BMW 328xi Review

Four wheel-drive sedans are divisive devices. Their buyers tend to split into two camps: snow scared drivers (who would no more cane their car in the dry than leave home without their wallet) and pistonheads (intent on boldly hooning where no front or rear wheel-driver would hoon before). Of course, pistonheads like the extra snow-and-go seating, but fear the four wheel-drive gubbins will add extra weight and sap steering feel. So, does the BMW 328xi coupe cater to both groups, dodging the dynamic bullet even as it pampers the paranoid?

As you’d expect, the BMW 328xi two door looks no different from the regular 3er coupe. Despite all the kvetching about Chris Bangle's flame broiled designs, the 3 coupe marks a welcome return to blandsome Bimmers. This isn’t just a car you could take home to mother; it’s your mother’s fortieth anniversary present.

That said, the BMW 328xi's front is busier than Dick Cheney's cardiologist, with grilles below air dams beneath the bumpers. While it’s not a completely incoherent design, I wonder how all that low-hanging plastic will fare in snow-covered Neiman Marcus parking lots. And Ladies Who Lunch better be careful opening that door; the swage line running the coupe’s length is sharp enough to draw blood.

The BMW 328xi’s profile is gorgeous, but if you've seen the 6-Series, you've been there, propeller-badged that. At the back, the 3's ghetto fabulous booty is suitably capacious for lifestyle load luggers. It easily swallows a set of weekend bags for empty nesters visiting their progeny at parents' weekend. Options miser BMW even throws in the hinges for folding rear seats gratis with the coupe, so all your oddly shaped possessions can protrude into the cabin. Safe! Or not.

The BMW 328xi coupe’s trunk could (and should) fit the body of the engineer who designed its seats. In the Ultimate Driving Machine, you’d expect to sit on something a bit more sporting than leatherette-draped pizza boxes. Even worse, the standard-issue seating material combines the "freeze or burn" delights of leather with cloth's stain-holding powers. Unless you spring for the four-digit sport package's sexy, supportive chairs, slathered in Dakota leather, the BMW 328xi’s thrones are a medium-sized flaw that literally gets on your ass.

Otherwise, the BMW 328xi coupe’s interior is a motorized museum of modern art. The wood is as finely crafted as a Sam Maloof rocking chair. The fit and finish is befitting of a Dale Chihuly chandelier. And the steering wheel designers somehow found middle ground between "chocolate donut" and "hula hoop" (I did say modern art). Best of all, the electronic Rubik’s cube known as iDrive– the wheel controlled multi-media interface carefully designed to drive technophobes mad– is optional. Unfold the map, honey…

Hey! Let's play the BMW reviewer adjective challenge! Silky smooth, quiet and quick, balanced and slick, responsive, tactile, perfectly judged, telepathic and entertaining. Feel free to place the words “engine, transmission, brakes, steering and suspension” after any of these modifiers. Those of you who’ve played before know it’s the way Bimmer’s boffins weave these elements into a coherent narrative that makes the BMW a perennial best seller.

The BMW 328xi’s engine is the title character. Although the powerplant serves up a 'mere' 230hp (versus the 335i’s 300hp), winding out the straight six is no chore (as in an infinite pleasure). And you’re never far from the mill's big, fat power band– with one exception. When accelerating from 50-70 mph, downshifting isn't just a sport, it's a way of life. Luckily, the BMW 328xi's manual stick and Steptronic auto (with semi-manual function) both offer six-gears of slick shifting joy.

I didn’t get a chance to test the BMW 328xi coupe in inclement weather. In theory, BMW´s brainy xDrive system transfers up to 100% of the brawn to the wheels that need it. While this extra level of confidence qualifies the car for the overly sensible, no one escapes the 328xi’s hoon-inducing siren song. Normally, when I’m driving a ride that’s not mine, I’m as gentle as Johnson & Johnson´s baby shampoo. But saying no to this car is like turning down an invite to the champagne room. From Lindsay Lohan.

Lots of cars go where you point them, but the 3er does it on point. With finesse. And a Ginsu knife. Thanks to the linearity and predictability of its athletic responses, the BMW 328xi dispatches twisty roads and late turns with extreme prejudice. I'm not sure the 328xi adds any measure of confidence in the wet (slowing down tends to work for me), but it doesn't weigh the coupe down or numb the tiller in the dry. So, well, why not?

For less money, you could buy the more useful BMW 328xi sedan or the cheaper rear wheel-drive coupe with a set of good snow tires. Even more annoying, for $3500 more than the BMW 328xi Coupe, you can own the superb BMW 335i sedan. But hey, if you value style and security over massive thrust, the BMW 328xi is the ultimate no excuses compromise.

BMW 1 Series Convertibles Coming to the US

The German automaker BMW AG has recently announced that it will roll out the new 1 Series Coupe in the United States market starting in 2008.

According to a BMW official press release, "For those whose definition of pure driving pleasure includes wind in the face and sunshine above, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible follows the tradition established by the iconic BMW 2002 sport sedan. The essence of such driving purity - a responsive six-cylinder engine positioned within a rear-drive chassis to provide balanced, sporty dynamics - is at the heart of this compact four-place convertible."

Two 1 Series models are bound for the US: the 135i Convertible and the all new BMW 128i Convertible model.

The 135i Convertible comes with the BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine under its hood capable of producing 300 horsepower and pulls out 300 lb-ft amount of peak torque from 1,400 rpm. This power unit features piezo gasoline injectors, twin low-mass turbochargers, and air-to-air intercooler. With these, the engine offers a powerful performance and impressive fuel economy. The engine also enables the 135i Convertible to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds, reaching an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Meanwhile, the BMW 128i Convertible is equipped with the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that generates 230 horsepower and develops 200 lb-ft amount of peak torque. The engine comes with powertrain features like Valvetronic valvetrain management and aluminum/magnesium cylinder block construction.

Both models in the BMW 1 Series Convertible models comes with the traditional BMW design philosophy and elements like the BMW kidney-shaped grill, front skirt, door sills and rear skirt are identical to the 1 Series Coupe. Other exterior features found on the 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible include softtop available in either black or taupe cloth with optional Moonlight Black version, flared shoulder line, trunk lid with integrated spoiler chiseled into the rear end, additional lip spoiler (for 135i), L-shaped rear taillights, Adaptive Brakelights, and Adaptive Xenon Headlights (standard on the 135i, optional on the 128i) with daytime headlight function.

Moving inside, these two BMW 1 Series Convertible models for the US market feature a comfortable interior with a host of in-car information and entertainment amenities. These include sporty standard upholstery of Leatherette, sports bucket seats with enhanced side support, climate-control system with three standard modes (gentle, medium and intensive), SIRIUS satellite radio, HD radio, optional Premium Sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, MP3 player connection, auxiliary input jack, optional USB port for direct control of an Apple iPod, optional navigation system, BMW iDrive controller integrated in the center console, and a spacious storage space.

In addition, the BMW 1 Series Convertible for the US also comes with a wide array of passive and active safety equipments. These include advanced frontal airbags, side airbags integrated into the sides of the front seat backrests, crash-optimized seats with specially padded headrests and backrests, three point inertia reel seat belts and headrests, standard LATCH attachments for child seats, roll-over sensor, and front-seat-belt tensioners.

On the technical side, the BMW 1 comes with a high-tech suspension with newly-developed differential. The front suspension consists of aluminum double-pivot, while the five-link fully independent rear suspension is made from lightweight steel. Other tech feats include standard BMW Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) function.

These two BMW 1 Series Convertible models will enter the U.S. and compete with the other models in the segment including Volvo convertibles with Volvo accessories.

About the author:

Glady Reign is a 32 year old is a consultant for an automotive firm based in Detroit, Mi. she is a native of the motor city and grew up around cars hence her expertise in the automotive field.

Car & Driver: BMW X6 is a top Frankfurt concept car

Car and Driver online lists BMW’s X6 as one of the Five Most Significant Debuts of the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show [[LINK http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshows/14034/5-most-significant-debuts-of-the-2007-frankfurt-show.html]]. Writer Steve Siler says, “With its unique profile, sloping rear end, and huge, wide-set wheels, the concept X6 is the ute that Porsche should have built but didn’t. It is one bad lux-u-vee with a blatant disregard for utility, that makes the “sport-activity” (versus “sport-utility”) part of the moniker seem a bit less silly. As for the “coupe” part, well, until they take two doors off the sides, that’ll always be silly.”

The other most significant concept cars:

2009 Audi A4 – “Look out, BMW 3-series, the Audi A4 is all grown up … [it] grows a whopping 4.6 inches in length and is the first Audi sedan to sit atop the stellar B8 architecture first seen on the splendid new A5/S5 coupes. This flexible architecture locates mechanical bits closer to the middle of the chassis, something that should help mitigate the A4’s chronically pushy cornering attitude.”

2009 Dodge Journey – “Chrysler is nothing if not persistent in its quest to get noticed by Europeans. And thus it chose Frankfurt to take the wraps off the ’09 Dodge Journey crossover. Riding atop a modified Sebring/Avenger chassis, the Journey offers space and utility and an optional third-row seat … Although it debuted in Europe, the handsome mid-sizer will be sold in the States first.”

Jaguar XF – “A scaled-back version of the saucy C-XF concept that stole the Detroit show last January, the XF replaces the little-loved S-type and is as fresh and modern as the S-type is trite and stodgy. … The chopped-roof, high-tail design takes Jaguar sedans into a new direction that’s interesting enough to turn heads if not immediately recognizable as a Jaguar (then again, this worked for Cadillac).”

Mercedes-Benz S400 and ML450 hybrids – “The S400 is a mild-style hybrid [doesn’t run on battery motor alone] powered by a 275-hp V-6 with a start/stop feature [and fuel economy an] impressive 30 mpg. … The ML450 … will be Mercedes’ first two-mode hybrid … able to move the heavy ute solely on electric power in low-load conditions. Fuel economy jumps from the teens for the ML350 to 31 mpg for the ML450 hybrid. … both clearly demonstrate how environmentally sound transportation is appealing to rich and poor alike—something Lexus has been telling us for years.”