Auto and Cars

2020 MINI Takes the States Postponed Until 2021 due to Covid19 For any MINI owner hasn’t experienced a MINI Takes the States, I implore you to do so. In doing so, you’ll join hundreds, if not thousands, of like-minded MINI owners in a road trip across massive portions of the United States. I’ve taken part in two MTTS trips and they’ve both been incredibly memorable. In fact, they’re some of the most memorable things I’ve ever done in this job. Which is why I was so excited for the upcoming MTTS this Summer. Sadly, I won’t be able to partake this year and neither will anyone else, as it’s been canceled for this year. Due to the massive spread of the Coronavirus, MINI Takes the States has been postponed until 2021. It’s the responsible...

Check out this BMW M88-powered 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300E Despite being rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have always played nice with each other. The two brands have even collaborated on certain projects before, putting the greater good over their business rivalry. However, they’ve never actually built a car together. That would be going too far. So German tuner Hartge decided to do it for them and made the Hartge F1, a W124 Mercedes-Benz 300E with an E24 BMW 635CSi engine. Back in the late ’80s, Hartge stuffed an M88 engine — from the aforementioned M635CSi — into the engine bay of a Mercedes-Benz 300E, thus creating an unholy duo of awesomeness. The 300E was always an awesome car and looked that just looked menacing. Stuff a 3.6 liter (bored out from 3.5 liters) stra...

Five Things to Know About Upcoming 4 Series — Reveal Date and More Of all the cars in BMW’s upcoming pipeline, the 4 Series might be the one fans are least excited about. Not that it’s going to be a bad car — it’s likely going to be quite good, actually — but because of its polarizing new styling. However, the next-gen 4 Series is still a car you should be interested in and here are five reasons why. June Reveal Date If you are excited to see the 2020 BMW 4 Series, you won’t have to wait too long. According to our sources, the new 4 Series will be revealed to the public sometime in June. that reveal will be online, of course, as no big events are in the near future due to the massive pandemic currently shocking the world. But it’s a reveal never...

2022 BMW M3 gets rendered from behind – Here is a new image The upcoming 2022 BMW M3 gets one more rendering. This time, @zer.0.wt gives us a close look at what the potential rear end of the new M3 could look like. The render is based on some of the previous leaked images, including this one. In this render, we can see that its rear wheel arches are flared out, similar to those found on the current F80 BMW M3. The bumper includes the typical quad exhaust pipes, even though they seem to be a bit smaller than usual in this image. There will be a subtle spoiler on top of the trunk, on the standard models. The more sportier models, like the CS, will likely get a more aggressive lip. As you’d expect, the roof is also made of carbon fiber. The front-end is not featured here, but we&rsqu...

BMW extends shutdown at Spartanburg plant through April 30 BMW Manufacturing announced today it is extending its shutdown at the Spartanburg plant by three additional weeks. The plant was scheduled to reopen on April 13, but it’s now due to open its doors on April 30th. “We continue to be concerned about the health and safety of the entire BMW workforce. During this time, additional cleaning and disinfecting will be performed at work stations throughout the plant,” officials said in the statement. Furthermore, BMW says “the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been far reaching, and customer demand for our product has declined considerably. Stay-at-home orders are still active throughout the country and Mexico, which is adversely affecting our supply chai...

Q1 2020: BMW Group Global Sales Down 20 percent In the first quarter of 2020, BMW Group delivered a total of 477,111 (‑20.6%) premium BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles to customers. The significant decrease in sales is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected the entire globe. According to BMW, the company initially made a good start to the year and was reporting sales growth. However, by February, the impact of the pandemic had already led to a significant decrease in sales in China. By March, the effects of the pandemic were clearly visible in sales figures in Europe and the US. Around 80% of all retail outlets in Europe and 70% of those in the US are currently closed due to the coronavirus. In a number of countries, including Germany, stationary retailers are legally p...

Next-gen 2022 BMW M2 (G87) gets first renderings A reader of BMWBLOG (@zer.o.wt) has sent us some renderings of the next-generation 2022 BMW M2. Since the new BMW 2 Series Coupe won’t arrive until 2021, the renderings are speculative at the moment. But nonetheless, it’s a great design exercise to image what the idea BMW M2 would like. The successor to the current generation F87, internally called G87, will arrive in 2022 and according to sources, it will still be one of the most fun cars in the M portfolio. The renderings seen below combine design elements from the current F87 BMW M2 Competition, paired with some design cues from the recent BMW M235i Gran Coupe, and some lines imported from the M8 family. The front is dominated by two large air intakes with carbon fiber ins...

The principle of 20 spokes : History of the ALPINA wheel design Wheels are an essential part of a car’s image and the 20-spoke ALPINA design wheels are certainly famous worldwide among BMW fans. Here’s an interesting piece of history on how they were conceived and became so popular and recognized. ALPINA began its effort to create a unique, hallmark light alloy wheel design in the ’60s. The German market was becoming increasingly interested in alloy wheels, as Porsche had already paved the way with the Fuchs design rims beginning with 1966. Wheel design on the BMW ALPINA B3 Saloon (G20). On the new E9 series, BMW had already implemented a FPS-style aluminum lightweight wheel that was offered from 2800 CS Coupe model upwards. However, there was only one choice of wheel...

Timeless And Elegant: 1970 BMW 2500 in Tundra Green Metallic With its arrival in 1968 under the BMW New Six wave of models, the entry-level 2500 version of the E3 series reaffirmed BMW’s interest and commitment to developing upper-class luxury saloons. After the BMW New Class was successfully launched in 1962, towards late ’60s, the need for a large-sized premium sedan at BMW became more and more stringent. Since Mercedes-Benz was already a key player in the field, the decision of BMW to come up with the E3/E9 series of new high-class contenders was the best “medicine” to counteract the all-time Stuttgart rival. BMW 2500 (Photo from the BMW Group Classic Archives). BMW was not entirely new in this business, having previously developed the 501 and 502 luxobarges ...

The BMW 1800/2000 SA series: A look at an intriguing Bimmer While it was not entirely a BMW product from the beginning, the 1800/2000 SA series of BMW models was quite a rather weird appearance in the portfolio of the Bavarian carmaker in the late ’60s. I am enchanted every time I find some unknown and rare bits of BMW history. I was particularly intrigued and keen to find out more about this subject after I saw some photos from the premiere event of the restored BMW 530 MLE held at the Rosslyn plant in South Africa. The History Of Hans Glas GmbH Let’s start with the basics in this story. Hans Glas GmbH was a small car manufacturer in the Dingolfing area, Bavarian state. It was established all the way back in 1883 as a constructor of agricultural machinery. The company bega...

Philipp Eng finishes 2nd overall in Digital Nurburgring Endurance Series As we mentioned just the other day, Saturday hosted another big sim-racing event, this time on a virtual Nurburgring. A large BMW contingent lined-up at the starting line, with no less than five BMW Works drivers accepting the challenge to race in a completely different layout than what they are used to. In the end, it was Philipp Eng who got the best finish, coming up second overall in the Digital Nurburging Endurance Series. Unlike other Nurburging endurance races, which last up to 24 hours, the sim race was just 3 hours long. At the end of it all, Eng together with his team mates Alexander Voß and Laurin Heinrich managed to finish second overall in the #189 BMW Z4 GT3. This was his team’s (BS+Competi...

VIDEO: This Real-Life Need for Speed E46 BMW M3 is Awesome While we’re all stuck in quarantine (or at least we hope you all are), staying safe from Covid19, many people are looking for little mental breaks from reality. They’re looking for things to take their mind off of the madness that we’re currently facing. One such way to do that is to watch videos like these, which are so needlessly silly yet so awesome that you can’t help but smile at them. In this new video, some Russian enthusiasts recreated Need for Speed Most Wanted in real life, including the game’s famous E46 BMW M3. What’s remarkable is just how similar to the game’s actual M3 this car looks. That, along with the spot on music and graphics, and you can tell just how much effort wa...

BMW M5 Generations Ranked: Here’s Every M5 From Best to Worst There’s really nothing like a super sedan. Hopping into something with four doors, five seats and enough power to frighten a supercar is an immensely satisfying feeling. We have BMW to thank for that, as it’s the brand that truly brought that idea to the mainstream. Sure, Maserati actually invented the super sedan with the original Quattroporte many years before the first ever BMW M5 but few people knew about the QP and even fewer still bought it. It was the BMW M5 that defined the segment, proved it could not only work but excel. Over the years, there have been six generations of BMW M5. To be honest, there isn’t a bad one in the group. However, there are some that are clearly better than others. So we deci...

BMW E34 M5 Touring – It Was Once The World’s Fastest Wagon One of the most iconic cars ever produced by the Bavarians was the BMW E34 M5 Touring. The uber rare E34 M5 Touring was the world’s fastest wagon when it was introduced in 1992. Furthermore, it was BMW M Division’s first wagon and, at the same time, the last hand built M car. The E34 was the first generation of M5 to come in wagon form and it had more power than any other M car before. Its 3.8 liter straight six was also the largest displacement six-cylinder engine of BMW’s modern era. That bigger engine makes 340 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and it delivers both in a linear, mechanically delicious manner. It’s a proper ‘six that engine. Capable of 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and available only w...

Could this 1991 BMW E30 325ix be perfect for your at $6,000? As we all know, prices for BMW E30 3 Series models have been surging lately. The BMW E30 M3 is the one with the highest price at the moment but other E30 3 Series models have been seeing a rise in demand and popularity as well as price in recent years also. And while everyone loves to talk about the M3, there are some enthusiasts that actually prefer the BMW 325i, in various specs, because of its bigger I6 engine. The topic is still debated but one thing’s for sure: nobody is mentioning the all-wheel drive models. That’s because the E30 platform was the first 3 Series to implement a system that sends power to all four wheels of the car. The E30 M3 Shown Here It wasn’t perfect and it many BMW enthusiasts scof...

VIDEO: Can the Maserati Levante Trofeo take on the BMW X5 M? Ever since BMW started pumping out X5 Ms, other premium brands decided to follow suit and develop their own high-performance SUV. Porsche did it, then Mercedes-Benz (now Mercedes-AMG) did it and now there’s an Audi RS Q8, a Lamborghini Urus and even an Aston Martin DBX. Hell, Ferrari is going to be developing its own performance SUV soon. But there’s a forgotten one that might be the best of all of them — the Maserati Levante Trofeo. In this new episode of The Smoking Tire, Matt Farah and Zack Klapman drive the new Levante Trofeo and come away surprisingly impressed. In fact, Farah thinks it’s the best driving SUV on the road. The Trofeo is the fastest version of the Levante and it packs a 3.8 liter twi...

The Big Reveal: The BMW R 18 – A New Entry In The Cruiser Segment Around this time last year, BMW Motorrad took the wraps off of something quite unique. That is both aesthetically as well as technically. A nod to the brand’s robust heritage, the R 18 Concept. Drawing inspiration from the Boxer powered bikes upon which the firm built its recognition and reputation, though very differently from how its past influenced the R nine T. The BMW R 18 appeared as a more authentic descendant of the machines that exclusively defined the brand’s range for decades whilst also pushing forward with an 1800 CC engine that is simplistic but remains very truly anchored in the present. Today is the day that the production version is being unveiled. A rather exciting event for those of us whom ...

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...