Tag Archives: BMW

News

BMW terminates contract with VDL causing 2,000 job losses

The global car market is in crisis, although some companies are recording positive sales results. Many companies try to reduce costs by laying off workers or shutting down production in some factories, this primarily applies to large European manufacturers such as BMW, which terminated the contract with the Dutch VDL Nedcar (part of VDL Groep) causing the loss of 2,000 jobs.

VDL factory in the Netherlands

The VDL Nedcar factory started production in 1967 and since then has produced cars for Volvo, Smart, Mitsubishi, BMW and Mini. It is the only large car factory in the Netherlands with an annual production capacity of up to 200,000 cars. However, now due to the loss of the contract with BMW, which also includes the assembly of some Mini cars, they are forced to gradually lay off most of the workforce.

CEO of VDL Nedcar John van Soerland said that the company is currently in a difficult situation but will make an extra effort to attract new customers. From March 2024, Nedcar will retain only 450 employees to work on prototypes for potential new customers and finalize contractual obligations with BMW.

“We remain fully committed to making VDL Nedcar stronger in the future,” said van Soerland.

Source: VDL Nedcar

News

BMW XM Label is the fastest hybrid at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is an annual automobile hillclimb held in Colorado, USA, in which BMW entered with the XM Label but failed to complete the climb. It was an infamous attempt for the Bavarian company, which decided to successfully complete the almost 20-kilometer long track in the second attempt. They succeeded in doing so with a time of ten minutes and 48.60 seconds, setting the best time in the hybrid SUV category.

The BMW XM Label is powered by a 4.4-liter biturbo V8 engine combined with an electric motor totaling 738 hp (550 kW) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. It reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds with a limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course is 19.98 kilometers long and has 156 turns, and the finish line is located at 4,302 meters above sea level. The car was equipped with a roll cage and behind the wheel was BMW’s sports driving instructor Matt Mullins.

When it comes to SUVs, the record time on this track was set in 2022 by the Lamborghini Urus. Lamborghini achieved a time of ten minutes and 32.06 seconds.

Source: BMW

News

Mercedes-AMG G63 is the best selling AMG model in Europe

According to the Global Automotive Market Research Company that provides analysis on market trends, car pricing and comparisons, JATO Dynamics, the Mercedes-AMG G63 is the best-selling AMG model in Europe, and this is the result of the increase in sales of luxury and sports models in Europe in the first eight months in 2023.

Although inflation and rising prices in Europe prevent most residents from renewing their fleet, it does not prevent those who have extra money to fulfill their dreams and buy new sports cars. In the first half of 2023, BMW sold 19,600 M sports cars in Europe. That’s a 58% increase compared to the same period in 2022. The company delivered 16,400 cars in the US, and the new XM SUV was the most popular with 1,171 units.

Another German brand, Mercedes-AMG sold 13,700 units in Europe, an increase of 57% compared to the first half of 2022. The Mercedes-AMG SL convertible was the most popular, but not enough to overtake the G63 AMG SUV. According to these statistics, one in four AMG buyers opted for the ultra-popular G63 SUV.

Source: JATO Dynamics