We are indeed living in cautious 
1 times. 
Even those fortunate enough to 
I have a large amount of what econo- 
| mists call "disposable income" are dis- 
B posing of it as prudently as possible. 
And so one could find considera- 
I] ble irony in the fact that, even during 
| the dog days of last year's crunch, the 
[ demand for BMW exceeded even the 
I most optimistic predictions. 
One could, that is, if it were not 
H for the fact that the BMW is as appeal- 
I ing to those who know money as it is 
H to those who know cars. 
ENGINE TECHNOLOGY. A DECADE 
AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION . 
In a desperate attempt to cope 
I with the realities of the 1980's, many 
I of the world's automakers have 
H been forced to drastically rethink their 
I engine technology. 
Cutting cylinders, resorting to 
■ diesel fuel, tinkering with all manner 
■ of electronic devices. 
Now. as any automotive expert 
| can tell you, evolution is always prefera- 
ble to revolution. So the fact that the 
engineers at BMW recognized the wis- 
dom of such formerly exotic concepts 
as four and six-cylinder engines, sen- 
sible piston displacements and impres- 
sive power-to-weight ratios, literally 
decades ago, puts the BMW— and its 
owner— at a decided advantage. 
In truth, the legendary perform- 
ance capabilities of the BMW power 
plant are the result of years of evolu- 
tionary development— millions of miles 
of testing and refinement— on and off 
the great racecourses of the world. 
STATE-OF-THF-ART ELECTRONICS. 
At the turn of the ignition key. 
a computerized engine monitoring sys- 
tem (first installed by BMW in 1975) 
goes into operation. 
With every engine revolution a 
computer receives and assesses sig- 
nals from electronic sensors within the 
6-cylinder engine itself. Then instantly 
determines the precise air/fuel 
mixture to be injected into the cylin- 
der ports— optimizing emissions, fuel 
consumption and power development 
to a degree once considered merely 
within the realm of academic theory.* 
THE OPTIMAL SYNTHESIS OF 
MAN AND MACHINE . 
When you drive a BMW for the 
first time, you will experience a unique 
sensation: a total oneness with the car. 
A standard five-speed transmis- 
sion (automatic is available) affords the 
unaccountably unique opportunity to 
pick and choose one’s own gears. 
Its suspension system— indepen- 
dent on all four wheels— has a singular 
capacity for removing the drama from 
even the most unnerving road conditions. 
Vital controls are within easy 
reach. The tachometer, speedometer 
and ancillary instruments are large, well- 
marked and totally visible. 
RFSAI F: THF ACID TEST 
When all of the hyperbole has 
been expended, there is one brutally 
reliable way of determining a car's true 
value: how much of its original price it 
retains on the used-car market. 
Seen in this revealing light no car 
in its category— not Mercedes 280E. 
not Jaguar XJ6, not Cadillac— equals 
the BMW. 
According to the National Auto- 
mobile Dealers Association's own 1980 
used-car guide, for example, over the 
past 5 years the BMW 528i retained an 
astonishing 77.9% of its original price. 
If you find the notion of owning a 
BMW more than a little in- 
triguing. we suggest you 
phone your nearest BMW j 
dealer and arrange a test 
drive at your convenience. 
THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. 
BMW. MUNICH. GERMANY 
* 
1980 BMW of North America. Inc The BMW trademark and logo are registered trademarksof Bayensche Motoren Werke. A G ‘For example the BMW 320* (*'th 5 speed standard traps ' >> 
:ei'vers(25j EPA estimated mpg. 36 estimated highway mileage and. based on these figures, an estimated mpg range of i383 miles and a highway range of 651 mi (Natura . ou r *oe< e*V enc. 
|re for companson purposes only Your actual mileage and range may vary depending on speed weather and trip length Your actual highway mileage and highway range ! most «e’> be >ve r 
-J 
