Auto and Cars

BMW i3 Review: Can The Interior Fit A Car Seat and Stroller? It has been six years since I started my journey with BMW’s first electric car – the BMW i3. It has all begun with the “Panda” 2015 BMW i3 REx (60Ah), which was replaced two years later by the “Darth Vader” 2017 BMW i3 REx (94Ah). 2019 came around and it was time to pick another i3. Since I already loved the additional peace of mind provided by the Range Extender, I opted again for a BMW i3 REx (94Ah since the 120Ah wasn’t available yet), only this time painted in the vibrant Melbourne Red Metallic. As you’d expect, over the years, I’ve had the chance to write several BMW i3 reviews. Naturally, most of them focused on the driving experience, charging and electric range. But...

5 Reasons Why We Love The BMW M2 Competition At the moment, it seems as if BMW struggles to gain widespread critical acclaim. Even when it debuts such monster cars like the BMW M8, there always seems to be a “but” from critics. However, there’s one car that gets far more love than criticism, even if it has its faults — the BMW M2 Competition. The BMW M2 Competition is not a perfect sports car by any means. It’s still too heavy, the seating position is too high, it can get a bit snappy at speed and its engine note still isn’t great. However, there’s so much to love about it, and it has a punchy, brutish character that’s endearing enough to cover up its faults. So let’s take a look at the five main reasons why we love the BMW M2 Compet...

Over 300 Teams competed in the first ever BMW sim racing event Ahead of racing in the first endurance race of 2020, BMW hosted a sim racing event on Sunday evening under the ‘BMW 120 at Daytona’ name. Around 600 people competed split in 300 teams for the first place and after a two-hour race one team rose above all others. Maximilian Wenig and Maximilian Benecke, both from Germany, claimed the number one spot after it was all said and done, team Redline GT being crowned the winner. The racers competed on the popular online platform iRacing and got to drive a BMW M8 GTE in the virtual realm. The winners had to cover 70 laps and managed to do so in a clean fashion. Behind them in second place were their team-mates Jonas Wallmeier and Gianni Vecchio also from Germany. The two G...

Video: How to Purchase new features over the air from inside your BMW Tesla made the headlines when it announced the introduction of over the air updates for its cars. With this new feature, the cars could be updated in real time, making the infotainment system better, but also introducing new features altogether. However, the American company isn’t the only one that offers over the air updates, BMW also being one of the early innovators in the field. The Germans have been fiddling with such solutions for quite some time now and starting this year customers can even buy certain features on their cars, not just use over the air updates for security updates. Depending on the car you own, these updates could include a variety of case uses, they will be highly dependent on what you ha...

BMW Group Classic to run legendary cars at the GP Ice Race 2020 Our friends over at BMW Group Classic are starting the year with an ice race. The guys will be traveling to Zell am See with a host of legendary cars to take part in what seems like a crazy fun event. The GP Ice Race 2020 will be held on February 1 and 2 2020 and will be hosted by the aforementioned Austrian town for the second time. What makes this event special is the fact that it spares tires from getting shredded. While BMW cars have been seen on the ice at the GP Ice Race, this is actually the first time BMW Group Classic will take place in the competition. Their line-up is also pretty impressive, showing that the goal here is to make a lasting impression. The one that will probably attract the most curious looks will ...

Low Mileage BMW E39 M5 is Asking $59,950 — Is It Worth It? It looks like the BMW M cars of old are starting to enter a similar boom price-wise as it happened a while back with classic Porsches. We all know the BMW E30 M3 is a valued collectible at the moment, with prices for mint models reaching six-figures but it seems like other cars are on their way, too. If you own a BMW E39 M5 we’d recommend holding on to it, as it can turn into a good investment in just a few years. Prices for such cars have been steadily going up. One good thing about them is that production ended in 2003 so they aren’t that old and you can still find decent models up and running. Furthermore, plenty were made during its production run and that means the market isn’t too limited, especially comp...

Mercedes-Benz Beats BMW, Audi to Keep Global Premium Car Sales Crown Despite regaining the U.S. crown, BMW had to concede in the global race of premium car sales. According to the latest sales reports, Mercedes-Benz successfully defended its crown as the world’s bestselling premium car brand, beating rivals BMW and Audi for the fourth year in a row. Last week, BMW reported sales of its namesake branded vehicles which rose 2 percent to a record 2.17 million cars last year. Mercedes said its sales increased 1.3 percent to 2.34 million vehicles. Audi came in third with 1.85 million cars sold in 2019, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to the previous year. Mercedes also said that it posted sales record in Germany, China and the U.S. thanks to strong demand for its SUVs and hig...

London New Years Day Parade featured some cool BMWs In all the years and all the events, I’ve done I have to say that the 2020 London New Years Day Parade was one of the best. I had done a few carnivals before and they were hard work for hours crawling along, but being a Londoner and funny enough, I used to work right where the start point was, it was great to be back in the West End for a day. It is an amazing City and its atmosphere and diversity are the best in the world. I drove in down Park Lane, wanting to stop outside BMW Park Lane, but it’s all Red Zone and you just don’t know whether a camera will give you an “illegally parked” ticket and automatically send you a fine, so sadly I didn’t get a photo opportunity. As I turned around the co...

VIDEO: BMW 4 Series seen testing at the Nurburgring We know the next-gen BMW 4 Series is on its way and we know it’s going to be an interesting car. The main point of interest will be its new grille design, which is said to be borrowed from the controversial Concept 4. However, the rest of the car looks extremely promising, with proper proportions and a seemingly pretty design. However, we’ve really only see it in some spy photos, wearing heavy camouflage. Now, there’s a new spy video of the next-gen 4 Series doing some laps of the Nurburgring. (We don’t own the spy video but you can see it here) From what we can tell in this new video, the new 4 Series looks good. It’s long, it’s low-ish and it’s sleek looking. It has a similar overall style to...

Ultra-Rare BMW 1600 GT is up for sale on Bring-A-Trailer When enthusiasts think of classic Bimmers, their minds typically go straight to cars like the BMW 2002, 3.0 CSL and the M1. However, a little-known classic Bimmer that may be one of the prettiest of all time is one that’s also currently up for sale on Bring-A-Trailer — the BMW 1600 GT. If you aren’t sure about what the BMW 1600 GT is, exactly, here’s a brief crash-course. Back in the ’60s, there was a German car company called Hans Glas GmbH. Among its cars was the Glas 1700 GT, which sported a 1,682 cc four-cylinder engine, and was a delicate, very pretty two-door car. When BMW acquired Glas in the early sixties, it took the 1700 GT and put its own BMW 1,573 cc engine under the hood, making it a BMW ...

We should see a BMW X1 electric SUV by 2023 BMW’s electric offensive is kicking off in 2020 and by 2023, we will see 12 fully electric models. One of them is the BMW X1 electric SUV. First news of the BEV X1 arrived in 2018, but since, there were several independent reports confirming the new model. Since the UKL platform (front-wheel drive) is moving to the “U” naming convention, the next generation X1 will be sold under the U11 codename. And for the first time, BMW’s best selling SUV will get a fully electric SUV. A plug-in hybrid is also likely, just like the current F48 X1 xDrive25e. For now, the working name is BMW iX1, but it remains to be seen if that’s the nomenclature BMW will pick for their electric cars moving forward. While we don’t know ...

FIRST LOOK: BMW M340i Touring in Verde Ermes UK-based vlogger Joe Achilles brings us the first ever BMW M340i Touring in Verde Ermes. The special green color comes from the BMW Individual catalog and is one of the most special paints you can get. Verde Ermes has been made famous by Lamborghini, but it often can be found on other brands as well. Of course, it’s even more special when you see it on an M340i Touring, one of our favorite cars. So let’s start with that. BMW’s beautiful touring gets the most powerful six-cylinder engine today, aside from full M models. The 3.0 liter six-cylinder unit makes 374 horsepower, enough to take the BMW M340i Touring from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds. With the xDrive system onboard. The new BMW M340i Touring rides as standar...

CES 2020 Videos: BMW i3 Urban Suite, X7 ZeroG Lounger and EASE BMW’s presence at the CES 2020 skipped the introduction of a concept car, instead, the Bavarians focused on the in-car tech and luxury of tomorrow. Through the videos below, we will showcase for you the BMW i3 Urban Suite, the BMW X7 ZeroG Lounger and the BMW i Interaction EASE. BMW i3 Urban Suite The BMW i3 Urban Suite gives us an insight into the future of autonomous driving cars and their interior space. The special i3 can run autonomously and can be hailed by mobile phones, while inside it changes the way we perceive interior spaces. The car has been reconfigured to bring “the relaxed feel of a boutique hotel.” BMW i3 production to get extended until 2024 In order to optimize the mobility experience f...

BMW 6 Series GT vs Audi A7 vs Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Of all of BMW’s current offerings, likely the least popular is the 6 Series GT. Not that it’s a bad car but it’s the definition of niche-slicing to the point that only customers with an incredibly specific set of requirements will buy it. And it looks weird. Its customers love it, however. That’s because, underneath its weirdo-styling, it’s actually a surprisingly good car. But how can it take on its much better looking rivals? In this latest comparison test from What Car, we take a look at the BMW 6 Series GT, Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, all second-hand. So which of those three cars is best on the used market? The results of this test are actually quite surprising. Let’s take a look ...

This BMW M3 CS Touring (F81) Is The Wagon BMW M Should’ve Built If there is one car that BMW should build, then it has to be a BMW M3 Touring. The M Wagon has been a dream of many generations, but the story has always been the same – there is no market for it or a decent business case. So as no surprise, tuning companies have taken on the challenge to build their own version of an M3 Touring. But there is one company that took things further. Sander is the owner of the Dutch aftermarket parts company, Fullcartuning and he developed his very own BMW M3 CS Touring, a car that was revealed at the 2019 Essen Motor Show. To make this BMW M3 CS Touring (F81), Sander took a donor BMW M3 CS and combined it with a standard BMW 3 Series Touring. It was obviously quite a bit ...

Buyer’s Guide: E90-Generation BMW 3 Series — One of the Best? Ever since the E90-generation BMW 3 Series made its debut, enthusiasts have been pining for its predecessor, the E46-generation 3 Series. It’s not that the E90 was, or still is, bad, it’s just that the E46 was so good, so legendary that it set a high-water mark for BMW that’s yet to be reached since. However, because of the almost deification of the E46, E90 3 Series’ have actually become a bit forgotten, therefor a bit cheap on the used market. Which now makes it the perfect time to buy. If you’re in the market for a used 3 Series, we’d highly suggest taking a look at anything from the E90 generation. If you do, use this Buyer’s Guide to figure out which one suites you best and which...

3D Design shows off BMW M850i and Z4 at the Tokyo Auto Show One of the absolute best developers of aftermarket BMW parts actually hails from Japan, not Germany. If you haven’t heard of 3D Design by now, you need to do a quick Google search. Not only do the good people at 3D Design design their own parts but they also make them out of the best materials. Want aluminum paddle shifters? They can do it. Aluminum pedals? Yup, they’ve got that to. What about dry carbon aerodynamics? 3D Design has the hookup. The Japanese tuning company recently took two of their newest products to the Tokyo Auto Show and they looked great. While we’ve seen 3D Design’s Z4 project before, it’s always good to see it again. However, what we haven’t see before is their new BMW M...

6% of BMW Group cars sold in 2019 were electrified With an electrified fleet consisting mostly of plug-in hybrids, BMW Group managed to sell 145,815 units in 2019 – an increase of 2.2% over the previous year. The total BMW Group sales for the year was 2,520,307 (+1.2%) units, which means that nearly 6 percent of all the sales were either plug-in hybrid or electric. The BMW i brand continued its positive sales trend last year with the BMW i3 and the BMW i8 (42,073 units,  +12.1%). On the MINI side, sales of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 plug-in hybrid were up 28.1% in 2019. 2020 is another big year for BMW Group. There will be several plug-in hybrids coming to market and two fully electric cars. The introduction of the new BMW 330e, the BMW X5 xDrive45e, the BMW X3...

BMW Sells Over 165,000 Units Of i3 electric car In 6 Years BMW’s first ever electric vehicle arrived in 2013. The highly touted Megacity Car took the BMW i3 name and aimed to be a car for the young and urban generation. But the rise of car sharing programs and change in customer’s mobility preferences have often presented challenges for the new generation of sustainable cars. Of course, Tesla’s strong foothold in the US market was another hurdle for the BMW i3. Yet, the BMW i3 can be considered a success story. According to the 2019 BMW sales report, the BMW i3 was sold to over 165,000 customers, worldwide, since its market launch in 2013. Over time, the BMW i3 went through several iterations. The i3 debuted as a concept at the 2011 International Motor Show Germany an...

BMW Group posts record sales for 2019, remains world’s leading premium car company In 2019, BMW Group sold 2,520,357 vehicles, posting an all-time high and increase of 1.2% compared to previous year. Sales of the BMW brand also marked a record in the history of the carmaker: 2,168,516 units delivered globally, an increase of 2.0% vs. 2018. Year 2019 has been an almost perfect year for BMW and the BMW Group as well. Month after month, the automotive giant managed to break record after record in terms of sales, which were particularly boosted by the avalanche of new models in all segments. In addition, BMW further strengthened up its position as pioneer in electric mobility, hitting the milestone of 500,ooo electrified vehicles on streets. Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management o...

OPINION: Could BMW actually be teasing the 2020 X2 LCI? Yesterday, we learned BMW is preparing for the market launch of the new X1 xDrive25e and X2 xDrive25e. However, the plug-in hybrid X2 is photographed only from behind in the official pics. Ever wondered why? There might be a good reason behind this trick. BMW might actually be teasing the 2020 X2 LCI generation. There can hardly be any other reason why the X2 xDrive25e from the official press release is only showcasing its rear end. Also, the photos are as well taken from a considerable distance in most cases, as if the constructor is intentionally trying to hide something. We have already seen some scoops of the refreshed X2 M35i spotted on a trailer and wearing some minimal camouflage (see here), which covered some parts of the ...

Video: BMW M8 Competition Convertible Reviewed in the Snow People in the Northern Hemisphere are now experiencing a heavy winter. Many Canadians know this very well, as much of their country is cold most of the year anyway but gets worse around December. Even so, the guys from the Straight Pipes didn’t really mind the weather while reviewing the BMW M8 Competition Convertible. As a matter of fact, they filmed the whole thing with the roof folded which, to be honest, is something I would’ve done too. The thing is, with modern convertibles, you can drive with the roof down a lot more than in the past. Things like air scarfs, heated seats, heated steering wheels and even heated armrests will definitely help out. The only problem you need to face comes from the frowny, judgmenta...

Flamboyant BMW M8 Competition Convertible in Motegi Red Busy times at the Abu Dhabi dealership as the new BMW M8 Competition Convertible finished in Motegi Red is the latest star to arrive at the showroom. The high-performance open-top M8 displayed at the showroom is painted in a special Motegi Red shade. This is another interesting and appealing color, which can be suitably included in the vast list of BMW’s red shades. While it isn’t essentially considered to be a BMW Individual color, Motegi Red can easily compete with other pricier tones such as the Sakhir Orange (C1H) or the Melbourne Red (A75). It is a fascinating mix of red and orange, which exudes an ambivalent personality. It turns into a light red in sunlight, while seen in a darker environment, the Motegi Red tur...

CES 2020: New Ac2ated Sound removes speakers — How will we hear BMW’s Engines? At CES 2020, some really radical futuristic car concepts and technologies made their worldwide debuts, such as the electric/autonomous car from Sony, of all companies. However, there was also another interesting technology on display in Las Vegas, which came from Continental and Sennheiser — speakers. Or, I should say, a lack thereof. Essentially, both brands have partnered together to create a new way of providing rich in-car surround sound without any actual speakers, called Ac2ated Sound. So how is BMW going to make engine sound, now? Ac2ated Sound works similarly to how any stringed instrument works, such as a violin. Essentially, actuators inside certain interior body panels, such as door panels an...

BMW launches the new X1 xDrive25e and X2 xDrive25e compact plug-in hybrids BMW further solidifies its position as electric pioneer with the launch of the new compact-sized plug-in hybrid crossovers: the X1 xDrive25e and the X2 xDrive25e. Starting with early 2020, the new plug-in hybrid compact SAV and SAC models are celebrating their official market launch, being made available for clients with immediate effect. Thus, BMW further strengthens its capabilities and model choice in the very popular segment of compact-sized crossovers. Both electrified models share the same plug-in hybrid powertrain, which comprises of a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder petrol engine rated at 92 kW / 125 hp mated to an electric motor generating an output of 70 kW / 95 hp. The internal combustion engine powers the fron...

Video: Autocar reviews a Manual BMW E46 M3 CSL When it comes to making a list of the most desirable BMW cars ever made, it doesn’t get any better than the E46 M3 CSL. It is widely regarded as the best BMW M car ever made and prices for a mint one definitely reflect that. As loved and intriguing as the E46 M3 CSL is though, there’s also a universally agreed upon Achilles’s heel to it: its gearbox. That’s because, for some reason, BMW considered that its SMG unit would be perfect for the job. Admittedly, the SMG gearbox on the E46 M3 CSL model wasn’t the same as on any other M3 of that day and age. It was specifically tuned to match the hardcore character of the car but even so, it wasn’t nearly as good or as rewarding as a manual would be. Unfortunate...

VIDEO: This F16 BMW X6 M has 750 hp for family duty The F16 BMW X6 M is an odd but lovable car. No SUV of its size needs 570 hp yet the X6 M does. Why? I guess the better question is why not, right? Sometimes doing dumb stuff is fun. The real reason is because the profits on such cars are very high and rich people buy them but that’s a different story for a different time. But what if you had an X6 M and felt that it its 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds wasn’t fast enough? Then you can tune yours to 750 hp, like this owner. In this new video from The Smoking Tire, we get to see what a 750 hp BMW X6 M looks and drives like. To be honest, it’s not too much different from a stock X6 M, only faster. The standard car is already brutally fast, so adding power only really changes...

SPIED: 2021 BMW ALPINA B5 Touring LCI spotted recently, could feature M Sport styling With the new BMW 5 Series LCI coming this year, it was only a matter till the refreshed ALPINA B5 prototypes were out for testing. Recently, the Touring model was spotted in Germany, in the home region of Oestallgau. The new BMW 5 Series LCI family is due to debut this year, with the official premiere scheduled for Geneva Motor Show in March. The market launch is programmed for Summer 2020. As for the ALPINA high-performance siblings, they are due to follow in the course of the second semester. Lately, sightings of the first ALPINA B5 LCI development prototypes in the town of Buchloe have been reported and spy photographers went there to grab some nice captures of the cladded vehicles. A silver-colored...

Video: Jochen Neerpasch greets new members of the BMW Junior Team It’s official — Jochen Neerpasch is back at BMW with an official role. The legendary man who built the BMW M division from scratch was seen in a video published by the company on Youtube earlier this week, talking about the BMW Junior Team, yet another one of his projects. Back then we didn’t have an official confirmation as to whether he would be involved in any way in the efforts made by BMW M but today that confirmation finally arrived. The new BMW Junior Team was announced and Jochen Neerpasch will be one of the mentors guiding the three young drivers. Dan Harper, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen will complete a holistic, first-class, intensive training program designed to cover two seasons that will set ...

BMW Vision M Next – The Ultimate Photo Gallery In early Summer 2019, BMW hosted their first ever NextGen event at the BMW Welt. In the heart of Munich, BMW gave us a glimpse into the future of the brand, one that’s clearly heading towards electrification. One of those future projects unveiled in Munich was the BMW Vision M Next. The Vision in the name stands for an early concept of a potential future model. In time, BMW is likely to unveil a new version of this Vision car which is closer to a production model. And that production model is rumored to be the next-generation BMW i8. Whether BMW will retain the i8 name, remains to be seen even though we’re inclined to believe that a new badge will be assigned. Fast forward a few months later and the BMW Vision M Next has alread...