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BMW calls in 50,000 motorbikes over fuel pump leak

If you don't often see motorbikes being recalled, it's probably because there's less to go wrong on a motorcycle. But a problem with the fuel pump on a wide array of BMW Motorrad products has prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for over 50,000 of the Bavarian two-wheelers across America.
The issue revolves around the fuel pump flange on R-model, K-model, S 1000 and HP2 motorcycles built as far back, in some cases, to 2005 and as recent as 2012, depending on the model. The flange was found to be prone to crack and leak fuel, which NHTSA evaluated as a fire risk. As a result, precisely 50,184 such motorbikes are being recalled to have their flanges reinforced or, where necessary, to replace the entire fuel pump. If you're the owner of such a Bimmer bike, expect a call from your dealer sometime next month, but you can read the full notice below.

BMW replaces tri-turbo diesel with a quad turbo

Quad turbos have until now been the stuff of Bugattis. BMW is introducing a quad turbo diesel for the 7 Series, with nearly one hundred horsepower per turbo. It's all about making the six-cylinder 3.0-liter turbodiesel all as enticing a proposition as possible, and it faces strong competition from Audi's new twin-turbo V8 diesel available in the SQ7 TDI. The earlier, N57S engine (pictured above) utilized a triple-turbo setup good for 381 horsepower and 546 lb-ft. The new B57 version, confirmed by BMW at the 37th International Vienna Motor Symposium, adds yet another turbo for 394 hp and 561 lb-ft, and that massive torque is available from 2,000 to 3,000 rpm. It means the 7 Series gets from 0-60 mph in a snappy 4.5 seconds. The engine could produce even more torque, but 561 lb-ft is all the ZF 8HP 8-speed automatic transmission can handle. The N57S engine's dual-stage turbocharging setup consisted of one low-pressure turbocharger to take care of low-end torque, and two high-pressure turbos for the higher rev range. In the new B57 engine, the big turbo is now replaced with two smaller units on a common exhaust, to benefit from lower costs and smaller unit weight. In addition to the gains in power and torque, fuel economy has reportedly been improved by 5 percent. There are no reports yet whether the B57 TOP quad-turbo will make it to the US market, but customers in the European high end diesel saloon market will probably be very excited. Initially it will be available in the 750d xDrive version, and other top-end models like the 5 Series and the X5 will follow later on. Related Video: News Source: Krone.atImage Credit: BMW BMW Diesel Vehicles Luxury Performance Sedan confirmed vienna motor symposium

NHTSA slaps BMW with $40M fine for slow Mini recall

BMW is on the hook for a $40-million fine after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration slapped the automaker over not recalling Minis that failed to meet minimum side-impact crash standards. The civil penalty from NHTSA concerns 2014 and 2015 Mini Cooper hatchback models that "failed a crash test designed to determine whether the vehicle met crash-protection minimums," the government agency said in a press release issued this week. An October 2014 test revealed the first problem, and the Mini was subsequently retested in July, only to fail again and finally prompt a recall of more than 30,000 cars. But according to NHTSA's investigation that was opened in October, BMW waited too long to issue a recall after it knew the cars did not meet standards and bring them into compliance with more energy-absorbing materials installed by Mini dealers. This is the second time NHTSA slapped BMW with a major penalty, following a $3-million fine back in 2012 failing to report recalls of its cars and motorcycles. "For the second time in three years, BMW has been penalized for failing to meet that obligation," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in the release. "The company must take this opportunity to reform its procedures and its culture to put safety where it belongs: at the top of its priority list." In a separate release issued this week, BMW Group said it, "is committed to further improving its recall processes to better serve its customers," and that the company, "respects the role of NHTSA and looks forward to working with them to develop solutions for the future." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fines BMW $40 million for failing to meet safety requirements Fine is auto company's second since 2012 WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has imposed a $40 million civil penalty and a series of performance requirements to automaker BMW North America for a series of violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and NHTSA regulations. Under terms of a Consent Order issued to BMW, the company acknowledges that it violated requirements to issue a timely recall of vehicles that did not comply with minimum crash protection standards, to notify owners of recalls in a timely fashion, and to provide accurate information about its recalls to NHTSA. NHTSA imposed a $3 million civil penalty to BMW in 2012 for similar violations.