Auto and Cars

How does the U.S. license plate look on the new BMW 4 Series Coupe? One of the larger controversies surrounding the design of the new BMW 4 Series has been the location of the front license plate, specifically American license plates. Unlike Euro plates, which are short and wide and actually relatively elegant looking, American plates are taller and narrower, more square-like. All of the press images of the new 4er featured Euro-spec cars with European plates. Because of that, fans couldn’t really imagine what the 4 Series would look like with American plates and whatever they did imagine didn’t seem very appealing. In these new photos, we get to see what the new BMW 4 Series might look like with different U.S. plates. Honestly, the design doesn’t look great, as the li...

2020 MINI John Cooper Works GP now on display at the Abu Dhabi showroom The rocket MINI JCW Cooper GP arrived in the Abu Dhabi showroom in a truly stylish outfit. The new MINI John Cooper Works GP is the most powerful and dynamic MINI that ever existed. It will be assembled in a production of 3,000 units. Today, the MINI JCW GP is the newest resident of the Abu Dhabi Motors dealership in the Middle East. Specifically, the show car on display is the example #0111, as revealed by the “GP 0111” inscription embossed on the dashboard. The exterior individualization for the high-performance MINI includes the Racing Grey paintwork, complemented by the Melting Silver contrasting roof color and the Chili Red highlights on the front end, side profiles and roof-mounted rear GP spoiler....

Rolls-Royce’s Whispers app reports customer interests during lockdown A while back, at the dawn of 2020 and before the Coronavirus lockdown took over our lives, Rolls-Royce was issuing a press release, saying it now has a social media app on offer for its customers. Whispers is aiming at the ultra-rich out there, and it is available solely to those who buy a Rolls-Royce. Therefore, you’ll only find people with certain backgrounds and inclinations on there. It is, if you will, the technological embodiment of the concept of networking. Well, during the lockdown, Rolls-Royce took a look at what was going on inside the app and how people were using it and got some interesting results. In case you were wondering how the ultra-rich spent their time during the lockdown, this is your chan...

Grille Off — Why is the BMW 4 Series Grille More Criticized Than the Audi A5’s? At the moment, BMW is under a bit of fire for the grille design of its new 4 Series Coupe. The design is far bigger and bolder than anything the Bavarians have done before, even more so than the gargantuan BMW X7. However, if we’re being honest, Audi has been guilty of using enormous grilles for far longer. Back with the C6 Audi A6 and B7 Audi A4, the folks in Ingolstadt (BMW’s Bavarian neighbors) started putting big grilles on its cars. So why does BMW get the hate, while Audi seems to be abstained from it? A simple answer is just execution. It seems as if Audi is better at integrating a larger grille design into the rest of the car’s styling. There’s also a subtlety to the way Audi ...

Video: How does the new 4 Series compare to older BMW Coupe models? According to some pundits, the new face of the 4 Series Coupe doesn’t fit in the typical BMW patterns. But what are those patterns exactly? Take a look throughout BMW’s history and you’ll quickly notice that the iconic kidney grilles have changed shape and size a number of times. Then again, a comprehensive view of how they evolved requires a look through about 100 years of car making. That’s probably why the BMW team felt like some explanation was needed, to put things in context. The video below features Pieter Nota, BMW’s board member responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales, explaining how the design of the new 4 Series fits within BMW’s history of great Coupes. “When I w...

BMW Motorsport reveals liveries for 2020 DTM season BMW Motorsport announced today its new liveries for 2020 DTM racing season, along with the full lineup of sponsors and partners. Five of the six works BMW M4 DTM will compete in the well-known and familiar colors of Shell, BMW Bank, CATL, Schaeffler and ZF. The sixth M4 DTM gets a new sponsor: iQOO. “We are very happy to have our strong partners at our side, even in difficult times like these,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “The corona pandemic also put the brakes on the DTM, and when the season can finally start, it will be under different conditions than we are used to. That is why we are all the more grateful for the loyalty and ongoing support of our partners. It shows once again that we are o...

A realistic rendering of the upcoming BMW 4 Series Convertible The talented rendering artist at X-Tomi Design has put together a new rendering of the future BMW 4 Series Convertible. The Photoshoped image is based on the yesterday’s unveil of the 4 Series Coupe, and is likely quite close to the final product design. The new 4 Series family will become whole next year when the convertible and Gran Coupe models will join the lineup. We’ve also confirmed yesterday with the BMW engineering team that the new 4 Series Convertible/Cabriolet will get a soft top. That will lead to additional cargo space and a lower curb weight. Virtually no changes are expected at the front-end, so the large kidney grille is here to stay on the cabriolet as well. The rear-end will indeed be slightly...

Video: BMW head of Development takes new 4 Series to the track Even though most people are focusing on the design of the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe, this new sports coupe is a lot more than just its big grille. The new 4 Series has to rise to every driver’s expectations on the track and for a brand whose slogan is “The Ultimate Driving Machine”, the experience behind the wheel takes the centerstage. With the new model, BMW took extra care not only to differentiate the new 4er stylistically from the current 3er, but also to make the Coupe drive all that much better. We’ve had the chance to sample a pre-production M440i Coupe last month and you can read our review here. In the video below we get to hear the BMW head of Development, Klaus Frohlich, talk about the car&r...

Video: 2020 BMW 4 Series styling explained by BMW Head of Design In the video below, we get to listen to Domagoj Dukec, BMW’s Head of Design, who explains the design philosophy behind the all-new BMW 4 Series. Dukec goes into a lengthy design overview, explaining the intricacies of the new 4 Series Coupe. Naturally, it’s always best to listen to get an overview from a designer, so Dukec points out quite a few interesting things. According to Dukec, the main goal here was to set the 4 Series apart from its 3 Series brother and give it its own personality. “From now on, the number ‘4’ will stand for an even more self-confident and expressive series of products, says Dukec. “All models will show a complete differentiation from the current 3 Series, as w...

2021 BMW 5 Series Facelift: First Real Life Photos From BMW Welt Courtesy of the BMW Welt in Munich, we can now bring you the first real life photos of the new 2020 BMW 5 Series Facelift. It has been a busy month for BMW, with the launch of the refreshed 5 Series, and now the introduction of the second generation 4 Series Coupe. While the new sports coupe plays in a niche segment, the 5 Series Sedan and Touring are BMW’s backbone and some of the most iconic models. And while the 4 Series Coupe is bringing forward a revolutionary design, the 5 Series LCI takes a more cautious approach. Mild, Yet Effective Facelift The new BMW 5 Series models boast a significantly revamped visual identity, with clearly structured surfaces and eye-catching details, adding sharpness, character and enh...

BMW M440i Rendered with 2 Series Gran Coupe Grille We’re clearly beating a dead horse by now, but unfortunately, the kidney grille on the new BMW 4 Series is still the main topic of the day. Despite having some impressive performance and tech, and despite having a revolutionary design, the G22 4 Series gets hammered for its oversized kidney grille. So naturally, people are trying to imagine a new 4 Series, without the XXL grille. Yesterday we featured an M440i rendering on our Instagram channel with the 8 Series fascia (another controversial design at launch time). But today, we have the very same BMW M440i with the 2 Series Gran Coupe kidneys. If you go back a few months ago, the new 2 Series Gran Coupe was the villain of the BMW family, and the design of its kidneys was often cr...

Genesis: BMW From the Beginning, by Jackie Jouret My passion for BMWs was rekindled at the turn of the 21st century with a three day loan of an E39 M5. The M5 was as close to perfection as I had seen in an automobile. I was smitten and a subsequent stint in an E46 M3 couple merely served to seal the deal. I had lusted after a 2002 when I was in my early 20s but couldn’t scrape together the coin to buy a new one (should have bought used, d’oh!). But a drive of a 528e in the early 1980s did nothing to help push me towards ownership. But that E39 M5 . . . Ownership lead to involvement in the BMW CCA Kansas City chapter – one of the oldest in the nation. And from there to writing about BMWs for the club newsletter, Milepost. Eventually I was introduced to Horatiu Boer...

New BMW 4 Series Coupe online configurator goes live on several BMW websites The new BMW 4 Series Coupe is here and so are the online configurators for the G22 generation, now available on many BMW websites around the world. The premium mid-sized coupe from BMW is offered in two equipment lines: the Basis model and the M Sport version. This is a pretty different strategy than the one applied for the outgoing F32 generation, where you’d also get the Sport Line and Luxury Line trims. It is pretty obvious that BMW is looking for an aggressive positioning of its G22 4 Series, just like in the case of the 8 Series models. The clear intention is to direct customers mostly towards the range-topping M Sport variant. Besides these, you can also get an optional, fancier M Sport Pro package...

Photo Comparison: BMW 4 Series Coupe vs BMW 8 Series Coupe When we first started seeing spy photos of the newly-released BMW 4 Series, clad in camouflage, we thought it looked like a mini-8 Series. Moreover, we had heard rumors that it would actually drive like a baby 8 Series as well. Turns out, neither of those were exactly accurate. BMW claims the new 4 Series to be more of a sports car than anything else and we now know that its styling is not a direct carryover from the 8 Series. So we thought we’d put together a side-by-side comparison to see how the two BMW coupes differ. Let’s get the faces of both cars out of the way first. Up front, the 4 Series makes the 8 Series positively tame. When the 8er first debuted, it was said to have had massive grilles. Now, it looks re...

Photo/Spec Comparison: BMW 4 Series vs Audi A5 Coupe Today, the all-new 2020 BMW 4 Series made its official debut,which means it now has to compete with the newly-facelifted Audi A5. From the looks and sounds of it, the new 4 Series and A5 will be interesting competitors. On paper, it will be a close call but in terms of design, there might be a big advantage toward one car or another. We obviously haven’t driven the new BMW 4 Series, as it isn’t on sale just yet, so we can’t actually compare the two cars. However, we can check out their specs and their design, to see which one looks better and which seems better on paper. Check the Specs On paper, the two cars are surprisingly should compete well. Both the standard Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series (not the S5 or M440i) come ...

2021 BMW 4 Series: No manual transmission and no plug-in hybrid We’ve just finished a conference call with the BMW design team and engineering team behind the new 2021 BMW 4 Series and we’ve learned some new things. Firstly, the BMW 4 Series will NOT get a manual transmission. This applies to all markets and it’s a first for a BMW 3 Series/4 Series Coupe. “We we saw a significant decrease in take rate for manuals, almost to none,” Andreas Ederer (Head of Project) told us. “Therefore we decided to not have a manual transmission for this generation. Although, we know that there are some customers looking for a manual transmission vehicle. And, but this is a very small niche.” The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, even though the M...

M Performance Parts for the 2021 BMW 4 Series available at market launch From market launch, the 2021 BMW 4 Series will get a set of M Performance Parts which will enhance the already sporty look of the new coupe. As always, the M Performance Parts package focuses mostly on visual upgrades. The carbon fiber is an integral part of the M Performance Parts and it starts at the front. The front bumper gets some carbon fiber inserts in the air curtains which work perfectly against the Alpine White paint job. There is also an aggressively-shaped front lip which seems to feature a design we have not seen before. The massive kidney grille also gets styled. The outer edges of the one-piece grille is made of carbon fiber. The canards are the last piece added to the front fascia. On the side, you...

Video: Here’s how the G30 5 Series morphed into the refreshed version Yesterday was a big day for the automotive industry. A number of car makers decided that May 27th should be the perfect day to launch their latest offerings and the market was flooded. Apart from the refreshed BMW 5 Series sedan we also got to see the Touring model, the new 6 Series GT, the MINI Countryman, a new X2 model and a couple of Mercedes-Benz E-Class beauties that were also unveiled yesterday. Big day then. The new 5 Series LCI is the biggest news for fans of the Bavarian brand. The current G30 model is proving to be quite a success, already being delivered to 600,000 satisfied customers around the world. By the time it goes out of production, it could top the 1 million mark. And despite its success, BMW deci...

How To Care For Your BMW’s Leather When it comes to leather care, there is no one size fits all solution. BMW carries many different types of leather, as well as several versatile non-leather options to fit different budgets and styles. As an avid enthusiast, I’ve been fortunate to own many different models, creating a necessity for me to understand leather care for a wide variety of BMW leather types, from the Leatherette in my first BMW, a 2007 328xi, to the Merino Leather in my current 2020 BMW X3M Competition. For some types of leather, only cleaning is necessary, as many modern leathers have built-in top coats to protect them from fading and cracking, while others require more care and attention. While this guide won’t cover every type of leather BMW has ever offered, i...

2021 BMW M5 Facelift: Renders show the front and rear of the F90 LCI The BMW 5 Series facelift serves as the base for these new renderings featuring the upcoming BMW M5 Facelift. The refreshed 5 Series, along with this M5 LCI teaser image, gives us a better understanding of the M5’s improved design. As always, our friend @zer.o.wt delivers some realistic renders. The images incorporate the the 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 flatter headlights with their completely new daytime running light design. In place of the slightly angular daytime running light rings, which open towards the kidney, there is a new L-shaped design which is only rudimentary rem...

No points for Maximilian Gunther in latest Race at Home Challenge outing Even though Maximilian Gunther showed great promise in the first virtual outings in the ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge, it seems like bad luck has been following him ever since. The latest bout with it was in the last race. Having qualified to start from the second place on the grid, Maximilian was in a great position for a good finish. However, a collision pushed him towards the back of the line and he ended up finishing 12th. Günther spun in the first turn after Neel Jani hit the rear of his car. As a result he had to let the whole field pass him. He went on to fight his way back up into 12th place, but, like Sims in 14th place, finished outside the points. Victory went to Stoffel Vandoorne from Merced...

Two BMW Z4 GT3 cars finish on the podium on the virtual Nordschleife Sim racing has really taken off lately. BMW teams with professional BMW Works drivers have been competing in the virtual realm quite a lot recently. The latest race took place yesterday and it was, once again, hosted on the virtual Nurburgring Nordschleife. The fifth race of the Digital Nurburgring Endurance Series powered by VCO saw Bruno Spengler and Christian Krognes finishing on the second and third place aboard the BMW Z4 GT3. Spengler, driving his usual Z4 GT3 in the Team BMW Bank colors started off from sixth place. To make things even more difficult, he and his team mate, Nils Koch, got a 35-second penalty after an incident with another car on the track. Nevertheless, the BMW Bank BMW Z4 GT3 managed to work its...

LEAKED: The All-New BMW 4 Series Coupe (M440i Coupe) We’re not surprised that the BMW 4 Series has been leaked two days before its unveil. As it has been the case lately, most of the exciting new BMW models have found their way onto the Interwebs way ahead of their official debut. As a matter of fact, the new 4 Series fully leaked a few months ago, so very few surprises were left in store. Today, several Instagram account, along with some online media are reporting on the leak. The images are part of an official marketing brochure and feature the top BMW M440i Coupe model. The official debut is scheduled for 12:15PM EST on June 2nd, 2020. View this post on Instagram FILTRADO! #bmw4series #the4 A post shared by 𝗕𝗠𝗪⻿...

Stunning BMW M8 Gran Coupe in Donington Grey Metallic over Midrand Beige The BMW M8 Gran Coupe has one of the most stunning designs to come out from Munich in the last decade. The sleek, elegant and sporty four-door coupe sits at the top of the M8 range and competes in a segment with the likes of Porsche Panamera Turbo, Mercedes-AMG GT63 S and Audi RS7. But if you add some BMW Individual touches to the already beautiful lines of the M8 Gran Coupe? That’s exactly what a reader of ours has done. Meet Karl and his BMW M8 Gran Coupe in Donington Grey. The color name might sound familiar from the BMW X6 M which was the first to baptize the gorgeous shade of grey. Later on, the paint showed up on the X4 M and other BMW models as well. To make things even more special, Karl decided to ...

BMWBLOG Podcast Ep 28 — BMW 5 Series LCI, 6 Series GT, MINI Countryman and a Potential 6 Series Revival In this latest episode of the BMWBLOG Podcast, we’re going to talk about mostly LCI stuff. For 2020, the BMW 5 Series, 6 Series GT and MINI Countryman all received LCI facelifts and all three cars have enough changes to genuinely help them compete in their segments. So let’s break ’em down. First, we talk about the BMW 5 Series and just how good it looks. The pre-LCI G30-gen BMW 5 Series was already a great looking car. In fact, it was still competitive in its segment, despite being the oldest car in it by far. Now, though, it looks even better and has been refreshed just enough that it can hang with the much newer Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6. The BMW 6 Series...

Five of the Best BMW F80 M3 and F82 M4 Parts on Modfind Of all the modern BMWs, the F80 M3 and F82 M4 are the cars most likely to be modded. Not only do they both take to modding well, with big gains coming relatively easy, but there’s also a massive aftermarket community for both cars. What makes that even better is the fact that with that massive aftermarket community comes a massive used aftermarket part community. To take advantage of that community you can use Modfind. This nice thing about ModFind is that it’s a car-part marketplace for the enthusiast community. So you know the people selling parts are genuine gear-heads, as are the people buying. What’s more, if you’re trying to sell a part but are having a hard time, you can pay other local enthusiasts to...

TEST DRIVE: 2020 BMW X1 xDrive20i – The Correct Choice The recent test drive with the 2020 BMW X1 xDrive20i proved me that, sometimes, less is actually more. Here’s why. A little history for the beginning The segment of premium compact crossovers was, more or less, pioneered by BMW in 2009, when the Bavarians introduced their first-ever X1 model. Codenamed E84, the first generation was developed on the on the same rear-wheel drive platform as the E91 3 Series Touring. Of course, like all pure rear-traction Bimmers, the first X1 series also featured proper 6-cylinder units on variants such as the xDrive28i with 245 PS (241 hp) and xDrive35i with 286 PS (282 hp). The X1 was also offered with rear-wheel drive, basically on the low-end variants such as the sDrive16d, sDrive18i, sDriv...

MINI Could get an even bigger SUV than the Countryman MINI recently unveiled a facelift for its biggest car in the range right now, the Countryman. This update keeps the car relevant for a few more years considering that MINI is now extending its traditional 7-year production span on a number of MINI models. Given the COVID-19 situation, and how the automotive industry is trying to recover from the pandemic, chances are we’ll be seeing the current MINI line-up in production for a bit more than usual. The Countryman is also one of the most popular cars in the range. MINI claims that the crossover is responsible for the lion’s share of the sales. Over 30 percent of cars sold by the British car maker wearing the Countryman name on the tailgate. This goes to show that even thou...

Video: M8 Competition drag races S1000 RR bike in BMW showdown When people think of the fastest vehicle BMW makes today, they usually come up with the same answer: the M8 Competition. That may be true for cars, but let’s not forget that BMW also makes bikes. The BMW Motorrad has been doing that for a long long time and learned a lot in the process. That’s why BMW is able to offer superbikes for those of you out there who prefer two wheels instead of four. As we all know, bikes are faster than cars for a simple reason: the power to weight ratio. They usually have incredible amounts of power available per kilo, especially when compared to certain, heavy cars. The video below wants to find out whether the new M8 Competition can keep up or even beat the fastest road-legal bike B...