With the government helping to promote the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) by exempting them from as well as providing some other incentives, the car companies are also doing their part by participating in the development of the charging network nationwide. After all, if they want people to buy their EVs and enjoy using them, then enabling owners to travel far is necessary as part of ‘aftersales’
BMW Group Malaysia, having been among the early pioneers in electric mobility in Malaysia, is one of the companies that has been helping to grow the number of charging stations. Besides having such facilities at its dealerships, it has now introduced BMW Charging to gives its EV customers peace of mind when they wish to go on long journeys.
2022 being the 50th anniversary year of BMW M, celebrations have been held in various ways. In Malaysia, there has been a huge convoy of BMW M models travelling through the city and BMW Malaysia also launched 5 new models as well as searched for the oldest M model in the country.
More recently, six owners established new listings in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) during the M4NTAP Track Day at the Sepang International Circuit. The event, organised by local car club M4NTAP, had 50 BMW vehicles, largely consisting of BMW M models, with 700 members of the public present to observe the activities.
The X7, BMW’s largest SAV model, gets an additional variant in the form of the X7 xDrive40i M Sport. Like the xDrive40i Pure Excellence which has been on sale in Malaysia for over a year, the new variant with M Sport enhancements is also assembled locally at the Inokom complex in Kedah.
Priced at RM728,800 (without insurance), the X7 xDrive40i M Sport – as would be expected when ‘M is added – is a more performance-oriented version. The M Aerodynamics package which adds sportiness with a slightly rugged image for the imposing model. Certain design elements get more visual emphasis and presumably, aerodynamics are improved in some way.
In June 1992, the BMW Group announced that it would build a new factory in the US state of South Carolina. This would the carmaker’s first full manufacturing facility outside Germany (production in countries like Malaysia were assembly operations) with an initial investment of US$600 million. It would be the fastest factory start-up in automotive history — just 23 months after site ground-breaking, the first car (a BMW 318i sedan) rolled out.
30 years later, the factory – officially known as BMW Manufacturing – has produced its 6 millionth vehicle, a Java Green Metallic BMW X6 M. This comes just 2 years after the last milestone of 5 million units which was passed in June 2020. It is a major hub today, with 63% of its output exported to 120 countries worldwide.
When BMW decided to start offering SUVs, it first made sure that the new models would have the driving dynamics that made people buy their ‘ultimate driving machines’. Engineered to be true BMWs, their vehicles are instead called Sport Activity Vehicles or SAVs.
It’s the same for BMW M, the high-performance division, when it made the decision to electrify. For a company like BMW M, which has built up a reputation producing cars with superlative performance, going electric meant that they had also to be able to offer the same kind of performance.
The first BMW M automobile designed for purely electric mobility from the outset was the new iX M60, launched at the beginning of this year. But that was just a start and now the company has come out with another electrified model – the XM.
During the course of a model cycle, updates are made to keep the model fresh as new competitors enter the market. Occasionally, there may also be special editions with enhanced value to draw customers.
Auto Bavaria, a leading authorised BMW dealership, has 30 units of the Limited Edition BMW 5 Series with M Performance Parts to offer, available in two versions – 530i M Sport and 530e M Sport, the latter a PHEV.
Both units are priced from RM347,000, with the usual unlimited mileage warranty and free scheduled servicing, as well as other benefits for being a BMW owner.
Over 120 BMW M cars travelled in a convoy today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of BMW’s performance brand. The convoy had started from Ingress Auto’s BMW Damansara dealership and made its way to LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre where the cars filled Gourmet Walk, the roar of their exhausts reverberating along the ‘canyon’ of buildings.
The number of cars was the largest at a gathering of BMW M cars in Malaysia and BMW Group Malaysia MD, Hans de Visser, believes it might also be the largest in Southeast Asia. It was organised by the M Owner Malaysia community with the support of BMW Group Malaysia.
After some 4 years in the market, the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe has received updates as the MY Edition. Besides cosmetic changes on the exterior as well as interior, the list of standard equipment has also been expanded.
Beginning with the front profile, the new coupe has been given the ‘Iconic Glow’ lighting feature for the kidney grille, with LEDs within that provide a waterfall-like illumination which cascades down the grille slats. It seems a bit gimmicky and illuminates when opening the doors, starting and switching off the ignition, and finally locking the car.
September 16 has long been a special day for Malaysians as it is the day, in 1963, when the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and Singapore united with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia. And this year, on the 59th anniversary of Malaysia Day, BMW Group Malaysia will also have a special event to celebrate the day as it is also the 50th anniversary year of BMW M, its performance division.
At this joint celebration of Malaysia Day and 50 Jahre M (50 Years of M), BMW M owners and enthusiasts will gather on September 16 to create the largest gathering of BMW M performance vehicles in the country.
Over 150 M vehicles This gathering will be made up of over 150 vehicles from five generations of M models which will make their way into the city centre on the morning of September 16. They will gather at 10 am at the Lalaport Bukit Bintang City Centre along Jalan Hang Tuah in Kuala Lumpur.
Open to the public, the event will also feature a special display of some of the oldest BMW M models in the country. These models have been found after a search by BMW Group Malaysia since May this year.
Other activities at the event will include music performances and engagements with the public who can win exclusive merchandise.
About BMW M 50 years ago, in May 1972, a small business unit with 35 employees was created and initially known as BMW Motorsport GmbH. It was only in 1993 that the present name was established, by which time its role was a fundamental part of the BMW Group, broadening its scope to more than just competition cars. It exemplified the engineers’ expertise in combining authentic motorsport functionality with exclusive and sporty aesthetics, while producing its own memorable models.
Over the past 50 years, BMW M has given the motoring world many iconic performance cars – models like the legendary M1, M3, M5 and M635CSi. Although BMW M focused almost exclusively on the producing performance and racing cars, many BMW enthusiasts were also looking for the BMW M power and badging on road cars.
The M5, followed by the M3, were developed for these enthusiasts and quickly became the most iconic BMW M vehicles in the line-up. They not only won numerous championship victories in touring car racing but also performed impressively on the road.
Some of the BMW M models that have become historical icons of the brand.
BMW M has followed market trends and as enthusiasts came to appreciate SUVs, it developed the X5 M and X6 M, the first M models with 4-wheel drive and turbocharged engines. Today, the BMW X family members with M badges include the X3 M Competition and X4 M Competition.
With the iX M60, the brand is also headed into the electric era. For a company like BMW M, which has built up a reputation producing cars with superlative performance means that the same kind of performance cab be expected – even with electric models.
The iX M60 leads BMW M into the electric era.
“At the BMW Group, M remains the most powerful letter in the world, as it represents our high-performance vehicles born out of pure passion for motorsports. This fascination for power, speed and dynamics has put M on the map since 1972. Fifty years on, we are thrilled to be celebrating the legacy of the BMW Motorsport GmbH with a great community of owners and enthusiasts alike. This milestone is not one we could have achieved without their loyal support throughout these years,” said Hans de Visser, Managing Director of BMW Group Malaysia.
One year ago, at IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, the BMW Group displayed a special X5 which runs on hydrogen. Known as the iX5 Hydrogen, it uses the X5 bodywork but has a hydrogen fuel-cell electric drivetrain.
The iX5 Hydrogen is under development because BMW sees hydrogen fuel-cell technology as having the potential to become a further pillar in the BMW Group’s drivetrain portfolio for local mobility without CO2 emissions. Provided the gas is produced using renewable energy and the necessary infrastructure is available, this technology can complement the BMW Group’s electrified drivetrain portfolio in future.
Fuel-cell + BMW eDrive technology The iX5 Hydrogen combines fuel-cell technology with a fifth-generation BMW eDrive. The drive system uses hydrogen as fuel by converting it into electricity in a fuel-cell. The electric output can be up to 125 kW/170 bhp, with water vapour as the only emission.
The electric motor was developed from BMW eDrive technology also used in the BMW iX. In coasting overrun and braking phases, it serves as a generator, feeding energy into a power battery. The energy stored in this power battery can deliver a system output of 275 kW/374 bhp to provide the driving experience that the brand has been known for.
The hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks (the two cylinders in the picture above) made of carbonfibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), which together hold almost 6 kgs of hydrogen. “Filling up the tanks only takes three to four minutes – so there are no limits on using the BMW iX5 Hydrogen for long distances, with just a few, short stops in-between,” said Juergen Guldner, Head of BMW Group Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects.
Built in-house The carmaker recently commenced fuel-cell system production at its competence centre in Munich. By the end of this year, it will have a small fleet iX5 Hydrogen SAVs that will be run around the world for test and demonstration purposes
“As a versatile energy source, hydrogen has a key role to play on the road to climate neutrality. And it will also gain substantially in importance as far as personal mobility is concerned. We think hydrogen-powered vehicles are ideally placed technologically to fit alongside battery-electric vehicles and complete the electric mobility picture,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “By commencing small-scale production of fuel cells today, we are demonstrating the technical maturity of this type of drive system and underscoring its potential for the future.”
“Our many years of research and development work have enabled us to get the very most out of hydrogen technology,” added Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. “We have managed to more than double the fuel cell’s continuous output in the second-generation fuel-cell in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, while weight and size have both decreased drastically.”
So far, the iX Hydrogen prototype has already successfully demonstrated its excellent everyday usability, even at very low temperatures, during the final round of winter testing in Sweden at the start of this year.
Technological expertise, high efficiency standards A chemical reaction takes place in the fuel cell between hydrogen from the tanks and oxygen from the air. Maintaining a steady supply of both elements to the fuel cell’s membrane is of crucial importance for the drive system’s efficiency. In addition to the technological equivalents of features found on combustion engines, such as charge air coolers, air filters, control units and sensors, the BMW Group also developed special hydrogen components for its new fuel cell system. These include the high-speed compressor with turbine and high-voltage coolant pump.
The individual fuel cells required for manufacturing the iX5 Hydrogen are supplied by from the Toyota Motor Corporation, which has been selling a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (the Mirai) since 2014. The two companies have been collaborating on fuel-cell drive systems since 2013.
