BMW Manufacturing Co. to be featured on the National Geographic channe
11-29-2007, 05:55 AM
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Set your DVRs for tonight... 
BMW MANUFACTURING CO. TO BE FEATURED ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL'S "ULTIMATE FACTORIES"
11/28/2007
BMW Manufacturing Co. will be the subject of the National Geographic Channel's "Ultimate Factories" television show Thursday, Nov. 29, at 9 p.m. ET.
The hour-long program will focus on the building of the famous Z4 Roadster and is a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes tour of the high-tech manufacturing plants that create this world class automobile. The National Geographic Channel team spent a week in Germany, filming at the factory in the Bavarian heartland of Landshut, where the automotive industry's lightest six-cylinder crankcase is made, at the Munich factory that assembles 1,200 engines a day, and seven days at BMW Manufacturing in Upstate South Carolina where every BMW Z4 is built.
The program also highlights BMW's environmental innovation by being the world's first automotive factory to recycle landfill methane gas from rotting trash to power its plant. Methane gas routed from the nearby Palmetto Landfill provides BMW Manufacturing Co. with 63 percent of all its power, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the upstate of South Carolina by 60,000 tons per year - the equivalent of 4,300 cars driving around the equator every year.
The U.S. plant has 4,500 associates - and almost 500 robots - that produce 600 vehicles a day. From the Body Shop to the Paint Shop and then Assembly, in just under 40 hours a sleek, customized and luxurious BMW Z4 Roadster, replete with the unique double kidney grill and famous white-and-blue roundel logo, is made. Tune in and see how it's done.
BMW Manufacturing Co., a subsidiary of the BMW Group based in Munich, Germany, is the exclusive manufacturer of the Z4 and M Roadster, Z4 and M Coupe in addition to the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle. Its website address is www.bmwusfactory.com. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America, and a design firm in California.
Also, in case anyone is interested, they are showing an episode featuring the Ferrari factory just before the BMW episode at 8pm EST and an episode featuring the Corvette Z06 factory just after the BMW episode at 10pm EST. In addition, they are repeating all three episodes in a row starting at 11pm EST...
BMW MANUFACTURING CO. TO BE FEATURED ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL'S "ULTIMATE FACTORIES"
11/28/2007
BMW Manufacturing Co. will be the subject of the National Geographic Channel's "Ultimate Factories" television show Thursday, Nov. 29, at 9 p.m. ET.
The hour-long program will focus on the building of the famous Z4 Roadster and is a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes tour of the high-tech manufacturing plants that create this world class automobile. The National Geographic Channel team spent a week in Germany, filming at the factory in the Bavarian heartland of Landshut, where the automotive industry's lightest six-cylinder crankcase is made, at the Munich factory that assembles 1,200 engines a day, and seven days at BMW Manufacturing in Upstate South Carolina where every BMW Z4 is built.
The program also highlights BMW's environmental innovation by being the world's first automotive factory to recycle landfill methane gas from rotting trash to power its plant. Methane gas routed from the nearby Palmetto Landfill provides BMW Manufacturing Co. with 63 percent of all its power, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the upstate of South Carolina by 60,000 tons per year - the equivalent of 4,300 cars driving around the equator every year.
The U.S. plant has 4,500 associates - and almost 500 robots - that produce 600 vehicles a day. From the Body Shop to the Paint Shop and then Assembly, in just under 40 hours a sleek, customized and luxurious BMW Z4 Roadster, replete with the unique double kidney grill and famous white-and-blue roundel logo, is made. Tune in and see how it's done.
BMW Manufacturing Co., a subsidiary of the BMW Group based in Munich, Germany, is the exclusive manufacturer of the Z4 and M Roadster, Z4 and M Coupe in addition to the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle. Its website address is www.bmwusfactory.com. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW's North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America, and a design firm in California.
Also, in case anyone is interested, they are showing an episode featuring the Ferrari factory just before the BMW episode at 8pm EST and an episode featuring the Corvette Z06 factory just after the BMW episode at 10pm EST. In addition, they are repeating all three episodes in a row starting at 11pm EST...
11-29-2007, 06:09 AM
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Nuts. Just checked, and I don't get that channel. Perhaps they'll sell a DVD of it.
FYI: It's also going to be on Friday, November 30, at 12A and Saturday, December 1, at 1P.
FYI: It's also going to be on Friday, November 30, at 12A and Saturday, December 1, at 1P.
11-29-2007, 06:31 AM
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Originally Posted by bdkinnh' post='500584' date='Nov 29 2007, 10:09 AM
Nuts. Just checked, and I don't get that channel. Perhaps they'll sell a DVD of it.
FYI: It's also going to be on Friday, November 30, at 12A and Saturday, December 1, at 1P.
FYI: It's also going to be on Friday, November 30, at 12A and Saturday, December 1, at 1P.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/chan...es/video_4.html
11-29-2007, 06:43 AM
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Cool, thanks Rudy for the heads up...would be great to catch all three factories for comparison sake...but I've got to watch the BMW tour for certain.
11-29-2007, 06:45 AM
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Originally Posted by HotLap' post='500603' date='Nov 29 2007, 10:43 AM
Cool, thanks Rudy for the heads up...would be great to catch all three factories for comparison sake...but I've got to watch the BMW tour for certain.
11-29-2007, 06:56 AM
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My Ride: 2011, X6 Hybrid . Alpine White , every option. 20" Conti' NON runflats,OEM trunk spoiler , LUX V3 AE's , HP Thunder Fogs , custom front bumper reflector delete........
About a year ago I saw a program that featured the complete design process for the 650i, it really made you realize the incredible amount of energy and investment that BMW puts into the development of a new car. I would love to see that again , does anyone know where it might be archived ?
Thanks and Cheers
Thanks and Cheers
11-29-2007, 12:30 PM
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My Ride: 2008 BMW 550i Sport
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Recently gone, but never forgotten:
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Originally Posted by westcoast550' post='500608' date='Nov 29 2007, 10:56 AM
About a year ago I saw a program that featured the complete design process for the 650i, it really made you realize the incredible amount of energy and investment that BMW puts into the development of a new car. I would love to see that again , does anyone know where it might be archived ?
Thanks and Cheers
Thanks and Cheers
And, Rudy, you posted so much info about tonight's show that we don't need to watch it!
But I'm gonna watch it anyway!
11-29-2007, 01:54 PM
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My Ride: '05 545i - scheduled for ED pickup in Munich on 7/22!
I just checked my cable guide and NGC is showing Ferrari factory at 8pm, BMW at 9pm, and Corvette Z06 at 10pm.
Thanks Rudy!
Thanks Rudy!