Auto and Cars

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...

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 ...