Phat Rides BMW Main Page

BREAKING NEWS
Updated 8/11/99
                                                                                             TT

8/11/99
BMW is the first DAX-30 company to introduce the 1 Euro par value share

7/28/99
BMW does the double!  V12 LMR and M3 victorious in Sears Point

7/07/99
BMW and WilliamsF1 announce commercial agreement

6/14/99
Triumphant!  Fantastic success for BMW in Le Mans

6/10/99
Off to a smooth start in Le Mans BMW placed 4th and 9th after the first day of training

6/1/99
 Location of BMW Motorsport Limited in Grove to reinforce Formula 1 project

5/28/99
BMW Checking Airbag Control Unit and Mechanical Brake System on the new 3 Series

5/10/99
Additional shifts to cope with the high level of demand for BMW automobiles world-wide

5/10/99
The world�s first filling station for liquified hydrogen

4/27/99
BMW developing petrol engine fuel cell in
cooperation with DELPHI Automotive Systems

4/09/99
007 to drive Z8

3/23/99
A Perfect Start: Victory for the new BMW V12 LMR

3/16/99
At the start in Sebring: the new BMW V12 LMR

3/15/99
World�s First Public Hydrogen Fuel Station To Open

3/15/99
Concorso d�Eleganza di Villa d�Este

2/22/99
Victory for the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series

8/11/99
BMW is the first DAX-30 company to introduce the 
1 Euro par value share

The introduction of the Euro means that BMW AG is having to convert its capital to the new currency. BMW AG is making use of this opportunity and - in line with the decisions of the Annual General Meeting on May 18, 1999 - is now set to be the first DAX-30 company to introduce 1 Euro par value shares. These shares will be traded on the stock exchanges from August 23rd.

Thus, BMW is converting the German DM 50 share to the new European minimum par value in one step. The BMW common and preferred shares will therefore become much more attractive for investors. It also means that the BMW Group will be meeting the demands of the international capital markets and also leading the way in the European capital market.

Conversion to the Euro
BMW AG is converting its capital at the official conversion rate established by the Council of the European Union (1 EUR = 1.95583 DM). A minor capital increase from revenue reserves (1.7% of the share capital or DM 21,925,698.38) has enabled the DM 50 share to be converted into a share with the even par value of EUR 26.

Stock split
This was followed by a stock split in the ratio of 1:26, creating 26 shares with a par value of EUR 1. The new share capital is EUR 669,424,080. Therefore there are 669,424,080 shares, divided into 622,227,918 common and 47,196,162 preferred shares.

Share certificates to become obsolete
Concurrently, the BMW Annual General Meeting decided to cease issuing physical share certificates. This means that in the future only the collective custody account procedure will exist. A global certificate will be issued for both common and preferred shares, and deposited with Deutsche B�rse Clearing AG. The collective custody account procedure is now standard at most stock exchanges.

What must a BMW shareholder do?
Most shareholders currently keep their shares in safe custody accounts; these shareholders need not take any action with regard to the conversion to the Euro and the decision to no longer issue stock certificates. The depository banks will automatically perform all the necessary actions.

Only shareholders who still hold physical share certificates must surrender their shares at a bank, which will electronically register and convert those shares. The period for relinquishing shares begins on August 23, 1999, and ends on November 30, 1999. Shareholders will receive three notifications during this period. Shares that are not submitted by November 30th will be declared null and void and subsequently administered on a trust basis. This does not affect the claims of individual shareholders.

What are the costs for the shareholders?
The changeover will be performed at no cost to the shareholders.

7/28/99
BMW does the double!
V12 LMR and M3 victorious in Sears Point

Two wins for BMW in the US: in the fourth race of this year’s American Le Mans Series (ALMS) at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California, BMWs dominated both the LMP and GT fields. Finland’s JJ Lehto and Britain’s Steve Soper took the honours in the LMP class with their BMW V12 LMR, while the BMW M3 of Joachim Stuck and Boris Said secured victory in the GT category.

The BMW V12 LMR of Lehto and Soper was the first to take the chequered flag after 97 laps of the 4.055-kilometre Sears Point Raceway. Having started from pole, they finished the two-and-three-quarter-hour race 2.324 seconds ahead of the Panoz of Brabham and Bernard.

JJ Lehto and Bill Auberlen drove the first leg in the two open-top BMW sports cars, handing over to Soper and Winkelhock after 40 and 39 laps respectively. They
then swapped again after 76 and 73 laps respectively. The second BMW V12 LMR was unlucky not to make it onto the podium, a 20-second stop-and-go penalty pushing it back to fifth place.

Team Manager Charly Lamm was delighted: ”Achieving a second victory in the ALMS with our BMW V12 LMR has required impressive all-round talent. The BMW engineers have developed a car which is able to be the best in Le Mans as well as at the Sears Point circuit with all its tight corners. The technical preparation by the team and an outstanding performance by the drivers was our recipe of success.”

Meanwhile the BMW M3 of Germany’s Hans-Joachim Stuck and America’s Boris Said gave the BMW Team PTG the narrowest of victories in the GT class: ”The battle was decided in the very last lap” explained Stuck. ”It was a real achievement from the team.”
TOP
 

7/07/99
BMW and WilliamsF1 announce commercial agreement

Technical cooperation between WilliamsF1 and BMW from the year 2000 was announced in the summer of 1997. WilliamsF1, the most successful Formula 1 team of the past decade, will embark on the next FIA Formula One World Championship with engines developed and manufactured at BMW in Munich.

The existing technical partnership has now been augmented with a significant commercial agreement that will allow Williams and BMW to collaborate even more closely.

The team will operate under the name BMW WilliamsF1, which testifies to the great importance that Williams attaches to its partnership with BMW and which BMW associates with its own re-entry into Formula 1.

Moreover, the outside appearance with which BMW WilliamsF1 will present their cars at the race circuit underlines the joint commitment, for it is BMW that will be developing the future styling of the team. The cars are thus provided with an unmistakable BMW identity. For the team, this is a strong new platform on which to put together the future sponsorship family on the basis of the BMW brand image.

Gerhard Berger: "To BMW, Formula One represents a major technical challenge, which at the same time has an important communicative function for the company as a whole as well for its products. With a view to these two objectives, the new commercial agreement offers ideal conditions, because Formula One lends itself as an excellent instrument to convey the BMW image of sportiness, dynamism, and innovation. We are looking forward to this common future with WilliamsF1."

Frank Williams: "This extended partnership provides a sound commercial foundation for our activities and will allow us to work in conjunction with BMW for the global marketing of the team as well as providing an attractive proposition for significant new sponsors and the integration of our existing sponsorship base."
TOP
 

6/14/99
Triumphant!
Fantastic success for BMW in Le Mans

BMW has won the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours! Yannick Dalmas, Pierluigi Martini and Joachim Winkelhock, under Team Manager Charly Lamm of BMW Team Schnitzer, steered the No. 15 BMW V12 LMR to victory ahead of a high-class field.

At 4 o�clock on Sunday afternoon, Pierluigi Martini was the first past the chequered flag after 24 often nerve-racking hours for drivers, engineers and team managers. The trio in the No. 15 BMW set a new record in the process, convering 366 rounds on the 13.6-kilometre track. It was a hard-fought victory, with more teams and cars than ever taking part in the world’s most popular race, being held this year for the 67th time. "The race demanded maximum performance at all times – from both drivers and engineers" commented BMW Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger.

For a long while, it even looked like a one-two for the team. By noon on Sunday, the BMW V12 LMR of Tom Kristensen, JJ Lehto and J�rg M�ller had built up a comfortable cushion in first place. However, a jammed throttle cable then led to a spin which ended the car’s race. JJ Lehto suffered minor injuries which were treated immediately.

The Le Mans victory is first and foremost a victory for the car’s reliability. The BMWs ran like clockwork lap after lap, according to J�rg M�ller. It was also a triumph for the BMW V12 engine over the powerful turbocharged V8s of the competition. The ongoing development of the technologically advanced V12 engine over the last five years has paid off. But also decisive was the discipline of the drivers, who constantly took great efforts not to subject the car to excessive strain and to find the right rhythm for the car at an early stage.

Another key factor in the team’s success was the extremely smooth pit stops – the BMWs consistently gained several seconds on the competition during refuelling and tyre changes. The car’s fuel efficiency also played an important role, with the two BMWs staying on the track one lap longer per tankful than their rivals.

"We’re very proud of our entire team" Berger stressed. "Project Director Dr. Ulrich Schiefer, Herbert V�gele, responsible for the engine, Team Manager Charly Lamm and Chief Engineer John Russell are a team that can win any contest."

Beside the two V12 LMRs, a third BMW finished among the top places. The team of BMW factory driver Bill Auberlen, Thomas Bscher and Stever Soper took a superb fifth in the BMW V12 LM raced by BMW Motorsport in 1998.


Final result:
1. Dalmas/Martini/Winkelhock
BMW V12 LMR
366 laps
2. Katayama/Tsuchiya/Suzuki
Toyota GT-One
365 laps
3. Biela/Pirro/Theys
Audi R8R
361 laps
4. Alboreto/Capello/Aiello
Audi R8R
347 laps
5. Auberlen/Bscher/Soper
BMW V12 LM98
346 laps
TOP

6/10/99
Off to a smooth start in Le Mans
BMW placed 4th and 9th after the first day of training

The two BMW V12 LMRs got off well in the training for the 24 hours of Le Mans. The racing cars with the numbers 17 and 15 came in 4th and 9th after the first day of training on Wednesday. Now team manager Charly Lamm and his six drivers are looking forward optimistically to today's timed training runs. The race itself starts on Saturday, the 12th of June at 4.00 p.m.

The BMW Team met all the mandatory qualification requirements for all six drivers – with regard to both racing times and the three rounds at night each. "Now we have to evaluate the drivers' and mechanics' statements for tomorrow's training", says team manager Charly Lamm.

The drivers still see some need for fine-tuning. Says the Fin JJ Lehto in the BMW V12 LMR with the number 17: "Compared to the prequalifying runs five weeks ago, the car has better balance, but it isn't perfect yet in slow and medium-speed bends." Tom Kristenen also sees some fine-tuning work ahead for the second training day. "It's quite difficult to tune the car to the wants and needs of three drivers – but we managed it for the 12 hours of Sebring and we will cope with it well here, too".

Yannick Dalmas in the second BMW has already set his sights on the clock: "I'm not quite happy yet with my time of 3,37.058 minutes." However, the car drove well "only a few race-track-specific details still have to be worked out".

The decisive factor in Le Mans for BMW may turn out to be the team's great experience. All drivers together have 21 Le Mans starts behind them as well as five victories. Yannick Dalmas is the most experienced driver in this classic race: he participated eight times and won it three times. Once he came in second and once third. He shares his cockpit with the Italian Pierluigi Martini (four starts) and Joachim Winkelhock, who raced Le Mans for the first time in 1998.

In the second BMW V12 LMR, JJ Lehto has the most experience with five Le Mans races. In 1995 he won Le Mans in the McLaren BMW together with Yannick Dalmas. His partner this year, Tom Kristensen from Denmark and the German J�rg M�ller both participated in 1997 and 1998. Kristensen won overall victory in 1997 and M�ller came in second last year.

BMW's team box is also characterised by a wealth of experience: Charly Lamm holds the reigns in Le Mans. He made a name for himself as the racing director of the BMW Team Schnitzer. Under the management of the 44 year old, the BMW Motorsport Team won the 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps five times.

Regardless of all the experience involved, the racing car itself has to prove its qualities on the racetrack. At the weekend we will see whether all the intensive preparation will bear fruitful results. "A car that wants to win in Le Mans has to be the fastest among the elite and sturdy and stable down to the last bolt", says Motorsport director Gerhard Berger.
TOP
 

6/1/99
Location of BMW Motorsport Limited in Grove to reinforce Formula 1 project

Munich. The location of BMW Motorsport Limited in Grove/England will reinforce the joint Formula 1 project undertaken by BMW and Williams in the future. After preparations for the Le Mans race in two weeks time went into top gear at Grove, the work in the second half of the year there will concentrate on the return to Formula 1.

Many of the personnel and much of the technical resources of BMW Motorsport in England will then be taken on by Williams and used for the joint engagement in Formula 1. The BMW V10 engine will continue to be developed and built in Munich for the Formula 1 races in the coming season.

"Our declared goal for the 1999 season is a good result at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race," says Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger, "but apart from that, the main focus is our return to Formula 1. As to how we will be continuing with other motorsport projects alongside this one in the coming millennium, is currently the subject of discussion."

The participation of two BMW V12 LMR at the French classic endurance race at Le Mans on 12/13 June, is the highlight of the sports car project being executed in cooperation with Williams. The roadster with Munich's BMW V12 engine is then scheduled to take part in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

The BMW V12 LMR made a great debut in the new series of races in March: the racing car, with Tom Kristensen, JJ Lehto and J�rg M�ller at the wheel, was the winner of the first race of the season, the Sebring 12-Hour Race in Florida (USA).
TOP
 

5/28/99
BMW Checking Airbag Control Unit and Mechanical Brake System on the new 3 Series

BMW requests owners of the new 3 Series launched in April 1998 to have their car checked by an authorised BMW dealer. Owners of these cars will receive notification from BMW. The actual process of examination and the modifications on the car itself take approximately half an hour.

Ongoing quality observation has shown that under certain circumstances the side airbags may be activated without a cause, ie without car being involved in a collision. To avoid such an eventuality the airbag control unit is being re-coded, ie, the software is being modified.

Product observation has also shown that on a small number of cars in this model series a retention bracket on the connection between the brake pedal and brake servo might possibly not be fitted properly. Depending on how often the brake pedal is used and the forces exerted on the pedal, the bracket might come loose, causing the car's brakes to fail. To avoid even the slightest residual risk of this kind, BMW is checking the correct installation and position of the bracket on all cars of this type.
TOP

5/10/99
Additional shifts to cope with the high level of demand for BMW automobiles world-wide

World-wide demand for BMW brand automobiles- especially the models of the new 3 Series saloons that were launched in April 1998 - has reached extraordinary levels. From April of this year, the second variant of the new 3 Series will also be available - the 3 Series coup�, which has also caused quite a stir in the market. For this reason, the BMW Group and the Works Council have agreed to introduce additional production times in the car plants, within the scope of the flexible working hours scheme.

Ernst Baumann, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Human Resources commented, "Two elements have come together superbly well here: the high value put on our products, on the one hand, and the flexibility of our workforce on the other. The first element ensures that demand for BMW automobiles is pleasingly high, and the second is what makes it possible to meet these market requirements properly. We should like to thank our staff for their commitment and the Works Council for their understanding of the commercial situation, which enables us to make use of the production plants at a higher than average rate."
TOP

5/10/99
The world�s first filling station for liquified hydrogen

Hydrogen is unquestionably the energy source of the 21st century. As the world’s first car manufacturer, BMW is involved in the world’s first public filling station for liquefied hydrogen. Once again, BMW is thus setting an example of how futuristic technologies can be developed in a realistic context.

The filling station at Munich Airport opened on 5 May 1999 by Bavarian State Minister of Economics, Transport and Technology, Otto Wiesheu, was developed and built by a consortium of reputable German companies. Airport buses and cars fitted with appropriately matched engines, rather than running on petrol or diesel, can now top up with a fuel which, instead of undesirable emissions, releases nothing but hydrogen from the exhaust.

Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be produced from water in an environmentally compatible manner and during the combustion process combines with the oxygen of the air to be condensed back into water. „BMW banked on this energy carrier very early on and has a distinct edge above all in the requisite engine technology", said Christoph Hu�, BMW’s Board of Management administrator for traffic and environment. The big advantage of hydrogen produced in an environmentally compatible manner is that no additional greenhouse gas is developed.

More than a dozen reputable German companies have planned and built the world’s first fully automatic liquefied hydrogen filling station at Munich Airport: ARAL, BMW, GHW/HEW, Grimm, HDW, IAW, LINDE, MAN, Mannesmann, Neoplan, Siemens and Flughafen M�nchen GmbH. The safety of the filling station has been tested and certified by Bavaria’s T�V (Vehicle Inspectorate). The State of Bavaria sponsored the 34-million deutschmark pioneering project at 50 percent.

This is the first project world-wide to test innovative technologies under the tough operating conditions of an airport: The production and storage of hydrogen as a compressed gas or - at minus 250�C - in a liquid state and refuelling by means of robots.

For the foreseeable future, though, this high-tech filling station will see only very few customers, for hydrogen produced in an environmentally clean manner is still significantly more expensive than petrol or diesel. „What is now necessary, is the clear political will to make this ecologically very meaningful technology succeed also from an economic perspective", said Christoph Hu�, BMW’s Board of Management administrator.
TOP

4/27/99
BMW developing petrol engine fuel cell in cooperation with DELPHI Automotive Systems

Joining forces with DELPHI Automotive Systems, the largest automotive supplier in the world, BMW is developing an entirely new type of fuel cell able to generate electricity out of petrol. Since this innovative energy converter uses conventional engine fuel, it does not require any other source of energy such as methanol and therefore does not call for any elaborate change in on-board technologies and in the network of filling stations.
The new fuel cell is called SOFC for short or Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and converts hydrogen into electricity at a temperature of approximately 800 degrees Celsius or 1470 degrees Fahrenheit via a circonium oxide ceramic transformer.

The first step in this process of conversion is to evaporate the petrol, obtaining hydrogen through a splitting process in a reformer also operating at roughly 800 degrees Celsius. This hydrogen then reacts with oxygen in the air fed in during the process, generating electricity and, as a waste product, water.

Compared with the proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEM) generally still proposed today, which in theory may also be supplied with hydrogen via a reformer running on petrol, the SOFC is far less sensitive to impurities in the reforming process. A further advantage is that it does not require any expensive precious metal electrodes. Accordingly, the SOFC is clearly superior to the PEM, especially as the latter is subject to the further restriction that it should preferably only be run on pure hydrogen. With the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, on the other hand, motorists will not have to wait until a comprehensive and dense hydrogen supply infrastructure is in place.

Replacing the battery and the alternator in the long term
Fitted in BMW passenger cars, the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell will serve to supply electric energy to the onboard network, thus doing the job for which it is most suitable: generating electricity at a high level of efficiency and operating independently of the engine. The actual drive power for the vehicle itself should in BMW's opinion still be provided by the combustion engine with its well-known advantages.
In future, therefore, the compact fuel cell battery will merely take the place of a conventional lead battery. With the fuel cell exceeding the power output and service life of a lead battery by far, however, this fuel-cell APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) is not only able to supply power to all conventional electrical power-consuming items in the car, but also allows new functions such as air conditioning when the car is at a standstill.

In the long term the fuel cell may even be able to replace the electrical alternator in the car and allow the use of a much smaller lead battery only required for starting the engine and in emergencies. The introduction of the SOFC therefore marks the beginning of a new era with cars requiring more and more electric power in future.

BMW's first hydrogen cars with fuel cell in the year 2000
While the ongoing development of the SOFC in the petrol-engined automobile will still take another five years or so, BMW will be the first car maker in the world to introduce a PEM fuel cell battery for generating electric power in the car as a standard feature. Starting next year, BMW will be building a small number of 7 Series saloons with a hydrogen-powered combustion engine for the worldwide EXPO 2000 Clean Energy Project. Already carrying liquid hydrogen on board for the power unit, these cars will be fitted with a PEM fuel cell generating electric power out of hydrogen and air.
TOP

04/9/99
007 to drive Z8

The film world�s most successful secret agent, Bond, James Bond, will be driving the stunning new BMW Z8 in "The World is Not Enough", the 19th in the series of Bond films, the premiere of which is scheduled for November 1999. This thoroughbred BMW sports car is as elegant and smooth as Agent 007 himself, and with a six-speed transmission and a 400-horsepower V-8 engine, it outraces the bad guys with thrilling speed. The first photo shows the Z 07 design study, seen for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show. Suspense is already building up with regard to the final version, due to reach the showrooms early in 2000.

Inspired by the legendary BMW 507, the Z8 is also a two-seat open sports car, capable of communicating its character as the "ultimate driving machine" to the film's hero in no uncertain terms. The long, sleek engine compartment and streamlined body design flow through to a powerful, muscular rear end.

"The World is Not Enough" is BMW�s third collaboration with the popular Bond film franchise. BMW launched the Z3 roadster in the 1995 Bond film "GoldenEye", the seventeenth in the series. The enormous demand for that vehicle, which achieved an outstanding level of popularity through the Bond movie, resulted in the car selling out completely in its first production year, and it today being the best selling roadster in the world. Up till now BMW has built more than 170,000 BMW roadsters, manufactured in Spartanburg, South Carolina (USA), that have been exported to 120 countries around the world.

Bond drove the luxurious 750iL in Tomorrow Never Dies and also rode a BMW R 1200 C Cruiser motorcycle with Bond girl Michelle Yeoh in some of the film�s most memorable scenes. In 1998, the Cruiser was the best-seller of BMW's motorcycles worldwide.
TOP

03/23/99
A Perfect Start: Victory for the new BMW V12 LMR

Munich/Sebring. The BMW works drivers Tom Kristensen (DK), JJ Lehto (FIN) and J�rg M�ller (D) drove with the BMW V12 LMR to victory in its maiden race on Saturday, the 12 hours of Sebring in Florida (USA). BMW Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger said: „In Sebring our car has been fast as well as reliable. It has passed this stage of development with flying colours. The whole team has been working hard for this success and has done a really good job. This debut was perfect - encouraging for the 24 hours of Le Mans and for me as this is my first race as BMW Motorsport Director.“

Among the many retirements the endurance race on the extremely bumpy six kilometre-long circuit was the second BMW V12 LMR of Yannick Dalmas (F), Pierluigi Martini (I) and Joachim Winkelhock (D). Dalmas crashed five hours and ten minutes into the race while running in second place.

Shortly before, Steve Soper (GB) crashed Dr. Thomas Bscher’s developed 1998 BMW V12 LM, which he shared with Bill Auberlen (USA) and Bscher (D). Hans-Joachim Stuck became a spectator after exactly 200 laps: „Without any warning the engine on our BMW M3 broke“, the three times overall Sebring winner said. Until the retirement his BMW Team PTG was second in the GT class.

Results:
1. Kristensen/Lehto/M�ller
BMW V12 LMR
313 laps

2. Leitzinger/Forbes-Robinson/Weaver
R&S Mk III Ford
9.202 sec behind

3. Alboreto/Capello/Johansson
Audi R8R
3 laps behind

4. Boutsen/Wollek/M�ller
Porsche 911 GT1
5 laps behind

5. Pirro/Biela/McCarthy
Audi R8R
8 laps behind

6. Taylor/Caffi/Fangio II/Angelelli
Ferrari 333 SP
19 laps behind
TOP
 

03/16/99
At the start in Sebring: the new BMW V12 LMR

Munich. Endurance test for the new BMW V12 LMR: two of the sportscars will be starting at the 12-hour-race in Sebring (Florida/USA) on March 20th.

The drivers, Tom Kristensen (DK), JJ Lehto (FIN) and J�rg M�ller (D) will share one of the roadsters, whilst Yannick Dalmas (F), Pierluigi Martini (I) and Joachim Winkelhock (D) will be at the wheel of the other.

The race is the first round of the new American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The technical regulations are in accordance with those stipulated by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (A.C.O.) for the 24 hours of Le Mans classic.

It is not only the duration, which makes the Sebring 12-hour-race an extreme test. „The track on the disused airfield is basically a long series of hefty bumps,“ says Team Manager Charly Lamm, who will be directing the sportscar engagements in 1999. Lamm got to know the six kilometre long circuit during the 1997 race in the FIA GT Championship, when Lehto took the pole position in a McLaren BMW.

The BMW V12 LMR evolved at BMW Motorsport Limited in Grove in England. Dr. Ulrich Schiefer, responsible for the technology of the motorsport activities outside of Formula 1 at BMW explains: „The extremely difficult point is to combine performance and technology almost of Formula-1 standard with the endurance required for long distances.“
TOP
 

03/15/99
World�s First Public Hydrogen Fuel Station To Open

Munich. The world's first public filling station for liquefied and gaseous hydrogen is now ready to open at the Munich Airport. Featuring revolutionary, fully automatic technology, this filling station supplies cars and buses with one of the world's most environmentally friendly fuels: hydrogen.

Hydrogen, the lightest of all gases, is liquid only at temperatures below -423� F. This is why it is filled into the tank of the car by robots at the fully automatic filling station in Munich. The hydrogen then burns the same way as in a conventional gasoline or diesel engine. Docking tests connecting the filling pump with the tank of the vehicle were successfully completed shortly before the new year.

Hydrogen is acknowledged by experts to be the clean energy of the future. It is found in almost infinite quantities in water and burns together with oxygen without leaving behind any harmful emissions. The only substance to leave the car's exhaust pipe is steam. Hydrogen can be recovered from water with the help of natural gas or by using electricity generated in a renewable process - that is electricity generated by solar, wind, hydroelectric or biomass energy.

Hydrogen energy is an ideal foundation for an ecological cycle because there are no undesired exhaust emissions, there is no greenhouse effect, and there is no worry about the limited supply of finite resources. In the year 2000 BMW will be presenting this technology of the future to the public at large in a Worldwide EXPO Project. This will make BMW the only car maker to offer a consistent and sustainable energy strategy beginning with natural gas and culminating with hydrogen. Integral to the strategy has been a close network of partners working with BMW on all aspects, from product to the required infrastructure.
TOP
 

03/15/99
Concorso d�Eleganza di Villa d�Este

A very special beauty contest.
On April 24th and 25th 1999, the Hotel Villa d�Este on the banks of Lago di Como in the North of Italy will once again be organising the traditional "Concorso d�Eleganza di Villa d�Este". This highlight marks the beginning of a new triennium of events presenting cars from 1910 - 1967 over a period of three years. The "Concorso d�Eleganza di Villa d�Este" is one of the most outstanding historical automobile events of its kind in Europe.

To maintain the high standard of the "Concorso d�Eleganza", BMW has decided to take over the patronage of the next triennium and to play a leading role in optimising the events and their programme. BMW Mobile Tradition will be supporting the event.

The event will start on Saturday morning, April 24th, when the participants of the "Concorso" will drive from Villa d�Este to the Villa Olmo public park near Como. This is where the cars built between 1910 and 1932 will be presented to the public. On Sunday there will be an exclusive show for invited guests only on the grounds of the Hotel Villa d�Este where the cars will be presented to and assessed by the jury and guests of the hotel. A Gala Dinner with prizes awarded to the most spectacular cars will conclude this impressive society event as the final highlight.

Please call the Organizing Committee Secretarial Office for more information:
Tel.: +39-02/ 48 00 71 08
Fax: +39-02/ 4 81 73 51
TOP
 

02/22/99
Victory for the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series

The new BMW 3 Series: on the market since March 1998, over 220,000 vehicles manufactured by January this year, and now elected "Best Car 1999" by the readers of the german "auto motor und sport" magazine in the mid-sized car class. After having taken second place four times in recent years, the new 3 Series saloon was awarded first place this year by the readers by a wide margin, with 39% of all votes cast.

First place in the upper mid-sized car class of the same survey was also a clear decision. The BMW 5 Series took the honours in this case - for the fifth time in succession. Between the end of 1995 and the end of January 1999, 652,000 5 Series saloon and touring models were manufactured.
TOP

Provided by BMW AG