HARD SHOULDER:PICTURED IS the new BMW i3, spotted during winter testing in Scandinavia. Also known as the MegaCity Vehicle, BMW plans to sell up to 30,000 of these in its first full year of sales in 2014. The German firm launched its new "i" sub-brand in the autumn under the tag line "born electric", with plans to accompany this small hatchback with a hybrid sports car. At the time it showcased the i3 in concept form but this is what the production version will look like, admittedly without the psychedelic paintwork.
The official unveiling of the i3 production version along with the i8 hybrid supercar will take place in 2013. Both models will be built at the Leipzig plant and ride on the “LifeDrive architecture” which has an aluminium chassis and a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell.
The i3 will produce well over 130bhp via electric motors. Described by BMW as futuristic premium mobility, the i3 is expected to come with a premium price as well.
In the shorter term, BMW Ireland is planning to secure close to 4 per cent market share next year, thanks in part to the launch of the new 3-Series. While predicting sales next year in the region of 70,000 new cars, it recognises that it will have a full-on battle with rivals Audi for premium sales.
Its finance arm plans to lend an estimated €110 million to dealers and consumers through its own dealer network and via its subsidiary Alphera Finance, which offers finance to non-BMW brands, such as Mazda. This year it has lent €225 million, of which €86 million went to consumers – €34 million of which to BMW customers – and the rest to dealers for wholesale finance.
No need to worry about spare parts for Saabs
SAAB OWNERS need not be concerned about the supply of spare parts after the firm filed for bankruptcy in Sweden on Monday, according to its Irish distributor. Emmet Hogan of the OHM Group, which holds the Irish franchise for Saab, said Saab had separated out its parts supply division in 2009 and this entity was profitable and not part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
Saab’s latest attempt to find an investor ended after its former owner, and current key supplier General Motors, blocked a deal with a Chinese investor. This led chief executive Victor Muller to hand in a bankruptcy application to a Swedish court on Monday. The fate of the firm’s 3,400 staff is in the hands of a court-appointed administrator. Production stopped at the plant in April and Mr Hogan says that the stock of unsold Saabs in Ireland is “in single figures”.
Mercedes forced to get its skates on to reveal new aluminium sports car
MERCEDES HAS revealed its all-new SL, but only after it was pushed into doing so ahead of schedule because early pictures were leaked on the internet.
The big sports car continues the legacy of using a folding steel roof, and you can expect a big hitting AMG V8 version. But the big news is a switch to aluminium construction, which will drop the car’s weight and improve efficiency. No diesel version though, say Mercedes, despite a diesel model of the smaller SLK coming soon.