Auto and Cars

BMW 4 Series Rendered as a Bare-Bones Entry-Level Model There seems to be a trend as of late to render brand new cars as if they were sold as absolute bare-bones models, with plastic bumpers and steel wheels. While that’s not the sort of thing that actually happens with premium models, sometimes it’s fun to think of what a premium, luxury car might look like if it were stripped down to the bare minimum to be sold as cheaply as possible. In the case of the all-new BMW 4 Series, it looks worse than normal.Obviously, when you see these renders they look worse than the standard car. That’s sort of the point. Sometimes that’s not the case, as some cars are oddly charming when stripped down to nothing, but it is the case with the new 4 Series. With black plastic bumper...

Step-by-Step Installation: BMW M Performance suspension kit for the BMW M2 It’s been a while since BMW introduced their M Performance product range. Back in 2012 we saw the first M Performance automobiles, which were bridging the gap between production series BMWs and M models. In addition we also saw numerous M Performance parts coming to the aftersales market for different BMW model lines. BMW’s strategy was clear: The sales volume for aftermarket parts is huge and BMW wants to have its share of the cake.One of BMW’s models which is predestined for the M Performance parts is the BMW M2. Although the M2 already comes with a sporty setup as standard, many customers are looking for an even sportier and more precise chassis. Some time ago I had the opportunity to drive a...

VIDEO: Is the BMW i8 Now and Affordable Dream Car? I still remember when the BMW i8 was first revealed back in 2014. It was a revelation. From its futuristic styling, that still looks futuristic all these years later, to its state-of-the-art powertrain and, while lacking in performance, is still impressive today, the BMW i8 was an incredible car. However, its relatively lackluster performance, which was exacerbated by newer competitors, and high price tag kept it from being a big sales hit. Also, because of its complicated hybrid powertrain, customers were a bit weary of owning it. All of which has led to a shocking level of depreciation.Back in 2014, the i8’s base price was around $136,000, which is admittedly very expensive for a car with just three cylinders and less than 400 c...

2021 BMW M5 Facelift – The Latest “Official Spy Photos” Before The Unveil On the evening of June 16th (US time), BMW will finally unveil the 2021 M5 Facelift. The car has been teased for months and now it’s time to grace us with its presence. But before that, BMW has put together a set of M5 “official spy photos” captured on the Nurburgring. Of course, the idea behind this photoshoot is to emphasize the athletic qualities of the business sedan which can be a great companion on and off the track.Of course, design wise, the 2021 BMW M5 Facelift will follow the lines of the refreshed 5 Series. Expect to see new headlights and taillights of the 5 Series LCI, along with the modified kidney grille and front aprons. The most important update at the front is undoubtedly the fl...

BMW E30 3 Series Buyers Guide – All The Information You Need The E30 was a series of cars BMW produced in many variations for the US from 1984 to 1993. In the car’s heyday it was synonymous with yuppies. Now however, it is known as a super fun to drive car, with the M variant being one of the most desirable BMW’s ever made. While these cars used to be very common to see on the street even just 15 years ago, they have sadly become increasingly rarer due to issues such as rust and just simple mechanical negligence.Why Should I Buy One?Up nextBMW SUV Buyer’s Guide: Which X Car to buy?Buyer’s Guide: What to look for in a BMW E36 M3Buyer’s Guide: E60 5 SeriesBuyer’s Guide: BMW E39 M5Buyer’s Guide: The Infamous BMW E65 / E66 7 SeriesWhether you want a...

BMW 3 Series Long Wheelbase to replace 3 Series GT in India BMW’s 3 Series Long wheelbase model has been around for many years, but until now, it was solely reserved for the Chinese market. But that might change. According to Autocar India, the long wheelbase 3 Series could replace the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo in the Indian automotive market. Despite its unconventional looks, the 3 Series GT turned out to be BMW’s bestseller in India.The 3 Series LWB is expected to hit the showrooms by mid-2021, filling the void left by the recently canceled 3 GT. Same publication reports that Indian customers have already embraced long wheelbase sedans, such as the Mercedes S-class, BMW 7 Series and the Audi A8.Therefore, the longer 3 Series could be a great fit and sold at a much lower pr...

Is the 2022 Tesla Roadster Actually Going to Use Rockets? Sometimes I wish I was Elon Musk. Not for all of his money or for the sort of blind confidence it takes to give a baby an alpha-numeric airplane name but for his ability to dream up whatever madness he wants and convince people it will be real. Recently, the Tesla owner and Howard Hughes stan said that the 2022 Tesla Roadster would actually get a boost (both literally and figuratively) from rockets, via a “SpaceX Thruster Package”.These rocket boosters are said to be compressed air rockets, fed by a COPV (composite overwrapped pressure vessel) filled with compressed air. These rockets are said to be placed all around the outside of the vehicle, capable of adding thrust in any direction for various different reasons. F...

Video: Here’s the condensed story behind the iconic BMW M1 The BMW M1 supercar wrote history back when it was launched. It was a necessary car for the Bavarian car maker and one that could’ve changed the automotive scene forever. That’s because during its development, BMW actually pondered buying out Lamborghini. Imagine how things would’ve looked today if that happened. It didn’t though and BMW had more headaches coming in from Italy than rewards.The story behind the M1 was discussed by its creator, Jochen Neerpasch, time after time. We actually had the chance to sit down with him several times and talk about it. However, if you’re not up to speed with how things went down, the video below might be the fastest way to get you up to speed. It’s exactly...

BMW Working on PHEV models with 100 kilometers of electric range One of the biggest issues people complain about on modern-day PHEV vehicles is the electric range. But it’s not always an issue, as we’ve repeatedly discovered during our reviews. Studies show that most daily commutes around town are rarely over 20 miles. However, car makers have to soothe this kind of range anxiety as well and BMW is already working on it, as it turns out.In the BMW range today you’ll find plenty of PHEV offerings. From the 2 Series up, almost every model has a plug-in hybrid choice available. The farthest you can go, according to the Germans, is about 40 miles according to their estimates.Real-life results show up to 35 miles on a single charge, which isn’t bad at all. However, ac...

I’m Driving the New Toyota Supra — Ask Me Questions One of the most interesting cars in the past few years is the new Toyota Supra. Despite being an automotive icon for decades, Toyota stopped making the Supra for years and years, only for it to return once again as half a BMW. Ever since we learned of this joint venture, I’ve been dying to sample the new Supra and see what a Bavarian take on a Japanese icon would be like. Thankfully, I have that opportunity as we speak, as there’s a Nitro Yellow Supra sitting in my driveway.It might be impossible to not know at this point but, for those that don’t, the new Supra and BMW Z4 were designed together from the ground up by both brands and share most of their components. To be honest, most of the parts are sourced from BMW, ...

BMW X5 xDrive45e model arrives in the US priced at $65,400 There’s been a lot of online talk about the arrival of the new BMW X5 xDrive45e in the US. Initially, it was thought that the new plug-in hybrid from BMW would not come to the US at all. But later on, BMW dismissed those rumors and we even got an estimate for the pricing: $65,400. That was a correct estimate, as it turns out, BMW confirming it today while announcing the introduction of the PHEV SUV for the US market.The new PHEV SUV will be made locally, as all CLAR-based SUVs are, manufactured at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. For the U.S. market, some trims and features are included as standard, which you won’t find on other markets. As standard, the X5 xDrive45e gets 19″ V-spoked Style 734 wheels w...

The Diesel King: ALPINA D5 Facelift with 408 horsepower “The King is dead, long live the King.” Let’s welcome the new 2020 ALPINA D5 Facelift which was unveiled earlier today. Since the BMW’s fantastic M550d quad-turbo model was phased out, the refreshed ALPINA D5 is now the most powerful diesel in the BMW family. The 3.0 liter straight-six cylinder engine with three turbochargers delivers an impressive output of 300 kW (408 hp). A maximum torque of 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) is available between 1750 and 2750 rpm.The Most Powerful Diesel In The FamilyThe BMW ALPINA D5 S Saloon accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and the Touring in 4.6 seconds. With a top speed of 286 km/h (178 mph) (Touring 283 km/h (176 mph)), the BMW ALPINA D5 S is one of the fastest of its ...

SPIED: 2021 BMW iNEXT (I20) scooped testing on the Ring A prototype of the future BMW iNEXT electric SAV has recently been deployed on the Nurburgring track for a session of chassis and dynamics fine-tuning. BMW i’s new halo model is set to arrive around Spring 2021. Until then, the road development phase marches on, as the camouflaged iNEXT (internally dubbed I20) has recently been caught off-handed at the Ring in Germany (as we don’t own the spy shots, you can see them here).The exterior cladding is still heavy, but it still lets us see most of the general silhouette of Munich’s new, pure electric Sports Activity Vehicle. The iX, as it will likely be titled when it officially premieres next year, will sport a muscular, robust and highly dynamic attitude.Rendering @ze...

Video: The BMW X7 M50i is too fast for comfort The BMW X7 range is topped by the V8-equipped M50i model. In this guise, the ultra-luxurious X7 turns into an incredibly fast machine, one that definitely comes close to defying physics. Even though it’s not an M car, and even though there is a more powerful version out there, the Alpina XB7, the BMW X7 M50i is still bringing a lot of performance to the table. Some might even go as far as saying is a bit too much.The video below shows exactly how fast this car can be, at least in a straight line. The guys from AutoTopNL went from 0 to 250 km/h (155 mph) and the numbers are simply astounding for a 7-seat SUV. The X7 M50i did the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 4.73 seconds. It went up to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 17.48 seconds and the sprint...

BMW ALPINA B5 Facelift with 621 hp and 330 km / h top speed Following the release of the BMW 5 Series Facelift, ALPINA is now bringing their own updates to the market. The 2020 ALPINA B5 Facelift was just announced and brings a series of styling upgrades. The Buchloe-based B5 not only gets the sharper look of the refreshed 5 Series, but it’s also based on the M Sport Package. The power output has also been raised from 608 to 621 horsepower, while the design is significantly sportier.Revised Power UnitThe 4.4 liter V8 engine with bi-turbo charging delivers an impressive output of 457 kW (621 hp), and a maximum torque of 800 Nm (590 lb-ft), available from just 2000 rpm. ALPINA says that the BMW ALPINA B5 has quick, linear throttle response and on-demand power delivery throughout the...

BMW M2 CS: Approximately 400 units reserved for the U.S. market The BMW M2 CS will have a very short run. The highly limited sports coupe will arrive to market this year before taking a bow in early November 2020 for the European market. The U.S. market will continue to get additional units into 2021.Naturally, the question everyone has been asking revolves around the allocation numbers for the U.S. market. According to a source close to the company, while the exact figure hasn’t been pinned down, the expectations are that around 400 units will land in the hands of U.S. customers.Initially, the number of M2 CS units hovered around 500, but as always, the production plans can change. The BMW M2 CS is in no way artificially limited and most of the availability constraints will have ...

BMW i Ventures invests in Prometheus Fuels, aiming to turn CO2 into fuel It was late 2018 when we first heard about a company that set out to do what seemed impossible at that time: turn CO2 into fuel. Apart from being able to absorb harmful CO2 from the atmosphere, this new company was actually talking about turning it into fuel. Today, BMW i Ventures announced that it will be investing in the company who came up with this process, Prometheus Fuels.Look beyond the pretentious name and you’ll find a company that aims to make our lives better. And that goal was just validated by BMW and their $12.5 million investment, through its BMW i Ventures arm. “The ability to create gasoline from air, cost competitively with fossil fuels, is a game changer,” said Greg Smithies, Pa...

Video: BMW X2 M35i vs Audi SQ2 and Volkswagen T-Roc R drag race Today, the automotive industry has some truly interesting crossovers to offer for SUV the market. There were new categories and niches created, all built on the premises of a premium all-wheel drive experience.You can include in that category cars like the the BMW X2 or the Audi SQ2. These are also just another set of cars that share their their underpinnings with more conventional bodystyles.The SQ2 is basically an Audi A3 on stilts. The two cars are very similar in a lot of ways, but whereas the A3 just has that classic hatchback look, the Q2 is just taller.But other than that, the technical details are roughly the same. The engines are shared too so the SQ2 uses the same 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged mill you’ll ...

BMW M5 Facelift accurately rendered before June 17 unveil The BMW F90 M5 will get a facelift on June 17. Design wise, the facelifted M5 will sit in line with the currently refreshed 5 Series range. We already knew that M5 LCI was coming and so did various pixel manipulators out there. Therefore, today, we’ve seeing a rendering of what future M5 with the design cues from the new 5 Series. The folks at Kolesa are responsible for this new rendering.Their take on the new M5 looks like is pretty accurate even though some details might be a bit off. The new M5 LCI will get the 5 Series’ bigger grilles with their boxier shape, and the new headlights. The kidneys will also have a double-slat design and feature the M5 logo on the top right corner.As for the bumper, the air intak...

VIDEO: BMW Heaven — Check Out This Stunning BMW Collection Some of you might already know of Peter Gleeson. He’s the very wealthy BMW collector from Seattle, Washington (originally from the UK), who has quite possibly the most incredible collection of BMWs in the country. Potentially even the world. His collection of BMWs isn’t only filled with rare cars but cars that absolutely cannot be found anywhere else. Thankfully, the Peterson Museum takes us all on a tour of his collection in this new video.The car that Gleeson most famously owns is the Frank Stella BMW M1 Art Car. It’s the only one in the world, as all Art Cars are, and it was hand painted by American artist Frank Stella. The Frank Stella M1 might be the most fascinating of all the Art Cars because, actually, ...

BMW Junior Team Could race on Nurburgring for 1st time on June 27 Last year, before the pandemic took over the world, BMW restarted a program that was rather forgotten over the last few years. The BMW Junior Team got revitalized and the man who created the whole concept originally, Mr. Jochen Neerpasch, was asked to return and mentor a new generation of young drivers. Unfortunately, even though the youngsters were supposed to be already racing by now, they had to wait a bit longer, for the tracks to reopen.Their first outing might take place on June 27 though. That’s when the Nurburgring Endurance Series is scheduled, provided everything goes well with the public health sector. The trio of Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen will be guided through the whole process by Jochen N...

Rolls-Royce Father’s Day Ideas — What to Buy a Man Who Can Afford a Rolls? Father’s Day is almost here and it’s about that time to start buying car-related gifts for the father in your life, especially when you’ve run out of other ideas. However, what if the car said father drives is a Rolls-Royce? What the hell can you buy someone who drives a Rolls that they don’t already have? I have a feeling a package of novelty socks isn’t going to suffice.Thankfully, the fine folks in Goowood have you covered. There are a great many Rolls-Royce-branded gifts for that special Rolls lover in your life. If he has a Cullinan, you can buy him the incredibly Viewing Suite for his trunk, which adds two lovely little fold out seats from which to enjoy a beautiful view of all...

VIDEO: BMW X6 M50i tested by The Straight Pipes Ever since it debuted, the BMW X6 has been an odd car. It’s one that almost all journalists and most enthusiasts bemoan, due to its odd-ball styling, lack of practicality and absurd price tag. However, BMW must be onto something as the X6 sells extremely well, especially in North America. This new one is the best of them, though, and it gets tested by The Straight Pipes in this new video.The car in question is the BMW X6 M50i, which is the M Performance model of the lineup. That makes it more exciting than the standard car but less so than the full-on X6 M. Just because it’s not a full-blown M car doesn’t mean it can’t accelerate like one, as seen in this video. It launches hard and is far faster than a car of its s...

BMW 4 Series Production Cars Seen in Public for First Time Really, when it comes to discussing the BMW 4 Series, it all starts with its design. To say that its design is polarizing would be a gross understatement. There seem to be huge portions of the BMW fanbase that genuinely can’t stand this new design, as we’ve seen such outrage in our comments section, social media pages and forums. However, we tend to reserve final judgement until after we’ve seen the car in the flesh and been able to get up close and personal with it. Prior to now, the only other photos we’ve seen of the BMW 4 Series have been the manufacturer photos BMW put out along with its press release. This is the first we’ve seen of non-camouflaged production 4 Series cars out in public and th...

BMW B58 Will Power Upstart Land Rover Defender-Competitor BMW seems to be loaning out the B58 turbo-I6 to anyone that asks for it, these days. First it started out as a partnership with Toyota, for the new Supra, then BMW lent it to the folks at Morgan and now we’re learning that the upstart Land Rover Defender-Competitor, the Ineos “Projekt Grenadier” will also get the engine. Ineos is a London-based chemical company whose CEO and founder Jim Ratcliffe came up with the idea to develop a proper Land Rover Defender successor. After learning that the old body-on-frame off-roader was going to be replaced with something more modern, Ratcliffe was a bit disappointed and decided to make something more in keeping with the original Defender’s spirit. What he came up with...

BMWBLOG Podcast Ep 29 — Scott Villenueve from Limited-Slip Blog Talks 4 Series Now that the new 4 Series has been revealed, and some leaked photos of the M4 have been revealed, we decided to talk to someone who’s owned several BMWs over the years and knows the brand well — Scott Villenueve from Limited-Slip Blog. Scott has owned many Bimmers over the years, including more than one F80 BMW M3 and now currently owns a BMW M235i Gran Coupe. The latter of which proves that he’s unafraid to put his own money down for a BMW that might stray from the brand’s heritage a bit. It also proves that styling isn’t his main priority, as he willingly admits to its ugliness. Which is why we thought it perfect to talk to him about the new 4 Series. This new 4er has been subj...

Video: 840 HP BMW M5 drag races 940 HP Mercedes-AMG GT63 4-door There is one BMW F90 M5 which is starting to gain a cult. This particular M5 belong to the guys from the Youtube channel DSC OFF. That little bundle of joy has been racing some of the fastest cars on the planet right now and impressed us every time. The tuned, land-rocket, is just incredibly fast for a sedan, a sedan of any shape. But this time around, it is taking on yet another marvel of engineering: the AMG GT63 4-door. The two are tuned but not to the extent you might think. There’s no ethanol injection, no larger turbos, no hardcore mechanical changes were done to the two cars. Even so, the power they can deliver is absolute mind-bending. The M5 claims to be capable of delivering 840 HP, thanks to some ECU tinker...