Valvetronic Variable lift (VVL) is a patented System of BMW used first in its 2001 3-series and is now being impregnated into the 2011 5-Series. Nissan has a similar system in its Skyline Coupe (Infinity G37). What this system does is vary the volume of fuel entering into each cylinder by varying the lift of the inlet valve. It does this continuously with increase and decrease in RPM.
The system adds two main parts to the cylinder head cam rocker arm assembly. The first is an electric motor which gets its input from the throttle position sensor. The second is an intermediate rocker-arm which is turned by the electric motor and transmits its output to the rocker arm.
When the driver calls for more power the electric motor turns the intermediate rocker arm and this causes the valve to open deeper. This helps fuel efficiency since in a conventional engine no matter at what RPM the engine runs the valve opening is constant, which means even at low RPM the inlet valve is a bit more open than needed.
Click through for the Pictorial representation
The current 5-series is the most dreariest and boring of all cars, Clarkson called it “a lump of car”! it is that dull but its replacement the 2011 5-series is as good a 5-series will ever look like. Well that’s because it inherits a lot from the 7-series and blends it with a streamlined body to get that big and yet compact look.
The hood lid has a wavy flow to it. The front grills are getting bigger and better checking in with the latest trend at BMW and the head lights have a bit of Jag to it. All these combined the front profile is bold and beautiful. The tail lights have a bit of 7-series and the recently launched Z4 making the rear trendy.
The engine options are a V8 twin-turbo engine with 400hp for the higher end and a straight-6 turbo similar to the current 5-series but this one has the fuel efficient valvetronic variable lift system which meters the quantity of fuel according to requirement.
But the best part of this Bimmer is its interior which is quite neat. It has the new Z4 tone to it making it exciting. The central console is tilted a bit towards the driver for better access but not so much that the shotgun doesn’t get to fiddle around with the new 4th generation idrive system. On top of the central console is a gorgeous 10-inch LCD screen.
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5 would be incredibly low for the number of MotoGP championships he has won, what I am referring to is the number of BMWs he has taken home so far after winning this year’s BMW Best Qualifier Award!
The Doctor was presented with a brand new BMW M3 during yesterday’s award ceremony. Before getting the keys to his new Bimmer, Rossi was given the keys to the new M house’s power horse The BMW M3 GTS for a lap around the track.
GTS has a 4.4litre V10 which churns out 450bhp is grounded through a 7-speed double clutch gearbox. All this is a bit too good for a car which tips the scale at 1490kgs, it was so good that Rossi couldn’t stop at the end of his lap; he took it for another.
When Rossi spoke about the GTS “it was amazing in the GTS, Just amazing, it was great, especially under braking with the light weight that it has”. He was so amazed that he wanted one for himself and was found making enquiries.
To add to Rossi’s excitement of winning a brand new M3, Mr. Thomas Schemera, the Director of Sales and Marketing for BMW M Power told “I think he (Rossi) is very convinced about the features and the abilities of the car and we would be very happy to let him have one of the hand built cars that echoes the iconic 3.0 CSL racer from the mid 70s.”!
Kudos DOC!
Image Gallery: GTS unveiling & Rossi’s M3
BMW is reportedly ending the production of its current 5series (E60) by this December. The new 2011 5-series car will be launched by mid-way 2010 after its debut in the upcoming Geneva Motor show in March 2010.
From the various spy shots and the renderings the new 5-series looks much prettier than the current one which is plain boring. The new 5-series will get an upgraded idrive control system, wide angle cameras on the side mirrors for better visibility, enhanced park distance control. It will also get the 8-speed gearbox from the 7-series.
The 2011 5-series is code named F10 and it will be turbocharged, twin to be exact. The idea is to reduce the overall weight by using more aluminium and give more power boost by turbo charging the engine. A hybrid version of the F10 is also highly likely.
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BMW launches the Z4 S-drive35i version today in Mumbai at a price of Rs. 59Lakh ex-showroom Delhi. We guessed it right in our earlier post click here for that and the price analysis of this segment.
The Z4 has a 2993cc 6-inline engine with twin turbos which produce 306bhp. The top speed of the car is electronically limited to 155mph (250kmph) with an acceleration of 0-100kmph in 5.5 seconds.
The Z4 is a hardtop convertible, it is being brought in as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) hence the disappointing price tag.
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click here for the BMW episode
National Geographic TV channel is broadcasting this show named “Ultimate Factories” which is a documentary that covers the inside working of various factories. But what interests us about this show is the automobile factories it features. The program has seen factories like Ferrari, BMW, Harley-Davidson, Corvette, Lamborghini and Caterpillar.
We here at Indian auto talk will provide live streaming links of the complete episodes which you might find interesting. This time around it’s two episodes one covers the Ferrari factory with the making of the 599 GTB Fiorano and the second one covers the BMW factory with the making of the Z4.
with this we are starting a new category on Indian Auto Talk called “Factory tour” under which we will be bring you the coverage of various car and bike factory videos. next time it will be the Lamborghine factory, stay tunned to watch how they fix the scissor door of the Lamborghini Murciélago.
