Auto and Cars

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...

2021 BMW M4 Kidney Grille Face/Off: Large vs. Small — Rendering Without question, the biggest controversy that BMW currently faces stems from its new kidney grille design. With the BMW Concept 4, it introduced a set of kidneys far larger than anything we’d ever seen before. They’re so large, in fact, they make the BMW X7 look modest. Now we know that the new grille design will make its way to the upcoming BMW M4 and we’ve already seen some leaked photos of it. So, naturally, render artists are trying to figure out what it will look like with more sensible grilles. In this new image, we get to see a rendering of the upcoming BMW M4, as well as a rendering that shows off what the M4 would look like without the monster kidney grilles. Rather than having the two massive cr...

VIDEO: Car Throttle bought a beat up E34 BMW 5 Series Touring Buying an old beater is always fun in an adventurous sort of way, especially when it’s a car that’s a bit funny. Which is why Car Throttle videos are so popular, as they often buy old cars that are quite a bit too far past their expiration dates. In this latest video, the car that Car Throttle’s host Alex ended up buying was an E34 BMW 5 Series Touring and it’s… well, it’s not great. The E34 5 Series Touring might not be the most fun enthusiast car ever made but it’s charms are probably appreciated more now then when it was new. Enthusiasts can appreciate its slower, heavier, more connected steering, its old-school simplicity and classic good looks. Admittedly, Alex’s car is a ...

BMW’s new “Reduced” Interior Engine Noise is a Revelation BMW was one of the first brands to introduce artificial engine/exhaust sound into the cabin. Using speakers to play an artificial version of the car’s own engine noise, every modern BMW adds at least a little bit of engine noise to the cabin. This is due to the fact that customers expect quiet cabins but quiet cabins reduce the amount of engine noise you can hear. So if you want to have your cake and eat it, too, you need to use some fake engine noise. However, BMW has gracefully added a new feature to its performance cars and it makes a world of a difference — adjustable engine noise. In most new performance BMWs, there are different setting for the fake engine noise. There are four settings; Sporty, Balanced, Reduce...

Formula E decided to freeze races for a two-month period Formula E and the FIA have announced that the 2019/20 season will be temporarily suspended for a two-month period, considering the challenge the current health crisis poses to the organization of events in city-centers. According to FIA and Formula E governing bodies, the decision, made in coordination with the relevant local authorities to temporarily freeze races held in highly-populated cities, was taken as the most responsible course of action, due to the continued spread of coronavirus and the World Health Organization officially declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. Furthermore, the press release states that the well-being of staff, spectators and the entire championship workforce is the number one priority. The series is implemen...

Video: BMW M235i Gran Coupe reviewed by The Straight Pipes Since the US won’t be getting the new 1 Series hatch anytime soon, the 2 Series Gran Coupe will have to fill in for it. The new model is now arriving in dealerships around the country and reviews are starting to pour in. Since the 2 Series Gran Coupe range is limited to the M235i and 228i models in the US, most of the focus, at least for now, is on the M Performance model. Does it rise to the expectations? The guys from The Straight Pipes took one out for a spin and, from the gate, there was one subject that came up first: the design. It’s quite interesting to see how many new models from BMW are divisive from the get go. I noticed it at first on the new BMW X6. Whenever I would ask anyone what they thought of it, th...

BMW is recalling X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i and X6 xDrive50i models The newly released BMW X6 is getting a recall. According to BMW and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the recall covers 550 models of the G06 X6. The models recalled are the 2020 X6 sDrive40i, X6 xDrive40i, and X6 xDrive50i vehicles. The recall notice states that the rear spoiler may detach. If the spoiler detaches while the vehicle is being driven, it can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. To fix the issue, BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the rear spoiler, as necessary free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 13, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at (800) 525-7417. In the United States, the MSRP pricing starts at $64,300 for ...

TEST DRIVE: 2020 Audi Q3 2.0T Quattro — Good but not Great Since doing this job, I’ve driven and reviewed so many cars I’ve forgotten most of them. Yet I can still clearly remember the tepid awfulness of the first-generation Audi Q3.  In this modern era, there are very few bad cars on the road. Even boring cars are objectively good at being cars; A-to-B transportation machines. But the first-gen Q3 was about as bad as a modern car can get. It was miserably slow, had a cheap feeling interior, had poor ride quality, sloppy handling and too high of a sticker price. I actually can’t remember a single redeeming quality. So when the second-generation Audi Q3 made its official debut, I was filled with optimism. The new car looks great, has a fantastic interior, is built ...

Estoril Blue II BMW 328d Sports Wagon on Paint Matched 437M Wheels Coming straight out of California we have a BMW 3 Series M Sport Diesel Wagon with some OEM Plus additions to truly make it a M Performance Wagon as it should have come from the factory. The Stage 2 Kerma TDI Tuned BMW 328d Sports Wagon, nicknamed “Dory”, comes with plenty of modifications to balance out both performance, handling, and aesthetics. The project in its current Version 4.0 is ongoing and is built by the owner who also took these photos to showcase the wagon both inside and out. The model being used here is a 2014 BMW 328d xDrive M Sport Wagon fitted with optional M Sport upgraded brakes using C-Quence Drilled and Slotted Rotors with Posi Semi Metallic Pads. It even has been outfitted with the ra...

Ask Me Questions: BMW M235i Gran Coupe — Whatcha Wanna Know? This week, I’m driving easily one of the most controversial BMWs of the modern era. Not only is it frumpy looking but it’s based on a front-wheel drive chassis. The latter of which is essentially The Devil’s chassis to many BMW enthusiasts. So, naturally, I was very curious to get my hands on it for a week and see if it’s as horrific as the fan-base predicted. To be honest, this isn’t my first time driving the M235i. I had the chance to sample it, both on road and one track, a few months ago at BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina facility. However, each drive was brief and only allowed me to get mildly acquainted with the car. A week with it it, at home, on roads that I’m extremely famil...

Video: BMW 118i Review goes over the everything you need to know Ever since the new BMW 1 Series arrived, we’ve all been focused mainly on the top-of-the-line model, the M135i xDrive, while everything else seemed to fade into the distance. It’s understandable too, as everyone wants to know what it can do, especially considering the AMG and Audi ‘S’ competitors. However, most of the 1 Series models sold will not be M Performance cars. Instead, most will be BMW 118i and 118d models for their price tags and low CO2 emissions. The former is the subject of the latest review published by the South African publication Cars.co.za. This is one of the first models to be launched in the 1 Series range, alongside the 120d and the M135i. It is also using the smallest petrol e...

The F10-Generation BMW 5 Series might be the best used Bimmer Back when the G30 BMW 5 Series first debuted, there was almost a sigh of relief. The G30 is a marked improvement over its predecessor, the F10 BMW 5 Series, and fans were relieved to learn that. However, that’s not to say the F10 is bad. As an everyday luxury sedan, the F10 5er is great. Sure, it lacks a bit in terms of fun and/or handling and isn’t the balanced car that either its predecessors were but it’s still a very good car. Which is why enthusiasts looking for a used Bimmer should keep an eye on it. Depreciation is a funny thing. It sucks for first-owners of cars but it’s great for any owner thereafter. In the case of the F10 BMW 5 Series, depreciation is excellent for second or third owners bec...