Auto and Cars

American artist Travis Scott explores the BMW M2 by FUTURA When BMW and Futura 2000 unveiled their joint project, an M2 Competition hand painted by the famous artist, it drew quite the crowd. We were on hand at the Paramount Studios Backlot, where BMW showed off Futura 2000’s impressive work, using the M2 Comp as his canvas. During the brief introduction, BMW’s head of cultural engagement told us that the artists and musicians that were in attendance were there strictly to see Futura’s work, being that he inspires so many young artists even today, such as Travis Scott. The famous American rapper and artist stopped by to see Futura and his new work and he spent some time hanging out with the iconic street artist and BMW as well. He even poked around and explored the car...

Toyota Supra gets power bump and additional four-cylinder option Earlier in the week, we learned that the Toyota Supra could be getting an entry-level four-cylinder variant. That four-cylinder engine, of course, would obviously be borrowed from BMW. Turns out, those rumors were true and Toyota has recently announced that its iconic car will be getting an entry-level variant packing a BMW-sourced turbo four. Additionally, the six-cylinder Supra will also be getting a power bump and some suspension upgrades, surprisingly. Let’s start with the big news first, the four-cylinder. This new Toyota “GR” Supra (sorry, Toyota, that GR name isn’t gonna stick) will now get a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-pot with 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque to start. It marks the first time...

Dr. Esther Mahlangu designs unique Rolls-Royce Phantom Gallery Some four years ago BMW presented a unique 7 Series with interior trims designed by none other than Dr. Esther Mahlangu. The world-famous South African artist signed off on a truly unique 7er and now she’s back, this time working with Rolls-Royce and their Phantom. A special customer of the British company wanted the Gallery inside his Phantom to be designed by Dr. Mahlangu and she happily obliged. In case you’re not on par with the latest info on the eight-generation Phantom, the Gallery is a term used for the space in the dash, facing the passenger, where customers can create true masterpieces if they so desire. In this case, Dr. Esther Mahlangu was appointed with creating a stunning vision for the occupants of...

BMW invests in AutoFi, looking to change the car buying process When Tesla decided to skip dealers initially the world skipped a beat for a moment. How could this be? How could a manufacturer decide to drop that entire process of buying a car and replace it with doing it all online? Well, Tesla was just adapting to the times we live in and they must’ve seen something others didn’t as that trend is probably going to start amplifying. The people from BMW might think so too as they recently announced an investment in California-based startup AutoFi. What is AutoFi? Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, AutoFi is a retail platform that allows car buyers to purchase and finance a car from a variety of financial institutions within or outside the dealership. Thanks to AutoFi’s...

Tiff Needell and Paul Woodman Drive Every M5 Generation Back to Back The BMW M5 is one of the most iconic sedans in automotive history. For more than 35 years, this series has found a way to combine comfort and convenience with unapologetic power and speed. However, this long history means not every BMW fanatic has had the chance to experience every model. If you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying the entire M5 range, you can now do it vicariously through Tiff Needell and Paul Woodman. In a recent video for Lovecars, the motoring journalists teamed up to drive all six generations of the performance sedan. It’s an exhilarating ride through the car’s rich history. Older M5 enthusiasts will enjoy the trip down memory lane. Newer fans of the car will receive a fun and en...

This is the BMW M2 by FUTURA 2000 BMW M and international contemporary artist FUTURA 2000 have just released the fruit of their first collaboration. In this partnership, FUTURA 2000, who is known for his mastery of color, concentric forms, and kinetic composition, will create three exclusive and unique versions of the BMW M2 Competition. FUTURA will also design a limited-edition of the BMW M2 Competition which is scheduled for public purchase in June 2020. One of the hand-painted BMW M2 by FUTURA 2000 vehicles celebrated its world premiere at the second Frieze Los Angeles—being held at the Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood. “The BMW M2 Competition is dynamic, extroverted and, to a certain degree, pleasantly provocative. I consider it a great honour to be abl...

BMW M Performance Tuning for the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe – PHOTOS When it goes on the market in March 2020, the new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will also be offered with a series of tuning accessories from the M Performance catalog. Our real life photos from Portugal give us a closer look at an Alpine White BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe with some of those sporty parts. As usual, the M Performance program is shown on a white vehicle, which makes the black tuning parts stand out particularly well. The most striking elements include the all-black mesh kidney grille and black air intakes at the front, carbon exterior mirror caps and the rear spoiler lip, which is also painted in black. The black tailpipes and the M235i badge in black are there to round off the overall sporty theme of this c...

Robert Kubica to race in the DTM with ART Grand Prix team After a number of reports about a possible entry into the DTM by former Formula 1 driver, Robert Kubica, the news was finally officially confirmed today. The Polish driver will be racing behind the wheel of a BMW M4 DTM car ran by the ART Grand Prix private team. With this addition, BMW will have seven cars lining up at the starting line in the 2020 DTM Championship, including the six already confirmed. The news comes after reports broke out saying Kubica was seen testing a BMW M4 DTM at the Spanish track Jerez de la Frontera, in December. Now the time for an official confirmation has finally come. “This is really great news for the DTM,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “We are delighted to we...

BMW extends aluminum recycling process at Dingolfing plant BMW announced today that it implemented a new system of separating aluminum sheet waste and recycling it at its Dingolfing plant. This new project aims at reducing the waste produced in the manufacturing process and will, according to BMW, enable savings of around 120,000 tons of CO2 per year solely through the recycling process. This is a great improvement in the search for less polluting processes. The implementation of the new system in the Dingolfing press shop had a total cost of €6.5 million. With it, BMW inaugurated a new way of dealing with certain types of waste. The usage of secondary aluminum is estimated to drop up to 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to using aluminum sourced from new, raw materials....

BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe Pricing starts at $350,000 in Australia If you don’t live in Australia, you might as well call yourself lucky because the BMW M8 Competition in Gran Coupe clothing comes with a hefty price tag. More specifically – $350,000. Those are Australian dollars, mind you, and they do come down to $235,000 US at today’s exchange rates but that’s still nearly double than what you need to pay in the United States. We’ve all known for quite some time now that certain cars are extremely expensive in the land down under but this thing is up there with the best of them. The BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupe comes with a lot of stuff already installed though, to make up for the price tag. Things like extended leather upholstery, Alcantara accents e...

Robert Kubica to race in DTM in a customer BMW entry According to Autosport, former Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica will race in the 2020 DTM Championship aboard a BMW racing car. After losing his Williams Formula 1 drive to Nicholas Latifi, Kubica will take the reign of the BMW M4 DTM. Even though the BMW factory line-up is complete, Kubica has managed to secure a DTM berth in a customer team bankrolled by PKN Orlen, which also backed his F1 return in 2019. BMW will not have to build a new M4 for Kubica, as the 35-year-old old will instead be racing with the same test car he drove at Jerez two months ago. Autosport says that a formal announcement confirming Kubica’s DTM entry will be made at a press conference hosted by PKN Orlen in Poland on Thursday. Kubica’s existin...

For Sale: 1968 BMW 1600 with cute matching Heinemann trailer If you’re a fan of old BMW models that won’t require robbing a bank to afford them, this might just do the trick for you. What we have here is a 1968 BMW 1600, a car that’s part of the revival of the BMW brand and put in a lot of work to make sure things work out in the end. The 1600 was part of the Neue Klasse series of cars that helped BMW reach the status it has today. Sure, it may not be as cool as a 2000 CS but it’s still part of the story. The car listed here on Bring A Trailer is a 1968 model and was apparently bought brand new in the US from Hoffman Motors Corporation, in New York. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Max Hoffman was the one who brought the BMW brand to the US in the...

Video: The Smoking Tire Tests a 240 HP Classic Mini The guys from The Smoking Tire have prepared a surprise for us. Usually, Matt and Zack post different videos. While Matt is in the studio recording podcasts, Zack is usually doing one take videos for the masses. Well, this time, they joined forces and are starring in a video together, testing a classic Mini with 240 HP. I would call it a Cooper S but the problem is, with that much power, it’s way more than that. This particular Mini has had a heart transplant if you will. It has a 240 HP VTEC Honda engine taken from a CR-V crossover and its all-wheel drive system. It also has a manual gearbox, a reinforced chassis, a rollcage and racing harnesses on, just to keep everyone safe. Considering how small and light a classic Mini is, ...

BMW drops 320d model from Australian line-up It seems like diesel engines in passenger cars are definitely on the way out. Ever since the Volkswagen dieselgate, demand for diesels has been on a decline and now, these powerplants are becoming obsolete in certain parts of the world. BMW Australia announced this week that it won’t be offering a diesel engine in the 3 Series range anymore. It’s not like Australians were spoiled for choice anyway. There was only one diesel engine in the range, the 2-liter B47 4-cylinder mill found on the 320d but now that’s gone as well. If you’re interested in a new 3 Series, the range now kicks off with the 320i, powered by a similar 2-liter 4-cylinder engine but running on gasoline. According to BMW Australia, the decision to drop...

BMW vows to cut CO2 emissions by 20% in Europe this year The new legislation regarding CO2 emissions for car makers and their fleets is tightening the screws on the entire industry. BMW is also going to be hit with hefty fines if it doesn’t find a way to cut aforementioned emissions to a fleet average of 95 grams/km by 2021. According to its CEO though, that won’t be a problem as BMW has made it a habit to deliver on its promises. In a recent interview, Oliver Zipse said BMW will cut 20% of its fleet CO2 emissions by the end of the year. In 2018 BMW reported an average level of 128 grams/km in CO2 emissions. Even though the figures for 2019 haven’t been released yet, the company already said it recorded a further ‘slight’ decrease. Thus, with another 20 per...

BMW X3 M and X4 M getting iDrive 7 (OS 7.0) In Fall 2019, the BMW X3 G01 and X4 G02 received an infotainment upgrade in the form of the current OS 7.0 (iDrive 7). This year, it’s the BMW X3 M and X4 M which are getting the much coveted upgraded. From April 2020, the power SUV BMW X3 M and X4 M will get the major infotainment update. In addition to the new iDrive technology on the infotainment display, the change to OS 7.0 also means a new look for the instrument display. We can already guess what the display behind the steering wheel will look like since we’ve seen it on the big brothers X5 M and X6 M. The objectively more important changes, however, take place on the central infotainment display, where the BMW Live Cockpit ConnectedDrive ensures that the tile des...

Report: BMW allegedly dropped plans to open a factory in Russia According to Automotive News, BMW has dropped plans to open a factory in Russia after talks with authorities broke down over government subsidies for the facility. The news outlet reports that BMW failed to reach a conclusion in talks with Russian government officials over the level of economic incentives for the plant. BMW currently has a presence in Russia through its local partner Avtotor which assembles 3, 5 and 7 Series models and X1, X3, X4, X5 and X6 SUVs from semi-knocked-down kits. Former BMW CEO Harald Krueger said in 2018 that the company was considering establishing its own local production facilities in Russia. “We see Russia as an important market for the BMW Group and are in constant contact with ...

BMW Mount Rushmore — Which Bimmers Do You Put On It? BMW has a rich history of incredible cars. For at least the past sixty years, the Bavarians have been debuted at least one or two incredible cars every decade. So it’s very difficult to narrow it down to just a few of the very best. That isn’t going to stop us from trying. But it’s just not possible to choose just one or even two or three. So we’re going to pick four of the best BMWs of all time and put them on our fictional Bavarian Mount Rushmore. In this little exercise, we can choose from any BMW throughout its storied history. However, it has to have a BMW Roundel on it. No MINIs, no Rolls-Royces, nothing that comes from a brand that BMW owns or has owned. Also, like Mount Rushmore itself, this isn’t...

MINI’s “Inner Drive” Campaign Tells the Story of the First-Ever Mini There are a few cars throughout the history of the automobile that genuinely changed the industry. Most of them were small and affordable. The Volkswagen Beetle was one. The other is another small car that’s far more enjoyable to drive — the Mini. Developed to be a small and fun solution to the dense, congested traffic of London, as well as something to help handle the fuel rationing in England, the original Mini was a masterpiece of packaging and chassis tuning. That masterpiece was designed by a man who would later live on in legend. Sir Alec Issigonis. In this new video campaign, MINI honors Issigonis by telling his story in a very creative virtual story book. “The MINI brand has always embraced a...

TEST DRIVE: BMW i3s – Can I Drive It In The Winter? I was recently at a BMWCCA Cars & Coffee with our 2018 BMW i3s and it was a typical freezing cold day in January. One of the chapter officers came up and asked me” “Do you really drive this every day, even in the winter?” “Absolutely,” I said. “With a set of dedicated snow tires and wheels, we have had no problems.” I live in the Midwest and we get some pretty nasty winter weather with temperatures down to -5F/-20C and plenty of snow every winter. In fact, we have been daily driving a BMW i3 since 2014 when they first came out. Before I jump into my winter driving experience with the BMW i3s, here are a few tips I compiled over the years: Winter EV Driving Tips Keep Fully Charged Precondit...

BMW is recalling around 680 model-year 2020 BMW X7 SUVs BMW of North America has just issued a recall for the 2020 BMW X7 SUV. According to the recall notice released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are approximately 680 models being recalled. The issue is centered around the rear reflex reflectors which may not reflect an adequate amount of light, decreasing the vehicle’s visibility to other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash. Your local dealership will replace both rear reflex reflectors for free. BMW will begin notifying owners March 23. BMW owners can call the automaker at 800-525-7417, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit its website to check their vehicle identificatio...

VIDEO: Watch this BMW Z4 chase a 5 Series LCI Test Mule on Autobahn We know that BMW is readying the facelift of the next-gen 5 Series, as we’ve been seeing spy photos surface, showing off some new headlights and taillights. While we don’t have an exact timeframe for when we’ll see the facelifted 5er, we do know it’s on the way and we could see it this year. In this new video, we actually get to see the 5 Series LCI (facelift in BMW-speak) on the Autobahn, as it’s chased by a BMW Z4 sDrive30i. The video is from the POV of the Z4’s driver and they seem to find a 5 Series Touring LCI test mule, wearing heavy camouflage, driving ahead of them. So they decided to follow it to get a better look. Whichever model of 5er that test mule is, it’s fast. I&...

BMW won’t force customers to buy electric vehicles The electric vehicles market is on the rise with more and more customers being interested in buying an electric car. And the sales numbers are showing it. While it does seem like the uptake is building up extremely slowly, sales are definitely increasing and BMW will have to adapt at some point. The German company has repeatedly said they plan to offer customers a wide choice to pick from and that they will use their flexible architecture to the max, to make sure they deliver what the customers want. This week, that was highlighted once again by an official. Speaking to the press at a conference, BMW Australia boss, Vikram Pawah said: “We are absolutely committed to the power of choice now and well into the future, allowing custom...

2020 BMW X5 xDrive40d and X6 xDrive40d Pack a Diesel Punch Last I drove a BMW X5, it was the six-cylinder gasoline variant, dubbed “xDrive40i“. Thanks to its 3.0 liter turbocharged I6, making 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, the six-pot X5 made far more than enough power and I wasn’t once left wanting for more. In fact, it’s quicker than any customer will ever need. Add some more torque and there may not be a better X5 value on the market. Welcome the BMW X5 xDrive40d. BMW has just revealed its newest entry to the X5 family and it’s powered by a 3.0 liter turbocharged inline-six diesel engine. The oil-burner powering the new X5 makes a whopping 340 hp and 516 lb-ft (700Nm) of torque, which gives it a bit more power and a ton of extra torque. In addition to ...

EVs Outsold Manual Transmissions in 2019 — Is This the End? Electric vehicles do not take up a large portion of the automotive market. With just 1.6 percent of the total US automotive market share, EVs aren’t especially popular. That in itself isn’t too surprising, nor is it very sad. What is sad, though, is the fact that, even at less than two percent of the market share, EVs still outsold manual transmissions in 2019. You read that right, the row-your-own gearbox took up less than 1.6 percent of the market share in the US last year. More specifically, only 1.1 percent of all vehicles sold in 2019 had manual gearboxes. That’s almost painful to read because it means the end is nigh. As car enthusiasts, we’ve all been dreading the end of manual transmissions for y...

BMW says they’re not interested in Formula 1 return Every once in a while the topic of BMW and Formula 1 comes back to focus. And every single time, the answer is the same – BMW does not see a viable path for the in the most popular racing event in the world. Despite a relationship with Formula 1 that stretches back to 1952, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt believes that BMW’s development has taken it down a different path. “The V6 Turbo Hybrid is an engine that has absolutely nothing to do with what we do in series production,” he told Auto Bild. “From an engineering perspective, I have to say: hats off to what they do in Formula One, but the technology has no relevance for the road.” BMW’s latest stint in Formula 1 started in ...

BMW puts 75,000 Euros up for grabs in SIM Racing competitions BMW is committed to SIM Racing and has recently announced that it will be offering 75,000 Euros in prize money at various competitions throughout 2020. SIM Racing fans can join two major series on two different platforms. Those interested in racing the BMW M8 GTE virtually can do it on the iRacing motorsport platform while those interested in the M2 CS Racing can do it on the rFactor2 platform. The best of the best will get a chance to duke it out in Munich at a grand finale hosted by BMW. “They [the two platforms] allow us to address talented and enthusiastic drivers on many different levels and provide them with a route into the fascinating world of motorsport. We are also planning continual expansion of our range of ...

Buyer’s Guide: BMW E39 M5 The BMW E39 M5 was produced from 1999 to 2003 and is perhaps BMW’s most critically acclaimed sedan in its history. The E39 M5 is a spacious and comfortable sedan that produces tremendous amounts of power and handles like a car that weighs significantly less. The car is appreciating, although how long that will continue is unknown. There were 12,000 originally sold in the United States, so between accidents and modifications, finding a pristine example may not be easy. Beyond what you can see in pictures, here’s what to look for when shopping for an E39 M5. Engine The M5 has a 4.9 liter V8 that produces 395 horsepower and 365 ft-lb of torque. Contrary to the E60 M5, torque is available earlier, which makes this car a more enjoyable daily driver but ...

Video: How BMW is developing autonomous driving cars Autonomous driving cars is seen by many as the future of transportation, yet, it might not deliver what most people are expecting. Most car makers today are investing heavily into this type of tech, considered by some as the Holy Grail of personal transportation. But the truth of the matter is that completely independent/autonomous driving cars might not exist after all. BMW is at the forefront of the efforts and they have dedicated millions of dollars towards this goal. In the video below we get to see how things are evolving and shaping up. Mariana Van Zeller traveled across the world to the BMW Autonomous Driving Lab in Munich, Germany to reveal the inner workings of driverless car development, the latest frontier in auto engineeri...

Photo Gallery from the Tokyo Auto Salon 2020 A few weeks ago, the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon showcased some of the world’s most exciting tuners and aftermarket part companies. BMW was a heavily featured brand in Tokyo, with cars ranging from brand-new high-performance M cars to vintage classics being on display. There were also some of new Toyota Supras on hand, which is fun because the Supra is both Japanese and German. What’s great about the Tokyo Auto Salon is the sheer range of cars on hand. There were some crazily modified Bimmers as well as bone stock ones. Two great examples of that contrast are the bagged BMW M3 with a roof box and aftermarket wheels and the seemingly bone-stock E28 BMW M5. There weren’t only just show cars on display but also parts. Aftermarket co...