Auto and Cars

Which to Buy: BMW 228i Gran Coupe or Mk8 Volkswagen GTI? Now that the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is officially on sale in America, buyers are going to have a rather interesting choice on their hands. For the first time, maybe ever in America, BMW buyers will be (or at least should be) cross-shopping with a Volkswagen. That’s because the new BMW 228i Gran Coupe now faces direct competition from the all-new Mk8 Volkswagen GTI. The new GTI has officially been revealed and it packs enough power, performance, technology and luxury to compete with the entry-level 2er. While the GTI has always been pound-for-pound, dollar-for-dollar, one of the very best (if not the very best) cars on sale, it’s never really competed directly with a BMW. Now, though, the new 2 Series is front-wheel dr...

VIDEO REVIEW: 2020 BMW M235i Gran Coupe One of the biggest premiers this year for BMW is their first entry into the compact four-door coupe segment. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is just days away from its global market launch. We’ve recently traveled to Portugal to sample the 2020 BMW M235i Gran Coupe and we put together a video review. But if you’re looking for the written sample also, click here. Powering the BMW M235i Gran Coupe is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 302 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. That engine sends power to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. It can get from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, which is pretty fast. It’s not going to make thrill many enthusiasts with its power or performance, but it’s enough to ...

Top Gear Drives the Best James Bond Cars: Brosnan’s BMW Z8 Featured BMW is one of the few brands fortunate enough to share a little sliver of history with the James Bond franchise. Having been the brand of choice for most of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond films, a few different BMWs have been driven by the world’s most famous spy. The best of them had to be the BMW Z8 from The World is Not Enough. In this new video from Top Gear, we get to check out the Z8, along with a few other Bond cars over the years to see which is best. For BMW enthusiasts, the Z8 is an incredibly special car, one that would spin heads around and cause involuntary drool if seen in the wild. However, compared to the rest of the Bond cars in this video, the Z8 is the biggest afterthought. That’s not an...

Video: How much money would you spend on a broken ALPINA B7? Just the other day, we told you about Tyler Hoovie’s latest acquisition. He decided, for some unknown reason, to buy a $3,500 ALPINA B7 Biturbo that he knew was broken down. He actually got it from a friend of his, who bought the car and, upon finding out how much is wrong with it, sold it to Tyler who was mad enough to buy it in the first place. Now, our good man took his ‘brand new’ B7 Biturbo to the mechanic, to see what’s wrong with it. I should highlight the fact that this ultra-luxurious limousine with 500 HP which had a sticker price of well over $100,000 more than 10 years ago was bought for $3,500. That’s really cheap but there are several reasons why the price tag was so low, as we&rsquo...

Video: Here’s the BMW X4 M Competition going all out on the Autobahn After a long wait BMW finally decided to launch an M version of its most popular SUV out there. The BMW X3 M arrived last year and, along with it, the BMW X4 M. Both models also got Competition versions from the get go, so we could actually say this was a launch of four new M cars. While the X3 M got most of the attention, the German brand tried really hard not to let the BMW X4 M Competition fade into the background and today we’re checking out its straight line performance. The guys from AutoTopNL put together a clip featuring the BMW X4 M Competition going all out on an unrestricted Autobahn. This is one of the few locations in the world where you can actually test the top speed of your car without having to r...

BMW iNEXT Goes Extreme Weather Testing in the Kalahari Desert We’re getting closer and closer to the official reveal of the upcoming BMW iNEXT, the brand’s flagship vehicle of the future. As its reveal draws near, the Bavarians have been hard at work putting the iNEXT to the test. A large part of electric vehicle testing is harsh weather testing, to see how the batteries and electric motors handle extreme temperatures. BMW already showed us the car testing in freezing temperatures in the Arctic Circle but now we get to see it in extreme heat, in the Kalahari Desert. Testing in the desolation of Southern Africa will help the brand learn about how the car handles brutal heat, solar radiation, deep sand, gravel roads and permanent dust formations. All of this is to see if the i...

VIDEO: Check Out How the Better-Than-New E39 BMW M5 Drives A few days ago, we posted a video from The Smoking Tire, featuring a mint-condition E39 BMW M5 being driven by Matt Farah. That video featured nothing but watching and listening to the perfect M5 but Farah actually reviews it in this one and it’s well worth a watch for any BMW fans. Especially those that own E39 M5s. The car in this video is a mint-condition M5 that’s been only slightly modified and Farah calls it “better-than-new”, with good reason. The modifications are more like additions because they don’t really modify the car as much as amplify its own skills. For instance, the car has a Dinan intake, Dinan exhaust, Dinan ECU, Dinan strut tower brace, refreshed shocks and a short throw shift k...

The upcoming i4 will be a game changer for BMW By March 3rd, 2020, BMW would have already unveiled their future mass-produced electric vehicle. The new BMW i4 – or the i430 and i440 if you go by the latest rumors – will join the small EV family in Munich. And while it’s not a direct i3 replacement, the i4 will likely become the number one target for BMW EV customers. The BMW i3 was and is a marvelous piece of engineering – carbon fiber construction, smart use of interior space and a practical design – but unfortunately, it always lacked the looks. With the i4, BMW will change that. Based on accounts from several people who have seen the upcoming BMW i4 Concept, we can now paint a better picture. The exterior design of the car previews the next-generation 4 ...

SPIED: BMW 4 Series Convertible Looking More Production-Ready Each and every time we check out some spy photos of the new BMW 4 Series, in any variation, the focal point is on its new grille design. After seeing the BMW Concept 4, enthusiasts have been extremely curious (worried?) about whether or not the next-gen 4 Series will have the concept car’s grille. We know that it will, and have said so consistently, but there are still some enthusiasts holding out hope that we’re wrong. Unfortunately for them, these new spy photos prove us right. (We don’t own them but they can be seen here) In these new photos, we see a BMW 4 Series Convertible doing some winter testing and it’s the most production-ready test mule we’ve seen yet. It doesn’t seem to have an...

Video: Hoovie buys a broken $3,500 BMW Alpina B7 Biturbo If there’s one thing Tyler Hoovie is famous for, it’s definitely his passion for cheap, broken down cars. However, most of the time, his only goal when buying a car is to pay as little as possible. It’s only after he buys it that he usually finds out what’s wrong with it and can plead ignorance. In his latest video though, Tyler decides to make a bad decision fully knowing that he will have to pay a lot of money to get this car going again. The car being an E66 ALPINA B7. As you’re about to see in the video below, Hoovie is kinda done with his current BMW 760Li which we’ve covered a number of times so far. While initially he was rather satisfied with the amount of work that went into it and the ...

BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla focus on online car sales in China Selling cars online is not a new thing but it has been more of a niche offering so far, with few adopters going for it. Most people still prefer to walk into a dealership and feel the car themselves rather than just see it on a screen in the comfort of their own home. Things have changed though ever since the new Coronavirus hit, especially in China. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla have ramped up their online presence in the last few weeks, trying to make up for the lack of sales. A recent report showed that due to the new Coronavirus, people in China have been spending more and more time indoors and that car sales have dropped by 92% in China in February so far. That’s a huge blow to car makers, who are relying on the h...

Upcoming BMW i4 prototype spied with large, 2-screen setup One of the cars I’m most anxious to see this year is definitely the upcoming BMW i4. It’s not just because it’s supposed to bring out a new design style but mostly because of what hides underneath the sheet metal. This will be one of the first cars made by BMW to keep up with the electric trend that seems to be forming these days and a lot is banking on it. Luckily, we’re going to see the concept previewing the i4 in less than a week. In the meantime, testing continues with prototypes of the i4 being spotted in cold areas of the world, putting those batteries to the most extreme tests out there. (We don’t own the spy photos but you can see them here) Luckily, one keen spy photographer managed to cat...

Alfa Romeo to Bring Something Loud to Geneva to Take on Zee Germans There have been rumors swirling for quite some time now that BMW’s Italian rival Alfa Romeo was readying something even more powerful, more extreme than the BMW M3. Something that could make the M3 CS look like child’s toy. To be honest, these rumors started back when the BMW M4 GTS was new, so it was likely being developed to take that. However, even with the GTS a distant memory, the Italians are still hard at work on an uber-performance car to take on Zee Germans and we should be seeing whatever it is come the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Alfa recently released a short exhaust clip, which sounds a lot like an insane version of the Giulia Quadrifoglio, and it’s said to belong to a car ready for Geneva. Wh...

2021 BMW 5 Series Facelift (LCI) rendered before its unveil The 2021 BMW 5 Series Facelift will be unveiled this Summer, so it’s only natural that rendering artists from around the world are trying to predict its design. This new rendering is based on recent spy photos and shows some mild changes to the front fascia of the 5 Series. There is a set of redesigned headlights, slightly slimmer than before, while the M Sport Package also gets restyled. The kidneys have also been enlarged, to be inline with the recently unveiled BMWs. Yet, they’re still small by today’s standards. View this post on Instagram 2021 BMW 5 Series LCI Rendered. BMW 5시리즈 페이스리프트 예상ᇺ...

Video: Crazy project turns classic Mini into 6×6 off-roader It looks like Sir Alec Issigonis’ creation is becoming more popular today than ever. Not only does the original Mini excites my colleague Nico and I, but we’ve been checking out a series of heavily modified models too in the last few weeks. The one I’m going to show you today falls right into that category but, unlike the speedsters we’ve seen so far, this one has a different approach. The goal here was to create a true off-roader. To do that, this car, which has probably started life as a regular classic Mini, was heavily modified. It’s not like the original couldn’t handle anything but clean asphalt, to be honest, as the Mini is known for winning numerous rallies over time. However, to each...

G20 BMW 320d gets a mesh grille and Tanzanite Blue II Metallic paint BMW’s G20 3 Series design is a safe one. And while it’s safe, it’s equally classy and sporty. So it comes as no surprise that it has been widely accepted and praised by customers from around the world. Take for example this G20 BMW 320d which hails from Germany and features one of our favorite BMW colors – Tanzanite Blue II Metallic. This beautiful shade of blue is part of the BMW Individual Catalog, and an option on the G20 3 Series. The color changes its hue based on the light, varying from a dark, deep blue to a vibrant one. As you can see in the photo gallery below, courtesy of russellmckellarphoto and fagardautomotive, the midsize sedan is simply stunning. Furthermore, this G20 320d is fea...

Video: Here’s a 30-minute documentary about the making of the BMW E30 The most popular BMW 3 Series ever made has become a cult legend over the years. It is now regarded as the best 3 Series ever made. Yet, some people still claim it’s way too old to demand any sort of real interest from modern-day enthusiast. I definitely don’t agree but what critics seem to forget is that the BMW E30 generation was developed back in the 1980s. Back then things were drastically different in all key areas. The video posted below will prove just that. The BMW E30 3 Series actually got a documentary back in the day, detailing how everything was done and put in place. This nearly 30-minute long video basically tells it all about the car, from the way it was conceived and designed (using this re...

C&D Test: BMW 330i vs Alfa Romeo Giulia, Genesis G70 and Volvo S60 It’s important that the BMW 330i is good. In fact, it’s probably even more important that the 330i is good than whether or not the M340i is. Most customers are going to buy the 330i, or other entry-level models in other markets, than the top-of-the-line M Performance model. Plus, that’s always sort of been the 3 Series’ deal; every model is great to drive and you don’t need the big engine to have fun. So when we see a comparison test, from one of the most esteemed publications in America, with the 330i and its competitors, we take notice. This comparison test from Car and Driver pits a rear-wheel drive 330i against its newest competition; the Alfa Romeo Giulia Q4, Volvo S60 and Genesis G70. ...

BMW Concept 4 is displayed at the BMW Welt in Munich The BMW Concept 4 has now finally made its way to the BMW Welt. The highly debated concept car of the upcoming BMW 4 Series is triggering the emotions of BMW enthusiasts from around the globe. If you didn’t make it to the Frankfurt Motor Show, where the concept was premiered last year for the first time, you can now check out the car at the Welt in Munich. If you have the possibility to visit the Welt in the coming days / weeks, I highly recommend stopping by and seeing the concept through your eyes. Although the car is still hiding behind some small glass walls, it is possible to get very close to it. Personally I was as skeptical as many BMW fans out there when I first saw the pictures. But after I saw the car in person, my f...

TEST DRIVE: 2020 BMW X3 M Competition – Uncompromised It’s been a long time coming. People have been asking for a BMW X3 M model for a long time and it took BMW nearly three generations to get it done. The Germans knew this had to happen at some point, but they wanted to make sure they get it right. Especially, since unlike the BMW X5 M or the BMW X6 M, the dynamics of the 2020 BMW X3 M would matter more in the final product. Therefore, after four and a half years of development, BMW finally unveiled the cars everyone was waiting for. Let’s be fair, the BMW X5 M doesn’t really match up to the dynamics we’re all expecting from an M car. It’s too big and heavy to do that and even the clever engineers in Munich have their limits when it comes to bending the l...

2021 BMW 4 Series: New spy photos clearly reveal the kidney grille The World Wide Web and Instagram bring us today new videos featuring the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe. The test mule was spotted in Germany barely hiding its front-end. Speaking of the front-end, it was just two weeks ago that another leak fully revealed the front fascia. The grille is almost exactly as large as what we saw on the BMW Concept 4, with two enormous, gaping Kidney Grilles that merge in the middle to the point of looking like one giant grille. It is newsworthy that the 4 Series prototype does not yet have a license plate at the front. Although it is easy to see where the license plates should be placed, the license plate is obviously placed on the dashboard and not mounted in its final position. How the 2021 BMW ...

Will the new Four-Cylinder Morgan use a BMW Engine? Morgan is one of the most famous small boutique automotive brands. Sure, it sells very few cars compared to even the smallest of mainstream automakers but its cars are interesting, unique and almost universally adored for their style and quirky nature. It’s also a brand that’s been partnered with BMW for some time and it’s a partnership that might be continuing. Recently, the famed maker of British sports cars borrowed BMW’s new B58 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-six engine for its new Morgan Plus Six. It’s a perfect engine for that car, as its 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque are far more than enough to motivate its lightweight chassis. However, it’s sort of a touring car, rather than a proper sports c...

VIDEO: This Video Shows Us Why We Love the E39 BMW M5 Among BMW enthusiasts, the E39-generation M5 is widely considered to be the best M5. It has the classic BMW M car recipe: the brand’s old-school good looks with a naturally-aspirated engine, a proper M-tuned chassis and a six manual gearbox. While it’s not as powerful as the cars that succeeded it, nor anywhere near as quick, the E39 BMW M5 beats each and every generation of M5 into submission, when it comes to driver engagement and thrill. In this new video from The Smoking Tire, we get to see exactly why that is. The best part of this video is the fact that Matt Farah says virtually nothing. Not a word outside of the introduction. It’s part of his “Just the Noise” videos, where he just flogs the car on...

Video: BMW M135i xDrive vs A35 AMG Tuning Potential The new BMW M135i xDrive has a really tough job laid out in front of it, considering the competition it has to face. The biggest, baddest guy in the segment comes in the shape of the Mercedes-AMG A35 model, the A-Class doing the whole front-wheel drive premium hot hatch thing for a bit longer. Then there’s also the Audi S3 and I’m not even going to mention the RS3 and A45 AMG options which are even more threatening. Therefore, the new 1 Series has its work cut out. What we’re looking at today though is how the BMW M135i xDrive compares to the A35 AMG from a tuning perspective and how much potential each car has. To do that, the guys from RaceChip got the two cars together to see how much performance they can squeeze o...