Auto and Cars

COVID-19: BMW aims at preserving the health of its balance sheet The COVID-19 pandemic is creating chaos across the entire globe, including among automotive businesses. To address the issue, BMW boss Oliver Zipse sat down for an interview with German media to send a message to employees, customers and outsiders. In the context of the Corona crisis, the Chairman of the Management Board speaks about the enormous challenges of the crisis, but also about the opportunities associated with it. Also, Zipse mentions the willingness of BMW employees to support the company in these difficult times. Furthermore, the BMW CEO will focus on preserving the health of its balance sheet and workforce. The board meetings are more frequent with several scenarios being prepared. Zipse says that the current...

This AMC Hornet has a BMW Z3 M Roadster underneath the shell Straight from the nightmares of BMW diehard fanboys comes a creation worthy of Freddy Krueger movies. This is one hell of a mix-up between an AMC Hornet and a BMW M Roadster otherwise also known as a Z3 M Roadster. What could possibly lead to such a contraption I do not know but I have to admit it’s an interesting mix but it was up for grabs on Craigslist. By the time we finished covering the story it was already sold. When I last checked the ad, the price tag said $14,500 which isn’t a hell of a lot of money but then again, the seller certainly was aiming at a very very particular niche. This niche is made up of people who love the styling of an AMC Hornet but didn’t like the way it drove and prefer the unde...

Five BMW Works Drivers to compete in Nurburgring Sim-Racing Saturday BMW is ramping up sim-racing efforts and that’s going to show tomorrow. No less than five BMW Works drivers will compete in race two of this season’s Digital Nürburgring Endurance Series powered by VCO. The event will take place this Saturday, online, and will have eight virtual BMW Z4 GT3 cars lining up at the starting line. The race is done in 2-man teams and one of them will be made up of Jimmy Broadbent and Bruno Spengler. Jimmy actually got a chance to visit BMW M’s headquarters last month to test out their simulator and we told you about him the other day. Now he’s back and this time he’ll probably be the one giving Spengler a couple of pointers, as sim-racing is more of his spe...

Video: MINI Cooper S Rally car has 10,000 RPM 2-liter V8 engine As peculiar as it may sound, the MINI brand has a long history in rally racing. Not long after its inception, the brisk little car from Britain started being used in rally competitions and it did it successfully, especially at Monaco. Over the years, its layout proved to be useful in such competitions and images with it wearing four huge headlights on the front bumper made headlines all over the world. To this day, MINI is involved in all sorts of competitions, the most notable one being the Dakar Rally, where it managed to win countless times. Thus, seeing a MINI rally car is nothing out of the ordinary by now. However, what is peculiar about the car we’re showing you in the footage below is the engine setup. What th...

Photo Gallery: Mansory Rolls-Royce Cullinan in British Racing Green Even though I have to admit I didn’t think the Mansory Billionaire would sell, it seem like I was wrong. The model based on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan is doing fine and the guys from Mansory have apparently finished off another one. But his time in a typical British combo. As you might notice, this particular Billionaire has a British Racing Green exterior combined with a cognac interior that’s full of quilted surfaces. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is already mightily impressive, without having to add some exterior bits to the mix. It comes with the typical panache all cars made in Goodwood have. You get treated to the best materials you can get on a car, the best ride and, of course, the exclusivity of the badge....

SPIED: BMW 4 Series Convertible seen showing off its new grille Over the past few years, BMW has made a number of controversial decisions — the move to all-wheel drive for M cars, a front-wheel drive 2 Series and a even ditching the dual-clutch transmission. Through all of those decisions, fans have stuck with BMW, even if they’ve been disappointed. However, nothing has aggravated the fanbase like the new grille design on the upcoming 4 Series. In some new spy photos, we see the 4 Series Convertible and its new grille design quite clearly. (We don’t own the photos but they can be seen here) While the car in these photos is wearing some pretty heavy camouflage, we can still clearly see the exposed grille. The grille trim and surround are covered but the M Performance-st...

VIDEO: Check out this incredible One-Owner E28 BMW M5 from EAG One of the new vehicles acquired recently by Enthusiast Auto Group is an E28 BMW M5. It’s a 1988 model year with only one owner and just 88,000-ish miles on it. Obviously, it’s a very special car but it’s made even more special by the fact that the lone owner of the car kept detailed, meticulous records of its history. So it’s the exact sort of car enthusiasts want to buy. In this new video, EAG takes us through the car a bit, some of its details and its history. We even get to see its detailed book, showing its interesting history. If you’re a fan of older M cars (who isn’t?), this is a good video. It’s not as in-depth as the previous EAG video but it does let us see an incredibly f...

Exclusive Photos: BMW M3 Competition Package in Urban Green Color Let’s just start with this: There are not enough green colors in the current BMW lineup. Period. So naturally, when we come across a special shade of green, or any green for that matter, we get overly excited. Today, we bring you some exclusive photos of the BMW M3 Competition Package in Urban Green. If the color name sounds familiar, then you might have seen it on other BMWs before, like this M4, M8 or even the new X6 M. Of course, this is just one example of stunning colors you can choose from the BMW Individual Catalog, as the list also includes popular favorites like Fire Orange, Ferrari Red, Daytona Violet or Tanzanite Blue. Urban Green is a truly rare sighting and the color seems close to B...

BMW 750Li xDrive finished in Royal Burgundy Red is an absolute stunner A special BMW 750Li xDrive featured in Royal Burgundy Red is the newest resident on display at the Abu Dhabi dealership. As always, the renowned BMW showroom from the Middle East never stands to amaze us even further. This time, they nailed it once again with an outstanding 7 Series that oozes supreme luxury and refinement through all its pores. The chosen exterior color is the impressive Royal Burgundy Red, which perfectly underlines the premium character of the 7 Series flagship. This paint finish mimics the color of a rotten cherry, with a deep red accent and a powerful metallic look. In terms of contrast and brightness, Royal Burgundy Red is lighter than the BMW Individual Aventurine Red II color. To further hig...

VIDEO: Why the Internal Combustion Engine Will Stick Around For a While As loyal fans of the internal combustion engine, we obviously want it to live on for as long as possible. However, we’re also not blind to the fact that its impending extinction is necessary. The internal combustion needs to die. Eventually. However, that time hasn’t yet come and internal combustion will likely stick around for a lot longer than many EV fans think it will. As explained in this new video from Engineering Explained. In this new video, EE’s Jason Fenske shows us the difference in energy density, cost, packaging and overall efficiency between gasoline and batteries. It’s quite shocking to see that massive difference in energy density between gas and batteries, as one gallon of ga...

Remembering MINI’s Past April’s Fools pranks made during better times As you might’ve noticed, this year’s April’s Fools day was rather odd. Automotive-related websites usually pulled at least a couple of pranks on their readers on this day but yesterday we saw almost none, which means the current Coronavirus outbreak is making itself even more noticed. Even in our private lives things don’t seem as cheerful anymore but MINI decided to remember all the great pranks it pulled on us over the years, to cheer us up. The British brand has been rather creative over the years, with fake press releases and fake pictures posted online on April 1. In 2002, MINI announced the ‘centerlite’ a feature that was basically a third headlamp, ‘specifically designe...

2020 BMW 545e plug-in hybrid with 394 horsepower coming with 5 Series facelift A few months, we reported on a new plug-in hybrid arriving in 2020. Today, a new report comes to reiterate the previous news – a new BMW 545e plug-in hybrid will arrive in 2020. The new PHEV will arrive alongside the 5 Series facelift which will debut in the next few weeks. The 2020 BMW 545e brings the technology of the 745e and X5 xDrive45e to the 5 Series and supplements the BMW Group’s PHEV portfolio with a particularly sporty option. The heart of the BMW 545e is a tried and tested drivetrain, which is made up of an in-line six-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The total system output of 394 hp. The system torque of 600 Newton meters is also very generous and promises superior driving per...

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe vs E90 BMW 3 Series — By the Numbers The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is a polarizing car for BMW enthusiasts. While objectively not a bad car, there’s a recurring sentiment that it doesn’t feel like a proper BMW. Then there’s the matter of cost, as the new 2er isn’t exactly cheap, despite being an entry-level model. So I thought I’d take a look at what could be had on the used market for far less money and, today, we’re going to take a look at the E90 3 Series. To be perfectly honest, this came about after reading Car and Driver’s review of the BMW 228i Gran Coupe (which you should read because it’s interesting). In it, Csaba Csere referenced his old 2007 BMW 335i a few times in comparison. So that got me thinking &mdas...

BMW USA Q1 sales down 15.3 percent (59,455 vehicles) BMW USA announced today Q1 2020 sales results for the BMW and MINI brands in the U.S.  For the sales period ending March 31, 2020 BMW brand sales totaled 59,455 vehicles, a decrease of 15.3% vs the 70,227 vehicles sold in the same time period last year.*  MINI brand sales totaled 5,237 vehicles, a decrease of 35.1% vs the 8,072 vehicles sold in the first quarter of 2019. Despite 40 new and refreshed products launched over the previous 24 months, the U.S. sales were adversely affected by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, which has many states still under shelter-in-place orders. Consequently, several BMW and MINI showrooms across the country remain closed with only essential personnel available for necessary service. &ldq...

VIDEO: Are BMW V8 Engines Really “Junk”? Find Out in Hoovie’s Garage While it might be tempting to buy an older but very rare and special performance car, it’s likely not a great move. It seems cheaper at first, because you can find older performance cars on the cheap, but it actually ends up costing more money in repairs, typically. Such as the case with Tyler Hoover’s E65-gen ALPINA B7, a car that he bought cheap but is now realizing why it was so cheap to begin with. And it all starts with the engine. The monster supercharged V8 in the B7 is massively powerful, wonderful to use and makes a great noise. However, along with all BMW V8s of the era, it has a few issues. One of which is its recurring valve seal issue. The valve seals on BMW V8s from that time tend to fail and ...

SPIED: 2021 BMW M440i xDrive Convertible reveals more in new scoop New spy shots depicting the open-top 2021 BMW M440i xDrive have recently surfaced online. And yes, the huge kidney grille is there. One has to admit that the styling exercise for the new 4 Series is pretty daring and highly polarizing. The G22/G23/G26 family will definitely look massive. Back to the Convertible version, which was recently spotted in Germany (you can see the photos here). Specifically, the camouflage hides the M440i version packing the B58 straight-six petrol powerplant rated at 374 PS (368 hp). In the US, expect a higher output of 388 PS (382 hp) due to less fastidious emission standards. Leaked image from months ago Depicted by the Cerium Grey accents on the exterior mirrors and the identical trapezoid...

Certain BMW M6 Gran Coupe Models recalled in Australia Certain BMW M6 Gran Coupe models, sold in Australia between 2012 and 2018, are being recalled by the company for a potential problem with a faulty brake light fastening. According to BMW Australia, 74 cars are affected by this issue and will be called in to have it fixed. They were sold between August 9, 2012 and September 27, 2018 so if you’re one of the ‘lucky’ owners of one such M6 Gran Coupe, you’ll probably get a call from your local dealer soon. The defect was reported by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and claims that the third brake light (the one fitted at the top of the rear window) can loosen from its slot and even detach.The detachment of the brake light could lead to inj...

SPIED: G30 BMW 5 Series LCI Facelift seen testing yet again While we’re all self-quarantined (or at least we hope you are), it’s good to see photos of the outside world. In some of those photos, it’s nice to see some cool cars, including cars that haven’t been revealed yet. For instance, these new spy photos show off the upcoming G30 BMW 5 Series LCI Facelift doing some more pre-production testing. So far so good, to be honest. While the G30 is becoming one of the more handsome BMWs on sale to begin with and it’s only going to get better with the LCI. This new facelift brings about some new headlights, a slightly revised grille and some new taillights. So not a ton of new exterior features but the G30 really doesn’t need much improving. The new headli...

Spring 2020: 48V system coming to BMW 3 Series, X3 and X4 The 48V mild-hybrid system debuted in the BMW 520d in Fall 2019. Today, BMW is announcing that starting in Spring 2020, the 48V technology will be extended to the BMW 3 Series, BMW X3 and BMW X4 ranges. The exact models are the BMW 320d Sedan, BMW 320d Touring, BMW 320d xDrive Sedan and xDrive Touring, BMW X3 xDrive20d and BMW X4 xDrive20d. The mild-hybrid systems come with an 11 HP starter generator that helps out from time to time. It will be used to start up the car when departing from standstill and will provide boost for the internal combustion engine for very short spurts whenever needed. The 48-volt mild-hybrid system also allows the cars to be more efficient by making better use of energy recuperation. When the vehicle d...

VIDEO: Check out Papadakis Racing’s 1,000 hp BMW-powered Supra Last we saw the Papadakis Racing Toyota Supra project, Stephan Papadakis himself was doing an engine teardown to check out the BMW B58 turbocharged I6 that powers it. He wanted to see if it would be possible to make 1,000 hp from the stock engine and he did feel it would be. So he got to work tuning the engine. In this latest video, we see what is almost the finished product and it’s seriously impressive. While its the stock engine, a lot of it has been replaces and upgraded. Everything from its pistons and connecting rods to its turbocharger and electronics have been replaced. All of it is race-grade stuff, including forged pistons and aerospace-grade electronics. It’s seriously impressive and it all helps the T...

VIDEO: Check out this stunning Individual Dakar Yellow BMW 850 CSi While flawed, the E31 BMW 8 Series was and still is a highly desirable car. Sure, it doesn’t handle as well as enthusiasts would like and it’s a bit overly complicated for a car of its era. But it looks fantastic and, in BMW 850 CSi form, sports a gorgeous V12. In this video from Enthusiast Auto Group, we get to see their 850 CSi finished in a stunning BMW Individual Dakar Yellow, how it drives and what kind of condition its in. We previously saw this car in another recent video from EAG and the car looked to be about as perfect as it gets. To be honest, for 99-percent of buyers, this car would be considered perfect. There’s virtually nothing wrong with it. However, upon closer inspection, it needs quit...

BMWBLOG Podcast Episode 22: Scott Villeneuve from Limited-Slip Blog Talks About His F80 M3 and M235i Gran Coupe If you’re suffering from a bit of Corona-cabin-fever, we might just have an hour of relief for you in our latest episode of the BMWBLOG Podcast. In this week’s episode, we talk to Scott Villeneuve, co-founder of Limited-Slip Blog, about a variety of topics. Chief of which, we talk about his own cars, as he currently has some interesting ones and has owned several cool cars. He’s been through a few F80 M3s and he recently just traded one in for a BMW M235i Gran Coupe. That’s right, he went from a proper rear-wheel drive M car to a front-wheel drive “MINI”, as he says. But he did so because he can appreciate what it’s good at and how it ...

Video: Five Reasons to buy and own a BMW E46 M3 The BMW E46 M3 needs no introduction. It is one of the most respected and loved cars BMW ever made and that makes it a prime candidate to have its own cult following. It’s not just its reputation that makes it so loved, it’s also the fact that it really rises to its lofty expectations. It’s a great driver’s car, it has a good mix of comfort and performance and it has a naturally-aspirated straight six engine. What more could you ask for? This is one of those cars that gets an immediate reaction from car guys and it has grown to be so popular that even BMW is starting to feel a backlash from its success. Last year one BMW official even went as far as saying he is ‘tired of every new car being compared to the E4...

BMW Group uses Blockchain to drive supply chain transparency Blockchain technology is ever more present and now BMW Group is preparing to implement it as to further optimize and increase the transparency of the supply chain across the network. Due to its clear, timestamped structure, blockchain ensures data preservation and thus extended protection and security. Thus, it makes it very suitable to guide and organize processes in the automotive industry. BMW Group has already implemented blockchain in a wide range of processes and applications. The automotive giant is using the technology in efficiently steering the supply chain across the worldwide network. BMW Group has previously conducted a successful pilot project during 2019 which focused on optimizing the supply chain for purchasi...

VIDEO: Check out this E46 BMW M3 CSL Manual Conversion As a driver’s car, the E46 BMW M3 CSL is largely considered to be the finest BMW ever made. However, with the CSL there’s always been something that made everything enthusiast say “it’s brilliant but…”. That something is its SMG gearbox. The six-speed, sequential automated manual gearbox in the M3 CSL was and still is its weakest link. But what if you could take that out and replace it with something better like, say, a manual? That’s exactly what this one owner did and Carfection got to drive it. In this new video, we get to see Carfection’s Henry Catchpole drive an E46 BMW M3 CSL with a manual gearbox. It’s essentially a unicorn because there may not be another proper CSL with...

From Autocar’s Archive — 1992 BMW E1 Electric Car Review When BMW first debuted the i3, it was widely considered to be the brand’s first true electric car. Realistically, it was. BMW had never made a mass-production electric car before the i3 and it was quite revolutionary for the Bavarian brand. However, it wasn’t actually the first electric car with a Roundel on its hood. That was actually the BMW E1 back in the late 1990s. BMW had electric prototypes prior to the E1 but it was the E1 that the Bavarians saw as the future back in the ’90s. It was built as a test-bed for BMW to sell electric cars in California, as legislation was going to force two-percent of all automotive sales to go zero-emission. After that legislation died, BMW didn’t really see the need to ...

BMW E36 M3 Compact – The Prototype That Almost Made It In most BMW enthusiast-circles, the E36 BMW 3 Series Compact is not a well-regarded car. While not exactly a bad car, it is widely considered one of BMW’s failed attempts at making an entry-level offering. While less expensive than the 3 Series sedans and coupes of its time, the Compact felt noticeably cheaper and featured worse materials as well as a polarizing design which wasn’t well-received. However, it would have actually made an excellent M car. In fact, it sort of did. A BMW M3 Compact prototype was actually built and it was surprisingly great. As part of BMW’s collection of secret prototype M cars, which finally saw the light of day not too long ago, the M3 Compact is one of the more interesting prototypes...

Video: Jay Key is selling his first car, a 1972 BMW 1602 It looks like the 02 Series is becoming quite popular these days. Just the other day we were looking at a brilliant BMW 1600, courtesy of Petrolicious, and now we’re back, with a BMW 1602. This time, the car is located in the UK, is owned by none other than Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay and is up for grabs. That’s right, you could get a great BMW classic and a piece of superstar memorabilia, all in one package. The car is listed on Classic Car Auctions and it is offered directly by Jay Kay. It’s a 1972 BMW 1602 and has about 57,000 miles on the clock right now. That’s rather good, considering the car’s age, but those miles do show their mark on the body and interior. According to the video posted below, ...

Welcome to #BIMMERMEET4: A Tribute To BMW Art Cars So what is Bimmermeet exactly? Well it’s a meet for BMW enthusiasts, only, it’s held in the beautiful Bangkok, Thailand. Their fourth edition took place recently and it gathered a variety of BMW owners and fans. The latest edition was presented under the slogan “A Tribute To BMW Art Cars” and as you’d expect, there were a lot of interesting Bimmers on display. According to the organizers, there were 400 BMW cars. And not only models like the E21, E30, E36, E46, E90/E92, F30 and G20 from the 3 Series, but also the E12, E28, E34, E60, F10 and G30 from the 5 Series. There were also rare breeds like the the Z3 M Coupe, Z4 M Coupe, Z3 Roadster and Z4 Roadster. You could also see some big hitters, like the M3 GT...

SPIED: 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost seen having a snow day Initially, the next-gen Rolls-Royce Ghost was set to make its debut this summer, with global press drives having already been planned. Personally, I was excited about it, as we would have been among the first to both see and drive the next-gen Ghost, which is showing a ton of promise. However, due to the outbreak of Coronavirus that’s turned the entire planet on its head, it doesn’t see as if that’s going to happen. So spy photos like these just bum me out. (We don’t own the spy photos but you can see them here) In these new photos, we can see the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost doing some winter testing in the snow. Despite being heavily wrapped in camouflage, we can get a good idea of what this next-gen Ghost will loo...