LG Wants to Ban BMW and Audi Sales in South Korea

Electronics companies are amongst the fiercest rivals when it comes to protecting their patents – even a lioness with her cubs seems like a purring cat in comparison. That’s why in the world of high technology, lawsuits fly left and right, one of the most recent examples being the Apple - Samsung dispute over the their smartphones.
Nevertheless, we were surprised to learn today that LG Electronics and its subsidiary, the component-making LG Innotek Co., filled a lawsuit with a South Korean court seeking to block BMW and Audi from selling their cars in the country.
What is happening is that the two German luxury carmakers have been caught in the middle of a patent war between LG and Osram over LED technologies. LG seeks to stop their the German automakers' vehicles from being sold because they are equipped with Osram lighting systems.
“LG sued Osram at the Seoul Central District Court for purportedly infringing on LG-owned patents such as LED chips and packaging technologies that are widely used in LED light bulbs and cars”, LG spokesman Lim Young-min told the Korean Times daily.
“Because local branches of BMW and Audi are using Osram’s LED applications that infringe on LG patterns, we are seeking a complete ban on BMW and Audi car sales in South Korea”, the LG spokesperson added.
The situation gets even more complicated because Osram was the one to draw first blood by demanding that LG continued to pay loyalties for patents it used for several years.
LG refused to do so, having developed its own LED technologies, and counter-sued, dragging Audi and BMW into the middle of this, presumably as another form of pressure.

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BMW Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the 5-Series with Special Edition 528i

In a few months' time, the BMW 5-Series will enjoy its 30th birthday but the Bavarian automaker has already begun churning out special edition models to mark the event, starting with the "528i 30th Anniversary Edition" that went on sale in Japan today.
Only 200 examples of the special edition 528i sedan, which is powered by BMW's 3.0-liter straight-six petrol, will be built for the local market.
The German automaker started out with the standard 528i sedan adding the popular in Japan M Sport package that includes bespoke front and rear bumpers, side skirts and larger alloy wheels, along with the BMW Individual aluminum window line trim. The vehicle's exterior is finished Deep Sea Blue Metallic
On board, the limited production 528i gains Veneto Beige Dakota leather seats, BMW Individual trim, door sill plates with the "BMW Japan 30th Anniversary" Logo and additional extras such as a head-up display and a high-end audio system.
BMW has put a 7,890,000 Yen (or about US$103,400) price tag on the anniversary edition of the 5-Series saloon.

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Study Shows that New Porsche 911 is the Most Web Buzz from the Frankfurt Motor Show

Now that the 2011 International Auto Show in Frankfurt has passed into history, analysts are crunching the numbers to see which carmakers and models sparked the crowd's interest the most.

UK-based Kantar Media Precis released the results of a study that looks into the number of online stories from websites, Tweets, blogs and other social media starting from two weeks before the first press day of the Frankfurt Motor Show on Aug. 30, 2011, until the end of the second press day on Sept. 14, 2011.

The study reveals that the most talked about model on the internet was the new Porsche 911 sports coupe, while next up was the Mercedes-Benz B Class small MPV, followed by the BMW i3 Concept hatch, the Audi Urban Concept studies and the Ford Evos Concept.

According to the findings of the study, Audi and Ford were the most popular brands among bloggers and YouTube users, with the Audi A2 Concept taking first place followed by the Ford Evos Concept.

The statistics show that from August 30 to September, a total of 19,549 online news stories and 5,666 social media posts talked about the 2011 IAA in one way or another, with 59 percent of those discussions taking place before the first press day on September 13.

For what it's worth, the most viewed 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show story on Carscoop in the same time period was the Ford Evos Concept followed closely by the new Porsche 911 and the Jaguar C-X16.

Most Viewed Frankfurt Motor Show Posts [August 30 to September 14]
1) Ford Evos Concept
2) 2012 Porsche 911
3) Jaguar C-X16
4) 2012 Honda Civic Hatch
5) New Mazda CX-5
6) Land Rover DC100 Concept
7) New Hyundai i30 Hatch
8) 2012 Toyota Avensis Facelift
9) Citroen Tubik Concept
10 Maserati Kubang Concept

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BMW Testing Ceramic Brakes for M5 V8

Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of BMW and Head of Purchasing and Supplier Network, recently revealed to BimmerFile that the firm's M Division is exploring various options on carbon ceramic brakes for the new M5 sports saloon.

However, the M Division is not working alone but together with Brembo, which is also the break supplier of the new M5, in developing the new carbon ceramic discs.

The two companies are also connected through SGL Carbon. SGL has formed a joint venture with BMW for creating carbon fiber parts to be used in future BMW cars, and another one with Brembo for the development and manufacture of ceramic discs.

According to the report, the brake package will retain the steel-disc equipped M5’s calipers but will feature larger diameter ceramic discs, which will require the fitment of 20-inch wheels. The package will be available in about a year's time from now.

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IAA 2011: BMW i3 Study

BMW chose the Frankfurt Motor Show to tease its upcoming pure-electric model, the five-door i3 city car with a concept study of the same name.
The concept, formerly known as the Megacity, features a 170 HP electric motor placed over the rear axle that is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack.
It generates 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque and drives the rear wheels, providing a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time of under 8.0 seconds while its top speed is electronically limited to 150 km/h (93 mph).
Recharging the battery pack takes six hours using a standard socket, while BMW claims that with a high-speed charger you can have an 80% charge in just one hour.
BMW has also revealed that the production i3 will be offered with a range-extending small-displacement gasoline engine that drives a generator which in turn charges the battery, thus significantly increasing the car’s driving range.
Expect the bodywork of the production version to be close to that of the concept displayed in Frankfurt, and the interior to be ditched in favor of a more conventionally styled cabin.

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IAA 2011: New V8-Powered BMW M5

Many consider the i3 and i8 to be the most impressive models on BMW’s stand because they are showcasing the company’s environmentally-friendly future.
Petrol heads, on the other hand, may find another BMW far more interesting. The all-new M5 may have been surfing the web since June, but the 64th IAA in Frankfurt marks its first public debut.
The subtle exterior modifications, as with all M-badged cars, were expected. What is a surprise is that for the first time, the M5 is powered by a turbocharged engine. You see, downsizing due to stricter emissions regulations is practically inevitable if you don't adopt a hybrid configuration.
Therefore, BMW’s M-division had no choice but to abandon the normally aspirated route ditching the previous model's acclaimed V10 and borrowing the X5M / X6M's 4.4-liter twin turbocharged V8.
The smaller displacement engine with two less cylinders trumps its predecessor in raw power by a wide margin: it delivers 57 more horses, for a total of 560HP, and a maximum torque of 680 Nm (502 lb-ft) from 1,500 rpm.
Power is still transferred to the rear wheels, this time through a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox. The M5 accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and with the optional M Driver’s package can reach a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph) instead of the standard electronically limited 250 km/h (155 mph).
Although power and torque have increased by 10% and 30% respectively compared to the outgoing model, average fuel consumption has dropped significantly by 30% to just 9.9 lt/100 km (23.8mpg US).

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