Check out this months special on tire alignment!

Thanks for these great reviews! Great job Bret and David!

garmerd
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jul 30, 2012

I made visits to the Mini showroom a full year in advance of buying while I was still thinking about making a purchase. David was very informative and did not rush me. He let me make my decisions in my own time. During the sale, he was straightforward with all facts and figures so I felt that I got the best deal possible. More importantly, I felt that I could trust what he told me.
Danine in Finance was very friendly and professional with all the paperwork. I felt comfortable that everything was completed properly.
This is my second Mini from Checkered Flag so I have been a satisfied customer for six years.

MattWendy
Virginia Beach, VA
Jul 29, 2012

Bret and the Checkered Flag BMW Team in VA Beach made my vehicle purchase an awesome experience. Bret was very knowledgeable of the BMW X3 which I purchased. He was also very courteous and respectful throughout the visit. The financial manager Danene was also very pleasant and and caring during the final paperwork process.
Checkered Flag will be highly recommended to my peers in the USNavy.
R/LT Matthew T Eaton

BMW to offer ActiveE drivers renewable energy option!

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – July 31, 2012… BMW of North America today announced that it will partner with Green Mountain Energy Company to offer drivers of the BMW ActiveE the choice to support renewable energy for their cars. The ActiveE drivers, known as “Electronauts,” now have the opportunity to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Green Mountain to cover the estimated electricity that will be used to charge their electric vehicles (EVs).

“The partnership with Green Mountain is BMW’s next step to procure a sustainable mobility future for our ActiveE Electronauts,” said Rob Healey, EV Infrastructure Manager at BMW of North America. “We want to ensure all ActiveE drivers have the opportunity to source their energy needs from renewable generation and this program is the perfect complement to BMW’s ActiveE solar offer. Based on their experience in renewable energy, Green Mountain is an ideal partner to support our mission.”

As the world’s most sustainable automotive company, BMW offers more than just an emissions-free electric vehicle. BMW is now expanding the horizon of what electric mobility means by providing ActiveE drivers with the resources to support clean energy with their cars.

“The majority of electricity in the U.S. is generated from non-renewable, fossil fuel sources, so EVs need to be powered with clean, renewable energy to be truly emissions-free,” said Scott Hart, president of Commercial Services for Green Mountain. “BMW is a thought leader in electric vehicle innovation and their desire to ensure ActiveE drivers have the option to support renewable energy further demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability.”

The generation of electricity from non-renewable, fossil fuel sources, such as coal, is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide (CO2), a primary greenhouse gas. For a one-time payment of $48.00, ActiveE drivers can purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) to ensure the estimated amount of electricity that will be used to charge their vehicle during the lease period is replaced with renewable energy. ActiveE drivers who power their vehicles with renewable energy for the estimated mileage usage will offset 9,900 lbs of CO2 during the course of their two year lease, the equivalent of not driving 11,000 miles in a conventional gas-powered car.

The BMW Group’s commitment to sustainability goes far beyond the automobile. In addition to this opportunity to purchase RECs from Green Mountain, ActiveE drivers can take advantage of a separate BMW offer to further commit to a clean energy lifestyle. As of May 2012, ActiveE drivers can install solar panels on their homes for a discount of approximately 35 percent. With this program, not only are customers receiving lower installation costs, but they are also capitalizing on the opportunity to power their homes – and their zero-emissions BMW ActiveEs – using clean, renewable solar energy. This solar program, along with the new partnership with Green Mountain, demonstrates BMW’s truly holistic approach to sustainable mobility.

Courtesy of: BMW USA News

The new BMW M6. 2012.

The new BMW M6 combines maximum performance and attractiveness the "M" way. The BMW M6 comes as a coupé and convertible to make race-tracks, country roads or city streets a little more elegant. Have a closer look at these two BMW M cars, where people will look at.

BMWs by the Day: A Luxury Feast in Bite-Sized Portions

BMW anticipates the road to ownership will be paved through short-term car rentals.

The automaker is inviting customers in select markets in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to rent its 328i sedan by the hour, day or week, starting on Aug. 13, through a pilot program called BMW on Demand.

At the outset, 12 dealerships in the New York area will participate, and 100 of the 328i sedans, equipped with a technology package that includes a navigation system, will be rotated based on demand, according to Ed Robinson, president of BMW Financial Services, which oversees the program.

Other BMW models may be added to the mix. Customers must register first, after which they would be directed to Bmwondemandusa.com once the site goes live. Unlike other car-sharing programs, there is no membership fee. Cars are picked up and dropped off at dealerships.

 

BMW, which introduced BMW on Demand first in its home market of Munich two years ago, is looking for a certain clientele of customers who are willing to pay a premium for a luxury car, Mr. Robinson said, because they know they do not have to pay for insurance, maintenance, gas or parking.

“They want the car when they want it,” Mr. Robinson said. “They want a car they can enjoy and that fits their lifestyle.”

The hourly rate is $35 and, if the car is returned by 6 p.m., the daily total is $140, he said. The overnight rate is $210.

The weekend deal allows a Friday afternoon pickup and 9 a.m. Monday drop-off for $350, he said.

Full insurance coverage is included in the rental price, Mr. Robinson said, so customers are covered for liability and bodily injury. A customer involved in an accident would have to pay a $750 deductible for the vehicle, he added.

Of course, New York-area consumers who lust after luxury-brand cars by the hour can rent models like the BMW 328xi and Audi A3 from car-sharing services like Hertz on Demand or Zipcar.com. Mr. Robinson contends, however, that his company is providing more of a luxury experience, with representatives ready to hand over the keys and acquaint renters with their cars.

The BMW test runs for 90 to 120 days, Mr. Robinson said, and the company expects to evaluate whether it will continue and be introduced in other cities.

Meanwhile, over the longer term, Mr. Robinson views the program as a way to provide a more fulfilling test drive experience for potential buyers, who can use the car when and how they want.

“The business model to this is that when you as a customer, who doesn’t have a car today, goes out into the market and decides to purchase a car,” he said, “you are going to be predisposed to BMW.”

BMWs by the Day: A Luxury Feast in Bite-Sized Portions

BMW anticipates the road to ownership will be paved through short-term car rentals.

The automaker is inviting customers in select markets in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to rent its 328i sedan by the hour, day or week, starting on Aug. 13, through a pilot program called BMW on Demand.

At the outset, 12 dealerships in the New York area will participate, and 100 of the 328i sedans, equipped with a technology package that includes a navigation system, will be rotated based on demand, according to Ed Robinson, president of BMW Financial Services, which oversees the program.

Other BMW models may be added to the mix. Customers must register first, after which they would be directed to Bmwondemandusa.com once the site goes live. Unlike other car-sharing programs, there is no membership fee. Cars are picked up and dropped off at dealerships.

 

BMW, which introduced BMW on Demand first in its home market of Munich two years ago, is looking for a certain clientele of customers who are willing to pay a premium for a luxury car, Mr. Robinson said, because they know they do not have to pay for insurance, maintenance, gas or parking.

“They want the car when they want it,” Mr. Robinson said. “They want a car they can enjoy and that fits their lifestyle.”

The hourly rate is $35 and, if the car is returned by 6 p.m., the daily total is $140, he said. The overnight rate is $210.

The weekend deal allows a Friday afternoon pickup and 9 a.m. Monday drop-off for $350, he said.

Full insurance coverage is included in the rental price, Mr. Robinson said, so customers are covered for liability and bodily injury. A customer involved in an accident would have to pay a $750 deductible for the vehicle, he added.

Of course, New York-area consumers who lust after luxury-brand cars by the hour can rent models like the BMW 328xi and Audi A3 from car-sharing services like Hertz on Demand or Zipcar.com. Mr. Robinson contends, however, that his company is providing more of a luxury experience, with representatives ready to hand over the keys and acquaint renters with their cars.

The BMW test runs for 90 to 120 days, Mr. Robinson said, and the company expects to evaluate whether it will continue and be introduced in other cities.

Meanwhile, over the longer term, Mr. Robinson views the program as a way to provide a more fulfilling test drive experience for potential buyers, who can use the car when and how they want.

“The business model to this is that when you as a customer, who doesn’t have a car today, goes out into the market and decides to purchase a car,” he said, “you are going to be predisposed to BMW.”

2012 BMW M135i

Here is a sign that (1) BMW is still intent on having fun with its ultimate driving machines and (2) it realized quickly that it got it wrong on the 1 Series hatchback redesign and needed to dress it up, literally, to save face. Whatever the justification for its existence, this M135i three-door hatch is as close to outrageously fantastic as the recently decommissioned 1M Coupe.

The new hatch comes with BMW's turbocharged N55 direct-injection 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing 315 horsepower at 5,800 rpm – just 20 fewer horses than that 1M Coupe – and exactly the same torque rating of 332 pound-feet between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm. Plus, the M135i weighs a precious 120 pounds less than the 1M, even when carrying the eight-speed Steptronic sport automatic (155 pounds less with the six-speed manual).

Among top-tier hot Euro hatches like this, the M135i is the first one on the field, to be followed by the future Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, next Audi RS3 and hopefully a worthy MkVII successor to the Volkswagen Golf R32 legacy. Nothing says "niche" like a high-priced 300-hp hatchback, so it's a fool's game. And we feel foolish. You can get the M135i – actually, if you're North American, you cannot get this M135i at all – with the supreme six-speed manual shifter, but BMW had only automated manuals available on our test day in Munich. BMW estimates the manual shifter will get you to 62 miles per hour from a standstill in 5.1 seconds, while the eight-speed automated manual will do it in 4.9. Looks like we've reached a crossroads. How much longer can BMW continue with manual transmissions on any of its mid-to-high powered cars?

The four tires touching the ground on our particular tester were Michelin Pilot Super Sports measuring 225/40ZR18 88Y in front and 245/35ZR18 92Y out back. No matter how much we played with chassis, transmission and traction control settings, the wider rear Michelins just refused to skip a beat unless supremely forced to do so. The rear differential is a pseudo setup that relies on instantaneous but smooth application of the brakes to both minimize understeer and also get you through tougher curves more quickly by keeping the right line. There's also the adaptive M suspension stiffening things up and lowering the car by nearly half an inch. Variable sports steering also comes with this M Performance model, which works intuitively based on the type of driving it senses you are up to.There were several requisite naysayers present while we were testing the M135i who just had to pick on something until it bled, though they purported to "really love the car." Most were noodling around with the suspension settings, saying that things got a bit rough in a few of the calibration combos available.

This is an M Performance car, though, and if it didn't rattle us occasionally, even just a little bit, only then would we be irked. The F21 hatch in M135i trim is so tossable and smooth in transition that we were peeling off almost no momentum in faster sections of road. What came to mind most during these exercises was the naturally aspirated V8 setup of the M3, but really (and appropriately) the M135i falls squarely between the M3 and the total aggression of the 1M Coupe. Through zesty curve combinations, we came away feeling this M135i creation may have done the better job overall versus those other two.A unique bushing strategy throughout the front axle assembly makes a positive driving difference here as well, which is good since the M135i doesn't benefit from the 1M Coupe's dedicated lighter weight alloy assembly. The huge brake discs of the 1M are also not present here, with the M135i settling for a slightly smaller set with four-piston front calipers and two-piston rears, but the braking power is still fine.

While we initially moaned about there being no standard six-speed manual available to test, the behavior of the eight-speed Steptronic, particularly via the shift paddles of the M Sport steering wheel, was never tedious, not even on downshifts to find higher revs going into and through curves. We'd have to see about all that on a closed circuit, but the transmission was honestly terrific out here on roads meant for true sports cars. Pulling the revs higher toward the engine's 7,000 rpm redline while accelerating produces a proper and authoritative upshift, while short shifting under heavy throttle gets a nudge that's understandably a little improper, but all in fair play.The dual sport exhaust on this wee M performs some wonderful orchestral maneuvers of its own. The popping and pipping off throttle is great stuff for the ears, but not self-conscious and overcompensating like, for example, the optional sport exhaust for the new Porsche Boxster S we recently drove. Again, this M Performance treatment is about finding a right balance of supersport in an everyday car, meaning it's not for poseurs either.

One of the sweeter bits of a well laid-out hatchback body is that, should you ever need it, there's a goodly bunch of cargo room, especially when you remove all obstacles behind the front two seats. The space in the new three-door 1 Series ranges from 12.7 cubic feet on up to 42.4 cu-ft, and it is wide, flat and all usable. The three-door version of the M135i is not so impractical as it's cracked up to be.On the exterior, the primary change is one that helps make those large expressionless lights at least fall into a better balance with the rest of the design. The air intakes in the chin spoiler are much larger now, which alters the whole facial expression for the better, much like the 6 Series with its far better M6 face versus the civilian trim cars. The optional 18-inch wheels are a very good choice for the everyday, but 19-inchers would look better in the wheel wells despite the sacrifice to comfort that would be required. Between the lowered chassis and the added flair along the wheelbase, above the rear glass and rear fascia, the 1 Series three-door fills out quite nicely.

Much like BMW is doing with the 3 Series coupe and convertible, renaming them as the 4 Series, the wondrous notchback coupe body and convertible versions of the 1 Series are set to be renamed the 2 Series, which ought to show up in time for deliveries in early 2014. So while we are not getting this M135i hatch in North America, BMW is instead formulating an M235i coupe for us that will follow on the spiritual heels of the 1M Coupe.Messing around with cross-ocean mathematics a bit, this M135i three-door in base setup would start around $37,000 USD, roughly $10,000 less than the 1M... before dealer markup.

Europeans should also have the choice of both an all-wheel-drive version of the M135i as well as a five-door body by November of this year. It is doubtful that all of these 1 variations will reach North America when the M235i starts its commercial life, but at least the BMW experts didn't laugh in our faces when we asked, so consider that all yet to be determined.

The M135i, the second official model from the newly coined M Performance group following the recent launch of the M550d sedan, is bringing us closer to being convinced that this whole new effort isn't just for marketing and profits. The cars being thought up are, at least so far, refreshingly quirky in their packaging and tech mix. And very Euro, which is why we can't wait for this exact powertrain on the new architecture of the Yankee-bound 2 Series.