[BMWCSRegistry] Check This New BWM Out Everyone

Sun Jul 20 21:25:32 EDT 2008

Now if I could just find a sorted BMW 700, or an Isetta...  See below or if you can find a well maintained Mini, 318 iS, iC, or iT 5 speed it will be close as you can get to the BMW 700 or Isette....... 
http://www.forbesautos.com/news/headlines/2008/july/fadc-bmw-announces-electric-mini-tests .html?partner=yahoofpThe-Hound in the HOT "Last Colony". 

-- cgshawaii at netscape.net wrote:
Good list, good point.  My thought about this is that I hoped, when the USA mandated "clean diesel" fuel, that all sorts of interesting cars might arrive.  Moments later, the price of diesel (and gas) shot through the roof, and diesel seems to now command a 20% to 25% price premium.  

Do the diesel versions of a particular body type get 20-25% better fuel economy than the comparable gas version?  Perhaps not, and when you factor that they may be rather more expensive, I think the time for diesel may have passed UNLESS one can develop a low-cost biodiesel source.  Anyone got a friend with a restaurant that does a lot of fat frying?  Perhaps MacDonald's owners will soon have a lot of new "friends".

I'm not calling doom and gloom, I expect there will always be petroleum-based fuel for those who can pay for it.  But our transportation needs are not going to change as fast as we would like, and alternative technologies even more slowly.  This creates opportunities, but imposes compromises.  I am amused by the several versions of motorcycle-powered cars (search 'em out on Youtube), but they too are missing the point, being focused on performance rather than the potential of fuel-efficient transportation.  Too, liter-class bikes get mileage figures close the the more efficient hybrid technologies, so that may not be a useful direction to pursue.

Now if I could just find a sorted BMW 700, or an Isetta...

Charlie 

-----Original Message-----
From: T.Taklo at shell.com
To: cgshawaii at netscape.net
Cc: bmwcsregistry at idb.ded.forest.net
Sent: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 6:21 pm
Subject: RE: [BMWCSRegistry] Check This New BWM Out Everyone

Charlie,BMW is building fuel efficient cars - they are just not bringing them to the US.A few months ago a friend of mine postulated that "there's not a German car in existance that gets 35 MPG...  much less an ability to AVERAGE that across the entire fleet..."
I took the time to go through the bmw.de web site, and here's what I came up with: The following BMWs are getting 35 mpg or more according to EU mixed driving cycle:535 d auto530 d x (4WD)530 d530 d Touring525 d x525 d525 d Touring520 d (46 mpg!)520 d Touring520 i 335 d auto330 d x330 d330 d Touring325 d325 d Touring320 d (49 mpg!!)318 d (50 mpg!!!)320 i320 i Touring318 i318 i Touring (as well as coupes and cabrios for all the above 3's)123 d120 d118 d120 i118 i116 iX3 2.0 d 635d almost made it: 34 mpg (mixed cycle) I understand that BMW will be introducing a couple of diesels in the US by the end of the year, but they seem reluctant to bring the "less powerful" models to the US market. No wonder that the 1-series is expensive when the smallest engine offered is a 3 liter with well over 200 HP....I'm sure the BMW marketing executives are monitoring the market carefully at the moment, given the increasing fuel prices. Maybe we'll se lighter and more fuel efficient BMWs in the US as well in the near future. Tor74 3.0 CS-----Original Message-----
From: bmwcsregistry-bounces at idb.ded.forest.net [mailto:bmwcsregistry-bounces at idb.ded.forest.net]On Behalf Of cgshawaii at netscape.net
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 6:40 PM
To: the-hound at juno.com; bmwcsregistry at idb.ded.forest.net
Subject: Re: [BMWCSRegistry] Check This New BWM Out Everyone

Okay.... but with BMW's penchant for "customer engineering" (some latent, potentially very expensive, flaw in each model) what might the first-generation electric Mini do to its owner?

"Break My Wallet".

I thought the gas Mini was kinda heavy for a "small" car, though I don't recall hard numbers.  Electric power wouldn't go well with that.  

And, of course, BMW WILL NOT build an economy car... look what happened with the 1 series, base price upwards of $30K... and not a fuel efficient motor in it, either.  Apparently they have utterly conceded that market to others.  Well, it's their choice.  Brand loyalty will only carry so far, but I think they've gone beyond that too, marketing and selling to ego-driven buyers for whom a car purchase doesn't represent a major expense.

I think small fuel efficient cars ARE the future, and large cars will shortly become a thing of the past.  We are seeing, I think (hope?) the end of large vehicles. Yeah, there are holdouts, and haulers for commercial use will always be here, but I can't think of anything that would get me into something larger than my coupe.  Mostly I ride a 2-wheeled BMW where multi-child pick and delivery is not imposed on me.

Charlie 

-----Original Message-----
From: the-hound at juno.com <the-hound at juno.com>
To: bmwcsregister at idb.dedforest.net; bmwcsregistry at idb.ded.forest.net
Sent: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 3:35 pm
Subject: [BMWCSRegistry] Check This New BWM Out Everyone

Hello:This one I would buy in a convertible.............I have been looking for a 2006 Cooper S White, Silver or Red with a tan or burgundy interior 6 speed.  http://www.forbesautos.com/news/headlines/2008/july/fadc-bmw-announces-electric-mini-tests.html?partner=yahoofpThe-Hound......Have a nice day and weekend.

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