WORLD PREMIERE: 2019 BMW 745e and 745Le

BMW has just released some new information on the new 7 Series Facelift and its hybrid models. The press release pertains to the European market and covers the 745e, 745Le and 745Le xDrive. The new plug-in hybrid system now includes an in-line 6-cylinder petrol engine that has been adapted on a model-specific basis to produce a peak output of 210 kW/286 hp.

An electric motor with a rated output of 83 kW/113 hp and a rated torque of 265 Nm is paired with the combustion engine. When the driving experience switch is set to SPORT mode, an overall system output of 290 kW/394 hp is available and a maximum system torque of 600 Nm.

The new BMW 745e accelerates in 5.2 seconds from zero to 100 km/h, while the new BMW 745Le takes 5.3 seconds. Meanwhile the new BMW 745Le xDrive reaches the 100 km/h mark from standing in 5.1 seconds. The maximum speed for all three models is electronically cut off at 250 km/h.

The new high-voltage battery for the plug-in hybrid models of the BMW 7 Series now has a gross energy content that has been increased to 12.0 kWh.  In HYBRID mode, the new BMW 745e, the new BMW 745Le and the new BMW 745Le xDrive can travel at a speed of up to 110 km/h – 20 km/h faster than the predecessor models – in purely electric mode.

In ELECTRIC mode, the power of the electric motor alone is even sufficient to reach a speed of 140 km/h. The electrically powered range of the new BMW 745e is between 54 and 58 kilometers, while the new BMW 745Le reaches 52 to 55 kilometers. The new BMW 745Le xDrive achieves an electrically powered range of 50 to 54 kilometres.

The EPA electric range for the US market is not available at this time.

For the new BMW 745e, a combined fuel consumption was measured of 2.3 to 2.1 liters per 100 kilometers, a combined power consumption of 15.6 to 15.1 kWh/100 kilometers and CO₂ emissions of 52 to 48 grams per kilometer. The corresponding figures for the new BMW 745Le are 2.3 to 2.2 liters per 100 kilometers, 15.7 to 15.6 kWh per 100 kilometers and 53 to 50 grams pro kilometer. The new BMW 745Le xDrive reaches a level of 2.6 to 2.3 liters per 100 kilometers, 16.3 to 15.8 kWh per 100 kilometers and 59 to 52 grams per kilometer.

The electric motor of the plug-in hybrid models is integrated in the 8-speed Steptronic transmission.

The high-voltage battery is positioned underneath the rear seats, while the 46-liter fuel tank is located above the rear axle. This means that the luggage compartment volume of the plug-in hybrid models is only slightly restricted.

All the 7 Series hybrids are equipped with three driving modes – HYBRID, ELECTRIC and BATTERY CONTROL.

For the European models, the exterior design Pure Excellence and the M sports package are available as options for new BMW 745e, the new BMW 745Le and the new BMW 745Le xDrive.

As of summer 2019, new digital services will be available for the plug-in hybrid models of the BMW 7 Series which make charging the high-voltage battery en route even more attractive and convenient. When selecting a public charging station, the navigation system also provides the driver with a list of recommended nearby hotels, restaurants, cafés, tourist attractions and cultural institutions. In addition the customer is provided with a charging station occupancy forecast. BMW also enables ChargeNow customers to reserve a suitable charging station for a limited amount of time directly from their car.

The U.S. is the largest global market for the 7 Series PHEV sedan which will go on sale in April 2019.

The article WORLD PREMIERE: 2019 BMW 745e and 745Le appeared first on BMW BLOG

from BMW BLOG http://bit.ly/2DM2Y6z

Harrington on Li Haotong’s “harsh” penalty: “Somebody had to take the hit for everybody else”

Pádraig Harrington opened the newly renovated Spawell Golf Academy, which is now under the management of his longtime friend, Peter Lawrie

Pádraig Harrington thought the two-stroke penalty handed to China's Li Haotong in Sunday's Dubai Desert Classic was "borderline" and "very harsh" but felt that somebody had "to take the hit" as officials work to make players aware of the slew of rules changes introduced on January 1.

"It was very borderline, but the letter of the law says, once you start to address the ball, the caddie can't be behind it,” Harrington said at the opening of the Spawell Golf Academy in Dublin, which re-opens to the public today under the management of Peter Lawrie, a former European Tour winner.

"It's tough luck. It is going to be a serious issue on the fairway. How many times do you see a caddie in the trees standing there, saying let me go out and have a look where the ball is going?

"If you are over the ball and he crosses across you, that's a two-shot penalty. No way back. He cannot cross across that path.

“I would ask the question, playing devil's advocate here, how many times have the players studied the new rules?”

Harrington is something of a rules savant but he knows from experience that he’s an exception.

"If the referee puts on the bottom of the local rules sheet that your first born child has to be sacrificed to the god of golf, I guarantee you there wouldn't be four players who will come back in and say, did you see that?” he said.

"With Haotong Li, it was very borderline, it was very harsh, no doubt about it. But there is no way back if you start [to take your stance].

"I hate to say this, but somebody had to take the hit for everybody else. If it didn't happen to Li Haotong, it was going to happen to somebody else next week."

The issue for the Chinese player was that he was playing in the final group with his every move monitored on television.

In that sense, Harrington understands why there was so much uproar over Haotong’s penalty and the fact that Bryson DeChambeau appeared to take an age over every shot without suffering a penalty for slow play.

"If he didn't win the tournament and he was finishing 40th, nobody would know," he said. "They did it with Jordan Spieth at the Masters two years ago. But if it wasn't Jordan Spieth, they'd have never shown it.

"There are other players taking two minutes, and the camera is just coming in five seconds before they hit it. But Jordan Spieth's conversation was interesting, Bryson DeChambeau's conversation was interesting. All these things will pan out.

"At the end of the day, if a player is slow it, will hurt him as he goes along in his career because he will be in contention and he will be on the clock.

“It's not a good thing. It is never a good thing. As much as they can be bullish, nobody wants to have a bad reputation. Slow players, it hurts their career eventually. There are information gatherers and people who are fast. Nobody is expecting information gatherers to play fast either.

“Everybody has to play within the rules. But slow players, they ultimately end up getting penalised for it, not in terms of strokes, but because they have to pay attention and do stuff. It is not their natural rhythm, so it catches up on them.”

from News - Irish Golf Desk http://bit.ly/2HIe4gP

Upclose with the winning BMW M8 GTE at Daytona 24 Hrs

BMW X1 Ranked 2nd Best at Retaining Their Value One Year After Purchase

Car research site iSeeCars has put together a study on one-year depreciation rates across the auto industry. The study then published the top 10 slowest-depreciating cars after one year and BMW’s X1 SUV was ranked second.

iSeeCars.com analyzed over 7 million new and used cars sold from August 2018 to January 2019, comparing the prices of new cars to lightly used equivalents and identifying those with the lowest price differences.

“Instead of buying a car that’s already been driven for one year, consumers can buy the new version of select vehicles for just a few thousand dollars more to avoid the uncertainties that come with purchasing a used vehicle,” said iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly. “When spread out over the average terms of a car loan about six years at a 4% percent interest rate for example, the increased monthly payment can be as little as $35 per month. This price difference could even be less when you take into account new car incentives that may exist for a given model.”

Subcompact SUVs comprise the top three vehicles on the list. The Honda HR-V takes the top spot with a 10.5 percent price difference, followed by the second-ranked BMW X1 with a 11.7 percent difference, and the Subaru Crosstrek with a 12.2 percent difference.

“Subcompacts are a rapidly growing segment because they strike the right balance of cargo room and other SUV perks while maintaining a price tag that is comparable to sedans,” said Ly. “Each are among the top models in their class,, and the demand could be driving up prices for lightly used versions of these subcompact SUVs.”

To further demonstrate the popularity of small SUVs, three compact SUVs make the list including the fourth-ranked Honda CR-V, the eighth-ranked Mazda CX-5, and the ninth-ranked Porsche Macan.

The entry-level BMW X1 sDrive28i starts at $34,950 while the all-wheel drive version sells for at least $36,950.

iSeeCars Top 10 Cars to Buy New Over Used
Rank (By Percentage)	Model	% Difference New Over Used	$ Difference New Over Used
1	Honda HR-V	10.5%	$2,260
2	BMW X1	11.7%	$4,194
3	Subaru Crosstrek	12.2%	$2,978
4	Honda CR-V	12.2%	$3,230
5	Toyota Tacoma	12.3%	$3,891
6	Honda Civic	12.3%	$2,505
7	Honda Pilot	12.8%	$4,518
8	Mazda CX-5	13.4%	$3,457
9	Porsche Macan	14.5%	$8,302
10	Subaru Impreza	14.7%	$3,035
Overall Average		30.2%

 

The article BMW X1 Ranked 2nd Best at Retaining Their Value One Year After Purchase appeared first on BMW BLOG

from BMW BLOG http://bit.ly/2G2azjH

Video: Go for a Ride Around the Ring on Board a BMW M2 Competition

Setting the fastest Nurburgring lap time with a certain car seems to be quite a benchmark these days, even though in real life such performance doesn’t really matter. Actually, some manufacturers use tricks to put together a faster lap time than what they actually got by adding up the fastest times recorded on certain sections. But that’s not what BMW did with the M2 Competition. Instead of setting up an entire marketing campaign around how fast the car could be on the famous track, they kept things simple.

Of course, some people are curious about just how fast the Competition M2 can go around the Green Hell but that’s a minority, as most people will buy this car simply because it’s not scary to drive. It’s nimble, small (by today’s standards), agile and almost analogue, and that’s what BMW M enthusiasts love. It’s no wonder then that the M2 has become a bit of a poster child of the M division these days.

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m sure the M2 Competition can hold its own on the Ring. As a matter of fact, there’s about 9 minutes of footage posted below proving that point. In the hands of an experienced driver – the man behind the wheel drives a Ring Taxi for a living – it can provide plenty of thrills and an awesome experience. That’s the case here, as Moran was asked by the owner of this M2 Competition to drive his car round the Green Hell to see what it’s capable of.

The conditions weren’t great either, as it was cold out and the tires were not getting the perfect amount of grip. However, this video could also prove quite useful for those looking to improve their own lap times on the track as the driver spills some advice about how you’re supposed to handle a car in those circumstances.

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from BMW BLOG http://bit.ly/2Wy84KM