BMW X3 Buyers will be able to see their Vehicles Being Built through an Online Video Portal

BMW wants to turn an ordinary sale into an emotional experience that drives brand loyalty and retention by offerings U.S. buyers of the 2011MY X3 a unique access to the creation of their crossover through an online video portal that will show them footage of their customized X3 being produced at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“Customization is essential to the new BMW X3. With more than 10 million distinct configurations available, we wanted to get customers excited about the birth of their unique vehicle,” said Trudy Hardy, Manager, BMW Marketing Communications and Consumer Events, BMW of North America. “This production footage of the BMW X3 vehicles from our Spartanburg plant enhances the overall customer experience that is part of the BMW brand.”

BMW makes use of a total of seven cameras which track the X3 through the various stages of final assembly. The company added that the videos do not have an expiration date and can also be downloaded and shared.

To watch or download the footage, customers will have to create a My BMW account on bmwusa.com website and entering their X3 order number or VIN. The BMW X3 Customer Video Portal program kicks off today, January 20th.

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New Rumors Surface about 4-Cylinder Turbocharged BMW Engine, this time for Z4 Roadster

Last time we reported about BMW's long-rumored family of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, it was in the summer of 2010. Meanwhile, the German manufacturer hasn't revealed anything on the matter, giving the whole affair an almost mythical status.

However, a new rumor has surfaced, with Automobile Magazine tweeting that the entry level BMW Z4 will soon get a new, 4-cylinder force inducted engine, as a replacement for the naturally aspirated inline-six.

The exact tweet was “BMW new 4-cyl coming this year in Z4 roadster. Replaces nat asp 6, so at least 200 hp” and, seeing that average fuel consumption regulations and emissions standards are getting stricter by the day, it sounds like a logical move for BMW.

The Bavarian company sure knows how to build a fine turbocharged engine and there are many models in its line-up that could benefit from a more frugal, and equally if not more powerful four-pots. The 1-Series and 3-Series are just two that come to mind right, although we’re pretty sure that X3 owners wouldn’t mind better fuel economy as well.

Clearly, the question here is not “why”, but rather “when”, and at the rate things are going, we’d say let's meet up again this summer and we’ll hopefully have some more official info for you.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Automobile via Bimmerpost

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U-SPY: Carscoop Reader Snags a Fleet of BMW Prototypes in Austria

The BMW Group is quite busy these days as the Bavarian automaker is developing a raft of new models, ranging from the upcoming Megacity electric-vehicle and the MINI Coupe and Roadster, to the next generation of the 3-Series and the production version of the Vision ED concept sports car.

Carscoop reader Andras from Hungary was vacationing in Obertauern, Austria when he spotted this convoy of BMWs comprising of both masked prototypes and normal production cars, including a sedan in full body cladding. Check out Andras' photos and story after the jump.

Andras Deak's Scoop:

"I am currently in Obertauern, Austria for my holidays and discovered a small parking place dedicated to BMW. I walked there to check the cars and took some pictures.

There were 4 "cooling boxes" for cars. At the parking area I recognized a heavily camouflaged next-gen BMW 3-Series (possibly a hybrid version), the brand new X3 with some light camouflage (also possible hybrid version) and several 5-Series... Note that all the cars were plugged into something which looked like an electric charger to me.. Maybe a plug-in hybrid?

The interior of the next-gen 3-Series looks like all the new BMWs these days. It looked like a small 7-Series from the inside. The navigation screen is huge. I could see several fingerprints on the screen (maybe touchscreen?), but also an iDrive controller..."

Köszönöm for the pictures Andras!

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2003 BMW X3 Pictures

release 2003 in Frankfurt

BMW presented the precursor to the X3 as a concept vehicle unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. BMW expands successful family of models with the symbol X: the new BMW X3 combines dynamic typical BMW with a wide range of sports pastors and car (Sports Activity Vehicle-SAV). For the first time in the person of BMW X3 SAV offers on the market premium, which is below the H5 type, and can conquer the world with all the roads good and bad coverage. BMW X3 premiere at the International and car exhibition (IAA), held in September 2003 in Frankfurt.

Modern Interior BMW X3 Picture

Modern Interior BMW X3. Interior far more than appearance and car pastors, here are as quietly. Saloon BMW X3 very close to design solutions to the Z4 model, the same division of forms and colors. Traditional for "Seven" and "Five newly elevated proudly add centre console is not here, and is available as an option color monitor navigation system modestly appears from the bowels of pressing buttons. With characteristic high landing driver and passengers well see not only around but also modern and spacious cabin. A large selection of both classic and fashionable modern materials and provides a variety of colors for individual design showroom. In the cockpit, both typical of BMW round devices together under one stylish visor.

BMW Hybrid Concept