BMW Passion

 Marty PadgettMarty Padgett

It’s a diesel, a hybrid, a plug-in, a three-cylinder–and a tour de force, perhaps?

BMW’s Vision EfficientDynamics concept has been the subject of rumor and innuendo for weeks, but now the German car company is setting the stage for its 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show display with new details of its concept and a full set of official photos.

As the name implies, this concept car grafts fashionable green technology on the body of a 2+2 sports car. The promise: BMW M-car performance from a vehicle with a three-cylinder diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain.

To break down everything in that last clause takes some effort. The combination of fewer cylinders, plug-in hybrid technology, lithium-ion battery cells, and diesel combustion is a technological tour de force, should it ever reach production. It’s a holy grail for green-car drivers that melds the state of the art in lower-consumption driving in ways that haven’t made the step from engineering lab to the street quite yet.

The drivetrain marries a direct-injection, 1.5-liter, 163-hp, three-cylinder turbodiesel to two electric motors (one per axle), a set of lithium-ion batteries and a software controller that modulates and marries both powertrains to a combined total of 356 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Using only the diesel engine’s power, a six-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the rear wheels. The hybrid powertrain is less conventional: it’s actually two distinct applications, a hybrid system on the rear wheels and a hybrid motor on the front wheels. The rear-wheel hybrid system operates in tandem with the diesel engine, while the front system operates on battery power alone. With this arrangement–similar in concept to the Ferrari hybrid system announced earlier this year–the Vision EfficientDynamics could provide all-wheel drive in electric-only mode, with battery power twisting its front and rear axles simultaneously.

Performance is geared to please the toughest Bimmerphile. BMW claims a 155-mph top speed and a 0-60 mph time of less than 4.8 seconds, while providing fuel economy of almost 63 mpg, and for European enthusiasts, CO2 emissions of 99 grams per kilometer.

Because it’s also a plug-in hybrid, those controversial CO2 emissions could be halved to 50 grams per kilometer, if the Vision EfficientDynamics were juiced up with electricity and driven on battery power alone. The plug-in technology used means the concept car would use a standard 220-volt household outlet to recharge its batteries. A 2.5-hour recharge time is predicted, though on a 380-volt line, BMW says a 44-minute full recharge is possible.

Driving range could pass 400 miles with fuel or 31 miles on electricity alone, BMW also adds.

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics: dial M for model

The pairing of aero- and green-friendly influences with 2+2 seating translates into a vehicle that looks like a BMW sports car, not a pure green machine. A grand tourer in silhouette, the concept wears aerodynamically influenced cues for style and purpose. A low front end and active louvers cool the drivetrain when needed, and close to improve airflow when unnecessary. The racing-inspired details continue with well-managed airflow–so tightly tuned, the EfficientDynamics concept generates a coefficient of drag of 0.22, while today’s best production cars sit at 0.24 (the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe).

Dimensions place the EfficientDynamics concept in the middle of BMW’s current coupe range. It measures 181.1 inches long, 74.8 inches wide, and 48.8 inches tall, and weighs 3076 pounds. The concept has 5.3 cubic feet of luggage space, enough for two golf bags.

The body of the Vision concept is lightweight in design and execution, its engineers say. The body shell and suspension are rendered in aluminum, the roof and door skins are formed from polycarbonate glass that darkens automatically in response to climate–like photochromic glasses. The cockpit of the Vision concept also uses lightweight materials. Kevlar frames the seats, and connects them to the center console, but elsewhere, sustainability is penned into the colors and materials chosen. LED lighting inside has ambient hues, while the headlights and taillights are linked to the ambient lighting to shift its color and intensity, depending on exterior conditions. A head-up display and night vision are configured into the gauges and driver displays.

Sophisticated software underpins virtually every system of the concept. That software takes constant readings from the car’s systems and interprets the data to enable more efficient operation. BMW says, for example, the navigation system’s traffic data can cue the drivetrain to shut down the concept’s cooling fans to prepare it for more efficient highway operation. Even the air conditioning and electric power-steering sensitivity are constantly tweaked in this way for optimum performance, BMW says.

There’s more to come on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept from Frankfurt. And, in tandem with the EfficientDynamics concept, BMW also will show its production X6 ActiveHybrid and 7-Series ActiveHybrid at the Frankfurt auto show. For High Gear Media’s live coverage of the show and these new hybrids, follow the link below–or write your own preview of the show, the cars and the concepts by signing up to become a High Gear Media contributor.

Automotive News Europe

February 23, 2009 06:01 CET

General Motors executives were surprised by the speed at which Saab filed for court protection from its creditors last week, leaving them with few answers for anxious U.S. Saab dealers.

GM tried to provide that information during a dealer broadcast Friday, but dealers said details were sketchy.

“The GM leadership was surprised by the filing and didn’t know it was coming, so they are going through scenarios right now that they don’t have the answers to, such as buying back inventory and so on,” said a Saab dealer who listened to the broadcast.

A GM spokeswoman said the company had no advance word about the timing of the filing. Although GM owns Saab, it had moved to set Saab up as a separate entity with its own board.

“We knew a filing was a potential, but it could have happened this week or later,” Joanne Krell, spokeswoman for the Saab brand in Detroit, said Friday. “It just wasn’t entirely clear.”

The Saab dealer who heard the broadcast said GM assured them it will honor warranties and prepaid maintenance and provide parts.

GM leaders told dealers they will be putting more incentives on Saab vehicles in March to help move inventory.

GM also said it will begin paying suppliers to Saab Automobile AB the $127 million due for parts shipped as of today, Feb. 23, say GM sources.

The move comes after Sweden’s government rejected a request for financial aid from GM, the carmaker’s U.S. parent. On Friday Saab said it had filed for reorganization under a self-managed Swedish court process.

Saab said it would continue to operate normally during the reorganization, with GM and the Swedish government providing some support.

The Saab reorganization is headed by an independent administrator appointed by a Swedish court. The administrator’s job is to formulate an outline for restructuring and present it to creditors in three weeks.

The process will be concluded in three months, at which time the reorganized company either emerges as viable, with new funding from private or public investors, or moves into liquidation.

John Revill of Automotive News Europe and Robert Sherefkin contributed to this report

Bellingham resident, Fredric Hood owns what might be called an Uber-Muscle car.  Cool Cats and Hot Gals don’t think of German luxury when considering 1970s muscle car era, but Fredric’s Mercedes Benz 300 SEL certainly merits mention.

In 1988, while Fredric was living in Anchorage Alaska, his mechanic suggested he look at a very special Mercedes Benz. So Fredric took the 6.3 liter Benz for a test drive. You might say it was love at first linear G force. The huge mechanically fuel injected, V-8 pushed him back in the sear at wide open throttle.  300 horse power was still a lot back in 1988, especially for a luxury sedan built in 1970. The Air suspension maintained a firm grip while the rear of the car gave a little wiggle as the automatic transmission shifted in to third gear. Even by today’s standards it will get your heart pumping.

“This luxury sedan from Germany turned in quarter mile times comparable to the iconic Pontiac GTO muscle car of the same vintage,” coments Bob Taylor, owner Master Auto Tech

What set this car apart was that it could cruise at over 120 mph carrying five people in complete comfort. The claim by Mercedes Benz that this was the fastest luxury car in the world along with its modest styling, make the 300SEL a real sleeper. The uninitiated who fail to notice the 6.3 stamped on the rear deck could be in for a surprise at the next stop light.    

Fredric kept the car as his daily driver and brought it to Bellingham with him in 2003. The interior wood trim is like new and the leather seats have all been replaced. The fresh factory anthracite gray paint and service and repairs using original manufacturer equipment parts make this a well kept true classic.

“It’s still a real head turner, especially among classic car aficionados.” Fredric notes and laments tongue in cheek that until he owned this car he had never had a speeding ticket. That horse power can get expensive can’t it.