1968 BMW 1800 Reviews

BMW has padded out its most affordable model ranges in Australia.

Out of all of the performance car brands grappling with the zero-emissions transition, none have had the success of BMW M.

BMW has been testing its mysterious Heart of Joy driving dynamics computing system in a prototype ahead of its roll out in new vehicles, and the results according to the German brand are “not just to the next level, but another one beyond that.”First revealed to the world at the 2023 Munich Motor Show as a small black box the Heart of Joy is a computer, which manages many of a vehicle’s systems from steering, braking and suspension to power and battery usage. The plan is for the system to be installed in the next generation of all-electric cars that BMW calls its Neue Klasse.Now BMW has revealed that it has been testing the Heart of Joy in a prototype vehicle called the Vision Driving Experience at a United States test track.“The Heart of Joy enables us to take driving pleasure not just to the next level, but another one beyond that,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW, responsible for Development. “In addition, we are further increasing efficiency, and therefore boosting range, as in future the driver will brake almost exclusively using energy regeneration. This is Efficient Dynamics squared.”Admittedly the Heart of Joy sounds mysterious and almost unreal, but according to BMW’s engineers the system makes real world driving more comfortable and smooth through the reduction of noise and vibration, and the clever incorporation of controls and functions due to lightning-fast computing.Energy consumption is also improved. BMW said recuperation through braking and an integrated drivetrain returning a 25 per cent increase in efficiency.The computing software for the Heart of Joy was developed by BMW with processing speeds claimed to be 10 times faster than previous systems.“Working in tandem with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software, the Heart of Joy computes all the driving dynamics functions with a whole new level of speed and precision,” BMW’s press release reads. “The software has been developed entirely in-house on the back of experience in the field of driving dynamics amassed by BMW engineers over more than a century.”The Vision Driving Experience vehicle, which is being tested at BMW’s Spartanburg test track in the US, can develop up to 18,000Nm. Well, that’s the theoretical limit of the computing software and its ability to manage all that torque. That’s about the same amount of torque produced by a top fuel dragster and in reality unlikely to appear in any road car soon.The Vision Driving Experience vehicle, which BMW is clear to point out is for testing the software only, won't turn into a production vehicle. That said the Vision Driving Experience vehicle will make it world premiere at the 2025 Shanghai motor show in April.

Performance electric cars are too cheap.

We know the new electric M3 will be powerful, but what will it sound like?

The seventh instalment of BMW's M5 is the biggest and most powerful, but not the fastest. With plug-in hybrid power to soothe around town, comfort is likely, but how about performance and driving joy? We head to Bathurst to find out.

BMW has revealed an even more souped-up version of its M3 wagon model, the M3 CS Touring. Staging its global unveil at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, just 55 vehicles have been allocated locally with each set to carry a price tag of $253,900, before on-road costs, a $70,400 premium over the standard M3.

Four years after its debut, BMW has given its iX electric SUV its first facelift.For 2025, the updated model sees a suite of upgrades to the powertrain, exterior and interior, along with a new entry grade.Production will commence at the brand’s Dingolfing factory in Germany in March, with deliveries expected to start in Q2.CarsGuide has contacted BMW’s local operations for further information on an Australian launch date. An update to the story will follow with a response.Three variants remain in the line-up, starting with the new xDrive45 that replaces the xDrive40. Battery capacity swells from 71kWh to 94.8kWh, boosting the combined driving range by nearly 180km to 602km (WLTP).It also gets a 60kW power bump for its single rear-mounted electric motor to 300kW thanks to a drive system "fine-tune" and further developments to the car's power electronics.The xDrive60 replaces the xDrive50, which grows its battery capacity from 105.kWh to 109.1kWh. BMW notes a range of up to 701km on the combined WLTP cycle when fitted with standard aerodynamic wheel covers.For comparison, that comfortably exceeds the driving range of an Audi Q8 e-tron (484km), a Mercedes-Benz EQE (539km) and a Cadillac Lyriq (530km), all of which have been tested according to the WLTP cycle.Power on the dual-motor xDrive60 also increases by 15kW for a total output of 400kW.Last but not least, the dual-motor M70 replaces the M60 as the model's flagship sport variant. Its battery capacity grows from 105.2kWh to 108.9kWh for a maximum WLTP-certified range of 600km.It gains a 30kW power boost, pushing its total output to 485kW. BMW says a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.5 seconds can be achieved using the "one-foot rollout method", while top speed is limited to 250km/h.Looking at the exterior, the iX welcomes a refreshed front end, inclusive of a new front bumper, restyled grille and revamped headlights that feature new vertical daytime running lights and indicators.Customers can also opt for an illuminated grille on the entry-level xDrive45 or the mid-spec xDrive60, while it will come standard on the top-spec M70 xDrive.At the rear, BMW has integrated a new diffuser as standard on the M70, while customers can also opt for this upgrade through additional M Sport packaging.It adds further styling accents, distinctive air intakes and new M alloy wheels, while the M Sport Professional package adds "Shadowline" headlights, black exterior mirror caps, a unique M kidney grille and exclusive 22-inch M alloy wheels.Once again, M packaging adds exclusive interior features to the M70, which are optional for the xDrive 45 and xDrive60.Those include M multi-functional seats with optional ventilation, a leather steering wheel, M pedals, high-gloss black centre console trim and a two-tone instrument panel.BMW sold 566 examples of the iX in Australia last year, a decrease of 32.4 per cent on the previous year.

Voice control seemed so futuristic, with KITT, the heavily modified Pontiac Firebird showing just how helpful it could be in Knight Rider.

If you’ve seen a lot of BMWs on the road lately, there is a reason for it.The Bavarian giant is officially Australia’s favourite premium automotive brand.According to 2024 sales figures, BMW capped the year with 26,341 sales. That represents a modest 0.6 per cent bump over its 2023 results, or in actual figures, BMW sold 157 more cars last year than the year before.For years BMW was the number two marque in Australia behind archrival Mercedes-Benz. But that shifted a few years ago and now BMW is the dominant force in the premium segment.Mercedes splits its sales between two business units — Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Given none of its premium rivals offer commercial vans or utes, we will focus on cars.BMW was the 14th best-selling brand overall in 2024, wedged between Volkswagen in 13th and Suzuki in 15th.But how did it do so well last year? A couple of factors — SUVs and EVs.Sixty two per cent of BMW sales were for its ‘X’ SUV range. And the leader of that pack was the X1 small SUV with 4536 sales. Despite these solid numbers, it was beaten by the Audi Q3 for sales in the small SUV segment.The X3 was BMW’s next best seller, capturing high sales in runout ahead of the new-gen model arriving, and X5 was third best, while the X7 and 7 Series saloon had their best sales results ever.BMW’s EV sales were also a strong point, with just under 30 per cent of its total sales coming from electric cars. The iX1, i4, iX2 and iX3 made up the bulk of deliveries.Mercedes-Benz recorded 19,989 units in 2024, which was down by 17.8 per cent compared with 2023. Despite having a broader model range, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer saw double-digit sales declines for some of its most popular models including the C-Class (-26%), CLA (-32.7%), A-Class (-16.5%), GLC (-19.3%) and GLE (-41.4%).Benz fared better with some of its EV range, with the EQE medium SUV up by more than 200 per cent to 759 sales and the EQS large SUV also in positive territory (+126.7%). The GLA small SUV was the brand’s best seller, recording 3103 sales, up a healthy 65 per cent year on year.Coming third in the premium car sales race was Audi with 15,333, which represented a 19.5 per cent drop on its 2023 result.The decline can in part be put down to the delayed launch of the Q4 e-tron electric SUV, which now arrives in February, as well as some ageing model lines like the A4 and Q5 mid sizers. Both will be replaced in 2025 with new-gen models.The end of sales for the A1 hatch and TT sports car have also likely had an impact.Like Mercedes, Audi’s sales were a mixed bag. The Q3 was the brand’s star performer, capturing 5497 sales (+23.3%) to top the premium small SUV segment.The only other Audi model in positive sales territory was, interestingly, the A6 (+12%). Large sedans aren’t super popular these days so it’s a great result for a solid offering.On the flipside, the Q7 and A3 went backwards, but the SUV is about to get a big refresh in February, and the A3 has just been updated, too, so they should pick up in 2025.Aside from BMW, Porsche was the only premium brand to achieve sales growth in 2024, with 7029 units up 16.1 per cent. Every model line except the Panamera (-5.7%) and Taycan (-47.3%) saw double or triple-digit growth.Other premium contenders Lexus (13,642, -10.2%), Genesis (1400, -26.9%) and Volvo (8898, -20%) all had sales drops in 2024.