BMW South Africa was yesterday awarded a number of accolades at the 2016/2017 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards powered by Wesbank.
- The BMW 750Li with the Design Pure Excellence package was awarded the First Class of the Year Award
- The BMW M2 Coupe was awarded the Performance Car of the Year.
- A certificate of excellence was also awarded to BMW South Africa for excellence in after-sales service, resale value, sales processes and general ownership satisfaction.
In order to have been eligible for the First Class of the Year category, contenders had to meet the following criteria: a list price of more than R1 million at the time of semi-finalist voting (September 1 2016). The most important judging factors were: powertrain technology, luxury features, brand prestige and exclusivity, design and quality appeal, driving dynamics, ride comfort and overall refinement.
The progression of luxury: The BMW 7 Series
Launched in South Africa in January 2016, the BMW 7 Series has redefined what an exclusive, luxurious driving experience looks like in contemporary, pioneering form.
Ground-breaking technologies in the areas of lightweight design, powertrains, chassis, operating systems, intelligent connectivity and interior ambience underline its mission to bring together unbeatable driving pleasure and long-distance comfort in a luxury sedan.
Key factors in enhancing dynamics, efficiency, comfort and safety while on the move are the use of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the body structure, engines from the BMW Group’s new generation of power units, the plug-in hybrid system in the new BMW 740e, the Executive Drive Pro active chassis system, the Driving Experience Control switch with ADAPTIVE mode and BMW Laserlight.
Maximising well-being in the rear compartment, meanwhile, are the Executive Lounge feature with massage function and Vitality Programme, the Sky Lounge Panorama glass roof, the Welcome Light Carpet, the Ambient highlight and a smartphone holder with inductive charging station. Standout innovations in operating system and driver assistance technology include the extension of the iDrive system to include a touch display and BMW gesture control, as well as Touch Command, the new BMW Head-Up Display, crossing traffic warning, the steering and lane control assistant, active side collision protection, Surround View with 3D View and the Remote Control Parking system.
The BMW 750Li features a V8 unit that has undergone extensive redevelopment, boasting a displacement of 4.4 litres and BMW TwinPower Turbo technology with the turbochargers located in the V-shaped space between the banks of cylinders in proven fashion. It is equipped with TwinScroll turbochargers featuring flow-separated, bank-specific exhaust manifolds made from thin-wall castings.
Together with an increase in the compression ratio from 10.0 to 10.5 and the variability in the gas-exchange cycle brought about by the VALVETRONIC and Double-VANOS technology, this has resulted in a major improvement in engine efficiency.
The optimised cooling concept with separate flows through thecylinder heads and cylinder barrels combines with a coolant pump whose map-controlled throughput can be restricted to as little as 10 per cent to warm up the engine faster and cut energy consumption. This is also the first time that the intake manifold has been partially integrated into the cylinder head in a production car, thereby allowing flow resistance to be decreased, flow volume to be increased and the exterior packaging dimensions to be reduced.
As a result of all these modifications, the efficiency factor of the 330 kW eight-cylinder engine has been greatly improved, which in turn means a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions.
High-performance sports machine with intoxicating performance: The BMW M2 Coupe.
In terms of eligibility for the Performance Car of the Year category, contenders had to meet the following criteria: a list price of between R600 000 and R1 million at the time of semi-finalist voting (September 1 2016) to ensure that the category isn’t dominated by exorbitantly expensive exotic cars.
The most important judging factors were: driving engagement, handling, sensory appeal and standard features.
With its high-performance six-cylinder in-line engine, rear-wheel-drive agility, lightweight aluminium M Sport suspension and extrovert styling, the BMW M2 Coupe has all the ingredients to deliver the last word in driving pleasure.
Characteristic M design .
A single glance is all it takes to pick the new BMW M2 Coupe out as a member of the BMW M family, with its styling also keen to demonstrate its dynamic attributes. Inspired by models from the history of BMW in motor racing, the M2 Coupe makes no secret of its extraordinary performance potential.
The low front apron with large air intakes, muscular flanks with characteristic M gills, 19-inch aluminium wheels in familiar M double-spoke design and low, wide rear with M-specific twin-tailpipe exhaust system all play impressive roles here. The Alcantara of the door cards and centre console together with porous carbon fibre creates an ambience of rare quality and heady sporting ambition further underlined by blue contrast stitching and M embossing on selected details. Sports seats, an M sports steering wheel and an M gearshift lever ensure BMW M2 drivers are in perfect command of their car it at all times.
Explosive performance . The newly developed, three-litre six-cylinder in-line engine in the BMW M2 deploys cutting-edge M TwinPower Turbo technology to develop 272 kW at 6,500 rpm (fuel consumption combined:
8.5 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 199 g/km) and, in so doing, lays down a marker in the high-performance compact sports car segment. The same applies to power delivery. Peak torque of 465 Nm can be increased to as much as 500 Nm in short bursts under overboost.
All of which enables the BMW M2 Coupe with optional seven-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) and Launch Control to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Yet, with its M DCT transmission, fuel consumption of just 7.9 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions of just 185 g/km, the car is also keen to emphasise its outstanding efficiency.
Motor sport expertise. With the lightweight aluminium front and rear axles from the BMW M3/M4 models, forged 19-inch aluminium wheels with mixed-size tyres, M Servotronic steering with two settings and suitably effective M compound brakes, the BMW M2 Coupe has raised the bar once again in the compact high-performance sports car segment when it comes to driving dynamics.
The electronically controlled Active M Differential, which optimises traction and directional stability, also plays a significant role here. And even greater driving pleasure is on the cards when the Dynamic Stability Control system’s M Dynamic Mode (MDM) is activated. MDM allows wheel slip and therefore moderate, controlled drifts on the track.
