Auto and Cars

Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale vs. BMW M3 CS – Exhaust Showdown! It’s what we’ve all been waiting for! To go head to head with some of the rarest cars in the world, pitting them against each other in an exhaust showdown to answer one basic question – which one sounds the best? Now that my M3 CS has joined the BMWBLOG garage, I can finally publish this long-awaited comparison. And just in case you missed my M3 CS reveal, you can watch it here. So, car enthusiasts the world over know the rivalry between Henry Ford and Enzo Ferrari. Titans of industry, their racing escapades and their constant drive to best the other on the track led to some of the most spectacular car racing in history. This rivalry recently got the full Hollywood treatment in the “Ford v. Ferrari” movie starring academy ...

SPIED: Fresh scoop shows more of the 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe (G22) The future BMW 4 Series Coupe (G22) is already causing a lot of controversy and debate, as the final car will certainly look a bit shocking. The latest spy photos (we don’t own them, but you can see them here) are the clearest to date. They most likely show a camouflaged BMW M440i version, given the honeycomb pattern of the radiator grille painted in Cerium Grey. The gargantuan kidneys are there, so for those who still cannot believe their eyes, here you have the proof. BMW was serious when it stated that most of Concept 4 will make into production. The G22 generation is the very demonstration of the fact. Certainly, the 4 Series Coupe will never gonna go unnoticed with the huge front grille design. Besides the kidneys ...

Rumor: Current BMW 1 Series to have 5-year production life, no LCI The current 1 Series has only been on sale for less than a year and there are already rumors going around that it will not be your typical BMW. Well, if you look at the platform it is built on, you can already say it’s not a typical BMW as it is FWD but, according to a recent rumor we’ve heard of, the F40 generation will have a production span of only 5 years. This wouldn’t be the first time BMW doesn’t follow the usual 7-year production cycle for a model though. The same happened with the F15-generation BMW X5 , a car that was built atop an older platform, shared with the E70 X5 generation. In the case of the F15, even though it did get a couple of technical improvements over the years, it didn’t go through a proper fac...

Video: BMW M135i xDrive vs Audi S3 Acceleration comparison With the BMW M135i xDrive now getting delivered across the globe, some people are wondering whether the new M Performance model in the 1 Series range is worth the extra money. During our time with the car, we were rather satisfied with how it behaved and couldn’t really complain about its performance. However, the true test the new M135i xDrive has to ace is against its main rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. We’ve seen a couple of videos showcasing the BMW against the Mercedes-AMG A35 before but now it’s time to take a look at how it fares against the Audi S3. The guys from AutoTopNL had them both for testing purposes and they set up one of their trademark acceleration comparison videos. On paper, the Audi S3 should have the u...

Should Electric Cars make Artificial Acceleration Noise? BMW was one of the first brands to begin widely using artificial engine sound, piped through the speakers, in its performance cars. It did so because refinement and NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) levels have become so excellent that the only way to hear the engine, without hearing outside road noise, was to fake it. Something similar is also happening with electric cars. Car companies are beginning to fake acceleration noise in electric cars, as they don’t really have any, inherently. Is that more or less acceptable than fake engine noise through speakers inside the car? Let’s take a look. Both modern performance cars and EVs are creating fake noise to supplement their lack of exciting acceleration noise. While enthusiasts bemoan...

Should BMW M reconsider a potential BMW 1 Series M? It’s not much of a secret that BMW M has no plans of building a performance car off of the new 1 Series. According to the M Division, it has no interest in front-wheel drive vehicles and fans are in agreement. Quite strongly, in fact. So as it stands now, there will not be another 1 Series M Division product. But should there be? I know, the idea of a front-wheel drive-based M car is about as attractive as a sauerkraut ice cream to most BMW enthusiasts but hear me out. This new generation of 1 Series, despite driving the supposedly incorrect wheels first, is actually a better driving car than Bavarian purists want to admit. While I haven’t driven the new 1er (as it isn’t available in the US), I have driven the BMW M235i Gran Coupe and...

Study finds BMW one of the most attractive employers in the world A recent study carried out by Universum found that the BMW Group is the most attractive employer in the automotive industry worldwide. The research on the topic was carried out throughout 2019 and the results were published this week. BMW is now included on the list of World’s Most Attractive Employers for 2019 and dominated the automotive world. But that’s not all though, as the Bavarians are quite popular in other fields as well. Among engineering and IT students, the company also placed fourth, behind Google, Microsoft and Apple. Universum surveyed more than 240,000 students from 12 countries for the study. For some, this high ranking position might be a surprise but it really shouldn’t be the case. That’s because BMW ...

2020 BMW M550i, X3 M40i and X4 M40i get a power bump BMW of North America announces a power increase for some of its Model Year 2020 vehicles. The 2020 BMW M550i xDrive and 2020 BMW X3 M40i and X4 M40i xDrive are part of the power bump for next year, from the same engine units. The biggest increase is found in the 2020 M550i sedan, which saw the output from its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 increase from 456 hp and 480 pound-feet in 2019 to 523 hp and 553 lb-ft in 2020. That’s nearly a 15-percent boost which was achieved thanks to larger turbochargers, new intake manifold and ports, higher fuel pressure, a stronger block, reinforced pistons, and new engine management, BMW spokesman Oleg Satanovsky told Motor Authority. The 2020 BMW X3 M40i and X4 M40i have also seen their power output go up...

Video: Check out this custom-made BMW M3 CS Touring? The BMW M3 CS was unveiled by the German manufacturer as a more poised and agile track weapon than the standard M3 and Competition Package. It was created to be lighter and sharper, so combining the CS badge with the Touring body style is a bit of an oxymoron. Nevertheless, a lot of enthusiasts –especially around good old Europe — are fascinated by this body style. So here we are, discussing whether what we’re looking at here is a true BMW M3 CS Touring model. The guys from Evolve hooked up with the owner and creator of this car to offer us some insight into what he’s done and why this is a CS Touring model. According to him, the car was done using a BMW M3 CS donor. As far as I can gather, they used the body of a 3 Series Touring as ...

The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is the Best Used Bimmer you can buy Have a little BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe fever? That’s okay. Us too. It’s a wonderful car that drives as sensationally as it looks. The only downside is that it’s expensive, with even just the BMW 840i starting at $84,900. That’s a hefty sum for a car with just six cylinders and 340 hp. However, if you want something almost as good looking and very similar in style, but for a lot less green, you can check out the used market for a BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. It doesn’t take more than just a quick glance at 6 Series Gran Coupe listings to realize how good of a deal it is. Regardless of model or spec, the 6er GC can be had for seriously cheap prices, especially considering the sorts of price tags it wore when new. Just a quick sea...

Bavarian Bond — A Brief History of James Bond BMWs Just a few days ago, the first official trailer for the all new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, was released. As a fan of the Bond franchise, I was very excited to see the new trailer and am waiting very impatiently for it to hit theaters. While the most recent entry to the series, Spectre, wasn’t it’s best, this new one looks like it’s going to be a thrill ride. It also features some fantastic cars, such as the iconic Aston Martin DB5, an ’80s Aston Martin V8 Vantage and even the new Land Rover Defender. James Bond is most certainly cemented in the Aston Martin brand once again, that’s for sure. However, there was once a time when 007 actually drove BMWs. During Pierce Brosnan’s stint as James Bond back in the ’90s and early ’00s, th...

VIDEO: The BMW X6 M50i gets reviewed by Throttle House Humans may never know why the BMW X6 M50i exists. It’s a car that seemingly has no real purpose. Want a bit, fast SUV? Get a BMW X5 M50i or X5 M. Want a stylish performance car? Don’t buy an SUV. However, for some reason, the X6 M50i actually sort of works. As we find out in this new review from Throttle House. On the outside, there’s no denying the polarizing looks of the BMW X6 M50i. It’s a massive brute of a thing but has an aggressively raked roofline designed to make it look sportier. It ends up just looking sort of odd but it’s a very love-it-or-hate-it sort of look. Those who love it will defend it like they would their child and those that hate it can’t be convinced otherwise. Either way, though, it stands out. What’s hard ...

G80 BMW M3 production to kick off November 2020, deliveries in 2021 The next-generation G80 BMW M3 is scheduled to enter production in November 2020. Deliveries of first units are expected by Spring 2021. Even though the new M3 and M4 won’t arrive to market until 2021, we expect to see both cars, fully unveiled, sometimes in the second half of next year. But it’s not only the new M3 and M4 that are going through the final testing stages. Work on the BMW M4 GT3 racing car has already begun and BMW Motorsport says that rollout is planned for the second half of 2020. Along with the reveal of the BMW M4 GT3, the Motorsport division has also showcased one of the more interesting aspects of this new generation of sportscars – its new kidney grille. Since the debut of the BMW Concept 4, we’ve ...

Former BMW Design Chief Jozef Kaban Returns To VW Group After a short stint at BMW Group, former head of design Jozef Kaban returns to VW Group. This week, VW Group has announced a reshuffling of its design department. Kaban was previously the chief of exterior design at Skoda from 2008 to 2017 before moving to BMW and then Rolls-Royce. Kaban made a name for himself early when he designed the Bugatti Veyron while still in his 20s. He was named chief of Skoda design at 35 after being head of exterior design at sister brand Audi. He also designed the Volkswagen Lupo, Seat Arosa and the third-generation of Skoda Octavia and Superb. Kabaň will act as Chief Designer at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, effective July 1, 2020. The position will be vacated by Klaus Bischoff, who will be pr...

BMWBLOG garage is getting a BMW M3 CS The BMWBLOG garage is getting a shake-up! Roughly 2 years ago after picking up my custom-built hero F80 M3 and publishing my video review which detailed my impressions of the car and what it was like during the first year of ownership (watch the review here) I’m now saying goodbye to the M CHI3F, but welcoming the M CHI3F 2.0! Or in other words, a 2018 BMW M3 CS. Watch the video reveal at the end, then after that read the rest of this article so you can feel better about all the weird car stuff you do that only car people understand. Here’s the thing, you’re into BMWs. It’s why you’re here reading this article and not something about the latest cryptocurrency, or the newest way to grow your own kale, or why it is that the political administration of...

These are our Top Three Winter Tires for your BMW for 2020 One of the most overlooked aspects of yearly car maintenance (BMW cars included) is a set of winter tires. Most drivers feel as if they can get away with the same all-season tires they’ve been driving on all year. And in most cases, they’ll survive with them but using all-season tires in the winter is less than ideal. Our German colleagues call all-season tires “no-season” tires because they’re not actually good in any season, just not terrible in any specific season. Having a specialized tire for the winter months can be hugely helpful for any car but especially for cars designed for higher levels of performance. Our own Chuck Vossler is even a huge supporter of BMW i3 winter tires, as his Nokians have helped him get through pl...

VIDEO: Doug DeMuro checks out the BMW M8 Competition Coupe Now that BMW finally has an M8 in its stable, something that’d been missing for decades, it’s the darling of the Bavarian lineup. But most journalists and publications have been focusing on its track capabilities and performance. In this new video review from Doug DeMuro, we take a look the BMW M8 Competition Coupe in a much more normal setting. First, DeMuro takes us through the entire car’s list of features, as per usual. We get to see all of its interior tech, as well as its luxury tech. Which is important for a lot of potential buyers, as most of the stuff he shows us is far more in-depth than a dealership salesperson is going to show (or even comprehend) to customers. The BMW M8 Competition has quite a few interesting feat...

BMW Motorsport poaches WRT Audi DTM Program Manager BMW Motorsport team announces that former program manager of the WRT Audi DTM team, Maurizio Leschiutta, has joined BMW. Leschiutta will oversee BMW’s track operations for the 2020 season. Prior to Audi, Leschiutta worked for Ferrari Formula 1 team. He leaves Audi after a successful run with the GT team. At a media roundtable in Munich, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said Lescuitta as the “perfect fit” for the DTM team. “With Maurizio Leschiutta we have a new guy on board who will run the DTM operation next year,” Marquardt said. “We will form the team around him with very intensive work over the next few weeks and months. “He has a vast experience in motorsport. I think we have experts on all levels, but what we need in the p...

BMW joins Getting to Zero Coalition, aims to cut logistics CO2 emissions When talking about the automotive industry and the part it’s playing in climate change, one has to take into account every possible aspect, not just tailpipe emissions. The approach towards cutting CO2 emissions must include not just the end product but also how that product was made and delivered. To this end, BMW announced it will be joining the Getting to Zero Coalition, in an effort to slash CO2 emissions of its international maritime shipping. The objective of this initiative is to use zero-emission cargo vessels from 2030. The Getting to Zero Coalition is a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the Friends of Ocean Action and the World Economic Form. “Maritime transport is crucial for supplying the B...

BMW M4 GT3 teaser gives us our first glimpse at the M4’s massive grille The next-generation of BMW M4 is almost here. When it makes its debut, it won’t be alone, as it will be joined by its racing sibling, the M4 GT3. With the BMW M4 GT3, a new era of customer racing will be born and BMW feels it will be an iconic one. In this new teaser sketch image, we get to see a bit of the face of the M4 GT3. “With our new GT3 project, we are emphasising the significance of BMW M Customer Racing. It is a central pillar of our motorsport programme,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “With the introduction of the new GT3 regulations for 2022, the BMW M4 is the perfect base. The core product from our colleagues at BMW M is yet again just great. Without wanting to give too much away, t...

Video: Hoovie compares his $4,500 BMW 760Li against the Phantom If you’ve been watching this space, you probably heard about Hoovie’s adventures. He has been on a spending spree lately, buying all sorts of cars for his Youtube channel, most of the time the same pattern being applied: go for the cheapest model he could get. Most recently he purchased a BMW 760Li, a car that could’ve easily turned into a money pit, especially since it’s an older, early 2000s model. Even so, he got it for just $4,500 which is amazing value for the money. Predictably though, he had to invest some more into it, to get it to run properly. He had a couple of cylinder misfires and leaks to mention a couple of the issues and in the end had to pay about $3,000 to fix all of them. Now, he has a perfectly sound car...

Sorry BMW but I’d buy the Audi RS6 Avant over an M5 My first car was a BMW. It’s well-documented here but I’ll rehash it anyway. It was an E36-generation BMW 328i sedan. Nothing special, at least to anyone else, but it ignited my passion for the brand. To be honest, I’d always loved BMWs, from reading about them in magazines and learning about the brand’s history. That’s why I bought one. But actually owning and driving one every day really drove me (pun shamelessly intended) into the brand’s arms. However, despite my love for the brand and many of its cars, if I had the money, I’d buy an Audi RS6 Avant without blinking. Audi RS6 Avant at the LA Auto Show The all-new Audi RS6 Avant, to me, is about as perfect as a daily-driven car can get. It looks fantastically aggressive, especially i...

Video: BMW M2 Competition drag races A45 AMG and Audi RS3 Now that BMW has a front-wheel drive-based 1 Series, you’d think it’d be the car to take on its German hot-hatch rivals. However, both Audi and Mercedes-AMG have hot hatches faster than what BMW can muster with the 1 Series. Both the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 are significantly faster than the BMW M135i. Which is why if BMW wants to compete, it’s going to need an M2 Competition to do it. I know, it’s not exactly fair but hell, it’s the closest weapon you can get from Munich. The guys from Motor1 Italy set up such a drag race and the video of it can be seen below. Some things need to be mentioned though. Both the A45 and the Audi RS3 have all-wheel drive. That’s a key advantage when drag racing from standstill, especially agai...

Video: 800 HP BMW M5 Goes for a top speed run in POV video We already established that the BMW F90 M5 is a pretty fast sedan and that it will probably fulfill all of your needs, in terms of speed and acceleration. Its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 pushes out more power than you could possibly need and the best part about this uber-sedan is that you can enjoy this madness with your friends. Yes, I used the plural because unlike in some supercars which will do the same kinds of speeds, you can fit more than two people inside the BMW M5. In standard guise, the BMW M5 comes with 600 HP and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque. That amount of power should be enough as it is but then again BMW decided it should, just to make sure, offer a bit more on the Competition model. Customers going for the more hard...

BMW M2 CS Racing – Exclusive First Look At Latest Racing Car The twin brother of the recently introduced BMW M2 CS was just introduced to the public in Munich. The BMW M2 CS Racing builds atop the racing DNA of the “regular” M2 CS and will incorporate the latest tuning from the BMW Motorsport division. The new model is going to become a favorite in private teams looking to race next year in a variety of motorsport events as it takes the basis set up by the BMW M240i Racing model and takes it a step further. Just like the M2 CS, the racing version uses a S55 3-liter twin-turbo mill under the hood and will have various amounts of power available so that it can be used in a wider range of motorsport events. The lowest level will be 280 HP while the top-end versions will have 365 HP. The p...

The Next-Generation of Formula E is being planned and sounds exciting When fantasizing about motorsport, it’s not often that Formula E is at the forefront of the mind. Which is actually a bit of a shame because it’s more exciting than a lot of car enthusiasts give it credit for. It’s obviously not as thrilling as Formula 1 but, then again, nothing else really is. However, Formula E is getting better with each new generation and the latest, Gen 3, is likely going to be the most exciting yet. The next-generation of Formula E and its cars is currently being planned and discussed by the FIA and is slated to be introduced for the 2022-2023 season. According to E-Racing365, the Gen 3 Formula E cars will have up to 450 kW of regeneration capability, with electric brake-by-wire rear brakes. Th...

Former F1 driver Robert Kubica to test the M4 DTM for BMW Robert Kubica makes a comeback to BMW racing. The former F1 driver and winner of the Montreal Grand Prix will test a BMW M4 DTM racing car at next week’s 2019 DTM Young Driver Tests at Jerez de la Frontera (ESP). Poland-born Kubica raced for BMW Sauber F1 Team from 2006 to 2009. As well as Kubica, Nick Yelloly (GBR) will also attend the Jerez de la Frontera test for BMW Motorsport. The 29-year-old became a BMW works driver this season and claimed his first title in the China GT Championship at the wheel of a BMW M6 GT3 run by FIST-Team AAI. “We are delighted to offer the opportunity to Robert Kubica to take part in the Jerez test,” said BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Robert is a big name on the international moto...

BMW to recall another 116,000 older 3 Series models for faulty airbags It seems like the Takata airbag scandal won’t come to an end anytime soon. Millions of cars have already been recalled around the world to have their airbags changed over the last several years and yet it looks like a new case is discovered every other month. This week BMW announced plans to recall over 116,000 older 3 Series models to have their airbags replaced, as they could potentially be dangerous in case they are deployed. The announcement came on Wednesday and says E46 3 Series models built between 1999 and 2001 are the ones that will have to come in. At least, the ones that are still running and on public roads in the US, that is. According to the Germans, about 8,000 of them definitely have faulty inflators ...

SPIED: BMW 6 Series GT Facelift will keep normal sized grille A couple of years ago, I tested the then-new BMW 6 Series GT. It was a car that, objectively speaking, perfectly fit the needs of its clientele. I found it to be comfortable, incredibly quiet and effortlessly smooth, while also having surprising practicality. Subjectively, I didn’t like it at all but that’s only because it doesn’t fit my personal taste and not because it’s a bad car. To be honest, most of my dislike came from the way it looked. Hopefully, that changes a bit with the new facelift that was seen testing in camouflage. (We don’t own the spy photos but see them at the clicky-link) A facelift won’t fix all of the visual issues with the 6 Series GT, such as its frumpy hunchback. However, it will get a new face, whic...

BMW M135i vs Mercedes-AMG A45 S — Car Mag Hot Hatch Battle It might come as a shock to a lot of BMW enthusiasts but the new M135i is actually a good driver’s car. It might not be the purist’s first choice but it’s a much better driving car than most BMW enthusiasts will ever give it credit for. However, is it a good enough first attempt to take on the might Mercedes-AMG A45 S? In this new comparison test from Car Magazine, we see what happens when these two cars take each other on. The BMW M135i is actually a surprisingly great driving car, according to Car Mag. Its steering is said to be razor sharp, its chassis is unflappable and its performance is far more than potent enough. Sure, it’s not the classic BMW recipe of pure steering and tail-happy goodness but if you can’t appreciate a ...