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BMW Group Canada Announces Premiere for Montreal International Auto Show.

Posted on 06. Jan, 2009 by webmestre in North America, Uncategorized

BMW Group Canada Announces Premiere for Montreal International Auto Show.
01/05/2009

Whitby – BMW Group Canada will premiere the BMW 7 Series at the Montreal International Auto Show Press Day on January 15, 2009 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montreal.
BMW will introduce the 5th generation of the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan, the company’s flagship model, in spring 2009. This vehicle demonstrates supreme luxury harmonized with dynamic performance. The BMW 7 Series will arrive in Canada in 750i and 750Li variants – the Li version has its wheelbase extended by 140 mm.

Both models will be powered by an all-new twin-turbo V-8 engine. The 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged V-8 delivers 400 hp and a robust 450 lb-ft. of torque over the even broader range of 1750-4500 rpm. Reflecting BMW EfficientDynamics principles, fuel efficiency also promises to be class-leading too.

The sleek and sophisticated new exterior profile of the new 7 Series was designed by Canadian designer Karim Habib. A Montreal native, Habib is Team Leader, Advanced Design for BMW in Munich, Germany. Habib can be credited for blending the dynamic presence and elegance in the new vehicle’s exterior redesign.

The new 7 Series features an entirely new suspension system, engineered for dynamic handling and a refined ride. The new 7 is BMW’s first passenger car with multi-link double-wishbone front suspension. At the rear, the new Integral V rear suspension also contributes to EfficientDynamics via extensive use of aluminum. On the 750Li, self-levelling air suspension is standard. Rack-and-pinion steering with variable ratio and hydraulic power assist continues, but with a new-type hydraulic pump that delivers assist only when called for, thereby saving fuel. Also new, and a world premiere: optional Integral Active Steering, which adds speed-sensitive rear-wheel steering to BMW’s proven front Active Steering system.

The suspension system features a further development of BMW’s Dynamic Damping Control. With the new system, called Driving Dynamics Control, the driver can choose between four settings for shock-absorber firmness, transmission shift characteristics, engine-throttle response, power-steering assist: Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. In Sport mode, the default settings can be adjusted by the driver. In Sport Plus, the traction-and-stability system, Dynamic Stability Control, switches to its Dynamic Traction Control setting (reduced traction intervention), which is suitable for track-style driving. Active Roll Stabilization, BMW’s system of reducing body lean in cornering, continues as part of the available options.

An array of innovative driver-assistance options that are unique in the luxury segment are available on the new 7 Series (asterisk indicates new, or new to 7 Series). Notable features include Active Cruise Control with new stop-and-go capability; Lane Departure Warning*, Active Blind Spot Detection*, Head-up Display*, High Beam Assistant*, BMW Night Vision with new Pedestrian Detection, Side View* and Back-up Cameras.

The new generation MINI Convertible will also be unveiled at the Montreal International Auto Show. The new convertible, available in the Cooper and Cooper S variations, is sure to be a crowd pleaser as it is debuting with a new body design and new features that invoke the driving excitement associated with the MINI brand.

Launching in the spring of 2009, the MINI Cooper Convertible will emulate the crisp performance and thrifty habits of its MINI Cooper hatchback and Clubman cousins, employing the 1.6-litre four cylinder engine with fully variable valve management and output of 118 hp at 6,000 rpm and 114 ft-lb of torque at 4,250 rpm. Capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 9.6 seconds, the MINI Cooper Convertible equipped with manual transmission also achieves a remarkable fuel economy rating of 5.3 L/100km (highway).

Comparatively, The 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible, also debuting next spring, will be powered by the much acclaimed, and now familiar 1.6-litre turbocharged four cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, producing 172 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 177 ft-lb of torque from 1,600 through 5,000 rpm. Mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission, the new MINI Cooper S Convertible will maintain its high-performance reputation, launching from 0-100 km/h in 7.4 seconds, with a minimal appetite for fuel, sipping only 5.7 L/100km (highway).

While instantly recognizable as a MINI Convertible, the body of the 2009 MINI Convertible is all-new, integrated with a reinforced floor pan, A-pillars and side-sills. The fully crash-optimised structure, with passenger cell stiffness increased some 10% over its predecessor, is also lighter by 10 kg. The new MINI Convertible roll bar, unlike the fixed configuration of its predecessor, is a “pop-up” design which deploys electromechanically within 150 milliseconds. Activated by the MINI Convertible’s central safety electronics via a rollover sensor that also deploys the seatbelt tensioners and head/thorax airbags in the event of a rollover, the new rollover safety system interacts with the highly-reinforced windscreen frame, acting as part of the passenger cell to ensure maximum occupant safety and protection.

MINI Convertible drivers typically need no encouragement to stow the soft top and become one with the elements, so the new MINI Convertible is also equipped with a unique and decidedly “MINIesque” innovation – the Always-Open Timer. Positioned to the left of the tachometer, the Always-Open Timer measures how long the driver and passengers have enjoyed their MINI Convertible with the roof down. The Always-Open Timer is activated as soon as the driver starts the engine of the MINI Convertible and the soft top is fully open. An analogue indicator moving on a scale from 0 – 60 then counts the time spent driving in the open air in minutes.

The standard electro hydraulically-operated MINI Convertible roof features a glass rear window with integrated electric defroster and fully retracts in just 15 seconds and can be operated with the vehicle in motion up to a speed of 30 km/h. The top can also be opened remotely via the MINI ignition key. Complementing the full convertible mode, an integrated sliding function opens the front section of the soft top in “sunroof” mode and can be operated at speeds of up to120 km/h.

New to BMW in North America is BMW’s Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance, launching in December 2008 in the form of the BMW 335d and X5 xDrive35d. These vehicles will both feature a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel engine with Variable Twin Turbo Technology and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) combustion management system with urea injection.

With a maximum output of 265 hp and peak torque of an astonishing 425 lb-ft., the 3.0-litre six with Advanced Diesel with BluePerformance will not only provide sports-car-like acceleration and driveability, but offer up a whole new level of fuel efficiency and emission reduction in both models.

Performance figures for the BMW 335d indicate a potent acceleration capability of 6.2 seconds to achieve 0-100 km/h. The tenacious performance of the BMW 335d is complemented by an unprecedented combined fuel economy rating of 7.1 litres per 100 km, an advantage of 30% over the gasoline-engined variant.

The BMW X5 xDrive35d shows similarly sporting performance with a 0-100 km/h time of 7.2 seconds. This exhilarating diesel Sports Activity Vehicle performance is accompanied by a particularly thrifty combined fuel consumption rating of 9.3 litres per 100 km, an improvement of some 20%, respectively, over the gasoline-engined X5 xDrive30i.
Source BMW Canada

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Tags: BMW Canada, Canada, Montreal International Auto Show, Motorshows