BMW is recalling 32,000 vehicles in order to replace potentially faulty electric auxiliary water pumps. An issue can cause the water pumps to overheat, potentially causing a vehicle fire. Models impacted by the recall include 2008-2011 5-Series, 5-Series Gran Turismo, 7-Series, X5 and X6 equipped with either the eight- or 12-cylinder turbocharged engines.

Two engine compartment fires have already been reported with 102 cases of pump failures worldwide. No crashes or injuries have been reported due to the issues however. The pump in question is an auxiliary pump that helps cool the turbocharger and in case of failure can cause the circuit board to overheat. BMW said in cases that this does occur, a warning message will illuminate on the instrumental cluster.

The issue was first discovered in June of 2009 on a test vehicle and in April 2010, a smoldered electrical cable of the water pump was found on a BMW-owned vehicle. Owners impacted by the recall will be contacted next month with BMW replacing the faulty electric auxiliary water pump.

Chrysler will build a licensed version of a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox at their Indiana transmission plant. Production is expected to start in 2013, and retain roughly 1,200 jobs.

The total cost for the project will be roughly $300 million, but Chrysler Senior VP of Powertrain Paolo Ferrero said that the new 8-speed transmission will lead to a 25 percent increase in fuel economy. With a new Chrysler 300C and Dodge Charger due in 2011, the 8-speed automatic’s debut in 2013 would be perfect for a mid-cycle refresh, however another Chrysler spokesman said that the gearboxes would be imported prior to their domestic production, meaning that it could launch with the new vehicles from the get-go.

The 8-speed automatic could also see use in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram pickups. The transmission saw its first application in BMW’s 5-Series Gran Turismo and BMW 760Li.

[Source: Autoweek]

BMW‘s oddball 5-Series GT hatchback/station wagon/SUV thing is not off to a great start in the United States, and BMW executives are blaming the decision to market only the top-of-the-line rear-drive V8 car upon launch as the culprit behind sluggish sales.

“The V-8 was probably not the right car to launch it with,” said Rich Brekus, BMW’s general manager of sales for North America, told Autoweek. An all-wheel drive model will launch in June, while a six-cylinder variant is slated to arrive in the fall. The 5-Series GT is still beating the outgoing 5-Series wagon’s sales numbers, but another executive admitted that BMW was too optimistic about the vehicle’s sales projections.

Autoguide is slated to get a 550GT press vehicle in the near future, and a review should address whether or not the vehicle is worthy of our money. But it’s hard to deny that the 5-Series GT might be a little too much of a niche vehicle, even for those with lots of disposable income.

[Source: Autoweek]

While BMW had plenty of items on display at the Frankfurt Auto Show, just two were official new model premieres. The first was the X1 crossover and the second was the the 5 Series Gran Turismo (GT). BMW has shown a near-complete version of the car several times, but waited for Frankfurt to give full details.

Looking by all accounts identical to the concept, BMW claims it is the first in this new segment – which is true, because BMW beat Audi and its new S5 Sportback, to the punch by just a few hours.

BMW says the 5 Series GT combines the best of a classic Grand Tourer with a modern day Sport Activity Vehicle. With four seats, the interior is spacious with headroom equal to an X5 and legroom equal to a 7 Series. Rear seat space is particularly plentiful thanks to rear seats that more fore and aft by 4-inches.

Cargo room is equally large thanks to the GT’s two-mode trunk layout. Trunk space is 15.4 cubic feet, which can be expanded to 20.7 cubic feet b moving the rear seats forward and by removing the hatch divider. There is even the option to flip down the rear seats for a total of 59.5 cubic feet.

The 5 Series GT will be available in three different models: the 535i, 530d and 550i. The 535i model uses BMW’s twin-turbocharged inline-six to produce 306hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque, allowing it to hit 62 mph in 6.3 seconds. Fuel economy is rated at 8.9 liters/100 kilometers, or 26.4 mpg, thanks in part to the 8-speed automatic transmission that is standard on all GT models.

The 530d makes 245hp and 398 ft-lbs of torque for a 0-62 mph time of 6.9 seconds and an expectedly good fuel economy rating of 6.5 liters/100 kilometers, or 36.2 mpg.

As for the flagship 550i, it produces 407hp and 442 ft-lbs of torque, for a 0-62 mph time of just 5.5 seconds. Fuel economy is, however, rated at just 11.2 liters/100 kilometers (21 mpg).

The 5 Series GT is not scheduled to go on sale in North America but we have heard rumors that it could replace the less-popular 5 Series Touring/Wagon model.

GALLERY: BMW 5 Series GT

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

We still have more than half of 2009 to go and already the list of 2010 North American Car & Truck of the Year nominees have been picked. That’s because the list is essentially a list of every new model for 2010.

Nominated for car of the year are: the Audi S4, BMW Z4, BMW 335d, BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford Mustang, For Mustang GT500, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus SHO, Honda Insight, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Lexus HS250h, Lotus Evora, Mazda3, MazdaSpeed3, Mercedes E-Class, Nissan Cube, Nissan 370Z, Porsche Panamera, Subaru Legacy, Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Golf TDI.

The 2010 North American Truck of the Year list is only slightly shorter and includes: the Acura ZDX, BMw X5 xDrive 35d, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, GMC Terrain, Honda Crosstour, Land Rover LR4, Lincoln MKT, Subaru Outback, Toyota 4Runner and Volvo XC60.

Many off these vehicles have yet to be officially released and some (like the Honda Crosstour) haven’t even been officially named yet.

Jurors will now begin the lengthy process of making a short list, with the final winners chosen at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Last year’s winners were the Hyundai Genesis and the Ford F-150.

[Source: Edmunds]

During the BMW Press Conference at the Geneva Auto Show, Dr. Klaus Draeger, a member of the board of management for BMW AG, confirmed that the Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo will see production. Calling it a “near-series concept” Dr. Draeger said that the hatchback will be offered as both a four-seater and as a five-seater and will go on sale in Europe in November. BMW has not confirmed if the vehicle will be offered in the U.S.

The 5 Series GT is the first production-destined concept based on the company’s Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS) idea, and combines aspects of a BMW Sedan, Sports Activity Vehicle and a Gran Turismo.

The vehicle’s dimensions are 196.8-inches long, 61.2-inches high and 74.8-inches wide. This makes it second in length only to the 7 Series (as expected) and second only in height to BMW’s X Series SUVs.

The wheelbase is a significant 120.9-inches.

As for that rear hatchback trunk design, it allows for significant flexibility of cargo space. The trunk can be opened like a sedan to provide 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space, or like a hatchback or wagon to give 20 cubic feet of space. The rear seats can also be folded down for a total of 58 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

With a focus on usability, the Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo is intended to be a comfortable space for passengers and so a great deal of attention has been paid to rear seat room. Leg room is said to be almost the same as in a 7 Series, and rear seats are adjustable fore and aft by 4-inches. Headroom in the rear is almost equal to the X5.

Inside, the Concept 5 Series GT has plenty of unique features, most of which we expect to see make it to the production vehicles. One of the key items is the black panel screen on which the instruments are displayed. Used for the gauges it remains black until the car is turned on and then the different gauges and dials are electronically generated. (This system is already in use on the new 7 Series).

Outside, BMW has drawn inspiration from past models on this truly modern vehicle. The signature BMW kidney grille slants slight forward on this 5 Series concept, forming the front-most point of the car. This is similar to a design used on the old 2002s.

BMW has yet to release any info on the powerplants available for the new 5 Series, however, as we already mentioned, expect to see one or more turbocharged options.

GALLERY: BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo

Moments after we posted the unofficial pics of BMW’s new Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo, which will debut at the Geneva Auto Show, BMW updated its press site and now we have all most of the juicy info and plenty of official pics.

BMW says this is the first production-destined concept based on the company’s Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS) idea, and combines aspects of a BMW Sedan, Sports Activity Vehicle and a Gran Turismo.

The vehicle’s dimensions are 196.8-inches long, 61.2-inches high and 74.8-inches wide. This makes it second in length only to the 7 Series (as expected) and second only in height to BMW’s X Series SUVs.

The wheelbase is a significant 120.9-inches.

As for that rear hatchback trunk design, it allows for significant flexibility of cargo space. The trunk can be opened like a sedan to provide 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space, or like a hatchback or wagon to give 20 cubic feet of space. The rear seats can also be folded down for a total of 58 cubic feet of cargo capacity.

With a focus on usability, the Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo is intended to be a comfortable space for passengers and so a great deal of attention has been paid to rear seat room. Leg room is said to be almost the same as in a 7 Series, and rear seats are adjustable fore and aft by 4-inches. Headroom in the rear is almost equal to the X5.

Inside, the Concept 5 Series GT has plenty of unique features, most of which we expect to see make it to the production vehicles. One of the key items is the black panel screen on which the instruments are displayed. Used for the gauges it remains black until the car is turned on and then the different gauges and dials are electronically generated. (This system is already in use on the new 7 Series).

Outside, BMW has drawn inspiration from past models on this truly modern vehicle. The signature BMW kidney grille slants slight forward on this 5 Series concept, forming the front-most point of the car. This is similar to a design used on the old 2002s.

BMW has yet to release any info on the powerplants available for the new 5 Series, however, as we already mentioned, expect to see one or more turbocharged options.

BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo:

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Thanks to the folks over at www.5post.com, we have hour first look at the BMW 5 Series Concept. Called the Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo, little is known about the vehicle yet other than what it looks like – and we wouldn’t exactly say it is beautiful. This is, after all, most likely the last BMW to be directly infused with Chris Bangle’s signature style.

The Concept 5 Series GT has styling hints from throughout the BMW range, including the new 7 Series, the X6 and the stunning Concept CS – plans for which have since been scrapped. The vehicle features a long hood, a tall mid-section and a hatchback style trunk. In fact, it looks as though BMW took a great deal of the design of this vehicle from Audi’s Sportback Concept – which will form the basis of the upcoming A7.

As for the engine, BMW hasn’t released any info as of yet but we do expect to see a turbocharged powerplant offered as one of the options.

We’ll be sure to bring you more information from the floor of the Geneva Auto Show, starting March 3rd.

Concept 5 Series GT:

[Source: 5post.com]