Jan/Feb - GGC BMW CCA

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Bimmerphile BMW news from around the world Bimmerphile Editor: Lisa Ferarri U.S. November car sales declined 7.6% from October’s disappointing results…only Chrysler posted better sales from the prior month. The American companies got more bad news as they saw their share of total sales fall below 59% in spite of aggressive incentives. Porsche North American sales fell nine percent in Nov… Demand for the high-margin 911 was stable, while Boxster sales fell 21 percent. “Looking to the widely anticipated pick up in the North American economy as well as the forthcoming introduction of the Cayenne (sports utility vehicle), we remain confident for the current business year. (Reuters) Mercedes-Benz November 2002 sales rise 2.9 percent… The big demand for the E-Class sedan proved to be the most important factor driving up sales in North America. With over 5,500 deliveries for the month of November alone (up 78.4 percent), this model achieved a new sales record. (DaimlerChrysler.com) BMW Group NA November Sales Up 30 Percent…The BMW Group (BMW and MINI brands combined) recorded its third best month ever, with November sales of 23,579 vehicles, an increase of 30.2 percent over the same month last year. BMW NA reported November sales of automobiles and Sports Activity Vehicles of 20,873, up 15.3 percent over the 18,107 in the same month in 2001. BMW reported November automobile sales of 16,712, up 18.4 percent from the 14,114 cars sold in the same month a year ago. Sales of BMW’s new 7 Series sedan remain with sales of 1,882 in November, up 154.3 percent from the same month a year ago. Year-to-date sales of the new 7 Series are 20,230, up 51.5 percent over the 13,357 automobiles sold in the first eleven months of 2001. BMW’s X5 Sports Activity Vehicles, up 4.2 percent with sales of 4,161 vehicles. Sales of BMW Certified Pre- Owned vehicles continued to be strong as the company reported 5,243 vehicles in November, an increase of 46.4 percent above last year. The company reported sales of 1,312 MINI Coopers and 1,394 MINI Cooper S’ during the month of November for a total of 2,706 cars sold. BMW Press Mini helps lift BMW sales… BMW sold more cars in the first 11 months of this year than in the whole of 2001, boosted by sales of the diminutive Mini and the X5 sport-utility. The group said it had sold 976,300 cars between January and November, 17 percent more than by this time last year. Unit sales in November alone rose 4 percent to 85,100 cars. Much of the rise was due to the lowmargin Mini, with almost 134,000 of the hatchback finding homes in the first 11 months. BMW aims to sell 140,000 of the cars this year. Reuters “Technology of the Year 2003” award… The Automotive Researchers’ & Journalists’ Conference of Japan named BMW’s Valvetronic innovation on the 2002 745i and 745Li “Technology of the Year 2003”. According to the vote of the selection committee, the Valvetronic system of intake valve control, which dispenses with a traditional throttle, clearly outclassed other nominees. Reasons for choosing BMW’s outstanding technology as given by the RJC can be The Valvetronic principle summarized with innovative automotive engineering, superior power characteristics and fuel efficiency. BMW Press Carmakers choose rallying over F1…A growing number of automakers see rallying as a popular and more costeffective way to race than the more glamorous Formula One. Automakers traditionally view motorsports as a prime way to build brand image and sell cars to race fans. Formula One’s colorful spectacle of thousand-horsepower racers hurtling around tight tracks in exotic locations from Monaco to Malaysia has long made it racing’s top attraction. . . . Mitsubishi has developed a special Pajero Evo model, designed as a sports coupe, for the grueling Paris-Dakar rally. Volkswagen will enter its new Touareg sport-utility in the next Paris-Dakar, and BMW is expected to follow in 2004 with the X5. Automotive News Europe Roller ready: BMW-built Rolls on the way…BMW’s takeover of Rolls-Royce the British super-luxury car builder from VW Group is effective at the stroke of midnight January 1, and with it comes the first sales of the BMW-built Rolls- Royce. Weighing in at between 5000- 6000 pounds, the 19-foot-long, four-door, five-seat luxo-carriage features such amenities as a humidor, custom-fit luggage, touch-sensitive door latches and door-mounted umbrella holsters. Other extras include a motorized hood ornament that drops into a secure recess to prevent theft of the Silver Lady, as well as B-pillar-less, front-opening rear doors for easy access to the passenger compartment. Under hood, this Bimmer-Roller reportedly gets a 6.7- liter V12 engine that can push it from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds. The list price is estimated at about $325,000. AutoWeek Online Nürburgring 24 Hour Race 2003 - M3 GTR Makes Its Return…The BMW M3 GTR is gearing up for a comeback on the starting grid of the 2003 Nürburgring 24 Hour Race. Jörg Müller and Dirk Müller have already been nominated to man the cars. BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen comments: “The decision to take part was made after clarification of questions of regulations...” The BMW works team of Schnitzer Motorsport will run the competition effort together with technical staff from BMW Motorsport. Since the premiere of the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race in 1970, a BMW has crossed the finishing line 16 times as overall winner, most recently in 1998. The BMW M3 GTR was originally developed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The muscular coupé made its debut in that event in 2001 and swept the board: Jörg Müller won the Drivers championship, BMW Motorsport came top in the Team classifications, and BMW won the Manufacturers title in the company’s most important export market. BMW Press You would have thought by now that he’d at least be a CCA member…Todd Manning, of Holden, MA, has won the 2001 BMW M5 signed by pop star Madonna. Manning’s name was randomly selected from more than 30,000 entries that were collected over a five-month period as the M5 toured the country as part of the BMW Ultimate Drive for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation raising $200,000 for breast cancer research. “My first car was a 1966 BMW 1800…the idea of owning another BMW signed by such a unique entertainer, and used in the BMW Films short “Star,” is really going to be a kick.” said Manning. Manning and his M5 will experience BMW Ultimate Driving training at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. BMW Press 330i Performance Package…The allnew Performance Package for the 2003 330i Sedan will make its debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Created exclusively for the U.S. market for enthusiasts by enthusiasts at BMW Individual, a division of BMW M GmbH. Modifications to 8 January/February 2003
the 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine yield a ten horsepower increase to 235. For the first time in a 330i a six-speed manual transmission will be standard. The package will include a short-throw shifter, a shorter final drive ratio, new sports suspension, and 18-inch wheels with mixed-size performance tires. Also included is an Aerodynamic Package, black headlight trim, high gloss shadowline trim and a new aggressive looking and sounding exhaust. Production of the 330i Performance Package will begin in March 2003 with the first cars arriving at BMW centers in April. Car-Data.com M3 GTR makes its return at theNürburgring 24 Hour Race 2003 Intelligent Driver Assistance Systems…Establishing a perfect interplay of well-trained drivers and intelligent driver assistance systems, the BMW Group intends to enhance safety on the road to an even higher level than ever before. In developing new driver assistance systems, they are following the ConnectedDrive concept, creating an even closer network of the driver, the car, and their surroundings, without taking the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver. ConnectedDrive is like a virtual co-pilot giving the driver optimum support in every situation while taking all relevant information and data into account. Various innovative assistance systems have been developed based on the concept of ConnectedDrive. These systems support the driver through sophisticated sensors, for example in choosing the right speed in all situations (active accelerator pedal) or in warning the driver in ample time of the dangerous risk of sudden sleep (alertness monitor). A further highlight of BMW Group vehicle research is the Parking Assistant, which measures parking spaces while the car is passing by and tells the driver whether they are large enough for his vehicle. BMW Press The race for the luxury crown… Lexus wants to be the best-selling luxury brand in the United States for the third consecutive year. But after 11 months, BMW was only a couple hundred units behind. Each brand will sell close to a quarter million units this year, but the race for the luxury crown is still too close to call. Automotive News BMWs rest in pieces… The Tricolor, a Norwegian-registered car carrier, carrying $47.7million worth of luxury cars sank in the English Channel in the early hours of December 14 following a collision with the container ship Kariba. Although all of its crew escaped unharmed, the tanker — and its cargo of almost 3,000 BMWs, Volvos and Saabs — lay just below the surface. It was carrying the cars from Zeebrugge, in Belgium, to Southampton, England. Per Ronnevig, spokesman for shipping firm said the the cargo would probably have to be written off. “I think we must consider it lost. She probably capsized when she went down. It means that all the cars are probably lying in pieces down there.” CNN.com 9
Page 1 and 2: Volume 32 - Number 1 January/Februa
Page 3 and 4: departments Announcements .........
Page 5 and 6: Newsletter Team Editor-in-Chief Kel
Page 8 and 9: President’s Page Calling All Volu
Page 12 and 13: Just about anybody interested in dr
Page 14 and 15: Car Control Clinics 2003 The Februa
Page 16 and 17: Top Driver Shootout Past Winners 19
Page 18 and 19: High Performance Driving School At
Page 20 and 21: Sonoma Lodging Options · The Inn M
Page 22 and 23: STUFF TO BRING TO THE TRACK: These
Page 24 and 25: Golden Gate Chapter High Performanc
Page 26 and 27: 24 January/February 2003
Page 28 and 29: The E-Ticket Ride Resolutions By Sh
Page 30: New Members Welcome! Alsnauer Karl
Page 34: CCA Discounts Independent Service &

Jan/Feb - GGC BMW CCA

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