South Bay BMW

Want to know a clear sign that your favorite automaker is facing heaping helpings of success? Expansion, of course. Rapid growth most always signals high demand which means increasing sales. This equation is one in which BMW is quite familiar with as of late. Last year, BMW sales hit an all-time high and increased 73-percent over 2010. As jaw-dropping as that fact may sound, the automaker is just getting started.

For quite some time now, we've all heard a lot of buzz regarding Electronauts, the BMW ActiveE and BMW EV technology. Well, all that chatter has led to this exciting point. The BMW Electronaut recruiting process is now open.

South Bay BMW knows that people around the world tune into the Olympics to catch all the inspiring, athletic action. But that doesn't mean we can't look forward to seeing the role our favorite automaker plays in the global sports extravaganza. In case you haven't heard, BMW will act as sponsor and official vehicle for the 2012 Olympics in London this summer.

Good news for luxury lovers and automakers alike, officials are predicting the premium market to grow more than 8-percent over the next year. What does this mean for our favorite automaker BMW? In short, two-thumbs up for 2012.

Since 2009, BMW has evolved the technology housed in new BMW models. Starting with ConnectedDrive and moving forward to BMW Online, the suite of car connectivity services offer drivers a myriad of information including weather, Google search, fuel prices and more. Now, our favorite luxury automaker has polished off its programs once again with an updated version of BMW Online.

The holiday season and close of the year are marked with many traditions. Some are large and attention-grabbing, others more subtle. One ritual we at South Bay BMW like to engage in is reflection. Before turning the calendar to 2012, we feel it's important to take time to ruminate over the past 12 months. While we won't go over everything BMW has achieved this past year, here are some of the automaker's more noteworthy accomplishments.

Most people receive gifts whilst celebrating a birthday. BMW, however, does things a little differently. In honor of the 40^th birthday of the M lineup, the automaker has given its fans a gift in the form of a special edition M3 coupe. Ok, so by "gift" we don't mean the M3 is free. What we do mean is that the special Competition Edition BMW comes with so much exhilarating power, drivers will think it's their birthday.

Seven-hundred-million dollars is a lot of money. No one would argue that. But when placed into production of the sixth-generation BMW 3 Series, South Bay BMW has to admit, it's money well spent. More specifically, BMW put the investment towards improving equipment and man power at its Munich facility.

As technology progresses, keeping various aspects of your life connected is simple. Most vehicles come with iPod/mp3 auxiliary ports, all computers contain places to plug in various devices, and the majority of cellphones are now smartphones which allow you to take everything on the go. None of that is new. However, South Bay BMW is excited to announce something that is.

Automakers are spitting out new eco-friendly models left and right. But in order to be successful, those models must gain hold with a large audience of consumers. BMW intends to do just that with the release of its new BMW 5-Series Hybrid. Joining the ranks of the automaker's current three model ActiveHybrid lineup and EV tester vehicle, the 5-Series Hybrid will roll out to the public next spring.