Auto and Cars

BMW: Regularly fast-charging won’t noticeably affect our batteries The switch from internal combustion engines to electric ones won’t be an easy one and it brings a few issues we weren’t initially expecting. Since electric cars require an entirely different infrastructure, they will bring with them some different problems that need to be taken care of. One that seems to be of particular interest for most ‘electronauts’ is related to the downsides of fast-charging on the regular. Recent reports showed that cars using fast charging more often could end up having issues retaining similar amounts of energy stored in their batteries compared to cars that have been charged on lower settings. It was one of the topic I had the chance to touch on during a recent interview...

Video: BMW X1 review finds it typical for a Bavarian Machine, predictable The BMW X1 has largely been ignored by the press as of late. With more and more new models making their debuts, the little crossover has been forgotten by most media outlets. Nevertheless, the X1 keeps on marching on, with sales showing it’s quite an appealing model for a lot of people. Sure, the fact that it’s the cheapest car with a BMW badge you can buy still plays a part in that equation but the X1 is worth a look over if you’re interested in a compact SUV. But what should you expect from it? The guys from Savagegeese did a very comprehensive review of it and cover most of the topics you might be interested in, when buying a new car. What makes the X1 interesting is that, even though it has a...

BMW i8 Gets tuned to 409 HP, gets better fuel economy While it may seem peculiar at first, one of the goals behind the making of the BMW i8 was the fuel consumption. Of course, that wasn’t the main concern, but BMW wanted to prove that you can have supercar looks and decent performance without having to source your own oil field. That’s why the engine ‘under the hood’ is a three-cylinder, 1.5 liter tiny thing, turbocharged into oblivion. And the power output of that engine can go even further up. According to the guys from DTE Systems, the car can make even more power with a simple ECU tune. They claim the total power output of the i8 can be taken up to 409 HP without damage to the internals. They have been coy about the details but did mention this was achieved ...

BMW Spartanburg plant to gradually reopen starting May 4 A month has passed since the shutdown of the BMW Plant in Spartanburg – due to the COVID-19 outbreak – but now the German automaker is ready to gradually reopen its production lines. According to WYFF4, citing the company’s Plant Spartanburg Communications Manager Sky Foster, the Spartanburg-based factory will open on May 4th for A-shift only. The B-shift will start May 18, Foster said. Furthermore, BMW says that the staggered approach will give all its suppliers time to ramp back up. During the non-production time, BMW implemented a variety of deep cleaning and safety measures. This included disinfecting equipment in all technologies, sanitizing workstations, remodeling layouts to enhance social dista...

SPIED: Upcoming BMW i4 Caught Juicing at the EV Bar It’s always fun seeing spy shots of cars that are still in production. It’s like spotting some rare wild animal in its natural habitat, doing something that you wouldn’t normally see it doing. Except, instead of seeing a rare tiger licking its… paw… we’re seeing a BMW i4 stopping for some juice. (We don’t own these spy photos so you can check them out here) In these new spy photos, we get to see a camouflaged BMW i4 test mule surprisingly up close and personal. These photos offer a better look at the i4 than almost any other ones we’ve seen. Most of what we can see from the design we’ve already seen before. However, there are a few things that stand out that interest us. BMW i4 Co...

2022 BMW 2 Series Coupe (G42): Latest digital artist impression After Sunday’s leak, it was only a matter of time until the first digital renderings of the future G42 2 Series would appear on the interwebs. In the last two years, BMW, and other automakers, have experienced some significant leaks, including early reveals of future models that were still under development, like the X5 M/X6 M models and the M8 Coupe. On April 26th, an otherwise calm day, nothing announced the storm that would break out as 2 shots of what appeared to be the upcoming 2 Series Coupe surfaced on the Internet. BMW has yet to acknowledge that it was indeed a 2 Series prototype, but all clues point to that. Set to arrive next year, the new G42 2 Series will remain a pure-bred, rear-driven BMW coupe. The fut...

BMW Welt reopens May 4th after the major CoVID-19 lockdown After the big lockdown caused by the outspread of the coronavirus infectious disease, the BMW Welt is reopening to public starting May 4th, 2020. Upon the easening of the restrictive measures imposed by the Bavarian State Government to limit the spread of the CoVID-19 pandemic, BMW Welt is set to reopen to public beginning with May 4th. The vehicle collection service, sales rooms and showrooms will all become available again. So, collecting your new Bimmer from BMW Welt will once again be possible. Also, if you’re looking for some advice prior the acquisition of a BMW Group vehicle, you have to know that a limited number of visitors will receive such advisory service in the BMW Welt showrooms. In addition, the BMW Welt Li...

VIDEO: Watch and Listen to the BMW M440i xDrive Prototype Accelerate Yesterday, we were all given a teaser of the upcoming BMW M440i xDrive Prototype by the Bavarians themselves. Some European journalists were given the chance to not only see the pre-production, camouflaged prototype in the flesh but also drive it. Among those journalists was our good friend Benny, from our German sister site BimmerToday. He was also able to grab some video of his experience, showing off what the M440i looks and sounds like while accelerating. First, though, let’s talk about how it sounds at start-up. In Europe, cars must now get certain exhaust particulate filters, as per new regulations, and these filters tend to mute exhaust notes a bit. So, at the moment, Euro-market cars sound worse than they...

Video: BMW E30 Gets turned into block of ice, starts anyway Straight from the realm of incredibly audacious videos, we’re bringing you yet another crazy experiment. This time it involves an old BMW E30 3 Series, some water and lots of cold. This is the story of a brave little BMW that got frozen solid (basically turned into a block of ice) that refused to die. The video below shows an ‘experiment’ done by Garage 54. They wanted to see whether it would be possible to thaw a car if it was frozen solid. You may seen footage, or at least pictures, of cars being turned into solid blocks of ice due to freezing rain before. I’ve seen and felt that myself, a couple of years back, and I can tell you it’s not particularly fun. Having to remove snow from a car is a wa...

BMW: Solid State Batteries are not yet viable, could be after 2027 Electrified cars are on the rise, regardless of whether or not you want them to be. Be it plug-in hybrid models or purely electric ones, the electrification of personal mobility is shaping up. Therefore, the work done in this field is starting to be more and more important by the day. BMW has been making electric cars for about 7 years now, even more if you take into consideration all the hybrid models the Germans launched over the years. That would be considered an adequate amount of experience but the struggles every car maker has to face in this field are not to be ignored. We recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with some of the key people involved in battery development over in Munich. Due to the partic...

Photo Comparison: BMW iX3 vs Mercedes-Benz EQC Just yesterday, some photos leaked of the upcoming BMW iX3, the all-electric version of the X3, and they honestly seemed rather encouraging (despite the fact that the iX3 won’t be coming to the US market). However, the iX3 isn’t the only electric crossover in its segment. It’s not even the only German. There’s also the Mercedes-Benz EQC and they couldn’t be more direct rivals if they were named Rocky and Drago. Obviously, we can’t compare how these cars drive, as we haven’t driven either; the EQC is difficult to test and the iX3 hasn’t even been officially revealed yet. However, we can compare their styling which, let’s face it, is going to do 90-percent of the selling of these two cars ...

TEST DRIVE: 2021 BMW 4 Series Prototype – “The Scalpel” Most of the media reports devoted to the new 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe thus far have focused on its design. But now, with the keys to several prototypes in our grasp, we have the chance to write a preliminary driving report on the new car. We also get an idea of what the second generation of the midsize coupe has to offer besides a large kidney grille. After all, the most discussed aspect of the G22 4 Series has long since been answered: it will have a whole new kidney design, which will set it apart from the 3 Series much more clearly than before. A New Powertrain However, the controversial design is far from the only aspect of the new 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe that distinguishes it from the 3 Series Sedan. Behind the confident front...

BMW 4 Series Pre-Production Prototype — Official Technical Specs/Photos Revealed This upcoming BMW 4 Series is a bit of a polarizing topic for enthusiasts of the brand. On one hand, fans are excited about a two-door coupe built on the similar chassis setup as the G20 3 Series. On the other hand, its new front end design language has most fans… let’s say disappointed. Yea, disappointed. That’s a gentle way of putting it. However, there’s a lot more to the upcoming 4 Series than just its new kidney grille. In fact, after learning about what’s under the skin, a lot of fans might forget and/or forgive its new mug. BMW has just lifted the veil on the technical specs of the next-gen 4 Series, giving us a look at what makes the new two-door Bimmer so exciting. It...

2021 BMW 5 Series LCI: A short comparison with the pre-LCI generation Ahead of the official Internet premiere in May, the new LCI generation of the 2021 BMW 5 Series is now briefly revealed to get a first taste of what’s to come. As a 5 Series owner, I get excited every time a new generation kicks in, almost like it were my birthday. Although we are not talking about an entirely new vehicle generation, the LCI treatment for the G30/G31 5 Series is an important refreshment to the Bavarian business model lineup. The new 5 Series LCI looks pretty spot on and is a welcome makeover of the pre-LCI model, which was a bit criticized for looking a little dull and out of place in the BMW portfolio. While I appreciated the styling of the pre-facelift G30/G31, it was clearly an evolution of ...

Gunther picks up first points in ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Formula E has been postpone along with most other racing series’, so alternatives had to be found. The people behind the rising electric motorsport decided to go the sim-racing route and create the ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge. As the name suggests, the competition is held in the virtual realm, with drivers competing against each other from the comfort of their own homes. Maximilian Gunther, who was supposed to start for BMW i Andretti Motorsport in Formula E this year, managed to post impressive performance on the virtual track so far. After he won the test round last week, he won the first points this past weekend as well, finishing the first ABB Formula E Race at Home ...

New report claims upcoming BMW X8 M could have 750 HP The BMW X8 topic is back again. BMW applied for trademarks already on variations of the name and as we reported before, the car is just a couple of years away. Furthermore, the new model will get a bespoke M version which is supposed to bring an insane amount of power. The jury is still out on the actual number of ponies in the BMW X8 M – we’ve heard anywhere fro 700 to around 750 hp, thanks to a hybrid setup. Car Magazine published a report (which is unclear whether it’s based on new or previous information) stating that the new X8 M will have incredible specs. The car is being developed under the ‘Project Rockstar’ codename and is slated to get a new iteration of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 S63 en...

Upcoming BMW i8 M could be a 600 HP Hybrid Supercar Ever since the reveal of the BMW Vision M NEXT concept car, rumors and speculation about a potential hybrid supercar in BMW’s future. According to this new report from Car and Driver, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. This new report claims that the next hybrid supercar from BMW will be an evolution of the i8, just with more everything. It’s said that this new supercar — which C&D is calling the ‘i8 M’ — will have a gasoline engine and electric motor at the back axle, with another electric motor at the front axle. However, rather than a three-cylinder engine behind the driver, it will be a four-cylinder engine. Total system power should be around 600 hp, thanks to its more potent...

Video: 840 HP BMW M5 drag races McLaren 720S There used to be a time when any drag race featuring the current Nissan GT-R would have a clear winner before the cars even set out. “Godzilla” made a name for itself by destroying pretty much any car that was thrown at it on the drag strip. Its place today seems to have been taken by another car – the McLaren 720S. This is the stock car you want to beat at a drag strip and is proving to be quite an arduous task. The current BMW M5 is also a surprising car in a straight line. Considering its size and weight, the speeds it is capable of over short distances are pretty much unbelievable. Get it tuned and you have yourself a supercar-rivaling model for a bargain price. In the video below, the F90 M5 goes against the McLaren 720...

Audi is pulling out of the DTM Championship after the 2020 season The DTM is facing another challenge. Ingolstadt-based company Audi announced today that they will not continue their engagement in the DTM beyond the 2020 season. The current season – which has yet to start as the result of the corona pandemic  – could therefore be the last for the German Touring Car Masters. So far, BMW is the only confirmed brand. It also seems extremely unlikely that Gerhard Berger will be able to attract other manufacturers in the DTM due to the current economic situation.  Apart from a one-year Aston Martin engagement, the Austrian has not succeeded to extend the DTM races with more automakers. Since the DTM has now lost the second of three manufacturers after the Mercedes exit...

Video: Here’s an electric BMW X6 doing a tank turn The Rivian R1T truck made headlines around the world when it was originally launched, thanks to its specs. Furthermore, the electric pick-up could do a ‘tank turn’ which was something no other car was capable of doing up until then. These days though, that may change, as a company from Slovenia proved earlier this year, using a BMW X6. Their products allow any car to be transformed into a tank of sorts, thanks to the electric motors located inside the wheels. Elaphne Propulsion has mounted four of its Elaphe L1500 gearless electric motors on each wheel, giving this first-generation BMW X6 a completely different setup that it was supposed to have. By doing this and by using proprietary software for the wheels, the guys from S...

LEAKED: This is the All-New BMW iX3 Before You’re Supposed to See It It seems as if BMW has a bit of a leak, as this is the second time in just a week that some future BMW product has been seen ahead of its official release. First, it was some sort of 1 Series/2 Series that was seen under wraps, with just its headlights and taillights sticking out. Now, it’s the all-new BMW iX3 and it’s here to be seen in all of its glory. It’s not hiding anything. According to this new Instagram post, this is officially the upcoming BMW iX3. The real deal. Not a rendering or a pre-production model. Obviously, we can’t confirm whether or not this alleged leak is, in fact, accurate. However, it seems to be and we have a good feeling that it’s legitimate.   V...

Rolls-Royce Ghost Rendering hits pretty close to home Last year Rolls-Royce confirmed that the current-generation of Ghost will be going out of production soon. A special model was even launched to celebrate its production span. Thankfully, the Ghost isn’t going away for good, we’ve seen prototypes of the new Ghost going around the Nurburgring we couldn’t help but notice a couple of interesting details underneath that heavy camo. All of those are hinting at a new design, one that will take up some cues from the Phantom. That has always been the case with cars in Rolls-Royce’s line-up. The Phantom is the crown jewel of the range and whatever it gets can also be applied to other models as well. This rendering today from our friends over at Kolesa is pretty clo...

PHOTO GALLERY: BMW X3 M Competition (F97) in the Australian Outback We bring you an interesting photo gallery of the X3 M Competition pictured in the vast, remote territory of the Outback. The new BMW G01 X3 generation is an enchanting vehicle, with all-rounding attribute and premium quality feel like never before in the history of the medium-sized SAV. The third generation of the X3 is also the first one to receive a full-bred M model. As reported by us and many other automotive publications, the new X3 M high-performance SAV is indeed a very pleasurable and fun car to drive. The first-ever BMW X3 M series model comes in two output variants: the standard version with 480 PS / 473 hp and the Competition with 510 PS / 503 hp. Both declinations are equipped with the state-of-the-art 3.0-...

PHOTO GALLERY: BMW X4 M Competition (F98) in Donington Grey metallic Here comes yet another eye-catching gallery with the BMW X4 M Competition, this time featured in the classy Donington Grey metallic. With the advent of the first generation of the X4 M, BMW has forcefully secured its echelon of high-performance Sports Activity models. Now, the Bavarians have no less than four distinctive offering from the X3 M up to the X6 M. Like the new X3 M, the F98 X4 M is available in two power stages. The standard X4 M comes with 480 PS / 473 hp, while the outrageous X4 M Competition is capable of up to 510 PS / 503 hp. The engine roaring underneath the hood is the multi-awarded straight-six BMW S58 powerplant with TwinPower Turbo technology. The new BMW X4 M Competition looks particularly elega...

LEAKED: Is this the Next-Generation BMW 2 Series Coupe? While the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe continues to bewilder the larger enthusiast fanbase, there will be some order restored to the 2 Series lineup soon enough. A proper rear-wheel drive, 2 Series Coupe will live on with a new generation and we may have just seen a glimpse of it in these new leaked photos. Some new photos have leaked of what could be a BMW 2 Series Coupe under car cover. We can’t tell for sure what this car is but it’s possible that it’s the next-gen 2er Coupe. We can’t see exactly, as the car is covered, but it looks like it could be a relatively small coupe. The car cover hides most if its design but it seems as if it only has two doors. It can’t be a 4 Series, as these are entirely new ...

Video: BMW G80 M3 looks rapid during tests on the ‘Ring By all accounts BMW is currently hard at work, despite the lockdown. Cars need to be finished on time and when it comes to the upcoming M3, nothing can be left to chance. That’s probably why the G80 M3 has been spotted so often on the usual Bavarian proving grounds, the Nurburgring, aka Green Hell. This latest video though shows the car being pushed to the limit and carrying some impressive speed through the corners. We’ve seen the car on this track before, but this time, for some reason, it seems to be going faster than ever. The footage shows it carrying some serious speed into corners with a lot of lateral grip. Also, at one point I think we get confirmation that all-wheel drive trickery is involved, as all four whee...

2020 Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance is officially cancelled and I’m Sad Events and gatherings are being cancelled months in advance, across the world. The Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on our social norms and their cancellations are beginning to take their tolls on our mental health. One such event whose cancellation is collectively bumming out the entire North American enthusiast community is the 2020 Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance. Last year, I was privileged enough to go to Pebble with BMW and it was easily one of the very best automotive experiences of my life. Admittedly, most established journalists have been to Pebble numerous times but I haven’t. Just the once. And it was everything I’d imagined it would be. Which is why I’m a bit sad that Pebble is...

MINI Cooper SE takes on two rivals in Autocar test Now that the MINI Cooper SE is here, it brings an entirely new group of competitors to the BMW Group. Cars like the Peugeot e-208 and Renault Zoe, two electric hatchbacks, are both little EVs that are quite excellent but that the BMW Group didn’t have an answer for. In this new comparison test from Autocar, we take a look at how the all-new Cooper SE stacks up against its more established EV rivals. Under the hood of the MINI Cooper SE lies a single electric motor that makes 181 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque and sends all of it to just the front axle. That motor is powered by a 32 kWh battery pack, which helps provide 144 miles of all-electric range (WLTP Euro cycle). So how does that stack up against the Peugeot e-208 and the Renaul...

The $1 million BMW we forgot about: BMW 328 Roadster There are very few BMWs that reach the “millionaire status”, but when they do, they’re quite special. One of them is the BMW 328 Roadster from the BMW Group Classic collection, a car we had a chance to sample a few years back. The price as valued by the folks in Munich? A bit over $1 million dollars. Built between 1936 and 1940, the BMW 328 laid down a milestone in automotive history and was the most successful sports car of the 1930s on the racing scene. Agility, acceleration, reliability and lightweight construction – the BMW designers focused on the essentials in the development of the 328, ushering in a new era in the process. Indeed, at a time when powerful supercharged “Kompressor” machines r...

Dahler unveils tuning kit for BMW M340i with M3-rivaling numbers The BMW M340i is slowly becoming a tuners’ favorite. It has plenty of power out of the box, yet some people won’t be satisfied anyway. And since we’re still waiting for the new G80 M3 to show up, it could work as a surrogate with a bit more punch. That’s what Dahler has in store for you, in case you’re interested. The Swiss tuner created a tuning package for the M340i that offers a couple of different power output stages. The Stage 1 upgrade gets you over what the current M3 is offering in terms of power from the get go. With it, the 3-liter turbocharged straight-six, output goes up to 442 PS (436 HP) while the torque levels rise to 630 Nm (465 lb-ft). That’s mighty impressive considerin...