Auto and Cars

BMW Group premieres the Battery Cell Competence Centre in Munich Paving the way to the electromobility of the future begins at its most microscopic level: the battery cell. BMW Group is the very first automotive constructor which has developed pioneering Competence Center where it will master the electric batteries that will completely reshape the industry. The fundamental breakthrough in the science of battery cell architecture will be the augmentation of the electric cell density, which will potentially the battery output, the storage capacity and, inevitably, it will dramatically improve the electric driving range. Present at the opening of the new high-tech battery cell Competence Centre in Munich, BMW chairman Oliver Zipse acknowledged: “The new Battery Cell Competence Centre puts ...

Amazon documentary shows intensive technology transfer during Formula E project Amazon got behind the scenes into the world of Formula E and asked BMW i Motorsport to showcase the strong link between motorsport and automotive electric technology development. The online documentary which is available on the Amazon websites from Germany, UK and USA pictures the huge team effort and the success of the BMW iFE.18 in the first race of the 2018-2019 season, the first single-seater for the Formula E competition developed entirely by BMW. Formula E, like Formula 1, is used as a test bed for the development of future electric powertrains. BMW i Motorsport makes no exception to this rule, as the iFE competition cars are the most relevant testing platform for high-performance technologies that are...

[To publish] VIDEO: Markus Flasch introduces the new M8 Gran Coupe (F93) BMW M CEO Markus Flasch introduces the all-new M8 Gran Coupe (F93) alongside its Coupe and Convertible siblings. Now, the high-end fleet of performance luxury models is complete. The 4-minute video takes a tour of the complete M8 lineup with Mr. Flasch presenting the latest masterpieces of his division. The first is the M8 Competition Coupe (F92) showcased in BMW Individual Malachite Green metallic color, followed by the M8 Competition Convertible (F91) specced in BMW Individual Frozen Silver paint finish and, last but surely not least, the new M8 Competition Gran Coupe (F93) adorned in a deep BMW Individual Ametrin metallic shade. The new M8 Gran Coupe rounds up beautifully the fleet M at the upper end of the BMW...

Jaguar Land Rover Parent Company Approached BMW for Potential Sale I’d hate to say I called it but… I called it. Back when we learned that BMW was partnering with Jaguar Land Rover on some EV technology, I said that I had wanted BMW just to buy JLR outright. While such an idea was unrealistic at the time, some reports had followed that with rumors of a potential acquisition of JLR by BMW. Though, those rumors seemed unfounded and purely speculative. Until now, that is. To be honest, an outright sale of the Jaguar Land Rover brands is unlikely, as JLR parent company Tata Motors isn’t really looking to sell it. However, Tata has recently reached out to several larger automotive brands for partnerships on JLR. Apparently, Tata knows that it can’t fix JLR with just money and needs some manu...

The Ultimate Track Day: BMW M5, M8, M340i, Z4 M40i, X4 M and MINI JCW At the 2019 BMW Test Fest – an event hosted by BMW USA – we got the chance to drive some of the latest and greatest BMWs. Some of the driving included a Track Day where we were fortunate to race the BMW M5, M8, M340i, Z4 M40i, X4 M and MINI JCW. The video below shows some of the footage captured at the event, including exhaust and engine sounds, some slides and lots of fun. Some of our reviews went live already, like the BMW M8 Competition Coupe and the M235i Gran Coupe. But we have a few more stories in the pipeline. This year’s star at the BMW Test Fest was the all-new BMW M8 Coupe, one of the most powerful cars in the BMW lineup. As Nico said in his review, “With 617 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, from its 4.4 liter ...

Maybe BMW Shouldn’t be Afraid of the Tesla Model 3 After All? Just today, we reported on a Bloomberg piece claiming that BMW was the most vulnerable brand to Tesla’s current rise in customer popularity. To be honest, there seemed to be real concern for BMW, as it’s been losing 3 Series sales quite a bit in the past couple of years, as Tesla Model 3 sales have been rising. It also seemed as if BMW is the brand most customers are leaving to switch to a Tesla. However, this new piece from Business Insider actually argues the contrary. According to BI, BMW has nothing to fear from Silicon Valley. Sure, Tesla Model 3 sales are up but there are a myriad of reasons why that means almost nothing for BMW. For starters, Model 3 sales aren’t really eating into 3 Series sales for the simple fact th...

Auction: 1958 BMW 507 Could Fetch 2 Million Euros at RM Sotheby’s There were only 252 units over built, so that makes them some of the most special cars in the world. The classic cars in questions are the BMW 507 Roadsters which are the darling of the auction world. Earlier this year, a 1958 BMW 507 Roadster sold for $2.175 million at the RM Sotheby’s in Arizona. Next February, another 1958 BMW 507 goes up for auctioning at the RM Sotheby’s in Paris. This time, the car is expected to fetch between €1.7 million and €2 million (US$1.9 million and US$2.2 million). The auction house will offer a selection of 21 iconic and desirable motor cars, dubbed The Poster Car Collection as they were wall posters for car enthusiasts. Not the actual car going up for auction RM Sotheby’s Paris auction w...

Tesla Model 3 Owners Love Their Cars — Should BMW Be Worried? One of the most controversial and important cars of our time is the Tesla Model 3. While its ambition was admirable; offering customers a way to get into a premium electric sedan for $30,000; the execution didn’t quite stack up. Though, that’s not so much a fault with the car as much as it is a fault with Tesla’s owner’s hubris. Still, the Model 3 is a great car and one that is hugely important to the industry. So what is it actually like to own? Bloomberg recently surveyed 5,000 owners to find out. As it turns out, Tesla Model 3 owners love their cars. So much so, in fact, that they’re not only willing to buy another Tesla but that they’re unwilling to go back to whichever brand they came from. Not only that but the brand ow...

The BMW X3 M Competition is seriously fast — Car and Driver Test As we’ve already come to learn, the BMW X3 M Competition is very, very fast. Thanks to its 3.0 liter turbocharged straight-six, the X3 M Competition makes 503 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. That puts it in line with cars like the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. According to BMW, it can get from 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds. However, according to Car and Driver, it’s even quicker still and, more impressively, fast even when moving laterally. In C&D’s new instrumented testing, the BMW X3 M Competition rocketed from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds. That’s seriously fast and almost a full second faster than BMW claims. So that makes it among the fastest SUVs on the market, which is very impressive. Even more imp...

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 ...