Zafiro
Supreme Roadmaster
KOHLER, Wis. -- BMW this month is launching two M performance variants, the Z4 M Coupe and M6. But it promises the high-performance brand won't be stretched to every model in its lineup.
That philosophy puts BMW squarely between its two prime German rivals.
Chief competitor Mercedes-Benz has an AMG version of every model, including SUVs and the R-class sport wagon. Audi has made only two RS models, and a pricey R8 roadster is scheduled for next year.
With the new models, BMW now has four M cars. Others are the M5 and M3, the best-selling M car.
The M cars command a hefty premium compared to the models on which they're based. The most significant difference: engines tuned for maximum output and not otherwise available.
"M is consistent with BMW's image in that it's not over the top," Howard Mosher, executive vice president of operations at BMW of North America, said here at a presentation of the new Z4 M Coupe and M6. "You won't see any of those quirky body parts you find on some sports cars."
The look is subtle, Mosher says, which is "consistent with our roots in Bavaria."
The two-door, four-seat M6 features a 5.0-liter V-10 engine with 500 hp and a seven-speed sequential manual gearbox. A feature called MDrive allows individualized performance settings. The M6 has a base price of $96,795 including shipping, compared with $73,495 for the 650i coupe.
The Z4 M Coupe uses the sports car's new two-door hardtop body. It has a 3.2-liter, in-line six-cylinder engine with 330 hp, as well as considerable changes to its ride, handling and braking. It costs $49,995, including shipping. The Z4 starts at $40,795.
BMW won't predict sales for the two new cars, but says M car sales are expected to top 9,500 units in 2006, about 2,500 over last year's total. The United States will remain the largest market.
Last year BMW sold 6,996 M cars in the United States, compared with 10,496 AMG vehicles sold by Mercedes-Benz.
BMW's M cars come from M GmbH -- which, like its Mercedes-Benz and Audi competitors, is a separate business. The unit is in Garching, Germany, and has 550 employees.
The key for BMW's M lineup is "high-performance characteristics that can perform at the track but are used on the road," says Oliver Rademacher, M's regional manager for the Americas.
The core of an M car is the high-revving engine and the subtle exterior changes that only hint that the car has increased power, he says.
"There are different ways to get power, if you look at what other manufacturers do," Rademacher says. "We make sure it is all going in line, it's a whole concept."
For instance, on the M6, BMW has used about 1,200 parts that differ from the base car. On the exterior, the only body panels shared with the 650i are the hood and the doors, Rademacher says.
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That philosophy puts BMW squarely between its two prime German rivals.
Chief competitor Mercedes-Benz has an AMG version of every model, including SUVs and the R-class sport wagon. Audi has made only two RS models, and a pricey R8 roadster is scheduled for next year.
With the new models, BMW now has four M cars. Others are the M5 and M3, the best-selling M car.
The M cars command a hefty premium compared to the models on which they're based. The most significant difference: engines tuned for maximum output and not otherwise available.
"M is consistent with BMW's image in that it's not over the top," Howard Mosher, executive vice president of operations at BMW of North America, said here at a presentation of the new Z4 M Coupe and M6. "You won't see any of those quirky body parts you find on some sports cars."
The look is subtle, Mosher says, which is "consistent with our roots in Bavaria."
The two-door, four-seat M6 features a 5.0-liter V-10 engine with 500 hp and a seven-speed sequential manual gearbox. A feature called MDrive allows individualized performance settings. The M6 has a base price of $96,795 including shipping, compared with $73,495 for the 650i coupe.
The Z4 M Coupe uses the sports car's new two-door hardtop body. It has a 3.2-liter, in-line six-cylinder engine with 330 hp, as well as considerable changes to its ride, handling and braking. It costs $49,995, including shipping. The Z4 starts at $40,795.
BMW won't predict sales for the two new cars, but says M car sales are expected to top 9,500 units in 2006, about 2,500 over last year's total. The United States will remain the largest market.
Last year BMW sold 6,996 M cars in the United States, compared with 10,496 AMG vehicles sold by Mercedes-Benz.
BMW's M cars come from M GmbH -- which, like its Mercedes-Benz and Audi competitors, is a separate business. The unit is in Garching, Germany, and has 550 employees.
The key for BMW's M lineup is "high-performance characteristics that can perform at the track but are used on the road," says Oliver Rademacher, M's regional manager for the Americas.
The core of an M car is the high-revving engine and the subtle exterior changes that only hint that the car has increased power, he says.
"There are different ways to get power, if you look at what other manufacturers do," Rademacher says. "We make sure it is all going in line, it's a whole concept."
For instance, on the M6, BMW has used about 1,200 parts that differ from the base car. On the exterior, the only body panels shared with the 650i are the hood and the doors, Rademacher says.
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