Designed by Architect Abraham F. Flores together with the BMW Group, the showroom will introduce a new world of motoring fun to MINI enthusiasts in the Philippines.

“After months of planning, we are excited to open our doors. The MINI Global City is something special, created on the basis of a car that is already very special. The interior is designed with exclusive style to reflect the sophisticated features of the MINI,” said Willy Q. Tee Ten, president of British United Automobiles, Inc.

“No other car has become the object of art and fashion as often and in the same diversity as the MINI. We are therefore pleased that MINI Global City is designed with exclusive style to reflect the sophisticated features of the MINI,” said Preecha Ninatkiattikul, MINI manager, Asia.

Graeme Grieve, vice president, BMW Group Importers Market, and Johannes Seibert, managing director of BMW Group Asia, officially opened the showroom together with Mr. Tee Ten.

MINI Global City is a 430 sqm showroom and a state-of-the-art workshop. It is a one-stop shop offering vehicle, accessories, lifestyle and parts sales as well as after-sales services.

It is located at 5th Ave. corner 26th St., Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Opening hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The showroom will have displays of the MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper Clubman, MINI Cooper Convertible and MINI Cooper S Convertible.

BMW Philippines Corp., in its 2008 financial report, said it had to sell inventory at a loss ahead of the closure of local operations.

The company’s net loss last year ballooned to P186.53 million from only P22.43 million in 2007. Meanwhile, sales of the leading luxury car brand inched up by only P15 million to P1.89 billion in 2008.

BMW Philippines decided to stop local operations last Dec. 19.

The company, a joint venture between BMW AG of Germany and local partner Asian Carmakers Corp., said it had terminated lease agreements and other major contracts effective Dec. 31.

It also paid P25.2 million in separation packages to its 34 employees.

Last September, BMW AG announced the dissolution of Philippine operations, citing the need to improve business efficiency worldwide. The car maker also shut down operations in Turkey and Taiwan, citing the same reason.

BMW Philippines has said the move would not affect customers.

Asian Carmakers’ operations will be monitored by BMW’s regional office in Singapore, which also oversees the dealerships in Vietnam, Brunei and Guam.

The local BMW dealership sold 621 units last year, down by almost a quarter from 805 units in 2007, industry data showed.

Asian Carmakers Chairman Jose Ch. Alvarez said last year that BMW’s sales would drop to 600 to 800 units this year due to the entry of Japanese luxury cars with the implementation of a bilateral free trade agreement between Japan and the Philippines.

Don Gil K. Carreon, Business World

In line with this BMW Philippines, owned 70 percent by the BMW Group and 30 percent by ACC, will be dissolved by December.

In an exclusive interview with The STAR, ACC chairman Jose Ch. “Pepito” Alvarez  said the BMW automobile business in the country will remain intact, but would now revert back to the control of ACC which had previously controlled the franchise.“It’s the same. Before, they wanted to take control so I let them. Now, because of their restructuring, they’ve decided to return control back to us,” Alvarez explained.

Alvarez said ACC is expanding its BMW business with a P250-million investment for an automotive technical institute that would train automotive service technicians for the Middle East, China, North Asia, Korea and Japan.
“It will be even better,” Alvarez stressed.

He said the BMW Group will continue to provide technical support while marketing and sales will be taken over by ACC.

“All the German technicians will remain while we will also train more service technicians,” Alvarez said.

The institute, Alvarez said, hopes to train and graduate 25 to 50 technicians every three months and send them mostly to the Middle East and China.

According to Alvarez, BMW continues to be the No. 1 in sales in the luxury car segment.

So far, this year, Alvarez said, BMW has sold 865 units with the total for the year expected to reach almost 900 units. However, the prospects for next year are not as good, with sales going down to between 600 and 800 units, he said.

This is due to the forthcoming election and to the effectivity of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) which would give Japanese cars a strong price advantage over their European counterparts.

In a press statement, BMW Asia managing director Roland Krueger, who oversees the BMW business in the Philippines, said that BMW Philippines would be “restructured.”

By Jan. 1 next year, ACC will take over the importation of BMW automobiles and “further development of the BMW automobile business in the Philippines.”

According to Krueger, “the restructuring is a logical step in view of the objective to increase business efficiency worldwide.”

“Our top priority is to ensure the best sales and service standards to our customers in the Philippines and this priority will remain unchanged,” he said.

By Marianne V. Go , Philippine Star

Navigation that speaks to you.

Sheer Driving Pleasure includes knowing where to go in advance. A color sunlight-readable touch screen allows you to enter a destination, and the BMW Navigation System takes you there with detailed maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. For safe driving, the system even announces street names so you never have to take your eyes off the road.

Nationwide map coverage.

From city streets to country roads, the BMW Navigation System is preloaded with a Nuvi map covering major thoroughfares in cities and provinces around the Philippines. Continuous upgrades will also be made available at all authorized BMW dealerships. In addition, the BMW Navigation System accepts custom Points of Interest (POI) so you can program your preferred destinations.

Bluetooth and MP3 technology.

Go beyond navigation with other innovations. The BMW Navigation System integrates Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker that can be paired with most mobile phones so you can make hands-free calls. An MP3 player can be hooked up to your BMW’s Aux-in jack for endless miles of music. Add to these a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more.

The defining characteristic of the BMW solution is its portability – it can be used just as well out of the car as in it. Because the BMW Portable navigation system crams much more into its compact dimensions than just a 3.5-inch touch screen and a GPS receiver – it also includes an MP3 player, Bluetooth hands-free functionality and a route planner. The designers put a lot of effort into making the system as user-friendly as possible – for example, operation is made easier by the use of large on-screen symbols. BMW Portable navigation system is within the driver’s field of vision and poses no danger to passengers in the case of an accident. There are no trailing wires, and the unit is powered by the vehicle’s on-board electrics, with its battery allowing for use outside of the car. Drivers are guided to their destination via on-screen maps and voice directions, including street names, and also benefit from an array of additional features. Benefits and differentiating features. Extremely user-friendly Positioned in the driver’s field of vision, but without obscuring road or instruments Crash-test approved base unit: in the case of an accident, passengers are not exposed to any additional risk from flying parts or fragments (tested to TÜV standards) No trailing wires Internal hard drive for instant map access Contains a directory of BMW dealerships Vehicle’s position can be shown on screen with a distinctive BMW graphic

Satellite navigation features Color sunlight-readable screen Voice directions, including street names Operation via 3.5-inch touch screen monitor Comprehensive maps of the Philippines pre-installed Multimedia features Bluetooth hands-free function MP3/audiobook player JPEG image viewer SD memory card slot USB connection Travel kit features Programmable points of interest Currency converter Calculator Portable features Up to six hours battery life Device is charged while attached to base unit Pocket-sized PIN code protection Headphone socket Design features Stylish looks that are recognizably BMW BMW lettering on the housing BMW logo appears on screen at start-up Vehicle position can be shown on screen by a BMW graphic (user can chose the colour and design)

Enjoy a lot more with BMW Navigation! Make Hands-free Calls Talk about worry-free driving. BMW Navigation integrates Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, so you can pair it with your compatible Bluetooth phone. Then talk hands-free through the 360 while staying focused on the road. Simply dial numbers with nüvi’s touch screen keypad to make a call. To answer calls, just tap nüvi’s screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone. You can also easily look up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone’s call history log. With 1-touch dialing for points of interest (POIs), you can conveniently call ahead for reservations or information. Navigate With EaseBMW 360 comes pre-loaded with nuvi map, the most comprehensive, commercially available map covering major thoroughfares in cities and provinces around the Philippines. Simply touch the color sunlight- readable screen to enter a destination, and nüvi takes you there with 2-D map and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, BMW Navigation accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. Take It With YouLike the rest of the nüvi series, BMW Navigation sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.

For more information, visit BMW Philippines Website.

BMW Philippines Source (Text and Photos)

This should be a great drive for those who are new to the club as we’ll mostly be doing straight highway runs towards Clark.

Newbies welcome! Hope to see you all there!

For more information, please visit The official website of the BMW Car Club Philippines

BMW exerts its pulling forces this February with an adrenaline-filled weekend event – Torque, a BMW Xpo Driving Experience.

Visitors to the highly anticipated BMW Xpo event will not only be able to view the latest BMW cars, led by the new BMW M3 Coupé which debuts in Philippine soil. Torque will also showcase the newest additions to the BMW Diesel Force – the new BMW 530d Sport, X3 3.0d Exclusive, X3 2.0d A/T, 120d Sport. For motorcycle enthusiasts, selected BMW Motorrad models will also be on display, highlighted by the BMW G Series motorsport bikes.

As an added attraction, customers will also have the chance to experience the exhilaration of driving BMW cars through specially designed driving courses under the expert supervision of BMW AG Certified Product Trainer Herbert Grünsteidl.

The new BMW M3 Coupe: Racing Forward

The BMW Xpo marks the debut of the new BMW M3 – the all-new, unique high-performance sports car from BMW M GmbH.

The new BMW M3 is equipped for the first time with an eight-cylinder power unit, developed from the current Formula 1 engine raced by the BMW Sauber F1 Team. The new BMW M V8 engine offers significant power and performance: maximum output of 420 hp from engine capacity of precisely 3,999 cc., peak torque of 400 Newton-metres and maximum engine speed of 8,400 rpm. Acceleration from zero to 100km/h takes just 4.8 seconds.

Apart from the car’s powerful engine, the M3 Coupé likewise features all-new suspension and drivetrain developed for high performance. Lightweight technology was also a priority for the engineers at BMW M. As a result the new BMW M3’s V8 engine weighs 15 kilograms less than the six-cylinder engine found in the former model. The lightweight engine together with various other weight reducing technologies has resulted in an impressive power-to-weight ratio of only 3.8 kg per horsepower.

Although the latest generation of the BMW M3 Coupé was based in its development on the new BMW 3 Series Coupé, the new high-performance model differs from the “regular” BMW 3 Series Coupé in terms of both looks and technical features.

Apart from the load-bearing structure of the car, only the two doors, the bootlid, the windows, the headlights and rear lights have been carried over from the 3 Series Coupé. All other body components, by contrast, were specially developed for the new BMW M3. For example, the new BMW M3 Coupé is the first production car in its segment to boast a roof made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Aside from giving the car its striking looks, the CFRP roof reduces the weight of the car by 5kg and contributes to improved handling due to the resulting lower centre of gravity.

Pulling Power Ahead: The BMW Diesel Force, and the latest BMW Motorrad models

BMW reinforces its leadership in diesel technology with the presentation of the latest members of the BMW Diesel Force – an impressive line-up of luxury vehicles that offer dynamic performance with comfort and unmatched fuel economy.

Representing the BMW Diesel Force during the Xpo, as part of the widest range of premium diesel cars in the industry, are the BMW X5 3.0d SAV, X3 3.0d Exclusive, 530d Sport and the 120d Sport.

BMW Motorrad, on the other hand, will present the full array of the most recently introduced G models, which offer exactly the right entry into the world of BMW motorcycles. The BMW G 650 Xchallenge will thrill the most challenging offroad enthusiast with its long spring travel and lightweight construction. The BMW G 650 Xmoto, in turn, with its very impressive active riding qualities, offers the motorrad enthusiast a new dimension in riding pleasure. Finally, the BMW G 650 Xcountry, stands for carefree riding pleasure and nimble performance both on the road and off the beaten track.

BMW Driver Training: Learning Curves

At the BMW Xpo this weekend, customers will have the rare opportunity to participate in the BMW Active Product Experience conducted by BMW AG Certified Product Trainer Herbert Grünsteidl. The driving exercises will be held at a specially designed track located adjacent to the BMW Xpo Pavilion.

Feel the Pulling Power at the BMW Xpo

Torque, the BMW Xpo Driving Experience, will be held from February 22 to 24, 2007 at the BMW Pavillion, ASEANA Power Station, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard corner Bradco Avenue, Pasay City. Opening hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Log on to www.bmw.com.ph for more details.

Philippine Star Source

The event promises a line-up of exciting activities including the unveiling of new products like the new BMW M3, the latest BMW Diesel range and BMW Motorrad G Models. It offers participants an ‘exceptional driving experience’ with the full range of BMW vehicles available for test drive, including BMW motorcycles.

Likewise, the event highlights “exhilarating driver training’ sessions with BMW Driver Training available on site. The sessions features the new BMW 3 Series on a practice track with drivng courses from BMW AG Certified Product Trainer Herbert Grunsteidl.

Driving lots are available on a limited basis.