2003 Bmw X5 4.4i Sport Utility 4-door 4.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

China patent leak may show BMW hydrogen fuel cell car

A series of leaked patent renderings has revealed what Car News China claims is a new BMW hydrogen fuel cell concept slated to debut in a few weeks time at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. Likely set to be a member of the company's i sub-brand, this compact three-door looks like the love-child of the ultra-efficient manufacturers i3 electric car and i8 hybrid sports car. It's narrow, boasting a cab-forward design and an aggressive interpretation of the company's current front end styling. The rear is angular and taut, and the entire car features an aerodynamic teardrop shape. Despite modern styling elements, like the headlights and grille, CNC rightly points out that there's something inescapably "1990-concept-car-ish" about this vehicle's look. We can't quite put our finger on it, but it's there. We won't have long to wait to see if these patent renderings are real. The 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show kicks off on Wednesday, November 18. You can check out the rest of the patent renderings over at Car News China. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

BMW suing Saab Automobile Parts for $3.2M

Saab might be all but dead, but that's not stopping automakers that were once involved with the Swedish brand from attempting to reclaim losses. According to a Fox Business report, BMW has filed a 2.6 million Euro suit ($3.2 million USD) with a Swedish district court against Saab Automobile Parts for deliveries that went unpaid.
In 2012, Saab Automobile AB signed an agreement BMW that would see the German automaker deliver four-cylinder gas engines for its 9-3 range.
The suit also asserts that Saab ordered a large number of spare parts, and no payments were made to BMW. At the time, Saab was far from liquid, and filed for bankruptcy in December of last year.

BMW 1 Series prototype packs direct water injection

Just a few months ago, BMW showcased an M4 that was modified to serve as the safety car for the MotoGP racing series. The flashing lights and emergency equipment, however, weren't the only modifications BMW made to the performance coupe. It also packed an innovative new water injection system. And now it's furthering the development of that system by running it in a 1 Series hatchback as well. Revealed at the BMW Group Innovation Days 2015 event, this five-door 1 Series packs a three-cylinder gasoline engine – like the one found in a Mini or i8 – but fitted with the direct water injection system. In this application, the system sprays a fine mist of water – yep, regular old H2O – right into the combustion chamber. While mixing water with gasoline normally wouldn't be recommended, in this case it evaporates immediately and helps cool the engine from the inside, allowing it to run at higher efficiency. That cooler running engine brings with it several benefits. It delivers improved fuel economy and lower emissions, to start. It also allows for an earlier ignition point, higher compression ratio, and higher boost pressure in turbocharged engines, delivering increased output. It even cuts down on engine knocking (where combustion occurs spontaneously), reduces wear and tear on the engine, and makes better use of lower octane levels. If that sounds like a win-win-win... win (we're losing count of all the wins here), it's because BMW just may be on to something. Of course it does require a water tank to be fitted on board, which means added weight, but instead of requiring the driver fill up the water tank, BMW has fitted this prototype with a system that replenishes the water level from the air conditioning system when the vehicle is switched off. So unless it's being driven in a particularly extreme climate, it doesn't even need topping up. Add one more "win" to the list, then. Extra power, improved real-world fuel economy: Direct water injection enhances efficiency. With direct water injection for turbocharged petrol engines, the BMW Group has again succeeded in enhancing the capabilities of conventional engine technology through an ongoing process of refinement and improvement. The precisely controlled injection of water into the engine cylinders produces a cooling effect that boosts power and torque, particularly when operating at or near full throttle, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption and emissions.