BMW at the 2010 Al-Ahram Formula Motor-Show

We have shed light over the past few months on the most prestigious automobile exhibitions worldwide and focused on the novelties presented in each of these shows. Two of those motor-show high-lights were definitely the Frankfurt Motor Show and the Dubai Motor Show which definitely had a lot in common.

In Frankfurt some of the most important world premiers were revealed, as well as other important 2009 and 2010 models such as the brand-new Ferrari 458 Italia, the Mercedes SLS AMG, the Jaguar XJ, the Mini Roadster, the face-lifted BMW 3 series Coupe, the Opel Astra, the all-new Kia Sorento, and last but not least the latest generations and 2010 models of the Land Rover Discovery , Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

In Dubai there were also a few interesting regional and international premieres such as the Mercedes SLS AMG Desert Gold, the Mercedes G55 AMG 79 Edition, the Aston Martin Vantage and last but not least the world’s fastest SUV, the Brabus-modified Mercedes GLK V12 which has a top-speed of 322 km/h.

And now we have decided to provide our readers and the visitors of the 2010 Al-Ahram Formula Motor show (20.1.2010 – 24.01.2010) with a preview on some of the cars which will probably to be displayed at this event.

Unlike any other automotive show world-wide, we find the automotive importers and dealer for some strange reason not very keen on informing the media and public about the cars which will be launched at the local motor-shows.

Therefore this guide was designed to raise the awareness of our precious clients, as we have discovered that a lot of authorized car dealers in Egypt do not display the latest products of their automotive mother companies on purpose, in order to get rid of their long over-due stock.

A living example is the Bavarian Auto Group that is still promoting the sale of the old 5 series, whereas the new 5 series has been launched in Germany already back in November 2009.

If you by mistake buy a car, and discover by coincidence that you have actually bought an old model of the new car, then you will have put your hard earned large investment at jeopardy.
If you want to avoid this, then read the following few lines thoroughly so you would not invest your hard-earned money into the wrong model.

And since many car manufacturer are not participating in this year’s Al-Ahram Formula Motor-Show, we decided to divide our preview in several parts and dedicate each part to one of the main exhibiting car companies. In Part One of our preview we will focus on the German car manufacturer BMW.

So, what models can we expect from BMW’s dealer in Egypt, the Bavarian Auto Group BAG which is headed by Farid El Etobgui?

Well, the Bavarian car manufacturer is expected to have a lot of attention-getters displayed at their stand with new models ranging from the brand-new BMW X1 up to the eight-cylinder BMW 750 IL, which will be flagship of the company and at the same time the direct competitor of the Mercedes Benz S 500.

To begin with, the BMW X1 which, together with the out-dated BMW X3, will be targeting the Mercedes-Benz GLK, the VW Tiguan and the Volvo XC60, is expected to be available at the Al Ahram Motorshow. And although the BMW X1 is offered worldwide with six different engines, the BMW X1 will probably be offered in Egypt with just one engine, namely the petrol-engine in the xDrive28i.

This X1 xDrive28i model will be equipped with the famous 3.0-litre straight six producing 258hp (190kW) and torque of 310Nm.

The rest of the lineup is powered by the famous and award-winning BMW-diesel engines, starting with the sDrive18d producing 143hp (105kW) and 320Nm of torque. Next comes the sDrive20d which produces 177hp (130kW) and 350Nm.

Higher up the hierarchy are the manual xDrive18d with the same figures of 143hp (105kW) and 320Nm, an xDrive20d of 177hp (130kW) and 350Nm as well as the torque-filled xDrive23d. It is equipped with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine that produces 204hp (150kW) and 400Nm of maximum pulling power.

Prices start at 24.800 Euro for the X1 sDrive18d and go up till 34.800 Euro for the X1 xDrive28i..

But the eye-catcher and anticipated volume model (aside the BMW 3 series) at the Bavarian car manufacturer’s stand will probably be the long-awaited brand new 2010 BMW 5 series (internally known as F10), whose launch was exclusively aired in Egypt and the Middle East as a live stream on our website www.AutoArabia.org at the same instant while the official launch was taking place in Munich (Germany).

The fierce opponent of the locally-assembled Mercedes Benz E-class, the Audi A6, the Jaguar XF and the new Skoda Superb, will be supplied with the following engines:

Beginning at the top of the range, the 550i TwinPower Turbo V8 produces 300 kW/407 hp, the 535i twin turbo straight-six delivers 225 kW/306 hp, while the two straight-six engines with direct injection develop 190 kW/258 hp in the BMW 528i, and 150 kW/204 hp in the BMW 523i, respectively. For the diesels, the 530d produces 180 kW/245 hp and the 525d will be powered by 150 kW/204 hp. Lastly, the 520d and its four-cylinder makes 135 kW/184hp. BMW's new eight-speed automatic transmission is available as standard on the 550i and will be available as option in all other models.

The cr?¨me de la cr?¨me of the 5 series will be the GT model, which will probably attract a huge crowd, as it combines the characteristic features of a prestige saloon, a modern, a highly versatile Sports Activity Vehicle, and a classic Gran Turismo in a brand-new, unparalleled style.

It combines two very distinct attributes in one car: In their standard position, the rear seats offer the passengers the same kind of legroom as in the BMW 7 Series united with the same headroom as in the BMW X5.

Last but not least, BMW will display on its 2010 Ahram Formula stand the current flagship in Egypt, the BMW 750 IL. Unfortunately the Bavarian Auto Group never thought of introducing the �real’ BMW flagship, the BMW 760 IL.

The BMW 760i /Li which is powered by a brand new twin-turbo V12 that produces 400 kW (544 hp) and 750 Nm of torque is directly competing with the 5.5-liter bi-turbo V12 Mercedes S600, which is powered with an engine that delivers 380 kW (517 hp) and 830 Nm of torque. This clearly shows that the new BMW 760 possesses more horsepower but gives less torque. It will be equipped with the newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission.

Unfortunately (or shall I better say fortunately after we saw the X1 and the X6?) the BMW X3 and BMW X5 will bid farewell to the Egyptian market in specific and the international market in general by celebrating their final appearance at the Al-Ahram Formula Motor show 2010. As it is known, the new BMW X3 and the face lifted BMW X5 will be presented to the public in 2011.

AE