The thrilling 2006 Formula 1 Foster’s Australian Grand Prix kicked off in Melbourne on the weekend with some electrifying action.
Fortunatley for the new BMW Sauber F1 Team they were able to escape the carnage of crashes and spills on the track. The BMW Sauber team, a recent addidtion to the F1 field, achieved great results with Nick Heidfeld finishing fourth and Jaques Villeneuve finishing sixth.

Also on the weekend was the BMW Celebrity Challenge at the 2006 Formula 1 Foster’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, which saw a number of Australian sporting and television stars fighting it out on the Melbourne F1 track. Motorcycle racing champion Shawn Giles took the victory with AFL great Alistair Lynch and Network Ten’s Kim Watkins making up the podium. Other competitors included big wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones, singer Toby Allen and Gordon Tallis – who failed to finish the race.

For the first time in the history of Formula 1, a BMW owned team will line up on the starting grid – the new BMW Sauber F1 team.

A new generation in Formula 1 has started off recently in Bahrain on 12 March and not just because of the new regulation changes which restrict engine sizes to eight cylinders and a maximum capacity of 2.4 litres.

The team’s principal is BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, and will be assisted by Heinz Paschen and Willy Rampf. “The new car is lower and more compact” explains Willy Rampf, the BMW Sauber F1 Team’s technical Director, Chassis. “The aerodynamics have been improved, and the kinematics of the rear axle have been specifically designed for the Michelin tyres”

With a driver lineup including Canada’s Jaques Villeneuve, Germany’s Nick Heidfeld, test driver Robert Kubica, it is set to be a thrilling season for the new BMW Sauber F1 team and their partners – Petronas, Intel, Credit Suisse and O₂.

The new collection of BMW Sauber F1 Merchandise is now available at Col Crawford. The high-quality range of leisure-wear and apparel has just been launched and includes a variety of shirts, polo’s, jackets, sports bags and travel equipment and more.

For more information on the BMW Sauber F1 Team click here.

Since the introduction of the BMW X5 onto the Australian market in November 2000, the full-size Sports Activity Vehicle has been dominating in its respective car market.

And that top status is sure to continue with the introduction of upgrades across the entire 2006 X5 range. The 3.0i petrol and 3.0i diesel now have an on-board monitor with TV, Park Distance Control, CD stacker and Bluetooth. This equipment would normally add $7,470 to the price, but the actual price uplift is only $1,000.

The X5 4.4i V8 model will gain BMW Navigation as well as Bluetooth, valued at $3,400 at no additional charge. And the heavyweight X5 4.8is will add Business Bluetooth preparation including handset, as well as Connected Drive to its vast array of standard equipment at no additional charge also.

The X5’s responsive on-road dynamics, impressive off-road capabilities and versatile interior to fulfill an array of lifestyles means that it has been the top selling vehicles in its segment since 2003.

New BMW 130iSport. Headlining the 1 Series range, is the class leading premium compact is packed full of technology and power. It is the only car in its class to have rear wheel drive, unrivalled power output and also claims the longest wheelbase.

The 130i Sport provides a thrilling ride through a rear-wheel drive configuration, ideal weight distribution and the outstanding power of BMW’s highly developed 3 litre inline six-cylinder power unit pumping out 195kW.

Whilst producing excellent power levels, the engine weighs a mere 161kg, with its magnesium/aluminium composite block, electric water pump and magnesium cylinder head cover, it is the lightest in its class. All this means the 130i Sport can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 6.1 seconds whilst achieving an average of 9.2 litres/ 100kms.

Safety-wise the 130i Sport has everything from Dynamic Traction Control Plus, to Dynamic Brake Control, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and much more. Combined with these technologically advanced safety features are BMW’s two-stage Adaptive Brake Display stoplight system, continuous monitoring of brake pad wear and tyre defect indicator. All this has earned the 130i Sport top marks (5 Stars) in the Euro-NCAP crash test.

Some more commonly known features of the 130i Sport are Rear Park-Distance Control, air-conditioning with duel zone temperature control, powerful Xenon headlights, M sport suspension, 17 Inch M alloys with run flat tyres, 6 stack in-dash CD, double exhaust system with chrome-plates tailpipes, the visually striking M Aerodynamics bodykit package, and much more.

The new 7 Series "LCI" launched in May 2005 was extremely well received by both the press and customers alike and assisted in maintaining leadership in the Australian luxury 'A' market segment last year. The category includes Mercedes S Class, Audi A8, Lexus LS430 and Jaguar XJ. A similar feat was also achieved in 2004.

The 7 Series LCI features a refreshing new look with a more powerful presence enhancing its already charismatic, elegant and truly unique appearance. The range has also received updated chassis and suspension, increased standard features and two new V8 engines.

The 735i has been superseded by the 740 which now has an all new 4.0 litre V8 engine producing 225kW. This is a 13% improvement in power over the old 3.6 litre and propels the 740i from 0-100km/h in just 6.8 seconds. Similarly, the 745i has been replaced by the 750i with a 4.8 litre V8 producing 270kW and rocketing the car from 0-100km/h in an incredible 5.9 seconds.

For further information on this exciting new range contact Alan Sheehan, alan.sheehan@colcrawford.com.au

In keeping with the BMW philosophy of building cars for drivers, the new Z4 Coupe and Z4 M Coupe will be released later this year.

With outstanding performance in mind, both Coupe variations will feature a weight-optimized body, with a chassis and suspension that are superbly matched for an array of driving conditions.The Z4 Coupe will feature BMW’s 3.0 litre six-cylinder engine while the Z4 M Coupe will be powered by the highly regarded 3.2 litre six cylinder.The Z4 Coupe’s engine has one several Engine of the Year Awards and produces a power packed 195kW at 6,600 rpm. Weighing in at just 161 kilos, this engine is the lightest engine in its performance class.

Meanwhile the Z4 M Coupe features the same 3.2 litre engine as the M3. A 252kW powerhouse allowing it to achieve 0-100km/h in just 5.0 seconds and electronically limited to 250km/h.

The flowing roofline visible moves the cars centre of gravity right over the rear axle. From behind the Coupe looks low dynamic and fast. Under the steeply raked tailgate is a surprising amount of luggage space with the ability to fit two golf bags.The on-road stance of the Z4 M Coupe is accentuated by a powerful looking front air dam, 18 Inch lightweight alloys in typical M design that fill out the dynamic wheel arches with purpose.

Whilst two new BMW V8 engines are now fitted into 2006 5 Series variations, BMW are also close to unveiling its new biturbo version of its acclaimed petrol powered six-cylinder engine.

BMW is not rewriting the laws of physics, just the laws of forced induction with its new biturbo engine. Retaining its familiar 3.0 litre naturally-aspirated engine, the new all aluminium engine boasts a pair of turbochargers, with each feeding three of the six cylinders.

Combined with BMW VALVETRONIC and double-VANOS technology, the new engine is able to produce 225kW and 400Nm of torque and maintaining a low fuel consumption thanks to high-precision direct petrol injection. The driver need only to brush the pedal to receive an immediate surge as the engine delivers with an electrifying response.

Whilst turbocharger technology is almost as old as the internal combustion engine itself, in combination with precise direct petrol injection technology BMW engineers were able to write a new and exhilarating chapter in the history of forced-induction engines. BMW will announce at a later date when these engines will be released.

The recent additions to the 5 Series range are the 540i and 550i, with 225kW and 270kW respectively, bringing higher performance without forfeiting fuel consumption. In fact the 540i retains an exceptionally efficient 10.4 litres per 100km on city/ highway cycle, whilst sprinting from 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds.

The 550i is even quicker, yet similarly impressive in terms of fuel consumption with a rate of 10.8 litres per 100km and achieving a 0-100km/h time in a blistering 5.6 seconds.

Adding to the features, the 540i includes adaptive Xenon lights, 18” Star Spoke light alloy wheels, Professional Navigation, TV Tuner and Voice Recognition, BMW Active Steering, rain-sensor wipers, and with the 550i adding the Heads Up display to the extensive list of equipment.

MINI recently added two new characters to its already diverse range with two very distinct flavours in addition to a new range of features.

The MINI Park Lane is a VIP Lounge on wheels, bringing new luxury features to the MINI lineup, and the Checkmate takes MINI sports performance to a new level. Both of these new MINI Characters are available in Cooper and Cooper S 125kW Supercharged versions.

The MINI Park Lane is all about timeless elegance and discrete luxury. It comes with Panther Black English leather upholstered sports seats with Trad Brit style and heritage piping, duo-tone steering wheel, auto climate control, Chrome line exterior trim, Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi with 8 speakers, Xenon headlights (on Cooper S) and as a no cost option, a new look silver bonnet stripe. The Park Lane rides on 16-inch Bridge-spoke alloys with run flat tyres.

The MINI Checkmate has Space Blue metallic paint teamed with chequered flag decals for the front flanks. It is equipped with an electric glass sunroof with a silver roof finish. Inside the Checkmate has sports seats, two toned sports steering wheel and the four-gauge centre binnacle-mounted Chrono Pack. With new 17-inch Flame Spoke light alloy wheels and Sport Suspension Plus package, its sure to turn heads.

formore information on both MINI Park Lane and Checkmate please contact Paul Handscomb, paul.handscomb@colcrawford.com.au

Although the Australian press have been extremely positive about the BMW E90 3 Series sedan variations, some of them have taken to the issue with run flat tyres or what BMW like to call Safety Tyres.

Editor David Motton from Britain’s best known car buying magazine ‘What Car?’ pronounced the 3 Series a clear winner by saying:

"BMW's 3 Series is so good that it scored a comfortable victory. Crucially, the way that the 3 steers, grips and handles is nothing short of outstanding." The ContiPremiumContact SSR (Safety Tyres) provides exceptional braking, cornering and rolling resistance in both wet and dry conditions, and the removal of the weight from a spare wheel contributes to fuel efficiency and creates extra space. Additionally, the peace of mind created by the knowledge that SSR tyres will allow drivers to seek the nearest garage in the event of a puncture is also a major consumer benefit. Key to its adoption by BMW was its ability to be applied universally. No special wheel rims or unique fitting equipment is required, avoiding problems in the aftermarket.”

After great enthusiasm and turnouts of recent Movie Nights, Col Crawford is pleased to announce another Complimentary Movie Night coming up in May, at Hoyts Warringah Mall cinema complex.

More information will be released shortly, so be sure to check your email Inbox. Invitations will only be sent by email, and be sure to RSVP fast as seats fill quickly.