BMW at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show

[JoshCalkins]

The Geneva Motor Show will be taking place between March 5th and March 15th, and BMW recently released their itinerary for the event. For those who want to read the full 82-page release, click here (link coming soon). Below are the highlights.

• Several new vehicles will make their debut at the show including the 730Ld, the 116d, and the 116i. The 730Ld is a new model that matches BMW's six-cylinder 245 hp diesel engine with the long-wheelbase 7 Series model. The 116d and 116i are diesel and fuel injection models in the 1 Series offered in three-door and five-door hatch models. The vehicles to be debuted are upgrades to the existing models and feature larger engine displacement (2.0 liters up from 1.6) and greater efficiency. The 116d will have a four-cylinder 115 hp diesel engine that gets 53.4 mpg (note: if you read the full press release, you'll see a mpg rating of 64.2. This rating is for British Imperial gallons, not U.S. gallons). The 116i will have a comparably sized gasoline engine producing 122 hp and a mileage rating of 38 mpg.

• The new redesign on the Z4 will make its European debut. The new Z4 features a first for BMW: a retractable hardtop. Full extension of the top takes 20 seconds. There will be three models of the new Z4 available; the sDrive35i, the sDrive30i, and the sDrive23i. All have straight six engines, but the 30i and 23i will be naturally aspirated while the 35i will have twin turbos that boost power output to 306 hp.

• The 5 Series Gran Turismo Concept will make its debut as well. Click here for our recent write-up on the vehicle.

• Further information about the company's EfficientDynamics program will be released. The program is implemented in many of BMW's newer models to help improve efficiency and gas mileage. Two new parts of the program have been announced, the ActiveHybrid program and the BluePerformance program. ActiveHybrid is, as the name implies, BMW's hybrid program. The 7 Series ActiveHybrid Concept is expected to be at the show and is slated to start production, alongside an X6 ActiveHybrid, sometime in 2009. BluePerformance is a program devoted to making diesel engines more efficient. In 2014, European Union standards will be enacted requiring greater efficiency from diesel vehicles and the BluePerformance program was created to get BMW ready. The program has had great success already as the 2009 3 Series 330d already hit the standard five years ahead of time.

• The day before the show begins, March 4th, BMW will hold a press conference and discussion that will focus on the EfficientDynamics program, the prospects for hybrid, hydrogen and thermo electric technologies in the future, and BMW's Project i, which is task with innovation and experiementation that could guide the future of the company.

• World premier of BMW's Performance Power Kits. These kits are retrofit enhancements for the 1 Series and 3 Series models that include engine modifications, body alterations, and interior accessories. Some of the Power Kits promise to increase horsepower by 20 and other modifications cover details from tail pipes to gear shifters.

All in all, it looks like there is going to be a lot of new information coming out of Geneva. The most anticipated offerings seem to be more information on the new Z4 (which made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show this past January) and more information about BMW's plans for producing more efficient vehicles.

Once the show gets underway, we'll bring you more updates.

-Josh