| BMW reports record sales
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -- BMW's revenue rose by 5 percent to a record 49 billion euros ($63.6 billion) in 2006, it said on Friday, reaffirming that its 2006 pretax earnings would hit 4 billion euros. BMW had already announced that 2006 unit sales rose 3.5 percent to just over 1.37 million BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce cars, securing its position as the world's largest premium carmaker ahead of DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes Car Group. During the Detroit car show this month, sales and marketing chief Michael Ganal nudged the group's 2007 sales target of 1.4 million units up a bit, telling reporters he was confident it could exceed that goal. On Friday, BMW reiterated that it would sell more than 1.4 million units this year. "The BMW Group is heading towards a new sales volume record in 2007," Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW's management board, said in a statement on Friday.
Thief steals car with baby in back seat
A THIEF stole a car with a two-year-old child in the back when his mum stopped to post a letter at a Nuneaton house. The mum watched in horror as a man got into her BMW in Mulberry Way, Hartshill, and sped off, taking her young son with him. She raised the alarm and a huge police hunt was launched at lunchtime yesterday. The force helicopter was scrambled to the area and officers in patrol cars scoured the streets. Twenty minutes later the tiny youngster was found safe and well in the car, which had been abandoned in Laurel Drive, Hartshill. .
BMW Named 'Energy Partner of the Year' by EPA
SPARTANBURG, S.C., Jan. 24, 2007 -- Less than two weeks after being named 2006's "Top Plant" by Plant Engineering magazine, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named BMW Manufacturing Co. LLC, and partner Durr Systems, Inc., as joint recipients of the Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) "Energy Partner of the Year" award. The award was presented at today's 10th Annual LMOP Conference and Project Expo in Baltimore. The prestigious award was given to BMW Manufacturing and Durr in recognition of their achievements in implementing one of the most ambitious Landfill Gas to Energy Projects in North America -- recycling landfill methane gas from the Palmetto Landfill to provide energy to BMW's paint shop. Durr built the paint shop. By utilizing the previously unused energy from landfill gas, BMW was able to reduce area emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, by approximately 60,000 tons and recover enough energy to heat 15,000 homes per year.
E-mail alert: No such thing as a free BMW
"The board of directors, staff, and the International Awareness Promotion Department of BMW Automobile Co., congratulate you as the winner in this year's BMW Automobile International Awareness Promotion."
The prize is a new BMW 5-Series car plus 450,000 British pounds, or about $900,000.
We called BMW spokesman Rob Mitchell to learn if having its International Awareness Promotion Department in England, not Germany, will speed delivery of the car and cash.
"We don't headquarter it in England because there is no such department--anywhere," he replied. "It's a scam. It started a couple years ago and is back again. Don't make room for the car, and don't spend the $900,000."
But the e-mail doesn't ask for a bank account or Social Security number.
Single line called key to BMW plant's future
GREER -- A nimble assembly plant simultaneously building multiple models and easily and efficiently adding new models is the future BMW Manufacturing Co. officials see for the Greer plant. The plant spent about $100 million converting from a Z4 line and an X5 line to a single assembly line about a year ago. Now the plant makes X5 sports activity vehicles, Z4 and M roadsters and Z4 and M coupes on the same line simultaneously. Z4 models are sandwiched between X5s on the line, with the current ratio about three SAV models to every two roadsters or coupes, said Greg Bunner, a plant spokesman. The combined line is more efficient because the roadster is a seasonal car and the single line gives the plant more flexibility without leaving a line out of use for extended periods of time.
BMW BIKES `SALVAGED' IN DEVON
According to a statement released by BMW, some 39 motorcycles were on board the container ship MV Napoli, which was beached near Devon, after getting into difficulties in the English Channel.
The cargo ship was bound for South Africa, with BMW bikes and cars - plus spares on board. It is believed that most of the BMW bikes have been taken away by people scavenging Branscombe beach, Devon, in the last few days.
BBC reports indicate that the UK Police, in conjunction with the cargo insurers, will be making efforts to track down those who took the bikes, and seeking to prosecute anyone who failed to report their `salvage' haul to the Receiver of Wrecks, within 28 days.
Some items from the wreck have already appeared on e-bay and within a few weeks optimists will be trying to sell the BMW bikes somehow.
Toni Gonzaga buys a BMW car as birthday gift to herself
Ipinakita ni Toni Gonzaga sa PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ang iniintrigang mga bagong sasakyan niya na nakagarahe sa harap ng kanilang bahay. May tsismis kasi na ginagastos ng kanyang mga magulang ang pera niya at bili nang bili ang mga ito ng kotse. "Actually, di po ako bumibili ng kotse. Binibigyan po ako ng kotse ng sponsors ko. The only thing that I bought is this car," sabi niya, sabay turo sa bagong model ng BMW na kulay black. "It's really my own car. Yung BMW, kotse ko talaga ‘yun. Yun naman ay pinag-ipunan ko talaga ‘tsaka may bendisyon ng parents ko. Pinag-ipunan ko yun para sa sarili ko kasi 23 na ako." May isa pang sasakyan si Toni, isang slightly used na Mark III. Bigay raw ito sa kanya ng may-ari ng ini-endorse niyang Careline beauty products bilang birthday gift.
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