[Rehaan]

Big shoutout to Suhaas307 for shooting these pictures & his coverage of the Auto Expo. Thanks for sharing!

Highlights:

• 6-series Gran Turismo (630i) launched @ Rs. 58.90 lakh.

• New M5 launched @ Rs. 1.43 crore.

• M3 & M4 launched @ Rs. 1.30 & Rs. 1.33 crore respectively (Competition Package is standard).

• X6 petrol variant (xDrive35i) launched @ Rs. 94.15 lakhs.

• The gorgeous i8 Roadster displayed. Launching later in 2018.

• BMW's i3s electric hot-hatch shown.

• New X3 displayed. Launching later in 2018.

• The rest of the BMW fleet was on display, with some flaunting M kits.

• BMW Motorrad bikes & MINI were present too - will be covered in another thread.

[Rehaan]

BMW 6-series Gran Turismo

• BMW's 630i Gran Turismo Sport Line has been launched @ Rs. 58.90 lakhs.

• The petrol 630i can be booked today. The diesel will be launching later in 2018.

• 2-litre 4-cyl petrol produces 254 BHP @ 5,000-6,500 RPM & 400 Nm @ 1,550-4,400 RPM.

• Mated to an 8-speed Steptronic Sport automatic transmission.

• Air suspension on both axles with auto self-levelling.

• 630i GT does 0-100 km/hr in 6.3 seconds.

• Locally-produced at BMW's Chennai plant.

• BMW's optional Service Inclusive plans range from 3 yr / 40,000 km to 10 yr / 2,00,000 km.

• BMW Repair Inclusive can extend the standard 2 year warranty up till 6 years, without any mileage limitations.

• This is the first time the 6-series is getting a Gran Turismo version.



The long bonnet culminates in a rather clean and minimalist front-end:


Due to the length and longer rear overhang, the roofline makes a much smoother arc over the 6 GT when compared to the 3 & 5 GT:


Rear end styling is clean and simple too:


The active rear spoiler reduces lift at touring speeds:


The sun roof of the 2-part panoramic roof opened:


Available in Alpine White (non-metallic), Glacier Silver and Mediterranean Blue. The car pictured below has some optional //M bits installed:


The Sport Line gets trim elements in high-gloss black, special colours in the interior and the seats get higher side bolsters:


A sport leather steering is also part of the Sport Line offering:


The 10.25-inch touch screen gets Apple Car Play and other goodies. BMW Gesture Control can recognize six pre-defined hand movements for controlling a number of functions:


The frameless windows look sweet. Love the "GT" nomenclature on the door pad too:


BMW claims the rear "provides 3 comfortable, full-sized seats" - but I don't really see that being the case here (note the center hump on the seat):


The rear seat recline is electrically adjustable for each side:


Rear-seat entertainment is taken care of by two 10.2'' screens:


Two-part panorama glass roof (also, the rear windshield gets an electrically operated sunblind):


A whopping 610 liters of boot space, with a max capacity of up to 1,800 litres thanks to 40/20/40 folding rear seats:


The tailgate is automatic:

[Rehaan]

BMW M5

• The all-new BMW M5 has been launched at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 1.43 crore.

• This is the 6th gen M5 (F90), based on the G30 5-series.

• 4.4-litre 8-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo is an evolution of the engine from the previous M5.

• 592 BHP @ 5,600-6,700 & 750 Nm @ 1,800-5,600.

• 0 to 100 km/hr comes up in 3.4 seconds.

• Exhaust sound can be modified via the integrated exhaust valve mechanism.

• An 8-speed ZF traditional automatic transmission does duty here (vs. the 7-speed DSG on the previous gen).

• This is also the first time the M5 is being offered without a manual transmission option!

• A 4-wheel-drive system has been added for the first time. "Purists" will be happy to see there's a rear-wheel-drive only mode available.

• Amazingly, BMW has squeezed in the 4WD system and still managed to shed 40 kg as compared to the earlier generation.



Despite looking very similar to the previous gen, there's a lot that's new on this M5:


The roof is made of extremely lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic to save weight (and drop the center of gravity too):


The rear gets a redesigned rear diffuser and M rear lip spoiler:


The F10 had the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in - and these looks pretty darn good too:


Leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel looks more upmarket:


Note the new positioning of the M1 and M2 buttons (red):


All your vehicle setup preferences can be saved to M driving profiles, and you can switch between them quickly using these buttons:


The M specific digital instrument cluster looks wicked:


Love the //M5 mention on the tacho. Yet another reason for you to feel special when sitting in the driver's seat:


Hi-tech looking shifter for the 8-speed auto (no longer a DSG! The AWD system might have had something to do with that change):


This is one of the 400 "First Edition" F90 M5s made:


The beauty of this engine : You're in peak torque (750 Nm) right from 1,800 RPM up until 5,600 RPM, and then you're immediately into peak power (600 BHP) from that point, up until 6,700 RPM! And don't forget this is a big V8 we're talking about...


Colour & interior options:

Standard Colours: Alpine White (non-metallic), Black Sapphire, Snapper Rocks Blue, Marina BayBlue metallic, Donington Grey, Bluestone metallic and Singapore Grey.

Optional BMW Individual Colours: Frozen Dark Red metallic, Frozen Arctic Grey metallic, Frozen Dark Brown metallic, Frozen Cashmere Silvermetallic, Frozen Dark Silver, Frozen Brilliant White metallic, Pure Metal Silverand other BMW Individual paintworks Champagne Quartz metallic, Almandine Brown metallic, Rhodonite Silver metallic, Azurite Black metallicand Brilliant White metallic

Upholstery combinations: Leather 'Merino' with extended contents Silverstone / Black, Leather 'Merino' with extended contents Black / Black and Leather 'Merino' with extended contents Aragon Brown | Black and optional Leather 'Merino', with extended contents Black | Black, Full leather 'Merino' Silverstone | Black, Full leather 'Merino' Aragon Brown | Black, Full leather 'Merino' Black | Black. The high-end workmanship is enhanced by optional BMW Individual fine-grain ‘Merino’leather upholstery in Smoke White / Black, Caramel / Blackand Tartufoand Black.

[Rehaan]

BMW M3 Sedan & BMW M4 Coupe

• BMW M3 Sedan launched @ Rs. 1.30 crore

• BMW M4 Coupe launched @ Rs. 1.33 crore

• Both cars come with the same drivetrain specifications, and both get the Competition Package as standard.

• The 3-litre M TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cyl petrol redlines at 7,000 RPM.

• 444 BHP @ 7,000 RPM and 550 Nm @ 2,350-5,500 RPM. (The Competition Package added 19 BHP)

• Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/hr is clocked at 4 seconds.

• A 7-speed dual-clutch transmission does duty here. No manual offered.

• Available at BMW dealerships as CBUs from today onwards.



High-gloss black kidney grill is one of the cosmetic components of the Competition Package:


The signature M3 style mirrors:


Optional 20" wheel design shown here (19" double spokes are standard). The Competition Package also includes Adaptive M Suspension. It features new springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, along with reconfigured driving modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+). While I think some of the add-ons of the Competition Package are great, I'm skeptical about it simply because the suspension tweaks lead to an even stiffer ride - and that not ideal on Indian roads:


Carbon roof helps with the weight savings and body-roll (lower center of gravity):


The Competition Package also includes the M sports exhaust system with black chrome tailpipes:


And a blacked out M4 badge:


The exhaust system comes with two twin tailpipes and a controllable flap system:


The Competition Package also includes lightweight M sport seats with extra lateral support for hard cornering:


Sophisticated yet sporty interior combination! The M Performance steering wheel shown here is another part from the M options bin:


It features shift-lights on either side, and a multi-function display at top-center for details like G readings, etc:


More carbon-wrapped bits, and a touch of //M coloured stitching:


Colour & interior options:

Colours: Alpine White (non-metallic), Black Sapphire, Silverstone, Mineral White, Mineral Grey, Austin Yellow, Yas Marina Blue and Sakhir Orangeand Azurite Black metallic, Champagne Quartz metallic, Tanzanite Blue metallic, Smoked topaz metallic

BMW Individual colours: Frozen Black metallic, Frozen Brilliant White metallic and Frozen Red II metallic.

Upholstery combinations: cloth/leather combination Carbon structure Anthracite | Black and optional upholstery Leather 'Merino', with extended contents Silverstone | Black, Leather 'Merino', with extended contents Sakhir Orange | Black, Leather 'Merino', with extended contents Black | Black, Full leather 'Merino' Silverstone | Black, Full leather 'Merino' Sakhir Orange | Black, Full leather 'Merino' Black | Black.

[Rehaan]

BMW X6

• The X6 xDrive35i M Sport has been launched at Rs. 94.15 lakhs.

• Under the hood of this new petrol offering is a 3-litre inline-6 TwinPower Turbo engine.

• Output is rated at 302 BHP @ 5,800-6,400 & 400 Nm @ 1,200-5,000 RPM.

• An 8-speed Sport Steptronic automatic transmission does duty here.

• 0 -100 km/h comes up in 6.4 seconds.

• A few of the things included in the M Sport kit: 20" M light alloys, M aerodynamics package, Adaptive suspension (dynamic dampers and air suspension on the rear axle) and electronically adjustable leather sports seats.

[Rehaan]

BMW i8



The roof isn't the only thing missing! The barely-usable rear seats are gone too:


The butterfly doors remain, and so does the wow-factor they bring:


I feel like the Roadster has taken the i8's looks from being futuristic and cool to being absolutely exotic!


Prominent roadster badging on both sides:


245/40R20 Potenzas:


The Roadster should be launching in India later in 2018:


The cloth roof automatically folds away in the clamshell just behind the seats:


Bits of the carbon fibre tub exposed:


As you'd expect the interior remains unchanged:

[Rehaan]

BMW i3s



BMW has spiced up its little electric car with more zip in this 's' version:


The electric motor puts out 183 BHP & 250Nm of torque. 0-100 km/h in 6.9 sec:


The i3 already had absolutely huge 19" wheels (though very narrow tyres - for efficiency), and BMW stepped them up to 20 inchers on the i3s:


Taillamps are integrated behind the clear tailgate:


I guess BMW expects most collisions to be at city-speeds for this city-car:


Pillarless front doors, and rear suicide doors:


Cabin has a 'tallboy' feel at the front:


Steering and dashboard design are more 'minimalist' than 'futuristic':


Though the iDrive controller and cup holder do look like something from the future:


Note the front seatbelts mounted on the rear doors:


Rear legroom is limited, but the rear seats are still usable by adults:


Cup holders are built into the seat, making this strictly a 4-seater:


The boot is surprisingly large, I had to double-check that this picture was in fact from the i3s:


The BMW charging station:


Specs comparing the i3 to the i3s:

[Rehaan]

BMW X3

• This is the 3rd generation of BMW X3.

• An India launch is scheduled for later in 2018.

[Rehaan]

The rest of the BMW fleet:

The mighty 7-series:














530d M Sport with some carbon bits:




















The X5:


3-series GT:




Good ol' 3-series:


X1 with an M kit:

[Rehaan]

MINI Countryman

• Deliveries in India will begin from June 2018 onwards and ex-showroom prices will be announced accordingly.

• It's locally produced at the BMW Group Plant Chennai.

• Petrol: 2-litre 4-cylinder with a peak output of 189 BHP & 280 Nm of torque.

• 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds.

• Diesel: 4-cylinder with a peak output of 188 BHP & 400 Nm of torque.

• 0-100 km/h in 7.7 seconds.

• An 8-speed automatic steptronic transmission does duty on the Countryman.

• 3 variants: Cooper S, Cooper S JCW Inspired & Cooper SD.

• It's grown: 200 mm longer and 30 mm wider, making it the biggest MINI yet.

• Boot capacity: 450 litres to 1,309 litres (folding 40:20:40 split rear seat).

• Picnic Bench folds out of the boot, providing seating space for 2.

[Rehaan]

MINI

Also on display were the MINI Cooper S JCW Edition, MINI Cooper S Convertible & MINI Clubman.

The latest MINI Cooper which launched internationally earlier this year with the Union Jack taillamps was not shown.

MINI Cooper S JCW Edition































MINI Cooper S Convertible











MINI Clubman

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[Turbanator]

Looks they are doing right things, perhaps something to do with an Indian head, he understands requirement much better than anyone else 6 GT is fully loaded & still cheaper over E and all materials look one segment above. In the marketing video, they are trying to highlight features over E including Rear Seat Entertainment and use of Leather upholstery beside the gesture controls and that wonderful Key.

I am surprised at prices of X6 Petrol, despite being a CBU they have placed it very close to X5 CKD. Hope they import a large lot which can be negotiated at Year-end or next Year at some great rebates. With the kind of models they have, I reckon it will be a close fight in the numbers game with Mercedes this Year, starting from the second quarter.

An 8-speed ZF traditional automatic transmission does duty here (vs. the 7-speed DSG on the previous gen)

I don't think it's a standard transmission, they refer this as "Eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic". Don't know if just software is different or it's a different hardware.

[Santoshbhat]

Some nice launches there by BMW. 4WD with a switchable option for 2WD seems to be the biggest change in the M5 apart from the torque converter 8 speeder. Its crazy, the amount of electronics in cars these days. Sadly in our country the M cars can only be enjoyed at the BIC.

I am unhappy with what BMW is doing to their traditional kidney grill design. In the X series SUVs they are vertically oversized , while in the sedans they are horizontally oversized. And why are they protruding so much? The M5 looks awful with the all black grill. Also why does the 5 series look like its smiling? BMW's don't smile, they are always angry!

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Looks they are doing right things, perhaps something to do with an Indian head, he understands requirement much better than anyone else 6 GT is fully loaded & still cheaper over E and all materials look one segment above. In the marketing video, they are trying to highlight features over E including Rear Seat Entertainment and use of Leather upholstery beside the gesture controls and that wonderful Key.

6 GT will be a hard sell according to me. People inclined for more driver involvement generally tend to look at BMWs and for them there is the lovely 530i. If you want legroom at the back I can't see any reason for the customer to look beyond the LWB E Class.

[reihem]

Will the i3 come to India ? And if so what would you speculate the pricing would be ?

I have mentally decided to make my next purchase an electric. Ideally from the Volvo stable. But I’ve always liked the i3 when I’m travelling abroad.