forced-induction units to follow. In a move aimed at providing the 4-series with a broader appeal than its predecessor, there will also be a choice of either a rear or four-wheel drive in selected models. Internationally, five trim levels - SE, Sport, Modern, Luxury and M Sport - will be offered. 
 
 
The BMW 4-series, first previewed in concept form at the Detroit motor show in January, is based on the same platform as the 3-series saloon. Changes to its chassis, including wider front and rear tracks and suspension lowered by 10mm, provide it with a lower and wider appearance that befits its sporting brief. It also has the lowest centre of gravity of any BMW on sale.  At 4638mm in length, 1825mm in width and 1362mm in height, the 4-series coupé is 26mm longer, 43mm wider and 16mm lower than its 3-series coupé predecessor. The wheelbase is up by 50mm to 2810mm, and the front and rear tracks are extended by 45mm and 81mm to 1545mm and 1593mm respectively. 
 
 
The jump in size sees kerb weight increase marginally, with the base 420d hitting the scales at 1450kg, or 30kg more than the old 320d coupé, in six-speed manual setup. The three launch engines will be - a 181bhp four-cylinder turbo diesel in the 420d, a 242bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol in the 428i and a 302bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol in the initial range-topping 435i. Three more engines will be added one month after launch, including an 181bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol in the 420i, a 254bhp 3.0-litre six-pot diesel in the 430d, and a 309bhp version of that unit in the 435d. The 435d will be sold exclusively with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system. In November, xDrive will also be offered as an option on the 420d and 420i models. Rear-drive is standard on all models except the 435d. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on all models except the 430d and 435d, which come with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The eight-speed automatic is an optional on the rest of the range.
 
The most potent launch model is the 435i which, when equipped with the optional eight-speed automatic, has a 0-62mph time of 5.1sec, the most efficient is the auto-equipped 420d. Performance and economy figures and pricing have yet to be confirmed for the models arriving in November. Crowning the line-up from late next year will be the M4 coupé. Power is set to come from a heavily tuned, twin-turbocharged version of BMW’s 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, which is claimed to deliver around 440bhp. 
 
 
BMW is already talking up the dynamic properties of the 4-series, suggesting it is one of the sportiest cars in its line-up. The springs, dampers, camber angle and axle responses have all tuned for increased agility, while BMW is claiming a 50 per cent front/50 per cent rear weight distribution. Stylistically, the new car borrows heavily from the latest 3-series saloon, particularly at the front end. As tradition dictates, the long doors are frameless. Despite the visual similarity to its four-door sibling, the body is unique.  Inside, the 4-series coupé shares its dashboard, instrument binnacle and centre console with the 3-series saloon. But with steeper screen angles and front seats that are more contoured and set lower than its four-door sibling, it offers a more overtly sporting driving position. The longer wheelbase increases rear legroom, but the boot volume is just five liters greater than the 3-series coupé, at 445 liters. 
 
 
The BMW 4 series comes with standard equipment such as heated leather seats and a 6.5 inch color screen with BMW’s iDrive controller. All versions except the base SE gets the 18-inch alloy wheels and sports seats. The M Sport trim includes adaptive dampers, which are available as an option across the rest of the range. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All new Ambassador makeover by Hindustan Motors in 2012 .

By -
Image
Sixty years back, the word ‘car’ in India literally meant the Ambassador for most Indians. A lot has changed since then, with horde of automobile manufacturers active in the Indian market, sales figures for Hindustan Motors have hit an all time low 5,510 units in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. Over the years, it has been the Indian political class that has been keeping Hindustan Motors rolling. The latest blow to Hindustan motors came from the Govt. of India itself, which replaced the Ambassador with cars like the  Maruti SX4  and the  Tata Indigo CS considering safety and performance issues. The next-gen Ambassador will feature structural, aerodynamic and aesthetical chages. Changes on board the 2012 Ambassador include new engine calibrations, an anti-lock brake system and aluminium alloy wheels. For comfort, there will be new leather seats coupled with wood grain interiors. For the first time, there will also be an integrated music system and redesigne...
Read more

Force One to get 4x4 in mid-2012

By -
Image
Force Motors, which launched its first SUV, Force One, last August will launch a new 4x4 version and a variant equipped with ABS by mid-2012. The new 4X4 was displayed at the Auto Expo last month. At the launch, the company had indicated its intentions to offer more features in the SUV at a later stage. These features have made it to the SUV, but the company has been tight-lipped about launch date  and price tag. The 4x4 variant will continue to be powered by the FM-Tech 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel motor that develops 139bhp and 32.6kgm of torque. It will be offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as is the case with the 4x2 version. There will be no visual changes to  differentiate the 4x4 from its 4x2 sibling, except for  the badge. We expect the ABS-equipped 4x4 version to  cost at least Rs 1 lakh more than the 4x2 variant, which costs Rs 10.65 lakh (ex-showroom,  Delhi). 
Read more

Maruti 800 replacement coming soon.

By -
Image
Authentic Cars  broke the news on the upcoming Maruti 800 way back in July last year   and now we bring you more info on the car that will finally replace the venerable Maruti 800.  This new car, to be called the Alto 800 (codename: YE3), is based on the Alto, but with significant modifications done to make it cheaper. Not to be confused with the Alto sold in Japan, the new Alto 800 is based on the current generation Alto (YG4) but with a new body and interior. As seen in the pictures, the design is rather basic but there is more than a passing resemblance to the Japanese Alto, especially from the front. The nose gets high-mounted headlights, a slim, slot-like grille and there is a huge secondary air-inlet opening above and below the bumper. The styling is in line with the current-generation Suzukis, and details like the slanting window-line point to an aggressive tip-forward stance. Also, there is a prominent character-line that runs on the sides, right from the head...
Read more