Fernandina Beach, FL – February 27, 2023…BMW will unveil the new 2024 X5 and X6 including the new M variants to kick off a full weekend of activities at The Amelia – celebrating a proud history while looking forward to an electrified future. The Amelia is one of the world’s premiere concours d’elegance events and will take place March 3-5 at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in northeastern Florida. Global introduction of the new 2024 BMW X5 and X6 The fairways of the Golf Club at Amelia Island will be the setting for the world premiere of the new 2024 BMW X5 and X6, including the powerful new X5 M Competition. Fresh exterior styling details bring a crisp and characterful new look to the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. Inside, the BMW Curved Display powered by BMW iDrive 8 takes center stage in a spacious and contemporary interior. New electrified powertrains across the entire lineup enhance power and efficiency, with the reengineered X5 xDrive50e plug-in hybrid gaining nearly 100 hp while increasing its purely electric range. And the 617-hp X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition bring 48-volt mild hybrid technology to BMW M for the very first time. All 2024 X5 and X6 models begin production in BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina in April, with deliveries expected to start this summer. Celebrating 50 Years of the BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ Joining the new X5 and X6 at the BMW stand will be an historic 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ race car. Regarded as the first race car produced by the then new BMW Motorsports, the 1972 BMW CSL FIA Group 2 was campaigned under the direction of Jochen Neerpasch in the German Touring Car Championship as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1973. The BMW Motorsport CSL factory team included drivers Hans Stuck, Chris Amon, Dieter Quester, and Toine Hezemans. One of nineteen original racing CSLs produced, this car, chassis number 997 was the fourth CSL race car built and has an extensive race history both in Europe and North America. The race car will be moved to the show field for Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance, and in its place on the stand will be an excellent example of the road version of the 3.0 CSL. Introduced in April of 1971, the street version of the 3.0 CSL provided BMW M with a homologation special with which to go racing. “L” in this case meant “Leicht”, or “Lightweight”. Almost every component of the 3.0 CS foundation vehicle was weighed and measured and, wherever possible, replaced with a lighter version. The doors, trunk lid, and hood were made of aluminum. The roof, the partition between the interior and trunk, and the wheelwells were all made of thinner steel. The rear and side windows were Perspex. Even the hood supports were replaced with thin rods. In the end, engineers saved about 440 lbs. In 1973, the 3.0 CSL was powered by a 3.2-liter inline-6 making 206 hp, which meant a power-to-weight ratio of 13.6 lbs/hp – impressive for a road vehicle at the time. Only 167 3.0 CSL road cars left the factory between 1973 and 1975. The Only 1960 BMW 507 Roadster The BMW 507 is one of the most celebrated roadsters in BMW’s history. Conceived by US importer Max Hoffman and designed by Count Albrecht von Goertz, the 507 was built in small numbers between 1956 and 1959. It was intended to give buyers an option in between the small, simple British sports cars of the time and the powerful, sophisticated (and expensive) Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Personalities as diverse as entertainer Elvis Presley and racer John Surtees were early customers, but higher than expected production costs drove prices skyward and hurt sales. In the end, only 252 507s were built, making them highly desirable collectibles today. The 507 on exhibition at BMW’s installation will be a very rare BMW 507 Sport Series II. This particular example, chassis number 70240, is the only 507 designated as a 1960 model on its manufacturer’s plate. It was also the very last 507 to leave the Munich plant (though it was not the last one built) and one of very few to be fitted with the removable hardtop at the factory. The 3.2-liter V8 engine was upgraded to “Surtees” specification in the 1990s, bumping output from about 150 hp to around 165. And while repairs and maintenance have been performed over the years, this 507 has never been fully restored, the owners preferring to maintain it in as close to “as-delivered” condition as possible. BMW.Williams FW22-02 Formula One – Cars of Honoree Jeff Gordon Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya traded cars during an episode of the popular TV show Trading Paint. While Juan Pablo drove one of Jeff’s Championship winning #24 NASCAR cars, Jeff got time behind the wheel of Juan Pablo’s 2002 BMW.Williams FW24 Formula One race car on the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit. The FW24 that Jeff drove was a further development of the first car developed in the BMW/Williams partnership: The 2000 FW22 presented here. Both these cars represented BMW’s re-entry to Formula One competition during a brilliant period of engine development featuring powerful, sonically-delightful, naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V10 engines and extremely high rev limits thanks to exotic valvetrains powered by pressurized nitrogen. The FW22 Chassis 02 seen here is powered by the BMW E41/4 3.0 liter V10 capable of 18,000rpm and producing over 810hp. This chassis raced in its current No. 9 livery during the 2000 season and was piloted by Ralf Schumacher to a fifth-place finish in that year’s Championship, with three podium finishes. Schumacher’s teammate was Jensen Button, who drove the No. 10 FW22. The BMW.Williams F1 Team finished the 2000 season 3rd in team points. The BMW.Williams FW22 will be on display during Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance in a special group of vehicles associated with this year’s honoree, Jeff Gordon. Saturday highlighted by Cars & Community Car Show Over 350 vehicles from around the United States are expected to be on hand for Saturday’s Cars & Community gathering. In front of the BMW stand, over 40 classic and contemporary BMWs spanning 60 years of the company’s history will be presented. BMW of North America will show a few special vehicles from its own US classic collection: an immaculate Laguna Seca Blue 2001 M Coupe, the very last Z4 M Coupe ever produced, a 2003 X5 4.6is in Imola Red (forerunner of the X5 M), and one of 50 2001 X5 4.4is produced exclusively for the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Purely Electric BMW i7 xDrive60 in the Taking Charge Parade Representing BMW’s electrified future at The Amelia this year, the 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 will drive past the reviewing stand during Sunday’s Taking Charge Parade. For the very first time in its history, the 7 Series is now available fully electric. Featuring two highly efficient current-excited electric motors with a combined output of 536 horsepower and 549 lb-ft of instantaneous torque, the i7 xDrive60 will sprint from 0-60 in about 4.5 seconds while returning an estimated range of around 300 zero-emission miles in utter silence and profound luxury. With the new BMW i7, BMW has combined pure driving satisfaction with unsurpassed long-distance comfort and a top-tier digital experience. The i7 clearly demonstrates how a premium driving experience and the ultimate feeling of on-board wellbeing can be combined with an unwavering commitment to sustainability. New 7 Series and X7 test drives. BMW XM on display. Beginning Thursday and running through Sunday, customers will be able to experience sheer driving pleasure with a test drive of a new BMW 7 Series or X7. Curated drives will begin outside the main entrance of the Ritz Carlton, where clients will be able to feel the rush of the new electrified drivetrains, engage with the impressive technology of BMW iDrive 8, and interact with the elegant and sophisticated BMW Curved Display. Also on display at the Ritz Carlton will be the first-ever BMW XM. The BMW XM is the first independent vehicle from BMW M GmbH in decades, and the first high-performance M vehicle to feature a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain. A 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 engine is combined with a compact electric motor to produce 644 hp – enough to propel the BMW XM from 0-60 in just 4.1 seconds – while permitting an estimated electric-only range of up to 30 miles. The BMW XM wraps next-level performance in a confidently dramatic exterior design that exudes power and emotion and an interior that is at once intensely driver-focused, boldly modern, and indulgently sybaritic. BMW Group In AmericaBMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles as well as the BMW XM. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 349 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 146 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.www.bmwgroup.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroupTwitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroupYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupviewGoogle+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.comJournalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com.
Go to Source