BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 Makes North American Debut
BMW 330i Performance Package Makes World Debut and BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 Makes North American Debut at the 2003 Los Angeles International Auto Show January 2nd, 2003, Woodcliff Lake, NJ... The all-new Performance Package for the 2003 330i Sedan makes its world debut today at the Los Angeles International Auto Show and the BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 makes its North American debut today. Also featured, making its first appearance at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is the all-new Z4 Roadster. BMW 330i Performance Package raises the renown 3 Series Sedan driving experience to a new level The 330i sedan continues to win comparison test after comparison test on the strength of its performance and handling prowess. Never being a company to leave well enough alone, the introduction of the Performance Package will raise the driving experience of the BMW 3 Series Sedan to an even higher standard. The 330i Performance Package has been created exclusively for the U.S. market for enthusiasts by enthusiasts at BMW Individual, a division of BMW M GmbH. There is no aspect of the driving experience that has not been enhanced by the Performance Package. Modifications to the 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine, which include different camshafts and performance-modified Digital Motor Electronics, yield a ten horsepower increase to 235. For the first time in a 330i a six-speed manual transmission will be standard. With the Performance Package it will include a short-throw shifter. The package also includes a shorter final drive ratio. The benefits of these modifications are immediately apparent - the 330i with a Performance Package will accelerate from 0 - 60 miles-per-hour in 6 seconds, about half a second faster than a standard 330i. To match the straight-line performance a new sports suspension, more aggressively tuned than the 330i's standard sport suspension, is mated to 18-inch wheels with mixed-size performance tires. In addition to the wheels and tires the exterior of the 330i Performance Package is distinguished by its Aerodynamic Package, black headlight trim, high gloss shadowline trim and a new exhaust that not only appears but also sounds more aggressive. The look and feel of the interior has been refined with cloth and Alcantara sport seats matching the Alcantara sport steering wheel. An anthracite headliner and Black cube aluminum trim complete an ambiance tailored to the enthusiast. Silver cube aluminum trim is optional. The instrumentation includes red needles while the tachometer reflects the modified engine's 300 higher rpm limit. Production of the 330i Performance Package will begin in March 2003 with the first cars arriving at BMW centers in April. BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8: a very special version of a very special car This new edition of BMW's contemporary classic roadster is sure to raise eyebrows. A Z8 with an automatic transmission, powered not by the BMW M engine, but rather by a specially developed, higher-performance version of BMW's "regular" V-8 engine and featuring 20-inch wheels and tires in place of the original model's 18-inchers. A very special car indeed. This new Z8 is not only from BMW, but also from ALPINA. ALPINA was established in 1964 as an official and approved "ennobler" of BMW automobiles. Their tradition is to take production BMWs and make them even more appealing to connoisseurs of automotive finery. ALPINA has transformed the Z8 through a variety of refinements, some dramatic and some subtle. Most dramatically, the BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 replaces the Z8's BMW M engine (5.0 liters, 394 horsepower, elaborate individual throttles for each of the eight cylinders and many other racecar-like engineering characteristics) with a performance-developed version of BMW's "regular" V-8 engine. Remarkably, the 4.8-liter ALPINA engine comes to within 19 hp of the BMW M unit (375 hp, vs. 394), does so at lower rpm levels, and is thus suited to teaming with an automatic transmission. Its power peak comes at 5800 rpm, vs. 6600; its torque peak occurs at the same 3800 rpm but is actually higher: 383 lb-ft. (vs. 368 lb-ft). In another significant departure from the original Z8, and in harmony with the new engine, the 6-speed manual transmission is replaced by a special BMW ALPINA automatic transmission. Based on the 5-speed ZF automatic employed in V8-powered 5 and X5 Series, the ALPINA version features SWITCH-TRONIC. In addition to up- and downshifting by "tipping" the shift lever rearward or forward, the driver can also shift by pressing "+" and "-" buttons near the steering-wheel rim. Directly in front of the driver, a transmission display instrument indicates the range (P, R, N, D), mode (Automatic or Manual) and the gear currently engaged. Modifications to the beautiful exterior of the Z8 have been kept to a minimum. Special BMW ALPINA 20-inch wheels, with five clusters of four spokes each are 9.0 inches wide at the front and 10.0 at the rear. They carry Y-rated performance tires of dimensions 255/35R-20 at the front and 285/30R-20 at the rear. Retaining the Z8's power telescopic adjustment, the BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 adopts a different steering wheel, with three leather-and-metal-finished spokes in place of the Z8's "banjo" spokes. An ALPINA logo replaces the BMW emblem on the steering wheel's center hub. The cockpit is upholstered in Soft Nappa (distinctive from the Z8's Nappa), with special piping and ALPINA logos in the upper seatback. Three color schemes are offered: Black/Black, Black/Crema and Black/Sport Red. ALPINA plans to build only 555 BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8s. Of those approximately 450 will come to the US beginning later this month. . BMW Z4 Roadster blends thoroughly modern styling, classic roadster proportions and a driving experience second to none The winner of Automobile Magazine's 2003 Design of the Year Award, the BMW Z4 sets new standards for premium roadsters with its innovative, influential design. The new Z4, making its first appearance at the NAIAS, is a modern interpretation of all the classic roadster features - a long and sweeping hood, a long wheelbase, short overhangs and a low seating position in a cockpit that is set back. Its artfully dynamic exterior design features groundbreaking use of concave and convex lines. The handling and responsiveness of the Z4 is unparalleled thanks to its incredibly rigid chassis, sure-footed suspension based on the much-lauded 3 Series suspension and Electric Power Steering. Both the Z4 2.5i and 3.0i offer optional Sport Packages, which include upgraded wheels and tires and Dynamic Drive Control. The unique-folding soft-top features an integrated tonneau cover and heated glass rear window. The available fully-automated soft-top can be raised or lowered at the touch of a button in less than 10 seconds. Beginning with April production both the Z4 2.5i and 3.0i will be available with an optional six-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox. BMW Group In America BMW of North America has been present in the United States since 1975. Since then, the BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales and financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands; a South Carolina manufacturing operation; DESIGNWORKS/USA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. The BMW Group is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW car, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle, 148 BMW Motorcycle retailers and 69 MINI car dealers. BMW US Holding Corp., the Group's headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at http://www.bmwusa.com http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com and http://www.miniusa.com # # # Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address - www.press.bmwgroup.com. # # # Laura Leiponis Corporate Communications BMW Group 300 Chestnut Ridge Road Woodcliff Lake, N.J. 07677 phone: (201) 307-3606 fax: (201) 307-3607 e-mail: laura.leiponis@bmwna.com