2011 Bmw 528 I on 2040-cars

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Mercedes leads in US luxury car thefts

Mercedes-Benz makes some fine automobiles. The Silver Arrow'd cars are so good, apparently, that thieves can't help but try to steal them. The German brand is at the top of the charts for luxury car thefts in the US, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with New York City leading the way. (And those New Yorkers complain about Detroit being bad!)
The C-Class was the most stolen model, with 485 ganked between 2009 and 2012 in NYC alone, while the E-Class and S-Class (which also boasted the worst recovery rate, at 59 percent) both finished in the top ten. Following the C-Class was the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti G. Not surprisingly, each of these were the most common models in their respective lineups. Los Angeles and Miami are also prime hotspots for luxury car thefts, according to the Detroit News report.
While getting your car stolen is pretty awful, there was one inspiring statistic compiled by the NICB - the average recovery rate across the board was 84 percent, with the Cadillac CTS getting recovered 91 percent of the time.

BMW to show car that can park itself in a multi-story garage at CES

Automatic parking systems are something of a novelty, in their present form. Sure, modern parallel parking systems work well enough. And they're great if you lack the special awareness required to complete such a task. But frankly, how often is the average owner of such a system in a position to use it? Perpendicular parking systems, meanwhile, are basically an admission that you don't really deserve a driver's license. Novelties these systems may be, but they promise a future where we won't even need to be behind the wheel to park our cars. BMW is going to deliver a vision of that future at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show with the Remote Valet Parking Assistant, a smartwatch-activated system that takes the driver out of the parking equation and replaces them with an advanced collision avoidance system. Fitted to an i3 for CES, the BMW system relies on four laser scanners to map the surrounding environment and identify obstacles. Combined with a digital site plan for a building, the company claims its car can navigate its way to an open parking spot, moving around even unexpected obstacles like improperly parked cars. The car's owner can step out of the vehicle at the intended destination, and then tap the smartwatch app for vehicle parking and retrieval. BMW claims this system will allow more precise control than GPS, particularly in something like a multi-story parking deck. While it's an intriguing route with autonomous technology, we wonder how much is required of these digital site plans. There are more practical uses of this technology, beyond valet parking. According to BMW, the collision-avoidance technology can aid a driver in low-light conditions, automatically braking the car for its driver when an obstruction is detected. Look for more on BMW's Remote Valet Parking system as the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show approaches. Until then, scroll down for the full press release. BMW Innovations at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. 360-degree collision avoidance and fully-automated parking in multi-storey car parks. BMW Remote Valet Parking, CES 2015. (12/2014) Munich/Las Vegas. BMW was already demonstrating at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 how perfect control technology can provide highly automated mastery of all drive statuses right through to very tight margins.

18,000 BMW models recalled for potential fuel pump failure

BMW will be recalling over 18,000 vehicles from the 2, 3 and 4 Series families, including vehicles from model years 2014 and 2015, due to potentially bad fuel pumps. The full roster of vehicles includes four- and six-cylinder models of all hardtop 2 Series models, rear-, all-wheel-drive and Gran Turismo versions of the 3 Series, and coupe, convertible, Gran Coupe, rear- and all-wheel-drive 4 Series models. The 3 Series ActiveHybrid is also included in the recall, although the 3 Series diesel line has been left alone. According to the bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "improper" nickel plating on some of the parts could lead to a failure of the fuel pump, leading to a stall situation. BMW is planning to notify owners and will begin replacing the fuel pumps of affected vehicles at the end of the month. Scroll down for the official NHTSA bulletin, which includes a complete breakdown of individual models affected by the recall. Related Video: Report Receipt Date: MAR 31, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V189000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 18,054 Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 228i Coupe, M235i Coupe, 320i, 320xi, 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi, ActiveHybrid 3, 328xi Sports Wagon, 428i Coupe, 428xi Coupe, 435i Coupe, 435xi Coupe, 428i Convertible, 428xi Convertible, 435i Convertible, 328xi Gran Turismo, 335xi Gran Turismo, and 2015 428i Gran Coupe, 428xi Gran Coupe, and 435i Gran Coupe vehicles. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing. CONSEQUENCE: If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 30, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.