In a remarkable 12 minutes, 30 buyers, most of whom are in all probability current owners of used BMW Coupes, were found for the 2011 BMW custom-painted Frozen Gray M3 Coupe. The 30 initial registration slots were filled in an incredibly quick time, leaving more than 50 disappointed potential customers left to settle for a place on a back-up list. Should any of the reservation holders fail to purchase the custom paint job model, which will ship later this month, then they will be in with a chance of getting their hands on the stunning 414-hp limited-edition motor.
British owners of Honda Civic Type R models now have the chance to choose from a new selection of parts for their car with the news that the Japanese carmakers will be bringing their partnership with tuning firm Mugen to the United Kingdom.
Mugen performance parts and accessories will now be available through a select band of eight Honda dealerships throughout the country. Following a limited run of Civic Type R Mugens, the Japanese motorsport firm is slowly beginning to take off on these shores. The range of new parts that will now be on offer include forged aluminium wheels, brake upgrades, quick-shift gearbox kits and sports suspension, while a range of body styling kits will also be available.
Plucky car brand MINI are not giving up in their campaign to arrange a race between their famous Cooper model and the Porsche 911. Having thrown the gauntlet down to Porsche boss Detlev Von Platen, the BMW-owned brand, whose famous history has made them a much loved and iconic group of vehicles across the world, are refusing to give up despite Von Platen’s rather dismissive response.
German car manufacturing giants BMW have rolled out their one millionth X5, further cementing their place at the summit of the luxury SAV market. At just under 100,000 units a year for the past 11 years, the X5 has been a prolific vehicle for its manufacturers and has outsold its competitors for the past seven years.
It is an impressive feat for the X5, with its units per year ratio comparing pretty favourably with some of the most successful cars of modern times. The VW Beetle, the most produced car ever to be sold, averaged around 320,000 units per year. For the X5 to have even reached six figures per annum is remarkable given the level of competition it faces and the fact that it is deemed a luxury SAV.
Having announced the production of 500 supercars back in October 2009, Lexus have recently announced that all of the LFA’s they are set to create have been pre-sold, marking a huge success for the Toyota-owned car firm.
Lexus have no previous history of manufacturing supercars, so the near immediate presale of 500 LFA’s is a big victory for the company, particularly given the fairly hefty launch price of around £330,000. It is not just Americans buyers that have swooped to reserve the supercars, with around a third of the models set to be sold to European drivers, with approximately ten thought to be headed to the roads of Britain.
Car giants Honda look set to revamp their popular minivan the Odyssey with a new, more ‘athletic’ design in 2011. Used Honda models certainly won’t look quite the same in comparison, with the new Odyssey being sculpted and shaped to round off some of the more squared edges that have become a feature of past models.
Honda claim that better fuel efficiency and increased internal space will also become features that will set the new Odyssey apart from used Honda models currently available on the pre-owned market. Many of the changes have been brought about through increased interaction with customers during the development phase. Owners were keen to take away the boxy look and give it better handling and a sportier feel, points that Honda have been quick to act on.
MINI gave enthusiasts a glimpse of the future last week, with a media preview of their forthcoming extended range of models. In addition to the variety of new and used MINI motors already owning the roads, MINI look set to add the Coupe and Roadster to their arsenal sooner rather than later.
It has been a long wait for MINI fans after the two concepts were first revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. But finally it would appear that both concepts are edging closer to the production phase, despite no official production date having yet been announced.
For the tenth year in a row, used Lexus cars have been voted best in customer satisfaction in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates vehicle ownership satisfaction study.
The award is another coup for Lexus, who possess a superb reputation for customer satisfaction. They finished top in three out of the four categories – quality and reliability, appeal and service satisfaction.
Lexus’s mark was up 12 points on their total from the previous year, with an overall total of 846 out of 1,000. The survey is based on results provided by over 17,000 car owners, and acts as an excellent indicator of the continued performance of used Lexus cars.
The stylish new BMW Gran Coupe looks set to tempt owners of the 5 series to upgrade their used BMW for a shiny new motor.
This new sedan looks set to be released wearing a 6 series badge and BMW may display a production model as early as the Paris Auto Show in the autumn. The show acts as a demonstration of the newest models likely to hit markets over the coming years. If the Gran Coupe proves to be as stylish as initial reports seem to suggest, then the forecourts of used BMW dealerships look set to swell with older models.
Following losses a year ago, there has been good news for Honda as they announced profits for the first quarter of 2010. Steady increases in sales of new and used Honda models saw the company make a net profit of £507m between January and March of this year.
The encouraging news means that Honda sales were up 28% over the period – a sizeable increase. The company’s recovery is largely attributed to a recovery in the major US and Japanese markets, although expansion in developing markets such as China also played a major part.
When shopping for a new car, it is easy to overlook a brand that has symbolised British chic for decades. While they may now be manufactured by German firm BMW, used MINI models are still a wise choice when looking to buy a second hand car.
The first generation MINI One and MINI Cooper both maintain a timeless charm, despite some models now being as much as nine years old. BMW injected both models with a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine, which along with the lightweight nature of the cars makes for an enjoyable driving experience. Furthermore, the MINI is perfect for inner city travelling due to its relatively small size and ease of handling.
Lexus have announced a series of changes to their popular GS450h model, with enhanced safety features distinguishing it from the used Lexus models currently on the market.
Cosmetically, the car is more or less the same as what has gone before, with a revised grille and tail lights the only real noticeable differences, alongside a new alloy wheel design. No changes have been announced to the 3.5 litre petrol engine, although the luxury model’s in-car entertainment has received a minor overhaul.
If your used BMW is getting through far too much fuel for your liking, then the answer to your prayers may have arrived with the German car giant’s greenest ever 3-Series. Having achieved over 1,000 miles on a single tank of diesel, the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon looks set to make a significant impact on the cost of refuelling for BMW owners.
The feat achieved by the Sunday Times’ Tom Ford, on a test run from the Channel Tunnel to Munich, ending in Lille, was also notable for the fact that the driver didn’t use overly efficient driving techniques such as coasting, and drove at reasonable speeds throughout.
BMW are no strangers to integration with smartphones – they were the first car manufacturers to incorporate the BlackBerry Address Book into their onboard applications, after all. Now, however, they’re going the dedicated application route.
The BMW Roadside Assistance application will soon be available for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android users and with the range of features on offer, it’s easy to see why this app could prove useful. The app is aimed at cutting down the time it takes the user to get information to BMW in the event of a breakdown so that they can provide assistance sooner and also providing the same user experience which users expect from BMW.
Honda has announced recently its new competitive pricing and remarkable specification for the new Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe. This is Honda’s first ever sporty hybrid coupe which customers have been able to order from March 5th 2010 and has caused excitement due to its hybrid technology and great design.
There are three driving modes which allows for the driver to adapt the setting of the car to their needs so whether they need to drive economically or switch to then drive in heavy traffic they can do so with ease.
The prices of the Honda CR-Z are as follows-:
