Thursday, June 13, 2013
Jaguar C X75 Supercar worth £ 800 000
The new variant will be issued this Jaguar C-X75 is a supercar. Currently C-X75 project still in progress and will be released to the market two years. A luxury car is worth 800 thousand pounds!
C-X75 will display a small car with a turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor (produced jointly with the F1 team Williams Grand Prix) on each axis.
200mph car will produce 99g/km EMIS blessing. All chassis made from lightweight carbon closely. The plan, C-X75 limited to only 250 units made and this project combines professional 100 workers in the UK.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Function and Choosing Right Oil For Car
In general we assume that the main function is as a lubricant engine oil. Though oil has another function that is not less important, namely, among others, as cooler, Patron of Rust, cleaners and Closing Gaps in the wall machine.
All these functions are very closely related, as lubricants, oil will create friction between the components in the engine move more subtle, making it easier for machines to achieve an ideal working temperature.
Additionally Oil also acts as a heat transfer fluid reaches the combustion chamber of 1000-1600 degrees Celsius to other parts of the engine cooler.
With the level of consistency, adjusted for volume and capacity needs of the machine. The more viscous oil, the level of leakage will be smaller, but the other resulted in increased workloads for the oil pump.
In addition, the content of additives in the oil, will make a film on the cylinder wall in order to protect the engine at the start. At the same time prevent rust, even if the vehicle is not used for a long time. Beside that also contain detergent additives in lubricants to function as a solvent for impurities result of burning residual oil turnover time is wasted.
CHOOSING OIL
Increasing number of oil options at this time, will certainly make us a little confused, because all the oil producers would say they are the best oil. But there are some things that might be used as a reference, among others, recognize the character of your vehicle, engine specification and which the majority of your driving environment (temperature, humidity, dust, etc..).
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Mazda MX 5 Miata PRHT Grand Touring Review
- Run-flat tires
- Xenon headlights
- Automatic climate control
- Advanced keyless entry
- Leather-trimmed heated seats
- Bose audio system
- Sirius satellite radio
- Bluetooth hands-free phone capability
- Dynamic stability control
- Traction control system
Friday, June 7, 2013
7 Steps to Keeping the Car Air Conditioner Stay Cold
- Check your car air conditioner hose, if there are leaks or not. Due to leakage of this section may cause the car air conditioner is no longer cold.
- Also check whether the receiver / dryer is still suitable to be used or must be replaced. Notice the indicator. When damage occurs, a quick change. Because if not, over time the damage will spread to other tools such as the expansion valve, compressor.
- Check also whether the lubricant is still adequate or need to be added.
- Clean the condenser. Because as a heat exchange (where the hot air circulation switch), will certainly a lot of dirt accumulate in these parts and can reduce the cold air produced by the car air conditioner.
- Also check the cooling unit. When this section is dirty, clean it immediately. Because if not, the cold air generated certainly can not break out because of dirt covered with thick walls of his unit. Whats worse, it turns out can cause rust and if a leak can occur during cleaning.
- Do not forget to check the freon car air conditioner. Still worth it or not. To fill the freon or gas that must be examined first by the car air conditioner repair service.
- Also check and clean the evavorator this part of the dirt.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Highlighting VAZ 2107 with his own hands
In order that would give the car dashboard VAZ 2107, a bright and beautiful, we decided to make the blue lights of the dashboard. What would make a beautiful lighting was done by the LED board to be installed in place of a standard backlight, so that would be all rose beautifully and accurately is necessary to modify the scale of the instrument panel. That would combine the instrument scale can be set in white LEDs, which have good brightness and replace the standard bulbs. Installing a blue backlight for the dashboard requires 6 LEDs and 6 resistors, which will have a resistance of not less than 850 ohms and 5 white LEDs of high brightness. All LEDs must be installed first in the cartridge, and then in the dash. The second step will be removing panels and visor, do not forget to remember the position of the hands of devices. Using a thin knife to gently peel the standard box from the LED, and then gently wipe off the green filter. Will look bad and white lights, but to achieve a beautiful sports atmosphere will make the blue. You will have to very carefully and neatly glued blue film with tweezers. Cut out all the necessary parts of the film and rovnenko decompose, it is easy to stick to the adhesive paste. After fixing the film is better to check the glow and if you are satisfied proceed to the assembly. Do not forget for the arrows, they should not be displaced. Do highlight dl SAUO. Standard LED should be replaced by tekstolitnuyu panel with blue LED, and red patches to install red LEDs. What would be the light blue and red LEDs strongly blended can set the partition between the sectors. In order that would make uniform illumination attach to the base lid foil. This will help make the glow of the dashboard more smooth and bright. This blue light will help make the dashboard of the car VAZ 2107, a rich and beautiful at night, which would give the car greater reliability. Standard instrumentation and lighting VAZ 2107 looks quite plain and dull, at night to look at it quite pleasant. Lighting, made their own hands will cause you a sense of dignity to yourself and your car. Before proceeding with the work necessary to prepare everything carefully and think out a plan of action, in which case your work will be faster and better. Get a quality LED, checking them carefully before using, buy a blue film, good glue, as well as prepare the tools that you may need to install your lighting. You will need a thin stationery knife, tweezers, and preferably two, and possibly a drill with a drill. Prepare all necessary materials and tools you can start working on installing a blue LED light on your vases 2107.
Monday, June 3, 2013
New Car Review 2012 BMW Z4 2 8i
The 2012 BMW Z4 2.8i. |
Pundits have been predicting the end of our second golden age of performance for quite a while now...and reason tells you theyre probably right...that a combination of increasing mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and just plain old pain at the pump will someday result in liters and horsepower taking a back seat to efficiency and economy.
That being the case, the news that BMW, maker of the sweetest six-cylinders on this or any other planet, was shifting to four-cylinders in some variants of some of its models, was especially worrying.
Well, stop it. Now. The BMW Z4 2.8i, the four-cylinder that this year replaces the 3.0-liter 6, is soooo good.
Remember how much we loved the Z4 3.5i last year? We love the 2.8i more.
The 2012 BMW Z4 2.8i. |
First of all, its lost none of its looks. The Z4, long an ugly duckling, is now drop-dead gorgeous. If you can resist those curves, see a doctor.
Secondly, while the 2.8 packs 60 fewer horsepower than the 3.5, its a still-serious 240 horses, its 231 pounds lighter and that peak power comes up 800 rpms earlier. And that lighter weight means a lighter nose...the 2.8 is much more tossable than the 3.5. Plus, BMW engineers have managed to make the four feel almost as silky as their legendary sixes.
Third, theres some serious fuel economy involved here. The EPA estimate for the Z4 2.8i is 22 city/34 highway, and what we saw in our week at the wheel suggests thats a realistic number.
The 2012 BMW Z4 2.8i interior. |
And the interior...my Lord, the interior. The Z4 is one of the few cars on the market today where the inside looks as good as the outside and vice-versa. Everythings right where it should be and it all looks and feels very special...never, ever, giving you the feeling youre in an ordinary car. And youre not.
$49.525 with delivery and handling gets you a fully equipped car that will impress the neighbors, attract admiring looks from strangers, entertain you in motion and save you money at the gas station.
The 2.8 secures its place on TireKickers Top Ten Cars list for all those reasons. I drive 104 cars a year. Theres something new every week. I want this one back.
If you want to drive the newest models, consider Vehicle leasing from Comparecontracthire.com in order to choose from a large selection of makes and models.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Car Reviews Mazda CX 5
Crossover is built based on the concept Mazda Mazda Hakaze 2007. Great innovation, especially in the kitchen runway is expected to make this product different from the previous. Because the crossover was mentioned would use a new generation of machines called Engines Sky is very efficient. The machine was claimed very low friction in block, and using direct injection.
Moreover, Mazda is also using i-Stop technology or start-stop system is temporarily shut down the engine when the car stopped for a moment and immediately activate it when the driver stepped on the gas pedal. The weight of the car was made lighter, so that expected to save fuel by 30 percent.
Another source called the Mazda CX-5 was a combination of the Mazda CX-7 and Mazda CX-9. Both of which use gasoline engines.
The first model engine, 2300 cc of a turbocharger to produce power up to 244 horsepower or 161 horsepower without a turbocharger. The second engine, 3700 cc V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower power.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Spyshot Toyota Yaris 2012
This Japanese-language site showing the presence of certainty Vitz in December this year with some photos detail changes to the exterior and interior. In addition, there are other clues about the Smart Stop technology that will be offered at one of the variants.
The photos detail that is on the site match the leaked brochure pictures circulating on the internet a few days. As Kompas.com had preached before, the pictures give the appearance Vitz / Yaris a more aggressive, with sharper angles and a larger dimension.
Vitz on the brochure has a dimension of 100 mm in length increases, lower 20 mm, and the wheel axis distance was 50 mm. With this change, the means increasing Yaris roomy cabin. In Japan also will attend 17 exterior color options and multiple color variations in the interior. Some body kit options are also offered in this country of the Rising Sun.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Subaru Legacy 1999 2000 Repair Manual
Body section, Troubleshooting section, Wiring diagram section, Engine section, Mechanical components section, Electrical section, Transmission and differential section
Download Car Repair Manual - Legacy 1999
Download Car Repair Manual - Legacy 2000
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Car repairs with their own hands
The modern car - mechanically complex device, stuffed with various electronics, and at first glance, to be thrust under the hood with a wrench himself - hopeless task. However, not all so sad. There are a number of works that are able to run any car owner who can distinguish the spanners from carob and understanding in what direction to unscrew the nut. All the car break down can be divided into two main groups - failures caused due to problems with electronic filling your car and damage associated with mechanical malfunction of components and assemblies. In the first case without the services of a qualified person can not do - repair of automotive electronics is simply impossible without computer troubleshooting. But in the latter case, much can be done independently. If a fault occurs in the first place you need to determine which of the units of the automobile is out of order. Then, after an accurate diagnosis, there are two ways to repair - give the car for a hundred or remove the faulty unit and give yourself a repair is not the whole machine, namely, the faulty node that will be significantly cheaper. What is the benefit? After all, for the work of removing and posleremontnoy install any unit in the workshop with you take the money, and often the cost of mounting and dismounting, such as CPR will be comparable to the cost of repair of the CAT! Why pay money for something that you are able to do and independently? In order to remove the broken node from the car, you'll need the room (garage, shed) from the observation well, a set of tools and a little patience. Very harmless for this to get a good technical description of your car (you can download and in the internet). Now let's go step by step: 1. Before removing the unit is not too lazy to carefully examine the upcoming scope of work, identify all the locking compound. Note the number and placement of threaded connections on your machine and in the manual may be small differences! 2. Unplug all members of the shooting site electrical connectors, hoses and cables. It should be done slowly, carefully remembering that where joined, pads for connector is colored tape mark or special colored markers to the assembly not confuse that to join. 3. Before you unscrew the unit to drain fluid from his technical (from PPC - oil, from the steering rack dekstron it.d.) 4. Unscrewing the retaining assembly bolts and nuts, do not be lazy neatly folded out of prefabricated containers, not throwing bolts in the garage! It often happens that the fastening bolt replaced if lost analog is not easy, but in case of repair of vehicles produced in the United States simply can not (the Americans are not metric and inch thread) 5. Filmed unit should be cleaned from oil, soot and dirt - perhaps you yourself will be able, after a careful examination to understand the cause and fix it without any problems. 6. If the problem on its own did not work, you need to decide where to sit in the repair of a broken node. Typically, specialized repair shops, say, starter / generator is enough in any city and you need to choose a phone shop, ready to undertake repairs on the conditions it would suit you. 7.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Painting a car body with their hands
Over time, even the best quality paint cars lose their color quality: fade, crack, slazit, deteriorated by corrosion. That makes car owners to address the issue of painting his car. With self-painting cars need to be prepared for the fact that about 90 percent of the entire process will have on the preliminary work, and only 10 percent on the very painting and further drying of the body parts. Before painting the car need to be washed thoroughly - on a clean surface is much easier to see defects in paintwork. Careful examination of the entire vehicle will determine the order that requires a car body paint or a complete enough to implement a local painting. Recommended prior to painting to inspect the bottom, legs and other body parts - if in the near future will need to repair, then painting is better to wait. Convinced of the need to paint the car, you can start preparing the body for this process. It is desirable to paint the body, and then it dried, in parts - separate doors, fenders, hood, what they should be removed. Previously with the body of the car removed all the items that will hinder the implementation of the painting. These elements include gaskets, moldings, locks, and decorative inserts. If we were to paint without removing such elements, the places that paint does not need to be borne by the stencil, paper, cardboard and attached them with masking tape. Protection of such parts from the paint can also serve as petroleum jelly or a special paste (a mixture of glycerin, dextrin, chalk and water). Place a body with flaws in the paint and rust are opened and completely cleaned of rust, then covered with primer. Old paint from the surface of the body is removed by mechanical or chemical means. Mechanical method is the simplest but most time-consuming - peeled off the surface with brushes, skins, scrapers. Not all places at the same time manage to clean off. When chemical method prepares a special solution in which the wetted body parts and paint coming off. After removing the paint, the entire surface of the body a second time cleared of traces of rust and corrosion (mechanical or chemical means) and degreased with white spirit. Quality degreasing should be very high, since not treated field is new in some time lag behind the surface. If necessary, the surface of the body is aligned with putty, but its use is desirable to reduce to a minimum. Zashpatlevannye place after drying, are aligned, degreased and processed by the primer. After doing all these works can proceed to paint. It is best to make a special spray paint. Painted body surface should be done in several stages. The first phase - a verification, in which a thin layer of paint to identify flaws and quality control zashpatlevannyh parts of the body. After eliminating defects through 20 minutes after the first stage, we can apply the main coat. Drying painted parts of the body in any case can not be produced in the sun - it is in the garage or anywhere else indoors for 2-3 days. Perhaps, after painting and drying on the surface of the body will be visible before unnoticed flaws.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
2012 Ferrari Challenge Stradle Cars Preview
The Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale was unveiled at the 2003 Geneva Motorshow. It joined the Ferrari 360 Modena and the Ferrari 360 Spider in the Ferrari 8 cylinder range of road cars.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Insurance Claims Case for ex about Muscle Cars Crash
The Accident of Muscle Car |
Muscle Car Crash - Data for Insurance Claim |
One day my muscle car parked at the curb, then there is someone who hit from the front and corner side when we got out of the parking lot. It was a sad morning, I saw the whole side of my muscle car that hit me and I was devastated.
Then someone ran into me asking me not not report the case to the police, because recently he has twice the accident and he was afraid he insurance costs are higher because several times in an accident.
Muscle Car Crash Photo for Insurance Proof |
Insurance for Shelby Cobra Muscle Car |
I think personally, you should call the police, after the police handled the case, then policies will give a real report about the incident to the insurance company, if it is up to the insurance data will be processed and most likely you will get a claim for your losses, it means You do not need to spend money for damage that occurs in your muscle car. But remember, take an accurate picture at the time of the incident, time and place specific. This will simplify the claims process.
Insurance Claims of Superbird |
I think it all depends on the policy from the insurance company. The insurance company what it is used by someone who hit you?, Then the insurance company muscle car which you use to protect your muscle car?. We recommend that both of his claim in accordance with their respective provisions in force at the company. Probably you and the party that hit you do not need to pay to repair the muscle car.
Accident of Muscle Car |
Although often have an accident, I think the muscle car insurance costs will not rise as feared by the person who hit you, because such cases have been anticipated by the insurance company. Of course, to refer to the Terms and Conditions of the agreement between you and the insurance company muscle car at the time you make a covenant to accept their offerings.
Burning Car for Insurance Claim Evidence Photo |
Insurance Proof of Muscle Car Accident |
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Subaru Legacy 2 5 i and 3 6R Limited Review
Thursday, May 16, 2013
How to Change the Xenon Headlights on a 2001 Audi A4
1. Open the hood and secure it with the safety latch.
2. Remove the T25 Torx screws located at the top of the headlight using a T25 Torx screwdriver.
3. Remove the T25 Torx screws located on each side of the headlight. An extension can be used with the T25 Torx screwdriver to get a better reach.
4. Pull the headlight out and press the metal clip located behind the assembly to detach the headlight from the wire connector.
5. Pull the turn signal bulbs out. The bulbs are located on the side of the headlight assembly.
6. Remove the headlight back cover and press the metal clip behind the bulb to unplug the wiring.
7. Slide the xenon and high beam bulbs out of the headlight.
8. Insert the new xenon and high beam bulbs into the headlight. Wear disposable gloves to prevent oils from making contact with the bulbs.
9. Insert the metal clip to reattach the bulb to the wiring. Replace the headlight back cover.
10. Insert the signal bulb into the side of the headlight assembly.
11. Insert the metal clip to reattach the headlight to the wiring.
12. Replace the T25 Torx screws located on each side of the headlight.
13. Replace the T25 Torx screw located at the top of the headlight.
14. Test the headlight. Turn on the headlights to ensure proper installation.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Holden Colorado
Sunday, May 12, 2013
2012 Tesla Model S 【Video】
Tesla has released a new video that shows the Model S in action.
The North American company has divided its vehicle testing stage into two phases, Alpha and Beta, and this next video shows the Tesla Model S, which as you can notice, features a slightly modified front fascia, during the Alpha phase which began in 2010.
The 2012 Model S is rear drive. The compact electric motor and transmission assembly — much smaller than a conventional internal combustion engine and gearbox — is mounted behind the rear axle line and under the trunk floor. More than 7,000 lithium ion battery cells are packaged in a reinforced structure that helps comprise the vehicles floorpan. Cargo volume exceeds 30 cubic feet thanks to functional front and rear luggage areas.
As we have previously reported, the Model S is motivated by an electric motor that is powered by a 42 kWh lithium-ion battery. It enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, hit a top speed of 120 mph (193 km/h), and travel up to 300 miles (483 km) on a single charge.
How to Install a Hitch on a Mercedes Ml320
1. Pry open the three plugs in the bumper cover that conceal the screws that hold the bumper cover on. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws.
2. Remove the safety cable for the rear mud flaps if your ML has mud flaps. Pull the bumper cover off by carefully sliding it straight back and set it somewhere where it won’t get scratched or damaged.
3. Install the guide bushings that came with the bumper hitch into the guide holes in the ML’s frame. The frame already has holes for the bushings. Install the trailer hitch braces by inserting the supplied bolts through the brace and the guide bushings. Tighten the nut onto the bolt with a ratchet.
4. Bolt the supplied spacers to the bumper. There is one spacer for each side of the trailer hitch and the holes are predrilled from the factory.
5. Pry open the plastic cover on the driver’s side of the ML located at the inside rear of the car to access the wiring harnesses for the rear end. The wiring harness plug should be visible once the cover is removed.
6. Locate and remove the rubber plug on the inside of the bodywork that covers the hole for the trailer hitch wiring harness. Guide the supplied wiring harness through the hole. Install the supplied rubber plug in the hole along with the wiring harness.
7. Disconnect the ML’s main wiring harness, turn signal indicator and brake module and plug them into the plugs that are on the new wiring harness. Replace the plastic cover that conceals the wiring.
8. Install the trailer hitch onto the bumper, using the predrilled holes in the bumper and the supplied hardware that comes with the hitch. Use a torque wrench to tighten the trailer hitch bolts to 118 ft. lbs.
9. Install the wiring harness bracket onto the predrilled holes in the bumper. These are small and may appear to be covered in paint but are there. Install the wiring harness onto the bracket. Install a 25-amp fuse into the slot numbered “F18” on your fuse box.
10. Use an X-Acto knife to cut a hole for the trailer hitch in the plastic bumper cover. The hitch will come with dimensions and directions for the proper hole size. Reattach bumper cover by sliding it over the guides and then installing the screws that hold it on. Reinstall the rubber caps that conceal the screws.
How to Aim 2005 Audi Headlights
1. Park your Audi so that it is 25 feet away from the garage and facing a closed garage door.
2. Turn on the headlights and open the hood.
3. Turn the adjustment screws on the top of the headlight-housing assembly until the center of the headlight beam is positioned at the bottom of the garage door where the door meets the ground and until both of the headlight beams overlap each other by 50 percent.
First Muscle Car of Original Plymouth Barracuda
Plymouth Barracuda 1964-1974 Book Cover-Amazon |
Plymouth Barracuda Picture |
1970 Plymouth Cuda Yellow-Open Engine |
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Orange-Front Angle |
69 Hemi Cuda fastback-Tom Hunsakers |
1972 Plymouth Barracuda
2011 Toyota Tacoma User Manual
The 2011 Toyota Tacoma handles some the assonant as the 2010 simulate did. Edmunds.com compliments the Toyota City, saying that the foursome wheel track representation features a respectable, frizzy touching, along with offering a fit poised caliber couple.The new Tacomas low the felon specifications are formidable
Audi All Car History Volume 1
Audi traces its origins back to 1899 and August Horch. When Horch was forced out of the company he had founded, he started a new company in 1909 called Audi which was a Latin translation of Horch (in German: Listen). From the start, the companys policy was to build cars mainly for the luxury category.
Since 1932 the Audi emblem has been the four rings, which represent its amalgamation with DKW, Horch and Wanderer to form Auto Union AG in Chemnitz, Germany. Audi supplied a wide range of passenger vehicles during the 1930s - from motorcycles to luxury saloon cars. Volkswagen bought the company in 1964. In the 1980s, Audi dominated world rally with the Audi Quattro, and has had huge success in the Le Mans 24 Hour with its R10 prototype racer.
Audis progressive designs and groundbreaking technology combine to make cars which are innovative yet stylish. The current crop of production vehicles from the Audi A3 to the Audi R8 supercar has propelled Audi to record sales during the 21st century.
Audi have produced every kind of car imaginable: from executive cars such as the Audi A4 and Audi A6 to sports cars such as the Audi TT - from the Audi Q7 full size SUV to the Audi A2 super-mini and they show no signs of slowing down.
DID YOU KNOW?
In March 1980, the introduction of the Audi Quattro four-wheel drive sports coupe caused a sensation on the Audi stand at the Geneva Motor Show. The Quattro was the first high-performance vehicle with four-wheel drive, and is regarded as the first successful application of four-wheel drive on a road car.
In the late 1980s, a report by the U.S. TV show, "60 Minutes" rigged an Audi to perform in an uncontrolled manner. The report impacted Audi sales badly causing the company to rename the 5000 model the 100/200 in 1989
In 1994, the launch of the first Audi A8 with an all-aluminium body was a world first for a passenger car.
Audis legendary slogan, Vorsprung durch Technik means Advancement through Technology
AUDI FACTS
Type: Public (Xetra: NSU)
Founded: 1910, Zwickau, Germany
Headquarters: Ingolstadt, Germany
Key People: Rupert Stadler, Chairman
Industry: Automotive
Products: Automobiles, Engines
Subsidiaries: Quattro GmbH, Lamborghini S.p.A., SEAT, S.A., Cosworth Technology
Range Over 2010 Gallery Picture
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Range Over 2010 Gallery Picture Right-View |
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Front Design |
BMW Celebrates 40 Years of Electric Mobility
When the first production version of the BMW i3 rolls off the assembly line in Leipzig in late 2013, it will mark the provisional culmination of 40 years of development work at BMW. It all began at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where the BMW starting line-up included two electrically powered test vehicles. The converted BMW 1602 models served as a means of transport for the members of the organizing committee, and were also deployed as support and camera cars in various long-distance events. However, there could be no questioning that lead batteries weighing 350 kilograms and with a range of around 60 kilometres (37 miles) were hardly ideal for a production car. BMW therefore launched a series of research and development projects with the aim of bringing an improved and, above all, more efficient technology for electric drive systems onto the road.
Read More
Press Release
40 years of electric mobility at the BMW Group.
From the BMW 1602 to the BMW i3.
When the first production version of the BMW i3 rolls off the assembly line in Leipzig in late 2013, it will mark the provisional culmination of 40 years of development work at BMW. It all began at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where the BMW starting line-up included two electrically powered test vehicles. The converted BMW 1602 models served as a means of transport for the members of the organising committee, and were also deployed as support and camera cars in various long-distance events. However, there could be no questioning that lead batteries weighing 350 kilograms and with a range of around 60 kilometres (37 miles) were hardly ideal for a production car. BMW therefore launched a series of research and development projects with the aim of bringing an improved and, above all, more efficient technology for electric drive systems onto the road.
From late 1975, an experimental vehicle built on the platform of the BMW LS and fitted with new batteries and a new electric motor started to deliver the first findings. Then, in the 1980s, a research project was launched entitled “Electric car with high-energy battery”, which provided valuable experience in the use of sodium-sulphur energy storage devices. BMW furthermore constructed a special test rig for electric drives with a built-in output calculator. Besides the batteries, testing here focused primarily on the drive system and drive control. To trial the concept, eight vehicles based on the BMW 325iX were converted and subsequently proved their merit in inner-city use, for example as delivery vehicles for the German postal service.
The promising results of the research project prompted BMW to start work on designing a pure electric vehicle. Whereas previous experimental vehicles had been merely converted versions of standard production models, providing little scope for tailoring them to the specific requirements of an electric drive, this was all about to change. BMW’s work was underpinned by the realisation that the limited range of electric cars made them of interest for city use first and foremost. The first purpose-built solution was unveiled at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show: the BMW E1, an electrically propelled “citymobile” for use in cities and conurbations. Even back then, this prototype stood out for its low weight and high safety levels thanks to its consistent lightweight design and high-strength bodyshell.
Its performance capabilities also made impressive reading: with an output of 32 kW, a peak torque of 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) and a range of around 160 kilometres (100 miles) its attractive key figures made it a viable possibility for day-to-day use, too.
In addition to the five E1 prototype vehicles, the project also featured 25 converted production models based on the BMW 3 Series. Between 1992 and 1996, eight BMW 325 models were in service on the island of RĂ¼gen off Germany’s Baltic coast to test out various motors, transmissions and batteries under everyday conditions. The field trial produced large quantities of detailed data, which provided valuable insights for the further development of electric mobility. The project came to a conclusion with the BMW electric in 1997.
In 2008, a fleet of around 600 all-electric MINI E models designed for private, everyday use took to the roads. The findings gleaned by the BMW Group from its pilot project were channelled straight into the development process for a production car. The potential of lithium-ion batteries in particular was taken to new heights in the MINI E. Just one year later, the world premiere of the BMW Concept ActiveE in early 2010 saw the BMW Group push even further ahead with its research and development activities. Practical trials of over 1,000 units of this model got under way in 2011. As with the MINI E, the overriding objective was the creation of a Megacity Vehicle (MCV), which is now on the verge of being launched as the BMW i3. The electric drive system in the BMW i3 Concept is a perfect example of what ongoing, systematic development can achieve: it takes up around 40 per cent less space than the drive in the MINI E while generating the same output.