Daily Archives: July 12, 2018
BMW Starts Production Of 8 Series
The range-topping, two-door BMW 8 Series has finally entered production, and the German automaker revealed the prices for the coupe. The car will be manufactured in the car’s Dingolfing, Germany plant, which BMW spent hundreds of millions of Euros to update.
The plant is spruced up to include more automated processes to make the production of the cars more efficient. It installed autonomous tugger trains that can carry door assembly parts to the line while robots check for gaps and misalignments on the finish line.
The new 2019 BMW 8 Series coupe is fitted with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine that makes 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system that has a rear-wheel bias. The German automaker said it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. It has a top speed of 155 mph.
The total curb weight of the coupe is 4,478 pounds and this is made possible by a number of lightweight materials, including steel, plastic, aluminum, and carbon fiber. These are used throughout the body while the roof, doors, front firewall, and supporting structures are made of aluminum. Owners can also opt for the roof to be made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, which is a first in a series-production BMW model.
Standard to the new 8 Series will be full LED headlights with laser light technology, special leather upholstery, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, Adaptive M Suspension with active-roll stabilization, M Sport brakes, and park assist. Owners, however, will be able to opt for the following: an upgraded Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system and glass controls for the gear selector.
The BMW 8 Series will enter the production stage with the 5 Series and the 7 Series. When it launches, it will be available in the M850i xDrive trim. Prices for the model will have a starting price tag of $112,895.
2019 DS 3 Crossback SUV Readies For Launch
The new 2019 DS 3 Crossback will be the DS’s star for the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Thanks to the new set of leaked images, we now have a good idea about how the new SUV will look like.
The DS 3 Crossback SUV will be similar to the design of the recently released DS 7 Crossback and will, of course, attempt to compete with the current crossover SUVs in the market. It’s a growing market and one that will continue to grow in years to come. It makes sense that DS wants a chunk of that market for their Nissan Juke-looking SUV.
The two unique design features of this SUV are the sharp kink in the window line and the vertical daytime running lights. Other than these, buyers can be sure that the crossover will use Peugeot’s all-new small CMP platform, the same one used on the next-generation Peugeot 208. This means that an all-electric version could also be in the works since the CMP platform was engineered with electrification in mind.
Eric Apode, DS’s executive vice president who’s responsible for research and development, said during the Tokyo Motor Show last year that two-thirds of the 650,000 cars that DS sold since 2010 have been the DS 3. It makes sense for the company, whose parent company is the Peugeot, to cash in on a large number of customers who believed in the DS 3.
He said there is also an “evolution of the markets,” and this can be seen in the sales of the MINI SUV as opposed to the three-door hatchback that the automaker has been known for. The same can be said for other companies such as the Audi.
The DS 3 Crossback will be the first vehicle off the shelves of DS to use the e-CMP. This means that it will be able to offer the Crossback as a pure electric vehicle as well. As previously published by DS, the car would be powered by a 114bhp electric motor and a 50kWh battery that has a range of 280 miles.