BMW has revealed the first images and features  in late January the new BMW X6 in 2013

The BMW X6 is already an extremely popular vehicle. Since its inception, 150,000 vehicles were sold worldwide, far more than had been hoped for BMW. This strong demand confirms that the concept of all-terrain sports coupe has a bright future ahead for them.

For this new version, three new metallic colors will be offered to buyers: Brown Marrakech , Orion Grey and Midnight Blue. New leather interiors are also available: Vermilion Red and Ivory White Nappa.

Slight changes were made ​​to the headlights, with the use of LED technology adaptive. For more demanding look means a more demanding performance, the M range offers even more horses for the X6 xDrive35i, 315 instead of 300 .While the increase is 40 horses for the X6 xDrive50i, bringing the total to 440 hp. In addition, the M versions include serial 20-inch wheels, the outflow of exhaust in black chrome, stainless steel pedals and other small details of decoration exclusive.

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The alert comes just as the Agency’s gritting fleet reaches the million mile landmark for treating roads since the start of winter.

“By this morning our winter fleet had clocked up 977,141 miles, so it’s pretty certain they’ll reach the million mark over the weekend,” says Jason Glasson of the Highways Agency’s winter team.

“It has been a busy week for our winter fleet crews as a result of the very cold weather and they are preparing for a busy weekend ahead.”

It is expected to stay very cold over the weekend, with snow in many areas.

Following advice from Met Office forecasters based at the Highways Agency’s national traffic operations centre, the Agency has issued an amber alert for road users. Snow is predicted to move across the north, Midlands, east and south east of England during Saturday afternoon and evening meaning an increased risk of adverse driving conditions.

As well as the more visible risk of snow, the Highways Agency is warning of the less obvious risk of ice, especially as any rain falls on very cold road surfaces.

The Met Office is forecasting temperatures tonight falling as low -6°C and -8°C in many places and perhaps as low as -11°C in rural areas.

Drivers are advised to make sure they are well-prepared for any journey. There is information on the Highways Agency website at www.highways.gov.uk/winter and regular updates on Twitter by following @winterhighways

Advice to road users

• In winter, weather can change quickly. Don’t travel in severe weather unless your journey is essential. If you must travel, be prepared for bad weather.

• Before you set out, check local and national weather forecasts. Listen to travel bulletins on the radio. Take an emergency kit including warm clothes, food, water, boots, a torch and spade.

• Remember that local conditions, such as bends or overhanging trees, can mean that you may need to drive with care even after road surfaces have been treated with salt.

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  This documentary tells the story of the BMW preparation for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring , and the race. Hahne brothers, Tim and Nick, had access as a person before the various phases of preparation of the team, starting in February 2011. “We were never imposed limits, it was able to film everything we wanted,” says Nick Hahne. During the race, the brothers have shot about 200 hours of footage, with six cameras. Before the competition, they had many unique opportunities to communicate with the team. They spent time filming Jorg Muller and Augusto Farfus during the preparation in their adopted country, Monaco. The team manager Charly Lamm tells many anecdotes while shooting. The result is quite simply spectacular, do not miss the film 24 Hours. One Team. One Target.

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Whilst developments for the new in-car system has been running for over 6 months, Mercedes has already created some new prototypes. according to the Facebook vice president of Partnerships and Platform Marketing Dan Rose ”Now that cars have screens that are intelligent, you would expect that more and more car manufacturers will want to make those screens capable of allowing people to connect with their friends and take advantage of the social context that comes along with that.”

Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is the safety of using the application whilst in motion in the vehicle, surely it should not be allowed to do this whilst the car is in motion? We are told not expect this but instead a list of pre-written statuses that the driver can choose from to post on their Facebook Profile, This could be compared to the new BMW iDrive system.

The Facebook is actually quite smart, for example, if you have already entered the destination into your navigation system which will be integrated to Facebook, the application will give you the option to automatically post on Facebook that you are on-route to that destination.  The application will also automatically list any areas of interest you may find on-route that your Facebook friends have liked.

It has been noted that this application will be come standard by 2013 on all Mercedes models which also have an on-board computer, this could be seen as a little obsessive, needing to update Facebook even on car journeys, but hey this thing could also come in handy if you wanted recommendations for the best Burger Van to stop at on the hard shoulder, no?

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To mark his big comeback on the front of the stage of marketing, BMW returns to the glamorous world of cinema with one of the largest producers of Hollywood , Paramount, with  Mission Impossible 4 . This action film will not only discover the audience’s vision of the future of BMW, but also a showcase for products that BMW has just launched.

No offense to Tom Cruise, but the real star of the film is in our opinion the BMW i8 , the first hybrid sports car which is to be marketed in 2014, and who will forefront the future of the division i. It can be seen in the film the i8 launched at full speed in crowded cities for a few minutes, rather than to see the work of interesting equipment of the vehicle, as the new navigation head-up display, which is visible on the windscreen .

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These two models will be built with LifeDrive, which divides the car into two sections: part one “Drive” in aluminum, including the suspension, battery and the structure absorbs shock, while the “Life” is in CFRP ( plastic carbon fiber reinforcement), a material as strong as steel but 50% lighter.

LifeDrive can therefore compensate for the weight of the batteries , often penalizing. So that the i3, yet larger, weighs 50 kg less than the lightest of the Volkswagen Golf.

The i3 will be equipped with a 168 horsepower electric motor, mounted above the rear axle. 0 to 100 km/h is reached in 7.9 seconds, the speed is electronically limited to 150 km / h. Autonomy should be between 130 and 160 km.

The i8 is equipped with a petrol engine 1.5 l turbo 217 hp, coupled to an electric motor of 128 horsepower.

Due to be Marketed in 2014 (Although on my Last trip to Munich I have seen big advertisements of the two concept cars displayed at Munich Airport) the i3 is estimated to cost around £26,000 after the UK £5,000 government grant for electric vehicles is applied to the price-tag. While the i8 is likely to cost a much higher price close to £150,000.

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Words From the Designer:

“It’s actually a real rival for the Mercedes CL, because I think the 6 Series is not playing in the same league as the CL. I was even a little further from the CL, while adding influences Bentley and Rolls-Royce in my model. This is truly a legendary 8 Series 90s. A large class, a corporate look, luxury, very athletic … created a new vehicle to become legendary BMW. “

Round 8 was launched in the 80s , not in order to replace the E34 6 Series, but to surpass it and become the spearhead of the German mark and tackle and cut Mercedes S-Class Selling point: a higher power.

The most prestigious Class 8 under the hood had a V12 developing 380 horsepower, enough to attract executives, while operating in an economic climate euphoric Wall Street type.

While BMW is focusing on environmentally friendly vehicles, including through its Efficient Dynamics technology, it is unclear whether a true series 8, in the spirit of the original vehicle, may emerge.

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We all need time. Time to get to work, time to get home. Time to deliver goods around the country. When the weather isn’t great, travelling can take a little more time. By spending some of that time preparing for the snow and ice, we can all help keep the country on the move. That’s why we at Sixt are pleased to offer our support to the Highways Agency by increasing our customers awareness providing information on the dangers of driving in winter on our blog A little time can make winter driving easier and Driving safely in winter weather as well as up-to-date weather reports from the met office

Countdown to an easier winter journey

The Highways Agency is prepared.  It has a fleet of more than 500 winter service vehicles on standby and colleagues from the Met Office are in its national traffic operations centre to provide vital information.

Are you prepared? Check your vehicle is ready for winter too – and always carry an emergency kit.

Before you set off – just a few minutes checking the weather forecast and traffic reports for your journey could make all the difference.

The Highways Agency winter teams need time and space to do their job. By planning your journey around the weather it helps allow their crews the time and space they need to get ahead of you and keep the network clear for you.

The Agency’s key messages for road users are:

•  Be informed – check traffic and weather updates
• Be prepared – check your vehicle is ready for winter and always carry your emergency kit
• Be aware – in severe weather our winter teams need the time and space to do their job
• Be wise - conditions may change, drive with care

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Winter is the most hazardous time of year for road safety. Please take a look a the following tips to avoid danger on the roads during the holiday season.

• Safety Checks: Check the Oil and water is filled up in your vehicle, it is very common for the roads to be wetter during the winter months due to ice or ‘slush’ on the roads if it has been snowing, this highlights the importance of ensuring your windscreen wipers and fluid is filled up and working correctly, as you will be relying on them more during this time. It also helps to use the correct antifreeze fluid for your windscreen to ensure your wiper fluid does not turn into ice.

• Be Prepared: Due to the severe coldness, it is important you are prepared incase of any break-down in your vehicle, ensure you have a blanket, torch, jumper cables, first aid kit and antifreeze in your vehicle especially when travelling on long journeys.

• Safe Distance: The winter often means fog and slippery roads. It is crucial to observe more than ever the safety distance with the vehicle ahead. A recommended safe distance is a two second gap between you and the car ahead (in good weather conditions, this could be more when the roads are filled with fog or ice) Also remember to turn on your fog light when visibility is reduced.

• Winter Tyres: Winter tyres are not only useful in the case of showers, their adhesion to the road is superior to regular tyres as soon as the temperature is less than 6 degrees, this may be something to consider as our winters are getting colder every year.

• Protect your windows from frost: if you have a garage filled with clutter, make some space for your car, storing it inside could save the dreaded 10 minutes it takes every morning to scrape the ice off your car. If not, you can create your own windshield by covering your windscreen in cardboard or a towel to stop ice forming, alternatively you can buy windshields made espeically for this purpose. A good de-icer is also recommended to save you scratching your screen with a scraper or cracking your screen using warm water

Remember, to be cautious driving in hazardous conditions, espeically during long journeys, and allow plenty of time for your destination, try not to drive in a hurry, and enjoy the holiday season!

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1. Avoid aquaplaning

Aquaplaning is caused by a combination of speed, tyre wear, tyre inflation or the depth of water on the road, which causes the tyres to loose traction, or glide across the surface, which gives the name aquaplaning. If your vehicles tryres not properly maintained and  are excessively worn (bald tyres) the chances of aquaplaning are severely increased. You can avoid aquaplaning by:

• Maintaining a safe speed, do not drive excessively, the faster you drive the more likely aquaplaning can happen.
• Slow speeds when approaching large puddles or still water
• Ensure your tyres are maintained to a high standard, and there is a good tread
• Drive in the tracks of preceding vehicles.
• To avoid collision, ensure a safe distance is kept from the vehicle infront.

If  you do experience aquaplaning try to follow these steps:

• Put the vehicle into neutral
• turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers
• avoid braking or accelerating as this can make the problem worse
• dont try to over correct your steering, let the vehicle go through the water and check your rear view mirror.

2. The right tyres

Tyres are not only maintained to prevent aquaplaning, the right tyres are vital for the upcoming frosty mornings we will be facing. It is important again your tyres can work well in icy conditions, as this is when the road (especially when there is black frost) can be at its most dangerous.

3. Prevent animal related accidents

Accidents involving animals are significantly higher during the Autumn season. Particularly at dawn and dusk when driving in the twilight, most accidents happen The main issue is that drivers try to miss the animal, but then are likely to be involved in a much more serious accident with the vehicle behind or on coming traffic, you should be extra vigilant when driving to ensure the safety of yourself and other drivers.

4. Ensure safety during the Halloween Period

Halloween is just around the corner, During the 31st of October, many children take to the streets in fancy dress “Trick or Teating” This is usually during the evening hours so again both motorists need to maintain safe speeds especially when driving around neighbourhoods and any other residential areas. Parents alsoneed to ensure their childs safety by making sure children are in light/ bright colours to ensure the childs safety, as well as ensuring children are familr with the highway code.

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