Sales increase by 8.1% to 900,539 vehicles in the first six months. Robertson: We have a new sales record for 2012 well in sight

Munich. BMW Group achieved record sales for the first six months of the year, with a total of 900,539 vehicles delivered worldwide, an increase of 8.1% over the same period last year (prev. yr. 833,391). The company also achieved its second highest sales volume ever in a single month, with 172,516 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered worldwide in June (prev. yr. 165,868/ +4.0%).

Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing BMW, said in Munich on Friday: “We are very pleased with the positive result for the first half year. The BMW Group achieved record sales again in June … CONTINUED

You might remember our last FAQ thread regarding the F30 3 Series sedan. BMW is expanding its F3x lineup with two new cars soon - the F31 3 Series Touring and the F30 Active Hybrid 3.

As we’ll have the opportunity to learn more about both models soon, it’s time for another round of FAQs. So please respond below if there are any questions you have which are not answered in the official information yet. We’ll try to get the answers in the coming days.

The F31 3 Series Touring will be available in the US as of Spring 2013 and the Active Hybrid 3 will be available this Fall.

We’ll also have a chance to ask questions on the M135i and the F21 1 Series 3-door, so if … CONTINUED

The 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed kicked off this weekend and BMW has brought out plenty of wares to showcase. Check out some photos from the event inside.

BMWs in attendance included the F30 M Sport, F30 3 series in gold, E92 M3 coupe in chrome, E92 M3 M Performance Edition, F10 M5, F12 and F13 M6 coupe and convertible, Alpina B3 GT3, 6 Series Gran Coupe, M135i

Good news for iPhone users. iOS6 is finally supporting iDrive Office integration via Bluetooth MAP (Message Access Profile). Bluetooth MAP is the protocol used to retrieve email messages through iDrive, which currently only works with Blackberry and a few other devices.

Here are a few photos showing a iPhone 4S connecting via Bluetooth MAP (wireless non-USB connection) using iOS6 Beta 1.

1ADDICTS members are busy taking advantage of the summer all over Europe and the 1 Series crew would not be outdone by the Ace Cafe 1M gathering in the UK.

The 1ADDICTS crew gathered for a fun day on and around the famed Stelvio Pass, one of the most exciting driving roads in the world and the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps.

Today the Stelvio Pass is visited by many motorists attracted by the exhilarating drive and many event organizers choose the pass as a way-point driving through Switzerland to Italy.

For the past few weeks, BMW has been offering a $300 discount on the 2012 3 Series for scheduling a test drive through the app, but they’ve now expanded the promotion to include all BMW models.

The discounts are as follows:

$300 Off 3 Series, 1 Series, X1, X3 and Z4 (all trims, including M models)
$500 Off 5 Series, 5 Series Gran Turismo and X5 (all trims, including M models)
$700 Off 7 Series, 6 Series, 6 Series Gran Coupe and X6 (all trims, including M models)

What you will receive is a voucher in the amounts listed above off the first payment on a new 2012 or 2013 BMW financed or leased through BMW Financial Services.

To receive your discount:

Step 1: Download The Ultimate Drive app (available on … CONTINUED

As announced yesterday, BMW’s N20, N54, S65, N18 engines have each picked a best engine award at the 2012 International Engine of the Year Awards [Full Award Results].

Here’s a brief overview of two of the technologies featured in most of the BMW engines available today - TwinPower Turbo and VALVETRONIC (variable valve timing) technology. Valvetronic was first introduced by BMW on the 316ti compact in 2001, and has since often been coupled with BMW’s double-VANOS.

Until 2012, no M model used Valvetronic, but instead continued to feature multiple throttle-bodied designs. The 2012 F10 M5 with its S63 engine is the first M model engine to utilize Valvetronic technology in lieu of the individual throttles found on its equivalents in the BMW X5 M and X6 M. The … CONTINUED

Four award-winners spanning a displacement range of 1.6 to 4.0 litres – BMW Group again emerges as the most successful auto manufacturer in the internationally renowned engine contest.

Unbeaten titleholders and triumphant newcomers have secured the BMW Group’s renewed pre-eminence at the 2012 International Engine of the Year Awards. Powerplants guaranteeing efficient power delivery in current BMW and MINI models topped no fewer than four out of eight displacement categories. The quartet of trophy-winners comprised two four-cylinder engines, a straight-six and an eight-cylinder. Scooping up best-in-class wins were the 1.6-litre turbo unit of the MINI John Cooper S, the four-cylinder engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology that drives the new BMW 328i, among others, the straight-six with M TwinPower Turbo of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, … CONTINUED

This summer a fleet of golden BMWs is taking to the streets all over the UK in celebration of the 2012 London Olympics. Spot one and you could win tickets to the Olympics. One lucky winner will also receive the Golden Prize – the chance to drive a BMW for a year. The prize includes use of four of the latest models from BMW’s London 2012 fleet.

A pair of tickets to the Olympics will be given out each day leading up to the games (until July 25). Here’s how you can win. Simply spot one of the cars, snap a picture, and share it via twitter (#GoldenBMW) or the BMW website http://www.bmw.co.uk/gold.

Find out if the Golden BMWs are coming to you here www.bmw.co.uk/gold and follow their … CONTINUED