BMW Z9

A large 8.8-inch monitor in the center of the dashboard displays all the information the driver requires in a simple graphic display, apart from the speedometer and tachometer which are conventional analog instruments. The monitor is positioned within the driver's field of vision, allowing it to be viewed while concentrating attention on the road ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2001 BMW E65 745h Concept

BMW is making major progress towards the next generation of hydrogen powered cars. The 745h represents the 6th BMW model to utilize the hydrogen drive technology. BMW claims the technology used in the 745h and other hydrogen models is suffieciently advanced to permit realistic large-scale production. However, hydrogen can only be a sensible alternative to gasoline if the electricity needed to generate it can be produced with renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind or hydroelectric power. Such energy sources combined with hydogen drives would yeild a zero emmission transportation system. Hydrogen burns without generating any CO2 emissions, that is the emissions responsible for the greenhouse effect & global warming.

The 745h contains the world's first V8 that can be powered by both hydrogen & gasoline. The V8 is largely identical to the series production v8, utilizing bi-VANOS, VALVETRONIC and the fully Varibale Intake Manifold to reduce fuel consumtion. The hydrogen fuel source is a double-walled steel tank behind the rear seat-backs. The hydrogen is stored cryogenically - that is, in superchilled and liquid form - at a temperature of around minus 250 degrees. Two safety valves ensure controlled ventilation in the case of excess pressure. They are also part of the comprehensive safety concept which proved its reliability in numerous crash tests. Even in the case of a massive rear-end collisions in which the tank was impacted, the steel cylinder with dual, 2mm-thick walls, did not leak.

A further prerequisite for the introduction of hydrogen as fuel is a filling system which must be no more complicated than filling a car today. The low temperature of minus 250 degrees Celsius requires a special type of filling station. BMW has developed appropriate technology which is currently being demonstrated by the world's first public robot fuel station for liquid hydrogen at the Munich airport. The fully automatic hydrogen fuelling operation takes less than three minutes and is a simple process.

2001 BMW X Coupe Concept

The X coupe is not just a show sculpture; it is driveable, and based on the chassis of BMW's production Sports Activity Vehicle, the X5. Under the coupe's long, one-piece hood is an advanced BMW turbodiesel engine: the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder unit of the European 530d model, with state-of-the-art common-rail direct fuel injection , developing 184 horsepower. Beyond the production engine, the X coupe's powerplant has been modified to produce a brawny 332 lb-ft. of torque; this speaks well for off-road ability, and top speed should be somewhere around 125 mph.

A 5-speed STEPTRONIC automatic transmission takes the drive from the turbodiesel to the X coupe's four wheels; shifting is programmed for sporty performance and driving pleasure. When he or she so desires, the driver can control shifts via paddles on the steering wheel .

Innovative new lighting technology contributes to the X coupe's active safety. The headlights , for example, steer with the wheels for effective illumination of curves. In road driving, additional input from the GPS Navigation system actually causes the headlights to anticipate curves ahead.

Another innovation is the brake lights, carried in the dual rear lighting clusters under glass covers. They indicate to following drivers how hard the X coupe's driver is braking: On the basis of an electronic signal of deceleration, under light braking only the lights' outer rings illuminate; as deceleration increases, the illumination spreads inward until, under full braking, their entire area is illuminated.

2002 BMW M3 CSL Concept

The three terms coupé, sports and lightweight, abbreviated as CSL, have a great heritage. Back in 1938, BMW built the legendary 328 Mille Miglia Coupé with an aluminium body and in the '70s the Company built a lightweight sports car based on the 3.0-litre coupé.

At the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW M took up the theme once again in the guise of the M3 CSL Concept Car, making the hearts of sports car aficionados the world over skip a beat. And now, following the overwhelming response to the concept car, BMW M i s pr esenting an M3 CSL prototype suitable for series production as the predecessor to a production model launched to appear in future.

The CSL M3 was an exercise in making the E46 as light as possible. Carbon Fibre reinforced plastic, the material used in F1 racing, is abundant throughout the CSL body. During the process of applying the new material, the development team optimized the rear trunk lid with a higher spoiler. These upgrades have resulted in a 10% increase in the power to weight ratio of the car

The Inline-6 is mated to the new BMW sequental manual gearbox (SMG). This transmission allows for gear selection much like that of a regular manual transmission without clutch operation. Addionally, paddles are located behind the wheel for gear operation.

The M3 CSL comes on specially developed 19-inch wheels with new sports tyres again reflecting the purist concept of the car, while the 18-inch brake system ensures supreme stopping power.
The CSL was recently run around the north circuit of the Nurburgring with a lap time 30 seconds less than that of the standard M3.

Starting next year, the BMW M3 CSL will enter the market in a limited edition.