Auto and Cars

TEST DRIVE: BMW E46 3 Series – Revisited 20 Years Later Once you get behind the wheel of a BMW E46 3 Series, it becomes clear to why it is one of the most popular BMWs among enthusiasts more than 20 years after its introduction. The E46 3 Series was the replacement for the E36, and was introduced for the 1999 model year. In the U.S., the car was exclusively available with inline six-cylinders ranging from 2.5 liters in the 323i and 325i, to 3 liters in the 330i. This 3er remained largely the same throughout its seven year long production run. In 2002 it received a minor facelift which freshened up the front and rear fascias, making it look a bit more modern. The car tested today is a 2005, meaning it is a facelift, or LCI in BMW terms. One Of The Best BMW Steering Systems This has been...

James Bond’s “No Time to Die” Aston Martin DB5 is M Powered? BMW just might be back in Bond. Only this time, it’s behind the scenes. According to this new article from Car and Driver, the engines powering the Aston Martin DB5 stunt cars used in the new Bond film, “No Time to Die“, could actually be S54 3.2 liter inline-six engines from the E46 BMW M3. While there’s no official word, it seems to make some sense. For stunt-duty, the producers of No Time to Die obviously didn’t want to use real Aston Martin DB5s, considering they’re worth about seven-figures a pop and very rare. So they had replicas made by getting Aston Martin to create space frame chassis with independent suspension all the way around. Those chassis were then covered by carbon fib...

VIDEO: Watch how the Gildred Racing 500 hp RWD Classic Mini is made A few days ago, we took a look at a classic Mini Cooper S that had been completely modified and re-built. Not only was its engine swapped to the rear but it was also converted to rear-wheel drive. So it was almost like a tiny Porsche 911. With 500 hp and a 2,000 lb curb weight. The “Super Cooper“, as it’s called, was driven by Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire and it seemed like an absolute blast to drive. In this new video from TST, we get to take a bit of a look into how such a monster Mini is made. Sitting behind the driver is now a 3.5 liter supercharged V6 Acura V6 with 500 wheel horsepower. Mated to that monster engine is the six-speed manual gearbox from an Acura CL. Handling gear rowing is a lovel...

Frozen Dark Grey BMW M340i xDrive First Edition is quite a looker The latest star of the BMW Abu Dhabi showroom is the limited Frozen Dark Grey BMW M340i xDrive First Edition. The special edition model will celebrate the market launch of the new M340i models. Available in both Sedan and Touring guise, the First Edition will be produced in a limited run of 340 units per each version. As occasioned by every special edition model, BMW has prepared a series of exclusive individualization measures for the M340i First Edition. The newest resident of the Abu Dhabi dealership is the Sedan version of the new M340i xDrive First Edition. The body is featured in the unique BMW Individual Frozen Dark Grey, the only color which the special model is available with. Another distinguishable feature of ...

Video: BMW M5 Competition vs RS6 vs E63 AMG drag race The time has finally come to see the drag race we’ve all been waiting for since the new BMW M5 came out. With the addition of all-wheel drive to the new platform, the new F90 M5 was bound to win a lot of drag races you wouldn’t expect it to win otherwise. However, while we’ve seen the BMW going up against its arch-rival from Mercedes-AMG for a number of times before, we didn’t get to see it race against the new RS6 Avant because the new model was just launched. This is it then! The guys from CarWow got all three German Autobahn missiles together for a quick drag race and things got very interesting. Admittedly, I was surprised at the results but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Another surprise was...

INTERVIEW: BMW M CEO talks Futura 2000 BMW M2 Competition Last week, I had the unique opportunity to attend the unveiling of the BMW M2 by Futura 2000. It’s an M2 Competition that’s been hand painted by the famous New York-based artist and it’s quite stunning in person. While BMW has had artists paint its cars before, the Futura-painted M2 is significantly different than the rest of BMW’s “Art Cars”. One of the main factors differentiating Futura’s car with the rest of the Art Cars is the fact that it’s been commissioned by BMW M specifically. Since this was a BMW M project, and not an overall BMW Group, BMW M CEO Markus Flasch was on had to introduce the car, along with Futura 2000. After the unveiling, Markus was kind enough to give me a...

Video: BMW Z4 sDrive20i and Toyota Supra compared in Australia We’ve seen it before plenty of times. The BMW Z4 and the Toyota Supra have been compared more often than not and that’s understandable as these two share quite a lot of their underpinnings. The Z4 and the Supra are even made on the same assembly lines over in Austria. Nevertheless, every time we’ve seen these two cars compared, it was with a six-cylinder under the hood in both cases. This time though, the guys from Car Advice decided to go about it differently. They decided to focus on the price tag of these cars and I think they might be right in their assessment. As you might know, in Australia, you pay a lot of money on premium cars. They are subjected to hefty taxes and that’s how you end up with ...

Final BMW DTM Team Allocations confirmed, six cars lined-up The upcoming DTM season will be rather different than what we’ve seen so far. Aston Martin announced it will be backing out so that will leave only BMW and Audi to duke it out for the points, since Mercedes-Benz left the competition a while back. On the BMW side of things we’ll no longer see the usual four teams lined-up at the starting grid but two: BMW Team RMG and Team RBM. Six drivers will be split between them evenly, while another team will also run a BMW in the competition but as a privateer. Robert Kubica confirmed his entry in the DTM next season with the ART Team Grand Prix, behind the wheel of a BMW M4 DTM. He will be giving the BMW-backed teams a run for their money, for sure, as the former Formula 1 pil...

BMW Employees’ ideas saved the company €62 million last year BMW is one of those companies that encourages its employees to find better ways to do their job. Someone once said necessity is the mother of all inventions and that’s the cold hard truth. That’s why BMW always takes in proposals from its employees to change operations or improve workflow so that everyone’s more productive or to find a more creative solution for certain issues. Last year, these ideas saved the Group some €62 million. BMW is so focused on this program that it even has a name for it: CRE8. Several ideas have already been implemented and the savings they brought alone should definitely warrant some hefty bonuses. “Over 62 million € in annual savings from employees’ suggeste...

Photo Comparison: BMW X6 M vs Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe It’s not uncommon for journalists and car enthusiasts to join forces in mocking the BMW X6 M and its odd-ball styling. Car enthusiasts can be a divisive bunch but it seems as if mocking the X6 is a unifying force among most. I’m guilty of joining in the mockery myself. However, it’s likely BMW that’s having the last laugh, as the X6 has been such a big seller and trendsetter that several rival brands have released their own competitors. One of which is the new Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, the X6 M should be blushing at the sight of the GLE63 Coupe. They’re so incredibly similar, in terms of shape and proportions, that it&r...

SPIED: 2021 MINI Countryman Interior caught with new updates Along with most of the BMW Group at the moment, the MINI lineup is going through a bit of change as well. Following the launch of the MINI Cooper SE, the brand’s new all-electric hatchback, the 2021 MINI Countryman will be getting a facelift to keep it looking fresh. Some new spy photos have recently surfaced, showing off its slightly updated interior. (We don’t own the spy photos but you can see them here) To be honest, most of the interior is the same as before, so this facelift doesn’t change too much on the inside. However, it does get one important update that’s physically small but should make a big difference — its instrument panel. As with all other MINIs, the pre-facelift Countryman uses ...

This BMW M3 Competition looks amazing in Imola Red The successor of the BMW M3 – the G80 – is nearly a year away from its market launch, but the current generation F80 BMW M3 is still an appealing product. Current photos from BMW of Manhattan show the BMW M3 Competition with the BMW Individual painting in Imola Red. Without a doubt, the flashy red color gives an extra visual boost to the F80 M3, despite being a six year old car. The Competition model of the F80 M3 uses a tuned up S55 engine delivering 450 hp, which can be experienced instantly, thanks to the precise coordination of the steering, chassis, active rear axle differential and the electronic control systems. The M3 Competition is not only more agile than a normal M3, but thanks to a modified exhaust system, it is...

Battle Of The Threes: G20 vs E90 3 Series The 3 Series is considered by many to be the quintessential BMW. Long viewed as the truest representation of the brand, thanks to its values and priorities. In fact, I think it would be fair to say that the BMW 3 Series has long been regarded as the benchmark in its segment, not just by automotive journalists and consumers, but also by BMW’s competitors. To the dismay of many of us whom are passionate about the brand, however, at some point it seemed that with every successive iteration, the 3 Series was becoming more and more diluted. Rather than the discerning driver’s sport sedan, it was slowly becoming indistinguishable from any other smaller luxury sedan. The F30 3 Series – A Missed Opportunity No generation of the 3 Ser...

2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe gets a new rendering, same large grille It was only a matter of time after the leak that the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe gets a new rendering. The new image uses the leaked image as the starting point while looking to guess the side view as well. As expected, the very large kidney grille stays and, of course, takes over the entire front fascia. The BMW 4 Series Coupe was photoshoped as the top M440i model which brings a special mesh kidney grille along with a blacked-out frame. The large air intakes remind us that this is a powerful BMW which will deliver at least 380 horsepower from its B58 3.0 liter engine. In the back, the rendering steals some ideas from the larger 8 Series Coupe, but downsized to the correct 4 Series proportions. There are also a pair of n...

Video: The history of the BMW 8 Series explained If you’re an avid reader of BMWBLOG, then you probably already know all there is to know about the BMW 8 Series. This nameplate holds a special place in the hearts of many of us and with its revival two years ago, BMW acknowledged the importance of the car. After a 20-year long hiatus, the 8er was back and it is now getting pretty good reviews from journalists around the world, seemingly singing to the same tune. The guys from Donut Media decided to go about it differently. Instead of just taking an 8 Series out for a spin, they are taking a look at the model’s history through the years. According to them, the history of the 8 Series started with the M1. Some might argue that’s not the case since the M1 is a mid-engine s...

2020 BMW X5 M and X6 M Competition models – Cold Start and Revs We’ve just completed our test drive of the new 2020 BMW X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition. While the review is still under embargo for another 10 days, we can at least show you what we’ve experienced behind the wheel. In order to accomplish that, we started with the basics – the engine and exhaust sound. So we asked BMW to allow us to wake up some of the neighbors. It’s now early morning and fairly chilly outside by Arizona standards. The subject at hand – the new 2020 BMW X5 M Competition. The sound test kicks off with a cold start, but without the flaps fully opened. Next, we put the new M SUV into Sport Plus which means, freedom in sound. As you can see in the video below, the differenc...

Video: Autocar drifts the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge When one thinks of Rolls-Royce and everything that goes with it, the word ‘drift’ is not likely to pop up. Even though the Phantom, the Ghost and the Wraith have all been drifted before, the Cullinan has been not. That’s because the SUV is the first and only car that Rolls-Royce sells right now, fitted with all-wheel drive. That might be an issue if you want to drift this car. The guys from Autocar had a Cullinan at their disposal a while back and it was a Black Badge model as a matter of fact. The Black Badge Cullinan is meant to be a ‘sportier’ and more ‘focused’ version of the behemoth. While most reviews out there focused on the differences between the two versions of the Cullinan, t...

DTM Driver, Lucas Auer, could join BMW Formula E efforts In 2020, Formula E is viewed by a large number of carmakers as a really good test bed for their future electric cars. BMW is definitely one of them and their efforts in the field in cooperation with the people from Andretti Motorsport will show results in the future. The BMW iFE.20 electric race car is proof that innovative solutions to various problems can be found on the track. This year, the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team could get help from the DTM. BMW announced earlier today that newly signed BMW DTM driver, Lucas Auer will be testing behind the wheel of the BMW iFE.20 race car in Marrakech at the beginning of March. This will be a rookie test, to check the compatibility between the driver and the car as electric racers are ...

SPIED: Upcoming BMW M5 LCI caught winter testing alongside BMW i4 BMW’s been hard at work as of late, developing several new cars and updating the ones it already has. The 2021 BMW M5 LCI (facelift) is an example of the latter, as the brand has been working on an update for its best car for some time now. In these new spy photos, we see the 2021 M5 doing some testing in the snow, alongside an unusual driving partner, the upcoming BMW i4. (We don’t own the spy photos but see them here) Let’s start with the M5 first. In these photos, we clearly see the facelifted BMW M5 doing some winter testing and its camouflage allows us to see its new headlight design, which looks good. The new headlights are sharper and more rectangular, with sort of hockey-stick shaped LEDs inside ...

BMWBLOG Podcast: Episode 18 Lightweight Cars and My E36 3 Series It’s about that time again, when the latest BMWBLOG Podcast episode drops and you get to fill your eats with the sweet, nasally sound of my voice. In this week’s episode, I break it down, get real and talk about something near and dear to my hear — my very first car, an E36 BMW 3 Series. Oh, and some other stuff, like why lightweight cars are best. Actually, the first topic I touch on in this episode is why automakers should start lightweight wars and quite trying to one-up each other in horsepower wars. Rather than try and make cars more and more powerful, just focus on lightweight tech and spend more R&D money making lightweight chassis materials more affordable. This way, we can have stuff like the...

VIDEO: Carwow drives the new BMW M235i Gran Coupe While in Portugal for the launch of the BMW M235i Gran Coupe, our very own Horatiu was able to give it a test drive and review. It wasn’t the first time he’d driven the new 2er, as we’ve all driven pre-production versions of the car, but it was the first comprehensive review he was able to give for a production-ready version. However, he wasn’t the only journalist on hand, obviously. So what did some others think of the latest M Performance car from BMW? In this new video from Carwow, we take a look at the new 2 Series with Mat Watson. In it, he breaks down the car’s styling, interior, technology, practicality and driving dynamics, to give a full, in-depth review of the new 2er. Like most enthusiasts, Watso...

BMW M8 Competition Coupe (F92) showcased in Malachite Green metallic I am deeply fascinated by how impressive the BMW Individual palette of colors is. Malachite Green metallic is one of the many shades you can choose from, which really makes the new BMW M8 Competition Coupe looks particularly striking. After seeing the M8 exponents in some special exterior paint finishes such as the Twilight Purple, Brands Hatch Grey, Motegi Red or Zanzibar metallic, it’s now the M8’s turn to flash out in a flamboyant and deeply upscale Malachite Green metallic color (coded 205 in the BMW Individual catalogue). Malachite Green is an outright impressive shade of green, which delivers more muscularity to the overall astonishing design of the BMW M8 Competition Coupe. This green color has a da...

BMW line-up at Geneva Motor Show dominated by electrified cars BMW will, once again, be present at the Geneva Motor Show. One of the oldest venues of its kind, the upcoming event will be filled with electrified cars from BMW’s newly released range, showing that the Bavarian brand has big plans for the future. To be more precise, four plug-in hybrid models will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show, all of them also available for purchase starting this summer. Three of these new plug-in hybrid models will be celebrating their world debut on the Swiss stage. These are the new BMW 330e Touring, BMW 330e xDrive sedan and BMW 330e xDrive Touring models. Alongside these three we’ll also get to see the BMW 330e Sedan, which has been on sale for some time now. Another two models in...

BMW Switzerland launches the special X5 Edition 20 Jahre limited edition models Exclusively for the Swiss market, BMW launches the limited edition X5 Edition 20 Jahre models. 20 years have gone in the blink of an eye. Back in 1999, BMW was ushering into a new automotive segment and pioneering a revolutionary car species: the Sports Activity Vehicle or better known as SAV. The first exponent of this kind was the almighty X5. To celebrate this outstanding milestone, BMW Switzerland has prepared a special version of the X5: the Edition 20 Jahre limited edition model. Already in its fourth generation, the X5 shows a decisively confident, muscular and premium character. The X5 Edition 20 Jahre further rounds off the outstanding G05 generation with a touch of individuality. The Edition 20 J...

WORLD PREMIERE: 2020 BMW M340d Sedan and Touring with 340 hp The highly awaited and speculated 2020 BMW M340d Sedan and Touring models are finally being unveiled today. The two super sporty diesels will debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show before going on sale this Summer. Both cars are powered by a 3.0 liter engine generating 340 hp and peak torque of 700 Nm (516 lb-ft). The inclusion of 48V mild hybrid technology, meanwhile, has led to a further reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. The mild hybrid tech will also add 8 kW or 11 PS of extra boost available at any time without delay. The diesel unit’s peak torque of 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) is on stream from just 1,750 rpm, while maximum output of 250 kW/340 hp arrives at 4,400 rpm.  The potent engine in the new BMW M340...

TEST DRIVE: 2020 BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe – Is It Fun Enough? At the moment, premium car companies are fighting each other over millennials. While premium brands will always sell to older audiences, due to their higher average income, younger demographics are becoming the desired target audiences of said premium brands. The idea is to offer inexpensive entry-level cars to younger drivers, get them into the brand and then keep them as customers for life. BMW’s latest attempt to reel in some of these young buyers is this — the BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe. What’s It About? I recently had the chance to drive the new four-door 2 Series in Portugal, where the roads were great and the weather was even better. The 2 Series Gran Coupe as a whole might not be the purist or m...

BMW launches 3 new hybrids: 330e Touring, 330e Touring xDrive and 330e Sedan xDrive After the introduction of the BMW 330e sedan plug-in hybrid, the Bavarians are now ready launch three additional variants: BMW 330e Touring, BMW 330e Sedan xDrive, and the BMW 330e Touring xDrive. All these new models are powered by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine delivering 181 hp and coupled to an electric motor integrated in the eight-speed Steptronic transmission that adds an extra 111 hp. The total power output is 248 horsepower, but thanks to an XtraBoost function, it can get another 40 horsepower on demand. The torque figures come in at 309 lb-ft (420 Nm). Of course, the big news it the launch of the BMW 330e Touring, both in a rear-wheel drive and xDrive (all-wheel drive configuration). The com...

2020 BMW X5 M Competition featured in Tanzanite Blue II Metallic Alongside its X6 M sibling, I had the chance to check out the all-new BMW X5 M Competition while in Portugal to drive them. Sitting in the gorgeous Portuguese sun, the X5 M sat on display wearing a Tanzanite Blue II Metallic paint finish and it looked excellent. Personally, I’m a fan of the X6 M and it would be my choice between the two cars but I also really like this X5 M. Powering the X5 M Competition is the same 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8 that powers the X6 M. So it makes 617 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, which is the same amount of power as the BMW M5 Competition. So it’s very fast, almost too fast for such a big, heavy SUV. Though, it’s not any faster or slower than its X6 brother. In person, the...

2020 BMW X6 M Competition in Carbon Black Metallic – EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS As we speak, our very own Horatiu is selflessly testing out the all-new BMW X6 M, along with its X5 M sibling. While his driving impressions are still under embargo, he does have some photos to share with us from beautiful Portugal. Seeing as he’s a bit preoccupied with driving it at the moment, it’s up to me to share them with you. In these photos, we see the new X6 M wearing a Carbon Black Metallic paint finish and some killer wheels. If you’re a fan of the X6, you’re going to love the BMW X6 M Competition’s design. It’s obviously quite similar to that of the X6 M50i, which was the highest-performance version of the X6 until this beast arrived, but the proper M version has so...