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Daniel, Peter and all at PMW, Where do I start? I guess I’ll tell the whole story! At 31 years old and on my fifth BMW I can’t believe it has taken me so long to find you! Having been messed around previously by a major BMW dealership I knew it was time to consider other options. I was introduced to your firm by a friend that owns an E90 M3 and was impressed by your service. In the same week, another friend recommended you. Two recommendations in one week, it had to be a sign. Both could not speak highly enough of your attitude, professionalism and end product. Time to call!…………… I originally spoke to Jayne who was warm, friendly and personable. I was passed to Peter and immediately knew that my car was going to PMW and nowhere else. Car rental was arranged and so when I dropped the car off, I had a car to drive away with and with minimum fuss. Having been dealing with main dealerships for so long, I predicted a call either at the end of the first day it was in the garage or the next morning. So, it came as a surprise to hear from Peter whilst I was driving home, some 30 minutes to an hour after I had dropped the car off. Peter knew there were things I personally wanted to do to the car, but suggested we prioritise works in order to mitigate the total costs. Hang on a second… A car garage worrying about MY money? This was getting too good to be true, surely. By the end of the first day, Peter had pointed out issues which he felt needed attention and we agreed to start works, costs were made clear before a spanner had been picked up. Whilst in the garage, I never had to call to find out what stage the repairs were at, I was always called and kept updated. Again, in stark contrast to my usual dealings with BMW dealerships. I picked my car up a few days later and Peter asked if I wanted to drive the car with him. I was just amazed that he was willing to take 5 minutes out of his day to make sure I was satisfied. Every garage should do it, but it really made it clear to me that PMW care about their clients. They care about their reputation and it shows in everything they do. The car was a dream, it just drove beautifully. A few days after the service, I booked the car into a BMW dealership to get the alloys re-furbed and a dent taken out. Having just been serviced by PWM, I only wanted aesthetic work done. So it came as a surprise when they called me (a day later!) to say the diff seals and gearbox seals needed replacing. Alarm bells ringing. Firstly, why are they checking mechanics when I didn’t ask for this, and secondly did PMW not do this work? I called Peter and he confirmed the seals were changed so back on the phone to BMW. I asked the BMW dealership what gave them the impression this work needed doing and they pointed to oil residue. I asked them if they had actually checked the seals and they hadn’t. After inspecting again, they (BMW) admitted the work had already been done and that they would have charged me for work that already been carried out. What a f******g liberty. I asked BMW not to look at my car anymore and to carry out the works I originally asked them to do. I have lost all faith in them, they really should be taking a leaf out of PMW’s book. The car was in the garage for three days for this work and I was called twice. Owning a business myself, my feelings are that any business shows it true colours when things go wrong, not when they are going smoothly. This leads to chapter two!………. Two weeks later, the car came up with a transmission fault whilst my wife was driving home. Straight on the phone to Daniel. Daniel agreed a tow would be best so as not to cause anymore issues and said he would arrange this immediately. He called me back within 15 minutes and the car was collected within the hour. Unbelievably efficient.The fault was found that day; a faulty pin in the transmission electrical plug. No bullshit, no messing around. An apology and the problem fixed within 24 hours. The entire situation was dealt with perfectly.I really cannot sing your praises enough PMW. I can only try to put into words how impressed I am and have been with your service, communication and the overall experience. Even my wife smiles like a Cheshire cat now and has asked me not to change cars as I usually do every 12 months. My Wife! Someone who just does not care about cars. So, not only have you made my car drive like a dream and made me the happiest car owner in London but you’ve also managed to make the wife happy as well, that deserves a bonus point.All my staff are bringing their cars to you (as you know). If I meet anyone in the street that owns a BMW, will be sending them you way, PMW are just on a different level. You are in a league of your own.Genuinely, keep up the amazing work Guys & thank you very , very much for everything. My car will not be going anywhere else in future, even if I moved abroad!Though I guess that’ll be a good excuse for a long drive?
Hi just wanted to leave some feedback to say thanks for dealing with my request
for swirl flap blanks so quickly. I ordered these at 12pm and they were with me
in the Western Isles before 11am the next morning! I needed to ask for some
advice when putting everything back together which I was given immediately over
the phone. All in all, a fantastic company which offered a customer service
level that was second to none!
Thank You!
After a bodged repair by a local London garage to my swirl flaps and deep concerns about my 2001 BMW 530D Touring I consulted Peter from pmwltd about the condition of my car. My regular mechanic whom I have known for 20 years simply took out my swirl flaps and replaced the shafts with bolts. This at some time later, only (900 miles) caused an ingestion into the chamber and ruined my piston and valves and looked like a very time consuming and costly repair. After completion I took my car to peter at pmw and discussed the works. He had his guys strip out the existing bolts that were very unprofessional and replaced with his swirl flap blanking plates. Now I have heard a lot about these plates and swirl flap damage and I can tell you as an ex AA Patrol man that if not done correctly as Peter has done you will cause serious damage to your beloved engine. This is a guy with a great team and a wealth of knowledge behind them who know their stuff, not your usual bit mechanic who ”
knows a bit about engines”. I drove down from Lewisham London to his workshops in Chelmsford and it only took an hour and was easy to get to. If I was you I would call them for your piece of mind because you know like I do that you don’t want just anyone tinkering with your pride and joy. Its worth the drive knowing your car is in safe and knowledgeable hands at pmw. He,s not a rip off either, he is a very reasonable honest mechanic and cheaper than the main dealers out there. Thanks peter.
The 2012 BMW M5 continues the testing process with more laps around the Nurburgring track. The F10 M5 will use an updated engine from the BMW X6 M. The 4.4-liter V8 twin-scroll powerplant will peak at around 570-580 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque. The acoustic, as seen in the video below, while not as exciting as the naturally aspirated engines, it is quite a pleasure to listen to.
To maintain its dynamics and sporty allure, BMW had to keep the weight down since the new bodystyle is bigger than the E60 model. To accomplish this, BMW makes extensive use of carbon-fiber and aluminum parts, starting with the a carbon-fiber roof. The car’s construction is a hybrid of an aluminum spaceframe for the front section and a traditional steel monocoque for the passenger compartment and rear. Up front will be an independent suspension with MacPherson struts, with a multi-link layout for the rear.
Read more and see the video over at BMW blog online
While BMW, Mercedes and Audi normally match each other move-for-move, this is an entirely different idea from the big-engined and thirsty Mercedes SLS and Audi R8. It’s compact, light and almost unbelievably efficient.
The drivetrain consists of a mid-mounted three-cylinder 163bhp diesel engine, boosted by a hybrid electric motor. It goes through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels.
But there’s an extra electric motor driving the front wheels. This boosts total system power to 365bhp for short periods of acceleration, and gives the car all-wheel-drive traction and the performance to match today’s BMW M3.
Read More and see pics at Telegraph online
BMW Group’s EfficientDynamics programme gives customers outstanding fuel economy and low emissions without giving up driving enjoyment. This was recognised again this year at the What Car Green Car Awards 2009. The BMW 318d took the honours in the Executive Car category.
The BMW 318d Saloon is BMW’s most fuel efficient and least polluting 3 Series ever. A BMW 318d Saloon records a combined consumption figure of 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 123g/km, while at the same time is capable of a zero to 62mph time of 9.3 seconds. It was the blend of these impressive performance figures that assured the parsimonious 3 Series model with top green honours.
Article continues, with photos, at Carpages
BMW’s biggest selling model range, the 3 Series, has been voted the most reliable car in a survey of Britain’s vehicle leasing companies. The poll, which covered the reliability history of nearly 900,000 vehicles in 2008, also revealed that BMW was the most reliable manufacturer overall.
In an historic win over the Japanese car manufacturers who traditionally dominate in reliability surveys, BMW topped the charts in this year’s annual FN50 reliability survey. The BMW 3 Series was the most rated model for reliability, with the MINI hatch and BMW 1 Series also making the top ten, sitting fifth and seventh most reliable respectively.
The survey compiled by Fleet News looked at multi-marque leasing companies. 881,000 cars were assessed according to the number of breakdowns per 100 of each type of model on each leasing company’s fleet. Points were then awarded according to the number of times that brands or particular models appeared in the tables supplied by the leasing firms and also for the position in which they were placed.
Read more at Easier.com
There are several important issues to consider in this year’s presidential election - the war, the economy, the environment. As if that were not enough, here is one more weighty concern: BMW says it is developing a new, turbocharged four-cylinder engine but is waiting for the outcome of U.S. elections to decide whether to bring it here.
The new engine will be turbocharged and provide better efficiency and acceleration than the company’s current normally aspirated inline-six, said Jim O’Donnell, president of BMW North America. The engine will be coming to European markets in the near future, but BMW is holding off on the United States. Why? BMW wants to gauge how tight future fuel efficiency standards will be in the United States, and it thinks much of that depends on who becomes the next president.
Read more at Automobile Mag Online
The BMW X6 range is to get a new flagship with the launch of the BMW X6 xDrive50i. Powered by a unique twin-turbocharged V8 engine, the vehicle’s 408hp powerplant is capable of propelling the vehicle from zero to 62mph in 5.4 seconds before going on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph.
The 4,395cc engine features the novel design of two turbochargers and catalysts within the vee of the engine. Such a configuration aids packaging requirements while also boosting responsiveness courtesy of the shortened exhaust pipes. To highlight the competitive advantage this arrangement yields the BMW X6 xDrive50i is 1.8 seconds quicker from zero to 62mph than the flagship Range Rover Sport. The BMW’s CO2 emissions figure of 299g/km is 75g/km cleaner than the Range Rover and, in recording a combined 22.6mpg figure, it is also 4.8mpg more fuel efficient. It is a similar story when comparing the same BMW X6 to the Porsche Cayenne GTS. The Porsche is 1.4 seconds slower from zero to 62mph, 2.3mpg less efficient and, at 332g/km, it is 33g/km more polluting*.
The BMW X6 xDrive50i goes on sale in November priced at £53,930 OTR
Read the full article at Carpages.
New car sales in the UK fell by 13% last month, in what was the sharpest decline in the market since December 2006. This spells tough times indeed for the industry sector but, as with many of the economy’s recent downturns, there is one winner - the environment.
The news does not really carry significant implications for the number of cars on UK roads; the rate of increase will slow somewhat - but this is hardly significant when viewed as a whole (especially on a global scale).
However what could prove significant is the massively reduced use of energy and raw materials in the production of new cars for the UK market, that are not really needed - apart from maybe in the consumeristic sense of the word.
If the global market as a whole sees similar declines (which is largely the case - last week BMW issued a profit warning and GM announced losses of over $15bn) then the implications for global use of resources within that industry sector could be huge. Everything from use of raw materials to energy and transport costs would drop massively (maybe a carbon footprint reduction of somewhere in the region of 10%?).
No doubt this is good news for the planet when viewed from such an angle. However there is also the counter arguament that says that such companies are currently crucial in developing and improving technologies that make motoring healthier for the planet. BMW for example is at the forefront of reducing emissions with their Efficient Dynamics technologies, which certainly represent a step in the right direction - as well as a useful PR marketing tool.
Sadly one group who will prove to be victims of this downturn are the lower level company emplyees (GM intends to cut 15% of its American workforce for a start) - who will be sacked as companies sacrifice them to maintain profitability which, even for environmentalists rejoicing at the news, clouds the issue somewhat.
In any case car manufacturers can expect a difficulties ahead, whatever their status. Even ‘greener’ companies (like Toyota for example who make the popular Prius hybrid) who have ‘insured’ themselves to an extent against the effects of the economic downturn (by offerering greater efficiency) and growing environmental consciousness among drivers, will feel the heat.
On the other hand, those like GM who recklessly rode the wave of cheap petrol and big cars are now feeling the hangover - though sadly, as is often the way, it is the employees who will pay for management’s blind profiteering.
The old market was easy game for car manufacturers; today’s need for low carbon emissions, high fuel efficiency and modern design will stretch engineers and scientists to the limit, and it is now that we will see which companies are worth their salt…
Dejan Levi
automotive industry, bmw, Dejan Levi, Efficient Dynamics, green motoring
EfficientDynamics technologies responsible for CO2 reduction across the BMW and MINI ranges. MINI range now averages less than 140g/km.
BMW Group products are officially the cleanest premium cars following independent, industry-wide research into CO2 emissions. The data, compiled by www.cleangreencars.co.uk also shows that, through its EfficientDynamics programme, the BMW brand has the most improved average CO2 emissions of any premium manufacturer.
A report into average total model range emissions for car manufacturers found that from the period January 2008 to June 2008, BMW recorded an average of 161.64g/km. By comparison the model range averages for Audi and Mercedes were 177.36g/km and 192.85g/km respectively. Even Lexus with its hybrid-based model line-up only managed an average of 194.85g/km, while Jaguar topped 200g/km and Porsche recorded 275.64g/km.
Read more at BMW
This article is a follow up to a previous editorial (titled ‘As fuel prices soar motor manufacturers can adapt - or go bust‘).
That article outlined the pressures currently being exerted on motor manufacturers - by both the rise in fuel prices, and also changing consumer trends regarding pollution awareness and CO2 emissions. This article is a follow up, which will look at the range of moves now being introduced by major manufacturers as they attempt to survive in today’s demanding marketplace.
Recent developments in the US
‘The times they’re a-changin’, Bob Dylan once sang - and though he wasn’t talking about the US motor industry at the time, his words are highly relevant to it today. Even GM motors, a market leader in SUV and pick-up production, is now changing its tune. For years the company has profited massively from American drivers penchant for big vehicles, and the availability of cheap gas, but not for much longer…
Last week the company announced the closure of four major SUV and pick-up producing plants across the country. The company will now shift its focus to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars as an attempt to end a run of three years of consecutive losses (last year’s losses alone totaled over $38m).
Ford Motor Co. (another US manufacturer currently having facing serious losses), has also announced a move away from SUVs and pick-up models. Consumer trends have rendered the production of such models tantamount to financial suicide. Even GM’s previously indispensable cash cow, the Hummer, is being re-assessed (year-on-year profits are down massively when compared with 2007), with a sale of this business arm looking quite possible.
It is not that GM has suddenly become an environmentally-conscientious and ethical company; rather it is simply a case of being forced to change, or be swept aside by competition. The fact that consumer awareness and demand has brought about this change is a remarkably positive thing; it proves that when consumers ‘vote’ with their wallets, a much more effective change can be brought about than is possible with half-hearted, government-led attempts to impose regulations on powerful industries such as this one.
Europe and the rest of the world
In Europe, many leading (and financially unworried) manufacturers are also taking notice of the market incentives for improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. BMW for example has its high-profile Efficient Dynamics systems, which have allowed them to boast that 21 models of its current range produce 140g/km or less of CO2 emissions.
Many BMW models also feature Auto Start-Stop technology (standard on all 1 and 3 series models), which cuts power to the engine when the car is stationary (at lights, level crossings etc), thereby greatly increasing fuel efficiency, especially in town driving. Gear shift indicators help the driver to achieve maximum fuel efficiency, while electric power steering reduces fuel wastage by disengaging power steering when the car is not turning (for more info on BMW’s technologies click here).
These, and a host of other features ensure that BMW - a company not normally courted by environmentally concerned drivers - can nonetheless compete (to an extent) for these customers as well.
With Toyota recently reporting sales of its hybrid Prius model topping 1m, it seems pretty clear where the money is for motor manufacturers. European and East-Asian firms are well ahead in this field as it stands, with some truly impressive technology being introduced almost on a monthly basis. Reluctantly and begrudgingly, US companies are now accepting the realities of the death of the SUV and gas-guzzler as a profitable venture, and looking to compete with market leaders such as BMW and Toyota. There’s an awfully long way to go, but it is quite a nice change to see positive steps being taken, whatever the reasons behind them.
Dejan Levi
bmw, CO2 emissions, Dejan Levi, Efficient Dynamics, green motoring, Prius, SUV
