Auto and Cars

Video: How ALPINA grew from tuner to standalone manufacturer The ALPINA brand is one of the most beloved and respected not just by BMW fans but also by random gear heads. The company is widely known for its bespoke products and ALPINAs have sometimes been declared even better than their BMW alternatives. Those are facts. But how did this small tuner which wasn’t even into making cars at first become the symbol it is today? We find out thanks to the guys from Donut Media. They put together a video that goes over the history of the brand and how it managed to become so respected and so appreciated that it is now making its own cars on BMW’s assembly lines. That’s impressive, no matter who you are. It all started in the 1950s. Initially, ALPINA was a typewriter company founded by Rudolf Bo...

Video: Hoovie buys a V12 BMW 760Li for $4,500. What could go wrong? You might’ve heard of Tyler Hoovie if you’re one of our avid readers. He’s an automotive journalist writing for a number of magazines these days and he also has a Youtube channel where we get to see what cars he owns these days. After buying a BMW E60 M5 – the cheapest he could find – and selling it for a considerable loss, our good man decided to give it another go with a BMW, this time one powered by a V12. This wouldn’t be the first BMW V12-powered car he ever had as his garage also includes a Rolls-Royce Phantom that uses the exact same engine as the 7 Series he just purchased. To be more precise, this is an E66 BMW 760Li which is powered by the N73 engine. This was a naturally aspirated 6-liter V12 capable of deliv...

Video: Doug DeMuro dubs the BMW X3 M Competition his favorite SUV I honestly can’t believe how much good press the BMW X3 M Competition is getting. The car has been praised by almost every single journalist out there after its launch and Doug DeMuro is the latest to add his name on the list. In his latest Youtube video, he goes even a bit further, claiming the X3 M Competition is his favorite performance SUV. So what makes this new model from the M division so desirable and loved? Well, I reckon it has a lot to do with the fact that BMW never offered an M3 wagon and this thing is as close to that concept as it gets. It offers incredible performance along with increased practicality for those people out that that have stuff to carry around. It really offers you the best of both worlds. W...

VIDEO: How To Use The Climate Control in your new BMW The next How-To video shows us how to create an optimal climate in any new BMW. The Climate Control system can be accessed via the control bar placed underneath the central air vents. There are also two small displays showing the set temperature and the amount of ventilation. To obtain an efficient cooling or heating of the cabin, you should always use the automatic mode of the Climate Control system, which can be turned on by pressing the AUTO button. Through the dedicated buttons, you can set the desired temperature: press the temperature button on their upper side and the temperature will rise, while pressing the lower part will drop it. If you want to achieve a rapid cooling of the interior, you can press the MAX A/C button, whi...

Low miles 2000 BMW Z8 Roadster goes up for auction 20 years later and the BMW Z8 Roadster is still a stunning piece of German engineering. And according to Bring-a-Trailer, you can now bid on a low miles (12,500), pristine condition 2000 BMW Z8 Roadster. The listing mentions that this Z8 was purchased new by the seller at Long Beach BMW in California and is one of just 317 examples sold in the US for the model year. Furthermore, this 2000 BMW Z8 Roadster is being offered with its coffee table book, a removable hardtop, hardtop cover and stand, factory books and manuals, a clean Carfax report, and a clean California title in the seller’s name. Power to this Z8 comes from a 4.9-liter DOHC V8 producing 394 horsepower and 368 lb-ft torque when new. The power is sent to the rear wheels thro...

How to charge your electric BMW at a DC fast-charging station? Currently, there are two options for recharging your battery electric BMW: the AC stations which are more widespread and the DC stations which are more powerful. What you need to know about DC charging is right in the following video. First of all, the DC (direct current) charging stations are visibly larger than the alternative current (AC) ones. Secondly, their output is higher, typically 50 kW, as they are primarily intended to ensure a fast charging up to 80 percent of the battery level in a reduced amount of time. On the regular AC stations, the charge speed of the BMW i3 is limited to 3.6 kW. To use DC stations, the electric vehicle must be equipped with the special, larger DC charging port. Before recharging, make su...

Jaguar-Land Rover parent company reportedly approached BMW for partnerships Tata Group, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, has allegedly approached carmakers, including Geely and BMW, as it seeks partnerships for British marque. The report was issued by Bloomberg, citing sources within Tata, but BMW has yet to respond to the story. Geely did, however, tell Bloomberg there have been zero discussions with Tata. According to the report, the Jaguar-Land Rover brand aims to save on costs and share the burden of investing in electric vehicles. Earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover and BMW announced the extension of their partnership to include internal combustion engines as well. Prior to that announcement, the two automakers agreed to work together on the development of electrified powertrains....

The production model name for BMW iNext will reportedly be simply “iX” BMW is getting ready to launch one of the most important cars in its long-running history. The BMW iNext is being touted by the Bavarians as their next technological flagship, taking over from the 7 Series that has been doing that for the last 40 years. There are still a few things to be refined before its market launch, including its marketing name. Our sources say that the debate over the badge has been going on for a while now, with several names being thrown around. From the iNext to the iX5, there were plenty of choices to pick from, including the designation for the different battery packs. But the rumormill now churns out that the final name BMW has settled on could be simply iX. And in a way, that makes more...

BMW presents the next generation of its Digital Key technology BMW is ushering a new and more secure generation of its current Digital Key technology, slated to arrive later this year. The new generation of the smartphone-enabled digital key technology will increase usability and versatility. Currently, it is possible to lock and unlock you BMW vehicle, start the engine or turn it off and even share your key with trusted friends via the BMW Connected smartphone app. Now, BMW Group, as leader of the Car Connectvity Consortium (CCC), aims to further expand the digital access technology and ensure full functionality between different car manufacturers and across multiple devices. Latest advancements in interconnectedness and secure digitalization are employed to achieve this scope. Olaf M...

Rolls-Royce inadvertently confirms current Ghost production ends this year There’s been a lot of talk about the future of the Rolls-Royce Ghost going on around the internet. The car is rather popular in the Rolls-Royce family and fan club and it will surely live on past this generation. Well, the people over in Goodwood might’ve just given us a hint as to when to expect the new car. The company announced that a Black Badge Ghost will be making an appearance at the 2019 NEC Classic Motor Show. In the press release announcing the participation of the British brand at the event there’s a line saying: “Ghost has been selected because 2019 marks the end of the model family’s remarkable ten year tenure in which it has secured uninterrupted commercial and critical success.” If that’s true, th...

BMW X3 M vs Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio — Auto Express Test When I drove the BMW X3 M for the first time, the first car comparison that came to mind was the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. That was the car that the X3 M reminded me of most and not just on paper. While they’re similar on paper, they have a similar brutality that isn’t typically seen in SUVs. even performance ones. But the real question is: which one is better? Auto Express finds out. Before we take a look at which one AE liked better, let’s check the specs. The BMW X3 M Competition uses a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged inline-six engine with 510 PS (503 hp) and 442 lb-ft of torque. While the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio uses a 2.9 liter twin-turbocharged V6 that makes 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. They both use ei...

SPIED: More BMW 4 Series Coupe spy photos crop up with interior pics We’re all waiting with bated breath to see the next-generation BMW 4 Series, for a few reasons. One of which is obvious: it’s the new 4 Series and we wanna see it. The other is more specific, though. After seeing the BMW Concept 4 (seen above) and some spy photos, there’s a good possibility that the next-gen 4er has an enormous, planet-swallowing grille. So we need to see what’s going on with the front end of the next-gen 4 Series. Some new spy photos have emerged and, while we still can’t tell what it’s grille looks like, we do get to most of the rest of it. (We don’t own the spy photos but you can see them here) These new photos are very close and we get to see a surprising amount of detail of this new 4 Series. Epic...

Future BMW X8 will have an M Performance hybrid – X8 M45e Over the last few weeks, the chatter around the new BMW X8 has intensified. We first learned that prototypes are currently being built in Spartanburg which will lead to some public roads testing in the near future. Next, we also heard that the highly unique BMW X8 will come in three variants with at least one of them being a full-fledged X8 M model. The third member of the X8 family was rumored to be the brand’s first M Performance hybrid with the badge M45e attached to it. Another independent source with a decent track record has just posted a similar announcement on the BMW X8 M45e, so we’re now inclined to believe that BMW is indeed planning the M Performance PHEV. What the source left out was the fact that the car will be usi...

TEST DRIVE: 2020 BMW M235i xDrive — A New Kind of BMW There seems to be a lot of pessimism surrounding BMW’s latest crop of front-wheel drive-based cars. Both the BMW M235i Gran Coupe and the M135i hatch are drawing the ire of BMW enthusiasts the world over for powering the wrong axle first. Yes, both cars are all-wheel drive but they both prioritize their front axles. Maybe that pessimism got to me, maybe it clouded my judgement, but I was not overly excited to drive the new BMW M235i when I had the chance to do so in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Despite that, I carried on and drove it anyway (champagne problems, I know). While at BMW’s “Test Fest” recently, I had the chance to sample the all-new M235i Gran Coupe on both road and track. So I’ll separate my driving impressions from ...

2020 BMW ALPINA B7 xDrive – New Photos of the ALPINA Green Color From our latest test drive, we bring you some new photos of the 2020 BMW ALPINA B7 xDrive featured in the ALPINA Green color. The exclusive paint finishes in ALPINA Blue metallic and ALPINA Green metallic (as seen here) are hallmark feature reserved solely for BMW ALPINA automobiles. A wide range of other BMW and BMW Individual paint finishes are also available. The new 2020 B7 is the 6th generation full-size performance-luxury model from ALPINA and the 3rd generation of B7 to be available in the U.S. It is based on the recently unveiled 7 Series Facelift. Therefore, the BMW kidney grill has grown in size and together with new slim headlights makes up the polarizing front end appearance. A new front bumper with functional...

Video: Go for a ride on board the iconic BMW M1 supercar There’s only one BMW M1 in the history of our favorite brand. That’s not necessarily the only reason why the iconic supercar is so loved, though. There have been other cars offered in limited amounts throughout the history of the Bavarian company but none has the aura the M1 has. To this day, the M1 still holds a special place in the hearts of gear heads around the world and, for good reason. That’s why the video posted below is such a treat. BMW only made 399 of them in street legal clothes and out of that total, only a few dozen are still in running order today. Therefore, seeing one in real life is truly a rare occasion. Getting to drive one or at least sit on the passenger seat is an even rarer occurrence, to be honest. Thank ...

MINI Looking into selling cars at non-BMW dealers It’s no secret that MINI sales have not been doing great recently. Apart from the surprisingly popular Cooper SE model, which already has 78,000 orders waiting for delivery, the MINI range hasn’t been a top-seller for the BMW Group, especially in the US. Thus, the Germans and the Brits have started looking for solutions and it seems like one of them would be to allow non-BMW dealers to sell MINI cars. MINI USA has a new boss and Michael Peyton is not afraid to try out new things. He has been a high-ranking executive at Ford and Harley-Davidson over the years and he might have a better perspective over how cars are being sold in the US compared to his predecessors. Nevertheless, a final decision hasn’t been made just yet but this is one o...

BMW M2 CS beats Urus, Cayman GT4 and M850i on Hockenheim German magazine SportAuto is known for their timed laps on the famous Hockenheim GP, so it comes as no surprise that the recently unveiled BMW M2 CS is part of their latest test. Of course, these are unofficial lap times, meaning that the automaker has yet to publish their own times. The M2 CS used was a pre-production car with the camouflage on and it was tested in September 2019. According to FastestLaps, the BMW M2 CS scored a lap time of 1:55.80, more than 2 seconds faster than the M2 Competition. Of course, it’s not an entirely accurate comparison since we don’t know the track and weather conditions at the time of the two tests. But nonetheless, the new M2 CS will be the faster car. Looking down the lap times list we can see...

VIDEO: How to get the most out of Gesture Control? Gesture Control is a technology that was first premiered on the G11/G12 7 Series generation in 2015. Nowadays, it can be specced as an option on almost any new BMW, as part of the BMW Operating System 7.0. As it enables a simple and intuitive operation, it is good to know how to use it in your favor. The BMW Gesture Control system is based on a set of sensors that are placed on the roof, near the mirror. They are designed to translate a set of predefined hand gestures that are made in the middle area in front of the center console and act consequently to perform the assigned function. Gesture Control can be activated or deactivated either by calling up the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant or by taking your way into the menu of the BM...

REVIEW: 2019 BMW 120d xDrive Hatchback We knew this moment would come. BMW told everyone years ahead and yet, nobody seemed ready for it, somehow. Yes, the BMW 1 Series is no longer rear-wheel drive. You can start mourning now, but the truth of the matter is, as uniquely as it was positioned in the segment, the rear-wheel drive aspect of the car didn’t really make a huge difference to the end user. It did make a difference for BMW though. Years ago, BMW conducted a study which showed that a large majority of people buying the 1 Series don’t really know where the power goes in the first place. And, if we’re being honest, we’re only disappointed about the BMW M140i being gone, the one with the six-cylinder engine under the hood, as that was the biggest, baddest boy in the range. So, when ...

#M4CHALLENGE: Vote On 16 BMW M4 Individual color BMW Mexico has put together an M campaign to promote the extensive offerings of the BMW Individual program. To do so, they dug deep into the special M catalog to come up with no less than sixteen unique models based on the BMW M4 Coupe model. Gustavo Lara, BMW M Manager for BMW México, tells us that the sixteen models feature some quite unique exterior colors and interior configurations. The campaign also aims to connect to BMW fans from around the world, so the folks at BMW Mexico setup a page where one could vote on their favorite version. Below, we can see some flashy colors, like the Birck Green, Miami Blue, Purple Silk or Speed Yellow. There are also a few colors from other brands you can choose from, such as Nardo Grey (Audi) , Ross...

Rumor: BMW might test an X7 fuel cell in the future All auto manufacturers are immersed in the research and development of different technologies, such as the fuel cell. BMW is one of the most active in this field of hydrogen, working with Toyota for the last six years. At the recent Frankfurt Auto Show, BMW has unveiled their latest hydrogen fuel cell project based on the BMW X5. But a report from Motor.es – which we weren’t yet able to confirm with our own sources – says that the next on the hydrogen list might be the BMW X7. There is even a date thrown around – 2023. The report does not mention that there is no official confirmation and that plans could change, but for now, it seems like the Bavarians are looking at the fuel cell technology in the large 7 seater. By 2023, the BMW X7...

BMW M2 CS faster at Sachsenring than 911 Carerra S, AMG GT S, 718 Cayman GTS and R8 V10 The Auto Bild December 2019 edition will feature a track test with the new BMW M2 CS at the Sachsenring in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany. The test was performed way ahead of the official press drives, so it remains unclear whether the BMW M2 CS was a final production car or pre-production. What we do know is that it featured the six-speed manual transmission and the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. And the recorded times are quite interesting. Let’s start with the BMW M2 CS time as published by Auto Bild – 1:34.98 – which is just a bit over half a second faster than the M2 Competition on the same track. The M2 CS was weighed also and came in at 1532 kilograms. The standard sprint 0-100 km/h was tim...

Video: Rolls-Royce CEO introduces the Cullinan Black Badge Just as we reported a while back, yesterday Rolls-Royce unveiled the latest model offered with the Black Badge treatment, the Cullinan Black Badge. It’s a stunning machine, to be honest, one that comes with more power, better handling and a different feel altogether. For this launch, the CEO of Rolls-Royce, Torsten Müller-Ötvös sat in front of the camera and explained what led to the creation of this car and what sets it apart. Launched for the first time in 2016 on the Ghost and Wraith models, the decision to introduce the Black Badge treatment wasn’t taken lightly. As the CEO confides in the video posted below, there were some serious discussions going on behind closed doors as to whether this would be a good move. After all,...

VIDEO: How to create a feel-good atmosphere inside your new BMW The new BMW Operating System 7.0 is an all-rounding infotainment system which contains lots of clever and helping features. One of them is called “Caring Car” and its main purpose is to basically relax or energize the driver by adjusting climate, cabin lighting, audio settings and seats and choosing the adequate music to create a feel-good atmosphere inside the car. The “Caring Car” feature is available only in BMW OS 7.0-equipped models in conjunction with the BMW Live Cockpit Professional digital instrument cluster. It can be easily turned on or off from the main menu of the infotainment system. You need to select “CAR”, then click on “Caring Car” option. There are two mood-enhancement programs to choose from: Vitalize a...

BMW offers 50 i3 cars for Bidirectional Charging Management project The wider spread of electric vehicles brings up a number of opportunities for all of us. One of the most interesting topics discussed related to the EV phenomena is the possibility of using the battery cells located inside the cars for other purposes as well. Like the bidirectional charging technology. BMW has teamed up with other companies and institutions to bring to life the Bidirectional Charging Management project which is now entering a new phase. The project aims to develop technological solutions for electric mobility aimed at diversifying the way it is used. The main goal is to find a way to interlink vehicles, charging infrastructure and power grids for the first time in a way that facilitates the widest possi...

BMW starts production of the new 2 Series Gran Coupe at the Leipzig plant BMW celebrates the production kick-off for the first-ever 2 Series Gran Coupe (F44) at the group’s Leipzig facility. The newest addition to the compact model portfolio now joins the new 1 Series, which is being assembled at the site since July this year. Hans-Peter Kemser, Leipzig plant manager said on the occasion: “We are proud to produce the new four-door coupe at the Leipzig plant for the entire world market. This new vehicle leads to a significant increase in volume.” The BMW Leipzig plant, located in the northern part of Germany, is accelerating the process of becoming a competence facility for the BMW entry-level compact models. With the advent of the 2 Series Gran Coupe, the production for the new model w...

Over 78,000 orders have been placed on the new MINI Cooper SE The first ever fully electric car from MINI, the Cooper SE, seems to be a success even before reaching dealerships. MINI claimed that in the first weeks after the car was unveiled, they already had 30,000 orders for one from interested customers around the world. Today, that number is over 78,000. That’s what the CEO of the BMW Group said during a recent meeting in Munich, going over the financial results of the company in the first three quarters of 2019. Oliver Zipse took over the reigns at BMW this year and has a lot of work to do, to keep the company competitive and take the next evolutionary steps. His goal is to offer a good mix of traditional, internal combustion engines, hybrids and electric vehicles, and the offensiv...

EXCLUSIVE: First real-life video of 2020 BMW M2 CS We bring you the first real-life video of the 2020 BMW M2 CS, courtesy of BMW Belgium and Luxemburg and autofans.be. We have only seen the new M2 Clubsport model through official photos and videos, but now it’s time to see what the car looks like in real life. What sets the BMW M2 CS apart from the BMW M2 Competition model is a number of exterior upgrades, which include a carbon fibre roof and a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic bonnet with vents. The hood is about half the weight of the steel version found on the M2 Competition. Other changes include a carbon fiber splitter on the front bumper, a carbo-fiber boot spoiler and a new diffuser. On the inside, the M2 CS gets a pair of bucket seats lined with a mix of leather and Alcantara wi...