Auto and Cars

BMWBLOG & COVID-19: Why We Will Carry On Each and every day, the chaos caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) gets worse and worse and it’s going to continue to get worse before it gets better. Thousands of deaths have been confirmed, thousands more are sick and tens of thousands are feeling the weight of this virus. Every major country on the planet is facing some sort of quarantine, to various degrees, and we are as well. However, despite that, we’re going to carry on and bring you as much news and BMW-related content as we can. Hundreds of thousands of people are self-quarantining, in several countries, to try and flatten the curve and drastically slow the spread of this virus. Because of that self-quarantine, thousands of people are out of work, struggling to make ends mee...

Goodbye, V12! The Next-Gen Most Powerful 7 Series model will be all-electric After years of reports and rumors, BMW has officially confirmed today that the next-generation 7 Series will offer an all-electric version. We’ve been covering the topic for quite some time now and even shared some exclusive “rumors.” “[] I can tell you officially today: That our BMW 7 Series flagship will be one of them,” says Oliver Zipse, BMW CEO. “The next-generation 7 Series will be available with four drive train variants: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and fully-electric. All drive trains will be based on a single architecture. And the top, most powerful 7 Series will be fully electric!” Basically, this statement reinforces our previous reports. Firstly, BMW wil...

BMW says 8,000 orders already placed for MINI Cooper SE BMW’s latest fully electric vehicle comes in the shape of the MINI Cooper SE. The electric hatch was unveiled in 2019 and goes on sale this year. We recently drove the new EV in Miami and you can see our review here and here. According to BMW, the new MINI Cooper SE is already a successful car for the brand with over 8,000 orders worldwide. “[] we are winning over customers with attractive new models,” says Oliver Zipse, BMW Group CEO. “The new MINI Cooper SE was released just a few days ago. We have already received more than 8,000 orders. Most of the people who placed these orders did not previously drive a MINI. This shows that the MINI Electric has captured the spirit of the times and is perfect for urba...

SPIED: 2021 BMW M440i xDrive Coupe (G22) scooped flaunting its huge snout New sighting of the 2021 4 Series Coupe (G22), as two M440i test prototypes are spotted in Germany. Recent spy shots (which you can see here) from Germany reveal more details of the exterior design of the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe. The main controversy point of the forthcoming G22 model series will be its massive kidney grille. As we have already seen an uncovered 2021 4 Series model while it was being shipped, we also got that more and more confirmation that the BMW Concept 4’s hugely-sized grille will become reality. You should already start digesting the controversial kidney grille, as start of production for the G22 generation is scheduled for July 2020. Leaked image of the 2021 BMW 4 Series The latest sc...

BMW preparing to suspend production at plants in Europe and South Africa BMW is preparing to suspend production at its plants in Europe and Rosslyn, South Africa, until April 19, responding to lower demand and as a way to help reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. The plant shutdowns will start at the end of the week. “We take our responsibility seriously, both when it comes to ensuring the protection and health of our employees and to achieving the best possible balance in terms of profitability,” CEO Oliver Zipse said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our production is geared towards sales development forecasts – and we are adjusting our production volumes flexibly in line with demand. Since yesterday: We began to shut down our European and Rosslyn automot...

Rolls-Royce suspended production at its plant in Goodwood Rolls-Royce announced today that production at the company’s Goodwood-based manufacturing plant will be suspended from Monday 23 March for two weeks. In order to further secure the health and welfare of the employees of the company this suspension will be followed by an already-planned two-week Easter maintenance shutdown. The day-to-day operations of the company will be assured by non-production employees who will remain at work at the company’s head office on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex or who will work from home on a rotational basis. Social distancing measures have been introduced throughout the company . This unprecedented action has been taken following the introduction of additional measures by the UK Go...

BMW to invest 30 Billion Euros by 2025 in EV, autonomous driving tech At a meeting held today in Munich, BMW announced a lot of its plans for the future. Apart from confirming the new 7 Series will get a BEV model, the Germans also announced they will be investing heavily over the following years, to keep up with demands from the customers in terms of technology. The so-called ‘future technologies’ BMW will invest in will have some 30 billion euros set aside from the budget. “New technologies are key to the future of mobility. Up to 2025, we intend to invest more than 30 billion euros in research and development to underscore our position as an innovation leader. This also expresses our confidence for the future business development,” said BMW CEO, Oliver Zipse. ...

BMW Confirms all-electric 7 Series model is coming – BMW i7 It’s been a long time coming but BMW has finally confirmed that the upcoming 7 Series generation will get an all-electric model. The news was made public today during a press conference held in Munich by the German manufacturer, discussing the future of the brand and of the automotive segment as a whole. The next-generation 7 Series will mark a new milestone, according to BMW, and it will be offered with four different types of drivetrains: diesel, petrol, hybrid and electric. As you’d expect, the new 7 Series BEV will use the most advanced electric technology BMW has to offer. Thus, the fifth-generation electric drivetrain that is bound to make its debut in the i4 and iNext next year will be powering the luxurious ...

How to fix a loose door handle on the BMW i3 Now that the BMW i3 has been out a while, some things that need attention are popping up. Here’s a simple guide on how to fix a loose handle door on the BMW i3.  Over time, the BMW i3’s unique backward opening door handle starts to get loose towards the front pivot point. Its onset is rather insidious, and sometimes the passenger side can be worse than the drivers. If this gets left severely loose, the front part of the door handle can come out.  We put together a short DIY video on the simple fix. Truthfully, finding an E4 Torx Socket was the most difficult part of the whole procedure. You can order a single E4 Torx socket from Amazon. Or do what I did and run to the local auto parts store and buy a sleeve of Torx Soc...

Bike manufacturer 3T and BMW produced a special edition bike BMW and Italian bike manufacturer 3T announce a collaboration delivering a custom bike. Based on the Exploro all-road bike, 3T has produced a special edition 3Tfor BMW model in two color variations. “3T was a natural choice for us, as 3T’s Exploro model is the best gravel bike available combining performance, luxury and cycling pleasure to our customers”, says Gaston Streiger, Head of BMW Lifestyle division. The 3T FOR BMW bikes feature an aerodynamic carbon frame, the world’s lightest carbon aero cranks (made at 3T’s Italian carbon factory), an exclusive Brooks leather saddle and matching Brooks leather grips. Fulcrum alloy wheels and resistible Schwalbe One Speed tires ensure a secure grip...

Black Sapphire Metallic BMW F87 M2 on HRE Classic 300 Wheels This BMW M2 features a bevy of carbon fiber additions, several performance upgrades, a completely blacked-out color scheme and finally, a set of HRE Classic 300 wheels. For most of us, the BMW F87 M2 is one of the most successful designs revealed by the Bavarian carmaker in recent years. And this is further emphasized in this striking blacked out build. Painted in Black Sapphire Metallic, this BMW M2 comes from South Florida and by the look of things, it’s not a garage queen by any means. The small and nimble high-performance machine from Munich is laced with a bevy of carbon fiber parts, all in a menacing blacked out package. To make matters even more interesting, aside from all the aftermarket tuning done to this vehic...

Why Our Road Trip Vehicle Is A 13 Year Old BMW We love our BMW i3 BEV. It is really the ultimate daily driver but realistically it would very hard to drive it on a long road trip.  Enter the car I’ve owned the longest – A 2007 BMW X3 3.0si (E83). It is our go-to vehicle for long road trips. We just returned from an 1500 mile round trip to Colorado Mountains to go skiing and had zero hesitation taking a 13-year-old BMW with over 100k on the odometer. Over the years, we have properly maintained our E83 X3, and it has rewarded us by never breaking down on us or leaving us stranded. I am rather fond of this old X3 in part because it represents a lot of lasts for BMW. It is the last BMW with an actual key as in, shove it in the car, twist the tumblers key. Its N52 3.0 liter ...

First real life look at the BMW M340d featured in Laguna Seca Blue In the first live photos of the new BMW M340d we see the top diesel of the G20 family with individual paintwork in Laguna Seca Blue. The world premiere of the new diesel M Performance car was planned for the now canceled Geneva Motor Show. But thanks to a UK reader, we now get to see the car for the first time. Apart from the model badge on the rear, the new BMW M340d G20 is 100 percent the same as the M340i that has been known for months. Both M Performance models are optically based on the M Sport package, but can be easily distinguished from the standard models based on the mesh kidney grille, exterior mirrors and other accents in Cerium Gray. The BMW M340d comes with 250 kW / 340 PS and 700 Newton meters of torque, ...

BMW 1M Coupe – The Best BMW Car Ever Built? The BMW 1M Coupe is one of the most limited models ever built by the wizards in Garching. It was born out of a secret project which was unknown to most of the company’s bosses. The legend says that some BMW M engineers decided to build the ultimate track car and used most of the E92 M3 parts for the 1M. The result was a fantastic sports coupe which arrived in 2011 and it was sold out in most markets. BMW was originally going to release the 1M as a limited production model of 2,700 units. Then due to overwhelming demand, the company lifted the cap and produced a total of 6309 cars until production ended in June 2012. Nevertheless, production of the 1M Coup stopped in June 2012, with 740 units sold in the US and a further 220 sold in Cana...

Video: BMW M135i drag races older BMW M140i There’s no question in any BMW enthusiast’s mind that the old BMW M140i was a better driver’s car than the current BMW M135i. It simply had a better layout (See: RWD), which was better set up to deliver thrills than the new model. And yet, the new model might just be the better car overall. How? We explained it all in our reviews of the new 1 Series, which comes with better practicality and more technology than before. However, we’re still curious to see how the two compare from a performance point of view. The video below proves a good point, to be honest. It shows the BMW M135i being compared against the M140i in three different scenarios: standing drag race, rolling drag race and a brake test. An important factor at ...

Tutorial: How To Create The Perfect Automotive Print and Wallpaper Image BMWBLOG and Machines With Souls teamed to create a series of tutorials on how to proper photograph cars and how to create the perfect automotive images. This is the first installment of this tutorial which can be followed here. When planning a shoot for a client that plans to sell their car, it’s key to think about that one big poster shot – the image that will grab a potential buyers attention when listed against all the other cars that are similar to it. Here, I’ll show you how I created, shot and edited this image of a 2008 BMW E92 M3 that was being put up for sale. What you’ll need Digital camera with lens Lens polarizer – to reduce reflections Tripod Remote Trigger Appropriat...

VIDEO: Joe Achilles checks out an F81 BMW M3 Touring Conversion For a reason unbeknownst to rational enthusiasts, BMW has never made an M3 wagon. While all of its competitors have made wagons in the same segment as the M3, it’s been the Bavarian left in the dark. However, that hasn’t stopped enthusiasts from taking matters into their own hands and Frankensteining themselves M3 wagons of their own. Such as this “F81″ BMW M3 Touring conversion. In this new video from Joe Achilles, we check out this owner’s M3 wagon conversion and it’s very impressive. Normally, these sorts of builds can be shoddy and seem half-assed but not this one. Aside from needing a serious wash, it just seems as if this “F81” BMW M3 Touring rolled off the showroom floo...

How is the BMW X7 for Fitting Car Seats into? We know that installing car seats isn’t exactly the sexiest of topics but it’s an important one. Most customers old enough to afford BMWs have children they need to cram into their cars. So knowing which cars are easiest to install car seats into, or which have the best car seat features, is important. Which is why this guide to BMW X7 car seats from Cars.com is great. The BMW X7 is the brand’s first, true seven-passenger SUV, with a dedicated third row of seating. So the Bavarians would be forgiven if they didn’t think of everything, when developing three rows of seating. Yet, despite the inexperience, BMW crushed the practicality aspect of the X7. Not only does it have three rows of seats but both the second and thi...

SPIED: G80 BMW M3 caught doing some testing at the ‘Ring I don’t know about many of you but I for one am optimistic about the upcoming G80 BMW M3. Sure, it will have a grille like Gary Busey but it’s for sure going to be the most dynamic and capable M3 ever made. It will be faster than ever before, more agile than ever before and more usable than ever before, that last part owing itself to the car’s new xDrive all-wheel drive system. It will also be the first M3 to ever break into the 500-horsepower club. So you could say we’re a bit jazzed about it. Even more so after watching this new spy video, posted below. In the video, we see the G80 BMW M3 driving around the outskirts of the Nurburgring, before heading out onto the actual track for some hot laps. From what...

Corona Virus: BMW Welt, BMW Museum and BMW Classic now closed The corona virus and the restrictions on public life associated with its spread have now also reached the BMW Welt and BMW Museum. From March 17, the two tourist attractions will be closed due to a directive issued today by the Bavarian government. The closure also affects the BMW Classic premises at Moosacher Strasse 66. In addition to regular visitor traffic, the unplanned closure also affects all public tours and other events that were planned in BMW Welt, BMW Museum or BMW Group Classic. Unfortunately, vehicle pickups at BMW Welt are also affected by the COVID-19 virus and cannot take place as hoped. Affected customers are contacted directly by their respective BMW partners. It is currently completely unclear how long th...

Video: Odell Beckham Jr. Takes Tour of London in Black Badge Cullinan According to Rolls-Royce officials, the median age of their customers has been dropping constantly over the last decade. That seems to point to the obvious fact that billionaires are getting younger and younger these days, success being reached at incredibly young ages. Thus, since Rolls-Royce is an expression of success more than anything else, the age of the customers going into Goodwood has been dropping. Therefore, a switch in the way they market their products happened along the line. We’ve seen Gwendoline Christie do an incredibly good and action-packed promo for the Phantom last year and now we’re checking yet another popular celebrity do the same with the Black Badge Cullinan. Admittedly, the compa...

You can now get M Performance Parts for your BMW S 1000 RR The BMW S 1000 RR high-performance bike is taking things a step further. With the help of the M Division, the superbike is now getting M Performance Parts, similar to the offer available for BMW M automobiles. These components have been developed based on the brand’s extensive racing experience – with the aim of further enhancing the driving dynamics of the new S 1000 RR not only for road use, but especially on the race track. Accordingly, the M Performance Parts accessories range includes not only parts for reducing bike weight but also a number of specialized functional parts. Lightweight Parts So let’s start with the lightweight parts: M Carbon airbox cover, M Carbon chain guard in conjunction with M Carbon...

GUIDE: The Different BMW Headlights Technologies Explained There are various headlight technologies that BMW employs in its vehicles. To literally shed more light into the subject, I thought it would be a great idea to explain the basics of the engineering behind the “eyes” of the newest BMW models. At the moment, the BMW headlights technology stands on three basic pillars: Halogen; “Light-Emitting Diode” or LED and “Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation” or Laser Each of the listed technologies is easily traceable thanks to the individual light signature. BMW Halogen Lights Halogen headlight on F40 1 Series. Halogen lights are the basic, entry-level type of lighting technology you’ll find in most cars. It basically relies on ...

First coronavirus case at the BMW plant in Leipzig Autobild is now reporting that the BMW plant in Leipzig has its first coronavirus case (COVID-19). Julian Friedrich (51), spokesman for the BMW plant in Leipzig confirmed the report for the BILD: “Yes, we have the first confirmed Corona case in the Leipzig plant.” A production worker who was quarantined in the middle of the week had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The result was available on Friday evening. Furthermore, Friedrich mentioned the following steps taken: “In coordination with the health department, all contact persons were identified and sent to home quarantine.This only affected a small number of employees.” The affected areas were then intensively disinfected and then released again. BMW say...

A Road Trip With The Iconic BMW 2002 in the UK In 1962, BMW developed a new line of cars called the Neue Klasse, or New Class. The New Class of cars were compact sedans and coupes which were meant to be comfortable and sporting, able to be both fun and family cars. The first car to be introduced under this new class of car was the 1500, followed by the 1800, 1600 and the 2000. But in 1968 BMW created history, with the 2002. This was the fun model, as it was the perfect blend of power, performance, handling and comfort. It also turned into one of the most iconic BMWs. So it comes as no surprise that owners from around the world cherish the BMW 2002. Therefore, some of us would like to spend as much time as possible driving this beautiful bimmer. Therefore, an a wet and windy d...

BMW infotainment updates to be available over-the-air, including Android Auto Ever since BMW began offering Apple CarPlay, customers with Android phones have been asking why they’ve been neglected. For reasons only understood by BMW, Android Auto — Android’s screen-mirroring alternative to CarPlay — hasn’t been offered in any Bavarian products. But in December 2019, BMW announced that Android Auto will finally come to BMW cars in July 2020. The roll-out is scheduled to go market-by-market and Australia is one of them. At a recent press event, CarsGuide has learned that the Android smartphone mirroring function will be available in the second half of this year. “Any [BMW] already on the road with our latest 7.0 iDrive operating system will be able to ...

2021 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe gets a series of renderings Based on recent spy photos and on the new BMW Concept i4, we bring you a set of renderings showing the 2021 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The second-generation 4 Series Gran Coupe will be part of the new 4 Series family which also includes coupe and convertible models. Furthermore, the 2021 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is the base for BMW i4 electric model. The concept version of the i4 was unveiled earlier this month and it has been the subject of many articles. The renewed 4 Series lineup is shaping up to be quite different in design than anything we’ve seen so far. The front-end will be imposing, aggressive and with a large grille, which might take some BMW fans by surprise. We’ve already seen the leaked 4 Series Coupe photo...

SPIED: 2021 BMW 4 Series Convertible scooped again with its soft-top down The 2021 BMW 4 Series Convertible has been recently spied in the Arctic region flaunting its open-top silhouette, with the cloth roof down. Yet, we are still months away the premiere of the new 4 Series generation (G2x). The first to appear is the Coupe (G22), programmed for mid-2020, with the Convertible (G23) to follow after during Fall. According to sources, the start of production (SoP) for the 2-door 4 Series is programmed for July 2020, with the SoP for the roofless 4 Series following in November this year. From the latest spy photos (which you can view here) it is easily discernible that the G23 4 Series will basically retain the elegant silhouette of the outgoing F33 generation. The main point of attracti...