BMW 3 Series Sedan awarded the “Best Compact Executive Sedan” for the second time.

BMW i range awarded the “Green Award”.

Midrand. Three of BMW’s models have once again received top honours in the CAR Magazine 2014 Top 12 Best Buys Awards. This was revealed in the March 2014 issue of CAR Magazine, South Africa’s leading male-interest and motoring magazine.

The BMW 3 Series Sedan was awarded the “Best Compact Executive Sedan” for the second time in a row, while the BMW i3 and BMW i8 were honoured with the “Green Award”.

According to Steve Smith, Editor of CAR Magazine in South Africa, the CAR Awards recognise excellence by companies or individuals in the motoring world with a focus on the South African automotive industry and, in the Buy section of the maga­zine, CAR’s Top 12 Used Best Buys recognise the best second-hand vehicles (that are less than three years old) that are offered in the local market.

“We are very pleased to start the year with this accolade. It shows that indeed BMW is the leading premium brand in the automotive sector and encourages us to continue working hard to retain our title of being the best-selling brand in the luxury car segment, just like we did for the fourth consecutive year in 2013,” says Mr Edward Makwana, Group Automotive Communications Manager at BMW South Africa.

Best Compact Executive Sedan: BMW 3 Series Sedan.

The BMW 3 Series is the most important volume-model produced by the BMW Group as well as the biggest-selling model in the entire premium segment. At the same time, every generation of the 3 Series Sedan has been built in Rosslyn and since 1999 this plant has been responsible for production for important export markets such as the USA, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore and Australia to name but a few.

The BMW 3 Series Sedan has been on sale worldwide since February 2012 and offers not only impressive athletic flair and efficiency as is typical of BMW, but also a level of ride comfort and space which has been further optimised compared to its predecessor model. Sporty, elegant lines and a re-interpretation of the characteristic front view give the BMW 3 Series an unmistakable appearance. The current local model program includes three petrol and two diesel engine versions as well as the BMW ActiveHybrid 3.

Green Award: the BMW i range.

The BMW i3 is an uncompromisingly sustainable vehicle designed for urban areas –purpose-built for emission-free electric mobility and an intelligent form of urban transportation and commuting. The BMW i3 is currently on sale in key European markets and will go on sale in South Africa in March 2015 along with the BMW i8.

The BMW i8 is a highly contemporary sports car boasting a high degree of everyday utility. It combines the uncompromising performance of a BMW M3 with the fuel consumption of a subcompact. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid drive, most daily journeys can be taken in emission-free all-electric mode (electric range: 35 km). With the completion of the development work and final preparations for production at the BMW Group plant in Leipzig, the launch of the BMW i8 is approaching its peak. Delivery of the first customer cars will start in June 2014, beginning with the main European markets.

With BMW i, the company is opening up new target groups as well as further strengthening the positioning of the BMW parent brand as a sustainability-focused and forward-looking organization.

For more information visit www.bmw.co.za/bmwi

-Ends-

Media queries:

Edward Makwana

Manager: Group Automotive Communications

BMW South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27-12-522-2227

Email: edward.makwana@bmw.co.za 

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is the leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 28 production and assembly facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2013, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.963 million cars and 115,215 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was €7.91 billion on revenues amounting to approximately €76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a workforce of 110,351 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

www.bmwgroup.com

www.bmw.co.za

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Following their strong performance last year, when the team finished second and third in the class A title race, ADF Motorsport will field their two BMW M Performance Parts 335i saloons in the opening round of the 2014 Bridgestone Super Production Car Championship at Zwartkops Raceway west of Pretoria on Saturday, 1 March 2014 as serious contenders for top honours.

“Last year we won 10 races and ended a successful season with a clean sweep of the final round at Kyalami. We intend to carry on where we left off,” said a confident Donovan van Heerden, team principal of ADF Motorsport. “We have two of the country’s top racing drivers at our disposal and a proven race-winning car.”

Cape Town’s former national production car champion Johan Fourie, third last year with five race wins to his credit, returns for a second season with the team and will be partnered by the experienced Johannesburg racing driver Gavin Cronje, who moves up from the ADF Motorsport-managed Castrol MINI John Cooper Works team in class T to contest the premier class. Cronje, a multiple national and international kart and circuit racing champion, was second in the class T title chase after being a contender throughout the season, winning six races and taking the final outcome down to the last round.

While the BMWs are relatively unchanged from last season, they are proven race winners and have been meticulously prepared and fine-tuned for Saturday’s races. They have been completely rebuilt during the off season and, thanks to the ongoing updates and improvements made throughout the 2013 campaign, the team will be able to take full advantage of the series‘ rules.  

Johan Fourie: “I really enjoyed my first season with the team last year and am looking forward to an even more successful 2014. It will be great having Gavin as a team-mate. He’s one of the country’s most versatile racing drivers and together we make a formidable team. If we can bring greater consistency to our results we will be strong contenders for the class A title.”

Gavin Cronje: “I’m very happy to be in the top class this season and with a team and car that has every chance of taking the title. I’ve always wanted to race a BMW and I’ll be taking full advantage of this opportunity.”

A feature of this season’s championship will be the new race day format of two races instead of three, a 10-lap sprint followed by a 17-lapper where there will be a greater emphasis on tactics.

In addition to the teams backing from BMW M Peformance Parts, the team also enjoys support from South Africa’s leading sponsorship and brand engagement agency, Octagon, Powerbrake, Castrol and Sony Playstation.

Ends

For more information on BMW Motorsport, please contact:

Mr. Edward Makwana

Manager: Group Automotive Communications

BMW Group South Africa

Email: edward.makwana@bmw.co.za

Tel: +27-12-522-2227

Internet: http://www.bmw.co.za

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Twitter: http://twitter.com/TeamAfroxBMW