Mercedes - Repair and Service Redwood City - Schwarzenegger-owned Mercedes-Benz Unimog heads to auction - Bosch European (650) 368-3000

 

 

A custom 1977 Mercedes-Benz Unimog once owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger is headed to the Barrett-Jackson auction next month in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Schwarzenegger is a large man who, naturally, likes his vehicles just as large. When it was time to let his noted Humvee fall by the wayside, the Austrian-born muscle man stepped up. It was time for something new, something like a Unimog.

He didn't own the Unimog since new, though. He only took delivery in 2012, after the vehicle was fully restored, modified, and upgraded by Unimog specialist Merex Mertec in Gaggenau, Germany, to the actor and former politician's specifications.

Among the upgrades are 22-inch wheels shod with Michelin XZL 445/65 tires, air suspension, a trailer brake system, a roll bar, Hella lights, and a custom bed. Schwarzenegger's signature also sits atop the center stack.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1977 Mercedes-Benz Unimog

 Schwarzenegger didn't own the vehicle for long, though. It was already listed for sale on a German classifieds website as early as 2014.

That might have been due to the vehicle not gelling with the green policies Schwarzenegger was promoting during his time as "Governator" of California. The powertrain in his Unimog, a turbodiesel 6.4-liter inline-6 delivering 320 hp, isn't exactly the cleanest of lumps. Designed more for commercial use, it only complies with Euro 3 emissions regulations that came into force in 2000, and permits more than ten times the harmful particulate matter that current European regulations allow.

After Schwarzenegger's ownership, the Unimog traded hands several times among new owners in the U.S. It is lot number 1297 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction that runs Jan. 20-28.

 source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1141771_schwarzenegger-owned-mercedes-benz-unimog-heads-to-auction

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com

BMW - Repair and Service Redwood City - 2024 BMW Z4 gains manual transmission in US- Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

 

 

The current BMW Z4 has offered a manual transmission overseas for years, and now the option is finally coming to the U.S.

The transmission is sourced from ZF, the same supplier for the 6-speed manual offered in the related Toyota Supra. However, the transmission has specific tuning by BMW for use in the Z4, just as Toyota gave the transmission a specific tune for the Supra.

The Z4 M40i is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 rated at 382 hp. BMW also offers the Z4 sDrive30i in the U.S. This grade comes with a 2.0-liter turbo-4 rated at 255 hp and will continue exclusively with the 8-speed automatic.

Following a test drive of a prototype, Autoblog reported on Monday that the 2024 Z4 will offer a 6-speed manual transmission as an alternative to the standard 8-speed automatic, but only in the Z4 M40i grade.

2023 BMW Z4

 

According to Autoblog, the 2024 Z4 M40i will also receive a new chassis setup with 19-inch wheels up front and 20-inch wheels at the rear, plus an active differential, stiffer anti-roll bars, and revised steering and adaptive damping systems. The new damper system is designed to deliver a wider performance spread between the car's comfort and sport settings.

The current BMW Z4 arrived in the U.S. as a 2020 model and was given some minor updates for 2023, including revisions to the styling and an expanded color palette.

 

BMW continues to offer a manual transmission on a handful of models in its lineup, most of them from the M division. But the automaker, which is already phasing out dual-clutch automatics, has indicated that the manual is also on its way out. According to a senior BMW executive, the automatic will win out as it is more suited to electrified vehicles.

 source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1141698_2024-bmw-z4-gains-manual-transmission-in-us

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com