Morning Reads: Saturday, 9 February 2008

[mika]

Today’s Birthdays / Calendar

http://m1ka.smugmug.com/photos/240141300_Fqpm4-M.gif[img]


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Animaniacs – Presidents
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Yogi Bear
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Just couple of these funny CN commercials ...

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Yogi’s Treasure Hunt – Part 1 Yogi and the Unicorn
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Yogi’s Treasure Hunt – Part 2 Yogi and the Unicorn
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[img]http://m1ka.smugmug.com/photos/237640131_uKstm-XL.jpg


So you don’t know how to ride your GS in the dirt; MCN will show you how to trade up to a Long Way Down replica R1200GS this weekend..
(Okay so I still read the Rally forum every once in a while, but I didn’t take all the bait.)


Moto Guzzi is trying to generate sales in February the old fashion way, discounts. While Suzuki is offering zero interest finacing for its middle weights. No word if this marketing plans have learned how to swim across oceans.


If you ad 40 dealers it stands to reason that you would have a sales increase.
dealernews.com
Piaggio: Aprilia up 29%, Guzzi up 15% in US


gimag.com takes a quick look at Aprilia’s FV2 concept bike


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motogp.com: News headlines

AMASupermoto.com: 2008 Supermoto schedule announced


WorldSBK.com News: Rolfo and Aoyama testing at Vallelunga


FIM.com has the FIM Road Racing World Championship GP entrant list.

BMW Sauber F1
BMW Motorsport

We can’t see you Ian, where did you go?


topspeed.com
BMW’s strategy for Russia


Winding Road is hooked on the Ford Mustang Bullit

BMW Website Review:


worldofbmw.com: Life’s a Beach?


bmw-motorrad.co.za: Lighthouse tour of SA – Part 4


TED: Ideas worth spreading
TED Blog,Conferences, Themes, Talks and Speakers


BMW Yachtsport


BMW Golfsport


BMW Oracle Racing


BMW Sport website


BMW PressClub: Page 2

Stuff: Everything in place and a place for everything (including stuff)


amamotocross.com
REVIEW: Ne Fear’s “The Great Outdoors”


webbikeworld.com
HERO Helmet Hero Video Camera Kit

boingboing.com
Maps: Norway vs. Sweden (Learning America Smarter)


M.R. Traveler


Places 2 Ride Blog


www.biker-events.com
Finding the Good Time on 2 Wheels


Horizonsunlimited.com – Newsletter

2008 International Rally
Gillette, Wyoming, July 17-20 2008


Mining The Website


A message from home, the Home Page that is.

NEW FEATURE: Picture This!
As inspired by the Forum, each month we'll provide a topic for photo contributions. Members are invited to submit one photo that best depicts the topic. Photos will be judged by MOA staff. Those selected will be featured in the BMW Owners News. Each photo must include a 50 word (or less) description, your name, member number, city, state. Topic: Where I keep my Owners News. Send your photo to picturethis@bmwmoa.org. The winners will appear in the APRIL issue of the BMW Owners News.


BMW MOA 2008 Election Information


Threads worth following:


I am a big fan of the potential for long form posts on the forum. Canadian Odyssey – James Bay Road is a great example of this. If you haven’t checked it out yet I am not certain your really a Morning Reader.


Photo Assignment:
Here is a link to the PHOTO ASSIGNMENT INDEX, with links to the various excellent Photo Assignment threads

Latest project: “Old Cro” the R-evolution

Diary of a Barn Queen

Dakar 2008


Today’sRoadFood.com


Woot

Todays Woot
The Blog

Packer News: Packers.com, jsonline.com - Packers Plus Online


Humor

Over Heard in New York | Voice of the City
Sluggy Freelance
The Onion
xkcd


Bike Candy:


Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to work right?

THE END

 

[mika]

Page 2

From the BMW Welt newsletter:

500,000 visitors in 100 days
The BMW Welt is breaking all records. Since opening on October 20th 2007, over 500,000 guests have visited the new experience and delivery centre ÔÇô a clear indication of the high level of public interest in the BMW Welt. This exceeds expectations and estimates of over 800,000 visitors for the first year.
The headline says it all for the BMW Group, motorrad sales fell 11.2% over last year. No new models in the show rooms yet and nervous economic times.
Restrained start to the new year for BMW Group (worldwide)
02/08/2008

Munich. The BMW Group started the new year with a slight decrease in worldwide sales of 1.6%. In January, 92,629 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles were delivered to customers (prev.yr.: 94,101).

The BMW brand reported 77,156 sales in January, which, in a monthly comparison, was 4.1% below the level of the same month last year (80,458). The market launch of the BMW 1 Series Cabrio and BMW X6 is coming up. These new models, amongst other factors, will give a boost to sales developments over the next few months.

MINI success story continues
The MINI brand was able to increase its sales volume in January by 13.3% to 15,432 automobiles (prev.yr.: 13,618). The level of equipment provided and the product mix continue to be of a high quality: in January, 36% of customers went for the MINI Cooper, with 27% choosing the top model Cooper S, 23% selecting the Cooper D diesel option and 14% going for MINI One. In a comparison of body variants, the classic MINI comes in first, with 75% of sales, followed in second place by the new MINI Clubman with 16% of sales and then the Convertible with 9%. The market launch of the Clubman this month in the USA - the largest MINI market - will provide added momentum for MINI sales.

With an increase of 64.0% over the same month last year, Rolls-Royce started the new year with the highest percentage sales increase. 41 Phantoms were handed over to customers in January (prev.yr.: 25).

Stefan Krause, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for sales and marketing, comments: "In 2008, the BMW Group will once again maintain its top position as the world's leading manufacturer of premium vehicles. We have once again taken on a great deal and are aiming to set new sales records for all three brands."

In the Motorcycles segment, deliveries to customers last month reached 3,689 units (prev.yr.: 4,151/-11.1%). The aim of continued growth also applies in the Motorcycles segment for the year as a whole.

BMW Group sales in January 2008 at a glance

In January 2008 comp.w. prev. yr.
BMW Group Automobiles 92,629 -1.6%
BMW 77,156 -4.1%
MINI 15,432 +13.3%
Rolls-Royce 41 +64.0%
BMW Motorcycles 3,689 -11.1%



BMW HP2 SPORT PRICING REVEALED
02/08/2008

Boxer Fans - Reach for Your Checkbooks
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - February 8, 2008... The BMW HP2 Sport, arriving soon at US BMW Motorrad retailers, will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $25,375 (excluding taxes, license, options, and handling charge) and a destination charge of $495. The high-performance (HP) two (2)-cylinder Boxer is the third motorcycle in the HP model range customized to meet the requirements of the ambitious sport rider.

The sportiest, most powerful and lightest Boxer ever manufactured, the HP2 Sport follows in the footsteps of the HP2 Enduro and the HP2 Megamoto. It features numerous exclusive details, previously restricted to racing, that were never before seen in series production BMWs. Technology such as the self-supporting and aerodynamically optimized fairings made completely of CFK, the gear shift assistant, a dashboard similar to that used in the MotoGP, the forged aluminum wheels and brakes with radially mounted calipers make the HP2 unmistakably athletic on both country roads and race tracks.

The most striking difference between the BMW HP2 Sport from the endurance racing Boxer is the brand new cylinder heads: each of the double overhead camshafts (DOHC) uses a drag lever to actuate the valves that are larger than those on the BMW R 1200 S. Further modifications, such as the flow-optimized intake and outlet, new forged pistons and adapted connecting rod, help the engine to achieve the necessary higher output compared to the basic engine. A new stainless steel exhaust system is placed below the engine for the first time, keeping the lower area of the motorcycle extremely slim for greater freedom of movement for a "hanging off" riding position. Although designed for racing prowess, the BMW HP2 Sport does not forego the safety benefits of ABS. A sophisticated antilock brake system, specially adapted to the HP2 Sport, is available as an option and is configured so that it can be deactivated for the racetrack.
Following the BMW Motorrad Motorsport design, the carbon-fiber bodywork of the HP2 Sport is partially painted in Alpine White, while the engine spoiler carries the two-tone "HP2" lettering and the lattice frame and wheels are painted in the BMW Motorrad color of Motorsport Blue.

For enthusiasts who delight in racing technology, the HP2 is a dream come true!
The realignment plans announced in October saw some initial changes at the HQ and now are starting to roll down hill.

Strategic Realignment in Decisive Phase
02/06/2008

+++ Increasing value and securing the future are primary focus +++ Four billion euros in material cost reduction planned +++ Personnel costs to drop by up to 500 million euros starting in 2009 +++
Munich. The BMW Group is entering a decisive phase in the implementation of its strategic realignment. "We are doing our homework to ensure our business success in the future. The implementation of our new strategy is not a 100-yard dash. This year, we are laying the foundation for a turnaround in profitability," said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at an event with analysts in London on Wednesday. "By creating this new strategy, we have defined our own road to future success. All of the steps we take are designed to secure the future and increase value," he emphasized.

As part of the new Number ONE strategy, which the BMW Group presented at the end of September 2007, the first series of steps have already been triggered and will be taken as early as this year. In addition, further initiatives and projects were launched, the results of which will help the company hit its ambitious targets. The BMW Group aims to have its Automobile segment achieve a return on capital employed (ROCE) of more than 26% and a return on sales of between 8% and 10% by 2012.

Ganal: material cost-savings potential of 750 million euros p.a.

In order to achieve these targets, the BMW Group intends to improve costs and performance by about six billion euros by 2012, as compared with the company's original plans. "We believe that the lion's share of the targeted potential can be tapped in the area of material, production and development costs," BMW Group CFO Michael Ganal said at the same event. At some 25 billion euros, the cost of materials is clearly the company's biggest cost factor.

"In concrete terms, we expect that in this area, we will be able to realize two-thirds, or four billion euros, of the total potential, which amounts to some six billion euros. If we assume that we will reduce the cost of materials by 3% per year, this will translate into an annual potential of roughly 750 million euros. By 2012, this would result in approximately 4 billion euros," Ganal added.

Personnel cost reduction as another of the strategy's building blocks

A further step en route to achieving the targeted return goals is the reduction in personnel costs. Comprehensive efficiency enhancements - above all in manufacturing - will allow the company to decrease headcount by around several thousand employees. In this area, the BMW Group will primarily take advantage of the flexibility afforded by employing temps, who commonly go to another company on expiration of their work contracts.

Measures are also envisioned for the permanent workforce. These solutions are socially compatible and have been agreed on as a result of a constructive dialogue with the Works Council. These involve allowing personnel to enter into partial retirement arrangements starting in 2008 as well as not re-staffing vacancies. Furthermore, staff members will receive offers relating to the voluntary termination of employment relationships. "With the help of this package, we want to realize a total of up to 500 million euros in cost savings per year, starting in 2009," Ganal emphasized. With a view to rising to the diverse challenges in the future as well, the BMW Group will continue to hire highly qualified skilled workers and executives worldwide.

Further profitability improvements through cooperation

The BMW Group will continue to leverage its cooperative ventures in order to improve its profitability. For example, the company is in talks with other manufacturers to explore the possibility of using shared components or engines in order to achieve economies of scale and cost reductions. "The talks are making good headway, but they have not yet been finalized," Ganal said. Today, the BMW Group already derives an economic benefit from its joint venture with PSA that supplies engines for the second-generation MINI brand cars. "The importance of cooperations in the field of drive-trains is evidenced by the fact that engine costs account for about 25% of a vehicle's total production cost," underscored Ganal.

The BMW Group also intends to tap further synergies internally by stepping up the use of components based on a construction kit system for various models. The company sees a lot of potential, especially as regards the construction kit approach. Drive engineering is another area where the BMW Group wants to become more efficient. In the next few years, the company aims to reduce variant engineering costs, despite the rising number of variants caused by differences in emissions regulations worldwide.

"Besides cost-cutting, we are focusing on placing the company's future on a firm foundation," Ganal emphasized further. The BMW Group will invest in emission-reduction technologies and new, attractive premium cars and motorcycles in the upcoming years as well. Says CFO Ganal: "Unlike other companies, we do not want to positively influence earnings by dramatically reducing our research and development expenditure ratio. In addition to efficiency enhancements, our list of targets includes technology and innovation leadership with a view to securing the company's future. As company management, we feel committed to this vision."

Nevertheless, the BMW Group aims to achieve a significant reduction in its R&D quota. This is the ratio of research and development to revenue. In the last five years, it accounted for an average share of 6.1%. In the next few years, the company intends to spend between 5.0% and 5.5% of revenue on new products and technologies.

BMW Group plans to reduce dependence on foreign exchange rates

A large portion of the adverse effects on the company's earnings in recent years has stemmed from negative currency effects. In light of its successful retail trend in the USA, the BMW Group wants to expand its natural hedging sustainably over the medium term and thus significantly reduce its dependence on volatile foreign exchange rates. "It will take some time to step up natural hedging, although we have already achieved some substantial improvements in the past. Therefore, we will not set our sights on achieving a return on sales between 8% and 10% in the automobile business over the short term, based on current foreign exchange rates, or entirely independent of currency exchange rates," Ganal underscored.

The BMW Group will expand production capacity at its US plant in Spartanburg from some 150,000 to 240,000 units by 2012. Plans for the expansion are already underway. Capacity at the Oxford MINI plant is to be increased to 260,000 units per annum-without making further investments in infrastructure. The BMW Group will take the first step towards expanding its capacity in China by raising it from 30,000 to 44,000 units a year.

Furthermore, the company will work on strategically increasing purchasing in US dollars. One aspect is the local content of the vehicles manufactured in the USA. In recent years, it was increased from about 30% to more than 60%. Another aspect is purchasing in the NAFTA region for production in Europe and other regions. In 2006, the NAFTA region accounted for some 9% of BMW's global purchasing.

BMW Group set to tap new business fields

The BMW Group will continue to grow by introducing new models going forward. In addition, the company will develop new fields of business and operate along the vehicle lifecycle as well as along the value-added chain. This includes the planned development of new sales channels in the accessories business. In the pre-owned vehicle business, the company operates in the premium pre-owned segment. Both activities are lucrative, since a mere 25% of the revenue generated over a vehicle's lifecycle stems from the new car business. Moreover, the BMW Group plans to offer entirely new individual mobility services as well as service modules.

By adopting this new strategy, the BMW Group has set the course for a future of success. "We will continue to write the BMW Group's success story. Our entire management team is committed to this," Reithofer declared.

 

[mika]

BMW OF NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT CHANGES
02/08/2008

Jim O'Donnell to join BMW's management team.
Howard Mosher retires.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - February 8, 2008... BMW Group has announced that Jim O'Donnell will join BMW of North America's executive management team as President of BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) starting April 1, 2008. He will also assume Howard Mosher's role as Vice President Operations. Howard Mosher will retire on March 31.

Jim O'Donnell has been with the BMW Group for 17 years. He currently holds the position of Managing Director of BMW (UK) Ltd. Prior to that he worked as Sales and Marketing Director of BMW South Africa and Sales Director of BMW (UK) Ltd. Before joining BMW Group, Jim held various positions at Ford Motor Company. Jim has a LLB in Scots Law from the University of Glasgow and is a qualified Member of the Institute of Management Accountants. He is married with two children.

In his new function, Jim O'Donnell will report to Tom Purves who will remain Chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corp. and Chairman of BMW NA's Management Board. Tom Purves also remains the Regional Manager for the Americas.

This appointment strengthens the BMW Group management team in the USA and will provide a stronger coordination of sales and marketing activities in the most important market for the BMW Group worldwide.

Jim O'Donnell takes over functional responsibility for US activities, having established a great record of success at BMW (UK) Ltd. during the past eight years. Under his leadership, sales of BMW vehicles have risen from 67,676 in 2000 to 121,575 in 2007. Sales of MINI in the same period have grown to 47,661 (MINI was launched in 2001) while motorcycle sales are up from 2,745 to 5,251.

Howard Mosher, who retires on March 31, has held the position as VP-Operations for BMW of North America, LLC, since May 2005. During this time he has made outstanding contributions to the success of the BMW Group in the US. Howard Mosher is a veteran of the automotive industry, with more than 30 years of experience. Before joining BMW NA, he held the position of Director of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Ltd.


BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and the upcoming X6 Sport Activity Coupe. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 82 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.


New Managing Director for BMW (UK) Ltd
02/08/2008

BMW has announced that from March 1, 2008 Klaus Kibsgaard will be appointed Managing Director of BMW (UK) Ltd. Current Managing Director Jim OÔÇÖDonnell will take up a new role as President and COO of BMW of North America LLC on April 1.

Kibsgaard, 47, has been President of BMW Portugal since 2003 having joined BMW AG in 2002. His new role is the latest in a long line of motor industry appointments for General Motors in Germany, France, Turkey and Denmark as well as a period of employment with General Electric Corporation.

ÔÇ£I am thrilled to be offered the opportunity to manage BMWÔÇÖs third largest marketÔÇØ said Kibsgaard. ÔÇ£Jim and the management team at BMW UK have done a terrific job culminating in 2007ÔÇÖs record results. I hope to carry on from this high level and further the successful record for the BMW and MINI brandsÔÇØ he concluded.

Jim OÔÇÖDonnell takes over functional responsibility for US activities having established a great record of success at BMW UK during the past eight years. Under his leadership sales of BMW cars have risen from 67,676 in 2000 to 121,575 in 2007, sales of MINI in the same period are up from zero (MINI started in 2001) to 47,661 while motorcycle sales are up from 2,745 to 5,251.

OÔÇÖDonnell will join another ex-BMW UK Managing Director, Tom Purves, who remains Chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corporation, Chairman of BMW NA Management Board and Regional Manager for the Americas.

ÔÇ£I am looking forward to my new challenge in BMWÔÇÖs largest marketÔÇØ explained OÔÇÖDonnell, ÔÇ£but I will miss my colleagues and, of course, the dealers who have helped to build our success in the UK. I am proud of our results and optimistic that Klaus will take BMW UK to new highs. He is inheriting a strong and committed group of employees and I will watch the UKÔÇÖs progress with interestÔÇØ he said.

 

[SNOONE]

What I learned this morning.. How to say: Do not feed the bears in 6 languages.. Thank you.