Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation abbreviated TMC, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2010, Toyota employed 300,734 people worldwide, and was the largest automobile manufacturer in 2010 by production. Toyota is the eleventh largest company in the world by revenue. In July 2012 the company reported that it had manufactured its 200 millionth vehicle.

The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his father's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Three years earlier, in 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product, the Type A engine, and, in 1936, its first passenger car, the Toyota AA. Toyota Motor Corporation group companies are Toyota (including the Scion brand), Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino Motors, along with several "non-automotive" companies.TMC is part of the Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the world.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG, and the brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Wỹrttemberg, Germany. The name first appeared in 1926 under Daimler-Benz but traces its origins to Daimler's 1901 Mercedes and to Karl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first automobile.

 

Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz's creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in January 1886 and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a stagecoach by the addition of a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company.Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is one of the most well-known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world's oldest automotive brand still in existence today. For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft including the merger into Daimler-Benz.

BMW

BMW was established as a business entity following a restructuring of the Rapp Motorenwerke aircraft manufacturing firm in 1917. After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty. The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923, once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted, followed by automobiles in 1928–29.

The first car which BMW successfully produced and the car which launched BMW on the road to automobile production was the Dixi, it was based on the Austin 7 and licensed from the Austin Motor Company in Birmingham, England.

The circular blue and white BMW logo or roundel evolved from the circular Rapp Motorenwerke company logo, from which the BMW company grew, combined with the blue and white colors of the flag of Bavaria. The logo has been portrayed as the movement of an aircraft propeller with the white blades cutting through a blue sky—first used in a BMW advertisement in 1929, twelve years after the roundel was created—but this is not the origin of the logo itself.

BMW's first significant aircraft engine was the BMW IIIa inline-six liquid-cooled engine of 1918, much preferred for its high-altitude performance. With German rearmament in the 1930s, the company again began producing aircraft engines for the Luftwaffe. Among its successful World War II engine designs were the BMW 132 and BMW 801 air-cooled radial engines, and the pioneering BMW 003 axial-flow turbojet, which powered the tiny, 1944–1945–era jet-powered "emergency fighter", the Heinkel He 162 Spatz. The BMW 003 jet engine was tested in the A-1b version of the world's first jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 262, but BMW engines failed on takeoff, a major setback for the jet fighter program until successful testing with Junkers engines.

By the year 1959, the automotive division of BMW was in financial difficulties and a shareholders meeting was held to decide whether to go into liquidation or find a way of carrying on. It was decided to carry on and to try to cash in on the current economy car boom enjoyed so successfully by some of Germany's ex-aircraft manufacturers such as Messerschmitt and Heinkel. The rights to manufacture the Italian Iso Isetta were bought; the tiny cars themselves were to be powered by a modified form of BMW's own motorcycle engine. This was moderately successful and helped the company get back on its feet. The controlling majority shareholder of the BMW Aktiengesellschaft since 1959 is the Quandt family, which owns about 46% of the stock. The rest is in public float.

BMW acquired the Hans Glas company based in Dingolfing, Germany, in 1966. It was reputed that the acquisition was mainly to gain access to Glas' development of the timing belt with an overhead camshaft in automotive applications. Glas vehicles were briefly badged as BMW until the company was fully absorbed.

In 1992, BMW acquired a large stake in California based industrial design studio DesignworksUSA, which they fully acquired in 1995. In 1994, BMW bought the British Rover Group (which at the time consisted of the Rover, Land Rover and MG brands as well as the rights to defunct brands including Austin and Morris), and owned it for six years. By 2000, Rover was incurring huge losses and BMW decided to sell the combine. The MG and Rover brands were sold to the Phoenix Consortium to form MG Rover, while Land Rover was taken over by Ford. BMW, meanwhile, retained the rights to build the new Mini, which was launched in 2001.

Chief designer Chris Bangle announced his departure from BMW in February 2009, after serving on the design team for nearly seventeen years. He was replaced by Adrian van Hooydonk, Bangle's former right hand man. Bangle was known for his radical designs such as the 2002 7-Series and the 2002 Z4. In July 2007, the production rights for Husqvarna Motorcycles was purchased by BMW for a reported 93 million euros. BMW Motorrad plans to continue operating Husqvarna Motorcycles as a separate enterprise. All development, sales and production activities, as well as the current workforce, have remained in place at its present location at Varese.

 

In June 2012, BMW was listed as the #1 most reputable company in the world by Forbes.com. Rankings are based upon aspects such as “people’s willingness to buy, recommend, work for, and invest in a company is driven 60% by their perceptions of the company and only 40% by their perceptions of their products.”

Honda

 Honda Motor Company, Ltd Honda Giken Kogyo KK?, IPA: is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.

 

Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer. As of August 2008, Honda surpassed Chrysler as the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Honda was the seventh largest automobile manufacturer in the world behind Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen AG, Hyundai Motor Group, Ford, and Nissan in 2010.[citation needed]

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Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura, in 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators, amongst others. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, scheduled to be released in 2012. Honda invests about 5% of its revenues in research and development.

World premiere: The new BMW 6 Series Convertible.

World premiere: The new BMW 6 Series Convertible.

Its world premiere is one of the highlights of the 2011 NAIAS and a dazzling performance on the road certainly awaits it: the new BMW 6 Series Convertible fulfils the desires of demanding automobile connoisseurs for fascinating aesthetics, superior driving dynamics and progressive luxury in an open-top premium automobile of the upper class. The new version of this great BMW convertible impresses with the athletic elegance of the bodywork and the soft top in the characteristic fin look. In the sophisticated interior of the four-seater, the elegantly flat, free-standing Control Display of the iDrive operating system, supplied as standard equipment, lends an exclusive touch. The driving experience is characterised by optimised comfort and a heightened level of sporting zest. The market launch in the USA will be made with the BMW 650i Convertible. Its V8 power unit with BMW TwinPower Turbo and direct fuel injection delivers 400 hp (300 kW/407 bhp) and can be combined with either a six-speed manual transmission, or an eight-speed automatic sports transmission.

World premiere: The BMW 1 Series M Coupe.

For the first time, BMW M GmbH has extended its range of high-performance sports cars and now covers the compact vehicle segment. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe, which embodies the typical M characteristics in a particularly concentrated form, will be presented at the 2011 NAIAS. A 250 kW/340 bhp six-cylinder inline engine with M TwinPower Turbo, chassis technology derived directly from the motor racing track, a high power to weight ratio, athletic design with innovative aerodynamic features and an exclusive interior conceived for concentrated driving pleasure combine to form a harmonious overall concept, which paves the way for new target groups to be led to the unmistakable M Feeling. All of this makes the BMW 1 Series M Coupe a high-performance sports car, which meets the challenges of the race track just as comfortably as the demands of everyday driving.

World premiere: The new BMW 1 Series Coupe, the new BMW 1 Series Convertible.

Outstanding driving pleasure in the compact segment is now more attractive than ever. With targeted design modifications, which optimise not only the appearance of the vehicles but also their aerodynamic properties, the new BMW 1 Series Coupe and the new BMW 1 Series Convertible are being presented to the world’s media for the first time at the 2011 NAIAS. There are two engines available for each of the two models in the USA. Modern six-cylinder engines, rear wheel drive, high-quality chassis technology, innovative features and equipment as well as premium quality propel them to an exceptionally advantageous position in their competitive field.

The attraction: The new BMW X3.

With more sporting zest, driving comfort, interior space and flexibility, the new BMW X3 significantly extends the lead in the market segment created by its predecessor. The two engines available at market launch also set new standards in efficiency. In addition, the new BMW X3 is the first BMW X model to be fitted with electro-mechanical power steering as standard equipment and, as an option, Dynamic Driving Control. Furthermore, BMW ConnectedDrive driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cornering Headlights, Head-Up Display and a reversing camera with Top View are available for the new BMW X3; all unmatched in its market segment.

Innovation: BMW EfficientDynamics – a new richness of diversity.

Throughout the world, BMW EfficientDynamics sets standards for outstanding driving pleasure while continuously reducing fuel consumption and emissions. This is made possible by new engines with enhanced degrees of efficiency, the optimisation of weight and aerodynamics and additional consumption reduction technologies. Innovations such as Brake Energy Regeneration and electro-mechanical power steering are being fitted as standard equipment to more and more models and successively introduced into all of the world’s automotive markets. BMW has indicated the path to completely CO2-free mobility with the development of concepts for purely electrically-driven vehicles. A further milestone on this route is the testing of the BMW ActiveE by private users in everyday traffic situations. The field trial with this vehicle, driven by an electric engine and based upon the BMW 1 Series Coupe, will begin as early as the summer of 2011 on the roads of a number of North American states.

Innovation: The new BMW ConnectedDrive services.

By intelligently networking the driver with his vehicle and the outside world, BMW ConnectedDrive creates fascinating possibilities for increasing comfort and safety as well as for optimising the use of infotainment functionality. No other automobile manufacturer offers a similarly comprehensive and innovative selection of driver assistance systems and mobility services. BMW ConnectedDrive is the world leader in integrating smart phones and music players into the vehicle, as well as in the use of Internet-based services for optimising navigational and entertainment functionality.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/12/16/bmw-at-the-2011-detroit-auto-show/

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Individual at the 2012 Paris Motor Show

At the 2012 Paris Motor Show, BMW brought out their entire fleet of hybrid vehicles. The ActiveHybrid 7 arrives at BMW dealerships this fall and costs $84,895 including destination, $13,000 less than last year. Some of the savings come from the use of an inline-six engine versus the V8 used in the 2012 model.

The 2013 ActiveHybrid 7 uses a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine with 315 hp version as in the new BMW 740Li. That engine is coupled to a 55-hp synchronous electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Total system output reaches 349 hp and 367 lb-ft of torque.

BMW claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.5 seconds.

US EPA numbers are not yet available. However, in the EU test cycle the new ActiveHybrid 7 yields efficiency gains of 14 percent over the new 740Li which itself sees an impressive improvement over its predecessor. Brake Energy Regeneration and the Hybrid Start-Stop system improve the overall efficiency.

The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 can also run purely on electric power. If the hybrid battery has sufficient charge and the driver goes easy on the accelerator, the car can cover a distance of up to 2.5 miles almost silently and without producing any tailpipe emissions. The top speed on electric power alone is 37 mph.

The new ActiveHybrid 7 will be available in the US as a long-wheelbase model only.