Archive for the ‘BMW’ Category
September 2nd, 2010 | 
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Now this is how you introduce a new car.
Spy photos? Yeah, okay. Teaser videos? Uh-huh. Public unveiling? Go on. Hair-raising trailer with freakishly scary music? That’s the way to go!
Never mind that it’s got a little unidentified animal aggressively ramming a cargo container feel to it, the three-and-a-half minute trailer of the BMW M3 Tiger Edition is a definite must-watch.
The limited-edition M3 is decked in an Orange Fire finish and is only available for the Chinese market. To go with the exclusivity, the sports car comes with a number of unique styling cues, including the aforementioned Orange Fire paint color, black air intakes, kidney grilles, dark chrome exhaust tips, and a set of 359M 19-inch styling wheels.
As for the interior, BMW gave it a black Novillo leather upholstery treatment with an embroidered orange tiger emblem on the headrest to commemorate the car’s unique name, which was given to it as a tribute to the year 2010 as “The Year of The Tiger” in the Chinese calendar.
So, whatever you’re doing now, drop it and spend the next three minutes watching this trailer. You won’t regret it.
Video: BMW M3 Tiger Edition trailer is all loads of awesome originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 2 September 2010 11:26 EST.
British tuner, Superchips, has decided that diesel engines can be just as much fun as their petrol counterparts, so they decided to do a little reconfiguring for BMW’s 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine that powers models like the BMW 3-Series, 5-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6.
Superchips was able to increase the power of the diesel engine by 44hp at 4183 rpm and 90 Nm of torque at just 2222 rpm. This brings the total output to 313hp and 627Nm of torque. In order to accomplish this task, Superchips had to perform a remap of the engine while taking into consideration the “careful optimization of fueling and turbo boost settings”. According to Superchips, this reconfiguration allows for a sharper throttle response, a keener, more urgent engine, a harder pull throughout the rev range.
The BMW 3.0 D ECU remap is priced at £445.00 and comes with a 12 month/30,000 mile supplementary vehicle warranty.
Press release after the jump.
Superchips upgrades BMW’s 3.0D engine for various models originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 23:00 EST.
Posted in Accessories, BMW, BMW 3-Series, BMW 5-Series, BMW 7-Series, BMW X6, bmw X5, car tuning | 
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Being somebody that earns millions and millions of dollars to play basketball certainly has its perks, one of which is that the person can afford just about any car that catches his wandering eye.
Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is no exception to that. With a salary of $13.8 million for the 2010-2011 season, Bynum can practically open the doors to any dealership in the world and drive off with that dealership’s most expensive ride. Yes, it’s unfair, but we’re not 7 feet tall and we certainly don’t play professional basketball for a living. Tough luck, eh?
In any case, of all the cars that he can choose from, Bynum decided to opt for a pretty nice ride, a modified-to-the-brim BMW M6. Apparently, there are other endeavors pro ballers enjoy as much as putting the ball to the hoop; tuning up their already expensive sports cars.
Read the rest of the story after the jump.
Video: Andrew Bynum introduces us to his pimped-out BMW M6 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 20:00 EST.
The BMW M5 is a very normal car; a car for everyday use and one of the best performance sedans on the market. However, with a push of a button – the M button to be precise – the M5 turns into an animal. A finely tuned sports machine that can rival Corvettes and perhaps even some Ferrari models.
The largest community of M5 owners, M5Board, had a chance to talk with Dr. Kay Segler, the managing director of the new M5. In the interview, he confirmed that an M5 is on the way, but not for another one to one and a half years. We should get most of the information next year in Geneva.
The car will put out 25% less C02 than the current model and will feature a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that will put out around 555 horsepower. That will make it more powerful than the old version.
“It will be a brilliant car,” said Dr. Segler.
M5Board Talks With Managing Director Of New F10 M5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 30 August 2010 16:00 EST.
Tragedy has struck BMW after Jack Pitney, the car brand’s vice president of marketing, was killed in a freak accident while he was on vacation at his farm.
Details are still being withheld as we speak, so we don’t have anything to say until more information surrounding the circumstances of his passing comes to light.
Pitney, who was 47 years old at the time of his passing, joined BMW in 1995 as the lead man of the company’s corporate communications department. Pitney was also directly responsible for BMW’s decision to bring MINI to America, and was likewise being prepped to for a new vice presidency position beginning on September 1.
There’s not a whole lot to say when a tragedy like this happens. So it is with heavy hearts that we send our deepest condolences to the family of Jack Pitney.
The world lost a really good man.
Press Release after the jump.
BMW North America VP of Marketing dies in tragic accident originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 August 2010 21:00 EST.
Well, we can’t see all of it, but at least we can see more of the BMW 1-Series M coupe than those heavily camouflaged spy shots we’ve seen until now. Granted, we have been able to see the BMW on the race track through a video released by BMW, but now we can see the first shapes and colors of the coupe courtesy of m-power.com. You’ll see the next part of the unveiling-series at the M-Power.com closed room.
The 1-series M will probably follow along the engine lines of the 135i producing 306hp. It will feature a central duct, brake air ducts, an additional two ducts on the bonnet, two air intakes on the front wings for a typical M look, and the bar that incorporates the side indicator light. It will also have widened fenders, integrated duckbill trunk spoiler, upgraded M wheels, and large brakes with cross-drilled rotors.
There are rumors saying BMW will offer the first official details on the 1-Series M coupe this evening, so stay tuned!
Video: BMW 1 Series M Coupe unveiled originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 August 2010 16:00 EST.
If you’re trying to make some sense of BMW, you’re going to be at it for awhile. The German automaker has been creating cars that are a bit puzzling to the common person, like the X6 or the 5-Series GT. Yet, nothing quite says insane like the new X3 M and pretty soon, there will be a new version based on the F25 X3.
When we take a closer look at the line of BMW SUVs, it makes the most sense to use the X3, rather than the X5. The small SUV only weighs 3971 pounds, far less than the much larger X5. That means that the X3 should stop, corner, and accelerate much better, not to mention it should get better fuel economy as well. In the world of the power to weight ratio, the X3 M takes the cake.
Powering the newest M machine will likely be the N55 turbocharged six-cylinder. If you’ve been paying attention to the automotive world as of late, you will have realized that the N55 is the same motor that is being used for the new M3. Not to mention that motor is already being used in the X3. The motor will be attached to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Once the X3 M is on the road, we would expect it to be able to hit 60 miles per hour in just five or six seconds. The motor will likely produce around 420 horsepower, which is good enough. After all, BMW can’t give the X3 M more power than the X5. The corners will be where the car outperforms its bigger rivals though. It’s lower to the ground, smaller, and will have fat tires.
Some might say that this sort of machine makes no sense whatsoever. We say that BMW can make whatever they want, and a high-performance X3 sounds good to us.
BMW X3 M Renderings originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 August 2010 14:00 EST.
Patiently waiting for the next generation BMW 1-Series to debut, we know we probably won’t be seeing it over on this side of the pond. However, that won’t stop us from taking notice of the interesting changes the BMW will undergo.
The first, and most obvious changes, will appear on the exterior of the vehicle. Well, we probably shouldn’t say “most obvious” considering the redesigned bodystyle is anything, but extravagant. The biggest changes will be made under the hood as BMW will be offering a wide range of engines, including turbo-petrol engines with three or four cylinders. However, the BMW 1-Series will remain a RWD vehicle built on the same L7 platform as the 3-Series.
The entry level models will get 1.2 and 1.5 liter engines with power outputs ranging from 70 to 184 HP. Next to it there will be a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 204 HP and 238 HP and a range of three-cylinder engines with outputs ranging from 95 to 177 HP. The top version will still get the six-cylinder N55 Twin-Scroll engine.
The first hatchback version will be revealed in early 2011, and it will be followed by both coupe and convertible versions.
Next BMW 1-Series will get new engines originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 26 August 2010 23:00 EST.
German publications have revealed new details regarding the BMW M3 GTS. According to Sport Auto, the car has recent;y been recently at Nurburgring, and its best time was 7:48. That’s only two seconds faster than the E46 M3 CSL. At the same time, the BMW took a trip around Hockenheim’s shorter track and posted a time of 1:12.5. For comparison, the standard M3 (Cup+) runs Hockenheim in 1:14.3 and the M3 Competition ZCP (PS2) does it in 1:14.2. These seem to be quite disappointing times for a sports car, especially a BMW, wouldn’t you agree?
Exclusively for the BMW M3 GTS, the engine builders of BMW M – recent winners of the Engine of the Year Award once again – have developed a power unit based on the M high-performance engine of the current BMW M3. With a capacity of 4.4 liters and an output of some 450 bhp, the light BMW M3 GTS will catapult into a whole new sphere. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph will be made in 4.4 seconds with a top speed that will go up to 189 mph.
BMW M3 GTS – 7:48 on the Nurburgring originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 August 2010 21:00 EST.
Back in 2008, the G-Power M5 Hurricane RS received the title of “world’s fastest sedan.” Back then, the car reached a top speed of 228.4 mph. Two years later, the tuner has broken its own record. During some recent testings the Hurricane RS was capable of a top speed of 231.2 mph.
Piston Heads, however, reports they are “not sure if the new feat was independently witnessed, and it was a peak maximum on an oval test track rather than a speed reached over the flying mile in both directions,” so we should expect an official press release fairly soon on this record breaking feat, if it indeed is comparable to the previous record setting environment.
The Hurrican RS is powered by a V10 engine with a BI-Kompressor system that helps the engine develop an impressive 750 hp (250 hp more than a stock M5). The extra power of the G-POWER M5 HURRICANE RS is the result of two modified superchargers with enlarged capacity from G-POWER’s technology partner ASA. The standard air box is replaced by an aluminum casting that allows for an “incomparable response and also much more torque”.
Talk about a fast, sweet ride; the only problem is that the G-Power M5 Hurricane RS will set you back €251,100. Ouch. We can think of a few other cars we would like to have for that amount of money.
G-Power M5 Hurricane RS becomes world’s fastest sedan, again originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 August 2010 13:00 EST.
With the announcement of Infiniti’s new performance line and the debut of their 2 M-based models coming up at the Pebble Beach Concours, it probably wasn’t a bad idea for BMW to release a video about their Performance line. There’s always room for a little refresher when competition is brewing.
BMW’s Performance line is available for models like the 1-Series, the 3-Series, the X5, and the X6. It includes hand-crafted carbon components, a lightweight sports silencer, front bumper, side-sills, and an insert for the rear bumper; all in a special design and body color. The Performance line also includes a rear spoiler, rear fins in matte black, and a front grid finished in high-gloss black paint. Finishing off the line are a set of 21″ light-alloy wheels.
For models like the BMW M3, the Performance Package includes a lowered suspension that brings the chassis 10 mm closer to the asphalt and stiffens things up with a newly developed set of electronically adjustable dampers as well as an all new set of lightweight mesh alloys measuring 19 inches in diameter. These alloys help dress up the new M3’s appearance along with the functional aero package.
Want to see more on BMW’s Performance line? Check out the video for yourself!
Video: BMW Performance 2010 Promo originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 12 August 2010 20:00 EST.
Posted in BMW, BMW 1-Series, BMW 3-Series, BMW M3, BMW X6, bmw X5, cool fast cars, video |
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A convoy of three 2011 6-Series Convertibles was spotted by some German auto enthusiasts on the Autobahn, testing at speeds exceeding 160 mph. Last time we saw the new 6-Series testing it was at the renowned Nurburgring race track; now the 6 series takes on the high-speed tarmac of the German Autobahn.
Usually prototypes such as this one are captured by professional spy photographers; however, this time the shots have come in from a member of M5Board driving a modified M3.
This particular trio of BMW prototypes happens to consist of three different 6-Series models. One model sports the same square exhaust tips that we saw on the Nurburgring 6-Series; presumably the high performance model as suggested by a passenger in the video.
The new 6-Series features styling fairly similar to that of the GranCoupe Concept, but we expect the new 6-Series won’t veer to far off from the old design thanks to BMW’s tentative designers.
Trio of 2011 BMW 6-Series convertibles spied in Europe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 11 August 2010 20:00 EST.
Posted in BMW, BMW 6-Series, Germany, Spy Shots and Rendering, convertible, luxury cars |
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If anyone ever has a really good secret, then an automaker wouldn’t be the best person to tell it to. Seriously, these guys are useless for keeping secrets and we love every minute of it! BMW will be bringing the new generation 6-Series to the Paris Motor Show in October, but that model won’t be alone. BMW! Product development chief Dr Klaus Draeger has let his tongue flap and in doing so, let all of us know that they are also considering a Shooting Brake version of the 6-series. The first concept version is believed to be unveiled this year at the Paris Auto Show possibly using the “Gran Turismo” name. A final decision on whether or not the Shooting Brake will go to production will depend on the reaction of the concept from the public.
If the Shooting Brake does go into production, it will definitely be after the two-door coupe and the convertible that are set to come out early next year. It will also have to stand behind a Gran Coupe version that will compete with the Mercedes CLS. The Gran Coupe will arrive in 2012 and will feature a standard saloon body style, and not a hatchback tailgate like the Audi A7 or the Porsche Panamera. It will be powered by the same engines as the next 6-Series, including a 3.0-liter six-cylinder petrol and diesel units, as well as a range-topping 4.4-liter V8. “Since we use the same drive architecture as the 5, 6, and 7-Series, we are [also] able to bring a hybrid version,” Draeger added.
BMW works on a Shooting Brake version for the next 6-Series originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 19:00 EST.
If anyone ever has a really good secret, then an automaker wouldn’t be the best person to tell it to. Seriously, these guys are useless for keeping secrets and we love every minute of it! BMW will be bringing the new generation 6-Series to the Paris Motor Show in October, but that model won’t be alone. BMW! Product development chief Dr Klaus Draeger has let his tongue flap and in doing so, let all of us know that they are also considering a Shooting Brake version of the 6-series. The first concept version is believed to be unveiled this year at the Paris Auto Show possibly using the “Gran Turismo” name. A final decision on whether or not the Shooting Brake will go to production will depend on the reaction of the concept from the public.
If the Shooting Brake does go into production, it will definitely be after the two-door coupe and the convertible that are set to come out early next year. It will also have to stand behind a Gran Coupe version that will compete with the Mercedes CLS. The Gran Coupe will arrive in 2012 and will feature a standard saloon body style, and not a hatchback tailgate like the Audi A7 or the Porsche Panamera. It will be powered by the same engines as the next 6-Series, including a 3.0-liter six-cylinder petrol and diesel units, as well as a range-topping 4.4-liter V8. “Since we use the same drive architecture as the 5, 6, and 7-Series, we are [also] able to bring a hybrid version,” Draeger added.
BMW works on a Shooting Brake version for the next 6-Series originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 19:00 EST.
Remember when the M5 was caught testing and some sly cat took a picture of its engine? Well, it’s been quite some time since then and we have yet to see any more photos of the M5 in the wild, but somebody decided to change all that by leaving the new M5 in a parking lot in what appears to be a rest area or a gas station.
We can see the new production wheels, the new shift knob, and the meaty looking Pirelli tires. There are new interior shots that show new seats and a tachometer with a reduced redline.
Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that will put out around 555 horsepower. That will make this model far more powerful than the old model and not to mention, far better looking.
The chassis will likely be aluminum and there should be loads of carbon fiber parts. The new M5 will also get an electronically controlled limited slip differential and Dynamic Performance Control.
The official car will debut at the Paris Motor Show.
New Shots Of The BMW M5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 11:00 EST.
Remember when the M5 was caught testing and some sly cat took a picture of its engine? Well, it’s been quite some time since then and we have yet to see any more photos of the M5 in the wild, but somebody decided to change all that by leaving the new M5 in a parking lot in what appears to be a rest area or a gas station.
We can see the new production wheels, the new shift knob, and the meaty looking Pirelli tires. There are new interior shots that show new seats and a tachometer with a reduced redline.
Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that will put out around 555 horsepower. That will make this model far more powerful than the old model and not to mention, far better looking.
The chassis will likely be aluminum and there should be loads of carbon fiber parts. The new M5 will also get an electronically controlled limited slip differential and Dynamic Performance Control.
The official car will debut at the Paris Motor Show.
New Shots Of The BMW M5 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 11:00 EST.
BMW has never been a company of conservative designers. After all, this was the company that hired Chris Bangle to design their models, including the infamous 7-Series with the massive rear end. The same design was used on the 3-Series and the 5-Series, and each was criticized by the automotive media.
We admire them for their bold adventures and we liked the 5- and 3-Series. There have been some which were plain awful, like the 5-Series GT, but overall things have been decent.
BMW engineers have taken a turn to the right with a new MegaCity Vehicle (MCV) electric machine. This will be another green car that looks like it was taken straight out of the future for BMW. Remember the Vision Plug-In Hybrid and the Active E? A word of advice for BMW, you won’t make much money creating concepts. It’s time to put one of these into production. Maybe they should just start with the MCV.
Hit the jump to continue reading.
A Look At The BMW MegaCity Vehicle originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 4 August 2010 21:14 EST.
We have never seen anything like this before. If you want a coupe, you buy a coupe and if you want sedan, well, you buy a sedan. It was always that simple and nothing was ever on the market that would give drivers a choice between the two.
The Germans changed all that with the Mercedes-Benz CLS. It was a revolutionary design that allowed for four-doors, but also integrated a coupe style with a sloping rear. It was a bold step and it paid off better than we expected.
Soon, a wave of new sedan-coupes began to hit the market. Well, when we say a wave, we mean more like a small ripple. The market was rather slow on the uptake, but Volkswagen soon joined the party with the CC. While the CLS was an expensive piece of luxury for a very few, the CC was more mass market. Still, like the outcast lunch table in high school, others were reluctant to join.
Years later we have a few new models that have been welcomed to the sedan-coupe table. Audi has just [unveiled the A7 and BMW is working on the Gran Coupe. Porsche has created the Panamera, which is shockingly ugly, and Aston Martin has the Rapide. Even Hyundai is getting in on the mix.
So, now we must ask, will this trend catch on further, or are we looking at a select few examples of a new fade that will soon fade away?
Hit the jump to keep reading.
A New Generation Of Sedans – The Four-Door Coupe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 13:00 EST.
You’ve finally got that big time job and you want something that isn’t too cheap, but you don’t want to spend $80,000 quite yet. There is much to choose from in the middle luxury segment and each car has it’s own unique characteristics that make it better, or worse than the competition.
Just like the entry-level luxury segment, the Germans have always had the middle levels to themselves. The Japanese and the American automakers have never been able to catch up. Yet, 2010 is a new year and things might be changing in the automotive marketplace.
Let’s take a look back at our previous winners before we begin with this list. We rated the Mini Cooper as the best small car and the Hyundai Sonata as the best midsize sedan. Finally, we rated the Audi A4 as the best entry-level luxury car on the market.
Hit the jump to see who we chose as the top mid-level luxury car.
TopSpeed’s 10 Best Mid-Level Luxury Cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 26 July 2010 16:00 EST.
The first rumors of a BMW X4 started back in 2008, but this year the rumors have gotten even stronger. Now we get an almost official confirmation: BMW officials in Hamburg said that a smaller, more affordable X4 model has apparently been on the drawing board in Munich for some time now. The car will be built as BMW’s response to the new Range Rover Evoque.
The next BMW X4 will be built on the same platform as the second-generation X3 and will be powered by the same engines as the X3, but with a few power improvements. There will be a 2-liter diesel engine that will deliver 177 hp, a 3-liter diesel that will deliver 231 hp, and the turbo version that will deliver 300 hp. The petrol engine will start from a 2-liter four-cylinder engine that will deliver 163 hp and will go up to a 3-liter turbo engine that will deliver 306 hp.
Another version, most likely for an X4 M model is the engine from the upcoming 1-series M Coupe: a 350bhp twin-turbo 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder mated to an eight speed automatic.
A BMW X4 with an M version in the works originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 08:00 EST.
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