Tag: BMW

BMW M Rumored To Be Readying Special M4 For 50th Ann. With Manual Gearbox

Next year is gearing up to be a special one for BMW’s M division. BMW M GmbH will mark its 50th anniversary in May, 2022, and new rumors suggest that there’s a special, limited production M4 on the horizon.

The lead comes from an alleged BMW insider on g80.bimmerpost. The user, who apparently has a good track record for new car info, suggests that the unnamed M4 special will be “configured like the CSL, but with a manual transmission.”

The forum member goes on to say that several options will be deleted, including comfort access, parking sensors, and electric seats. The absence of such would result in an M4 that’s even lighter than the already lightweight CSL, provided this special model is based on the upcoming CSL in the first place.

Although the production M4 CSL hasn’t yet been revealed to the public, our spies have spotted prototypes undergoing testing. These cars feature revised air intakes and grilles, as well as lightweight wheels, a more prominent lip spoiler, and a new diffuser.

Read: BMW Teases Next-Generation M4 GT4 Customer Race Car

A BMW M4 CSL prototype caught testing at the Nurburgring

As yet, powertrain details for the CSL have not been confirmed, although there have been reports that BMW may not offer a manual transmission. If that were the case, a limited, manual-equipped take on the CSL could prove to be the holy grail of BMW’s M4 line-up. The source also remarks that the new variant will be only produced for a few months, starting in November 2022, implying that production numbers will be kept low.

We already know that BMW M GmbH has big plans on the horizon for the upcoming year. Their 750hp plug-in hybrid SUV, the XM, is set to be in production before the end of 2022, and from January, customers will be able to order their cars with a roundel that harks back to the Motorsport division’s classic logo. If that weren’t enough, the new BMW M3 Touring would finally fulfill our M wagon dreams, and a series of 50 new M paint finishes will be made available. A special, ultra-limited edition of the M4 could just be the icing on the cake.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Buick, Chevrolet or GMC check out Shoreside GM TODAY!

This V8 M3-Powered BMW “1M” Coupe Is An Affordable Alternative To The Genuine Article

The BMW 1M is considered one of the carmaker’s finest performance models ever. This example, though, is not exactly what it seems.

When it was in production, the 1M was sold exclusively with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 335 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. The owner of this car obviously wanted some extra grunt and has replaced the standard engine with the S65 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 of an E92 M3 that delivers 414 hp (420 PS) and 400 Nm (295 lbft) of torque.

Read Also: A Decade Later, The 1M Coupe Remains One Of BMW’s Finest Creations

Coupled to this engine is a six-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. Obviously, the new engine makes this 1M much faster than a normal one but does it handle as well?

This is one of the questions that Drivetribe had when it arranged a drive of the car. Within 5 minutes, the reviewer notes that the extra weight of the V8 doesn’t upset the handling balance in the slightest and that it continues to perform superbly.

As impressive as this car is, however, it isn’t actually a genuine 1M. Instead, this particular car started out life as a standard 1-Series that has then been upgraded with the M3’s drivetrain. Those living in the UK can buy a car just like this from a local builder for around £30,000 (~$40,000), and that includes the price of a donor 1-Series, the M3 powertrain, and all the labor needed to make it work. This is roughly half the price of a well-maintained, genuine 1M you’ll find on the used car market. Sounds like a good deal to us.

[embedded content]

For GREAT deals on a new or used Subaru check out Sierra Subaru TODAY!

BMW M5 V10 Vs Audi RS6 Vs Mercedes E55 AMG: Which German Super Wagon Wins?

Initially considered to be boring but sensible old things that were meant to carry extended families and their luggage, estates (or wagons) have become quite a hot topic over the last couple of decades — not least among the German automakers. Which is why for the best part of the last few decades we’ve been offered Teutonic estate wagons that aren’t just about space and utility. Instead, they’re all about the perfect blend of luxury and performance. You could say they’ve become the ultimate factory sleeper.

To get the perfect essence of what a hot station wagon should be, you need to go no further than the rivalry between Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. Mat Watson from CarWow decided to line-up three 2000s’ super estates, the Audi RS6 C6, the BMW E61 M5, and the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, to run the quarter-mile.

To start off, Watson is behind the wheel of the of the RS6. The Audi houses a Lamborghini-derived 5.0-liter twin-turbo V10 producing an impressive 579 hp (587 PS) that is split across all four wheels courtesy of the Quattro all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic gearbox. The two-tonne machine had a price tag of around £70,000 ($100,000) when it first arrived, but you can source a decent second-hand example in the UK for around £25,000 ($35,000) today.

Watch: In A Straight Line, Can The New Audi S3 Beat The Old RS3?

[embedded content]

Next to Watson’s weapon of choice sits the E61 M5, also accommodating a 5.0-liter engine but in the form of a naturally aspirated V10. The BMW is also lighter at 1.8-tonnes. Output on the M5 is 507 hp (514 PS) with 520 Nm (383 lb-ft) of torque, sent entirely to the rear wheels. Brand new, the M5 also cost between £60,000-£70,000 and retains more or less the same second-hand value as the RS6.

Finally, we come to the Mercedes. The E55’s 5.4-liter V8 boasts a supercharger although, on paper, this car is the weakest in terms of output figures, with “just” 476 hp (482 PS). But with an ace up its sleeve, the Merc can produce a massive 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, all of which is transferred to the tarmac via a five-speed automatic gearbox. Once again,£60,000-£70,000 bought new from a showroom, but you can find a decent one today for around £15,000.

After a couple of sound checks (which the Bimmer unofficially won), the quarter mile was almost a foregone conclusion. In reality, it took no more than about 20 meters for the Audi to give its competitors a view of its rear end. And even with pro drivers behind the wheel of the E55 and the M5, it couldn’t be questioned that the RS6 was the quickest of the lot. Having said that, the battle for second place was much closer, where the E55 was able to get a hair ahead.

Ultimately, the RS6 proved its all-wheel drive supremacy, completing the standing quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds, while with the prefect launch, the Mercedes was not too far behind, with 13.1 seconds. Finally came the Bimmer, clocking in at 13.9 seconds, hampered by consistently poor starts and a rather lackluster gearbox in the form of BMW’s rather hated SMG transmission.

Compared to the manufacturer times the RS6 performed as expected, being the fastest on paper with a 0-60 mph time in just 3.9 seconds. The M5, when new, was slated to do 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, although the race in Carwow’s video seemed to debunk this claim, with the Merc being the least powerful and slowest (4.4 seconds to 60 mph) but consistently bettering the Bavarian.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Toyota check out Toyota of Las Vegas TODAY!

Pirelli Is Making World-First Sustainable, Natural Rubber Tires For The BMW X5 Plug-In Hybrid

For the first time ever, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will put its seal of approval on an automotive tire. The Pirelli P Zeros sold with the BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid will be certified as ecologically sound by the non-profit organization.

The tires are produced with FSC-certified natural rubber and rayon. That means that the plantations the tires’ materials come from are managed in a way that preserves biological diversity and benefits the lives of local people and workers.

“Before even reaching the road, sustainable mobility begins with raw materials,” said Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, senior VP for sustainability at Pirelli. “With the world’s first FSC-certified tire, Pirelli once again demonstrates its commitment to pursuing increasingly challenging goals in terms of sustainability, a testament to the constant work on innovative materials and increasingly cutting-edge production processes.”

Read Also: Michelin Edging Closer To Making Tires From Recycled Plastic Bottles

Along with being made of sustainable materials, the tires are designed for low rolling resistance, which helps reduce fuel consumption. The low-resistance tires also produce less noise, which may provide a greater benefit than you think.

Noise pollution from busy roadways can be as hazardous to our health as air pollution from cars, the World Health Organization reported in 2020. Loud roadways reportedly cost Parisians more than three healthy life-years each, according to a study quoted by the WHO.

“The use of tires made of certified natural rubber is a pioneering achievement for our industry,” said Andreas Wendt, head of purchasing and supply at BMW. “In this way, we are helping preserve biodiversity and forests to counteract climate change.”

The BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid will feature 275/35 R22 tires for the front and 315/30 R22 tires for the back. The SUV pairs a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six to a single electric motor. They combine for a total system output of 389 hp (290 kW / 394 PS) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. It gets an EPA-estimated 50 MPGe and 30 miles of electric-only range.

Pirelli will produce the FSC-certified tires at its Rome, Georgia plant.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

For GREAT deals on a new or used Truck check out Florida Trucks TODAY!

The Parent Of BMW’s Chinese Partner And Its Executives Fined Nearly $9M By Gov Regulators

False reporting and incomplete disclosures have led China’s securities regulator to fine Huachen Automotive Group Holdings and some of its executives a total of nearly $9 million.

The company owns Brilliance China Automotive, BMW’s main Chinese partner. Together, the companies formed BMW Brilliance Automotive under China’s requirement that foreign automakers partner with local companies.

BMW Brilliance accounts for nearly all of Brilliance’s profit, per Reuters. As Huachen Automotive Group sought to launch its own automotive brands, it sank deeply into debt. In 2020, the company defaulted on 6.5 billion yuan (a little over $1 billion USD) in debt last year.

Last week, though, Brilliance China Automotive revealed that its subsidiaries had guaranteed 5.89 billion yuan ($905 million) in Huachen bank loans without authorization, according to Nikkei Asia.

Read More: BMW China Partner’s Parent Company Facing Debt Issues

The subsidiaries, auto parts maker Shenyang Jinbei Automotive and auto distributor Liaoning Shenhua Holding, separately reported that Huachen, the parent company, had inflated its profits in 2017 and 2018.

The inflated results obscured falling sales and were the pretense on which Huachen raised 12.9 billion yuan ($1.9 billion USD) in bond issues on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Interbank Market.

China’s securities regulator also found that Huachen had failed to make timely and proper disclosures of changes in its credit rating, missed payment deadlines, litigation and arbitration cases, and other matters that might have affected the value of its bonds.

It has therefore fined Huachen 53.6 million yuan ($8.2 million USD), while 12 former and current former executives got 2.98 million yuan in other fines. ($460,000 USD).

BMW’s China chief, Jochen Goller, told reporters at Auto Shanghai 2021 that Huachen’s issues would not impact BMW Brilliance China. In February, Reuters reported that BMW was looking to buy another 25% of the joint venture, though the purchase was supposed to take place in 2022.

For GREAT deals on a new or used INFINITI check out Circle INFINITI TODAY!

BMW M5 Competition, Mercedes-AMG E63 S And Audi RS6 Settle Their Rivalry In The Wet

The Audi RS6 Avant, Mercedes-AMG E 63 S and BMW M5 Competition are all extremely fast, but which is actually quicker in adverse conditions?

To answer that question, the guys from CarWow brought the trio to a rain-soaked runway and hosted a series of performance tests, starting off with two drag races.

Watch Also: Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, Audi RS6, Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, And BMW M5 Competition Are Frightfully Fast

All three cars are powered by twin-turbocharged V8 engines and produce close to 600 hp. Moreover, all feature dual-clutch transmissions and send power to all four wheels. With this in mind, the race should be quite competitive, but in this test, it was the RS6 Avant that stormed away in both drag races.

For whatever reason, the Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system is able to put its power to the ground much more efficiently in the wet conditions than the systems used by the BMW and Mercedes-AMG. Interestingly, the RS6 Avant has proven to be slightly slower than the M5 Competition and E 63 S in dry conditions.

The second test is a rolling race between the trio and it is a very different story, as the BMW and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S rocket away from the Audi with their transmissions set in automatic modes Last but not least is a braking test between the trio but as the presenter acknowledges, it wasn’t really a fair test as there wasn’t an even amount of water across the runway.

[embedded content]

For GREAT deals on a new or used Hyundai check out Winn Hyundai of Santa Maria TODAY!

2022 BMW iX Electric SUV Enters Cold Testing Phase In The Frozen North

Subsequent to its official unveiling last month, the BMW iX has been taken to the Arctic Circle to get tested in the freezing conditions.

Facing the challenges of the extreme cold and slippery roads, the electric SUV will have its drive and suspension systems fine-tuned. The engineers will also test the electric motors, all-wheel drive, high-voltage batteries, heat management and charging technologies, making sure that the iX can cope with whatever Mother Nature throws at it.

According to BMW, the test program will subject the prototypes to more challenges than they will have to withstand during their entire life cycle.

Comparison: Finally A Fair Fight – BMW iX Vs. Audi E-Tron Vs. Mercedes EQC

A challenger to the likes of the Audi E-Tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC, the iX, which was previously referred to as the iNext, has similar length and width to the X5, but thanks to its slopping roofline, is closer to the X6 in height.

The iX is the brand’s first model based on a new modular platform and features the fifth-gen BMW eDrive technology, which includes the two electric motors, high-voltage battery and charging technology. It has a total output of more than 496 HP (503 PS / 370 kW) and needs less than 5 seconds to hit the 62 mph (100 km/h) mark from a standstill.

With a gross capacity of more than 100 kWh, the battery is expected to provide it with a zero-emission range in excess of 600 km (373 miles) on the WLTP test cycle, and over 300 miles (483 km) according to the EPA’s FTP-75 test procedure. BMW’s targeted average power consumption is less than 21 kWh per 62 miles (100 km).

Production of the iX will commence in the second half of 2021 and it should launch in the U.S. in early 2022.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

For GREAT deals on a new or used Nissan check out Mossy Nissan Chula Vista TODAY!

BMW Doesn’t Mind If You Modify The 4-Series’ Massive Kidney Grille

To say the front grille of the BMW 4-Series has split opinions would be an understatement and despite the controversial looks, the automaker is sticking with it. However, BMW head of exterior design Christopher Weil has revealed that he doesn’t mind if customers decided to change the looks of the car, including the oversized kidney grille.

During a recent interview with members of the Australian media prior to the local launch of the new 4-Series, Weil revealed that BMW wanted to differentiate it further from the 3-Series and give it its own unique look.

Read Also: Prior Design Is Working On A New Fascia To Fix The BMW M3 And M4

“We wanted to divide the 4 Series more from the 3 Series… they were very much the same – let’s say in design expression, and now we wanted to split up the characters,” he told Cars Guide. “The 4 Series, in our aim, should be more expressive, more progressive and also more elegant than the 3 Series. They are two different cars addressing two different sorts of customers, that was the aim whilst designing the car.”

According to Weil, pictures of the car and its enlarged kidney grille don’t do it justice and customers prefer it when viewed in the flesh. Nevertheless, he did offer his support for those looking to customize their cars.

“I like the idea of customizing – we see it in the motorcycle world, there’s a lot of customizing – and if people think ‘we can tune a car, we can make it different’ or they’re kind of styling the car to their own personality even more, of course they should do it,” he said. “We have certain offerings at BMW – they are very expressive pieces – or you can even put on aftermarket (parts), and great wheels and stuff like this, but even if people go somewhere else and customize the car, it’s fine with me, I think it’s cool.”

For GREAT deals on a new or used Chevrolet check out Community Chevrolet TODAY!

The Hongqi H9’s Grille Dwarfs The BMW 7-Series’ Kidneys

In the past few years, we’ve seen car manufacturers steadily increasing the size of their front grilles to appeal to customers, particularly those in Asia.

BMW has been widely criticized for the massive scale of its new kidney grilles, including those on the latest-generation 7-Series. However, as it turns out, there’s a luxury sedan out of China that makes the kidneys of the 7-Series look relatively small: the Hongqi H9.

Read Also: New Hongqi H9 Goes After Mercedes E-Class With Familiar Cadillac, Rolls Royce And Maybach Tones

Unveiled earlier this year, the H9 is a luxury sedan and one was recently pictured alongside a dark blue 7-Series in a Chinese parking lot. These images from Car News China reveal that, while the grille of the H9 appears larger than the kidneys of the 7-Series, it is a little more stylish and suits the overall look of the car quite well.

Making the front fascia of the H9 stand out even more is the fact that it has thin LED daytime running lights that run around the edge of the grille and connect to the Matrix LED headlights.

Inside, the Hongqi H9 seems like a nice place to sit in. That’s due to a large infotainment screen, a digital instrument cluster, touch-sensitive switchgear and ambient lighting, as well as plush leather, wood and chrome accents.

Powering the luxury sedan is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 252 hp and 280.3 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque as standard, while buyers can upgrade to a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with 272 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque.

2022 BMW X3 M Facelift Takes To The Nürburgring For Its Spy Debut

The third-generation BMW X3 G01 is next in line for a facelift, three and a half years after its debut, and so is the high-performance X3 M variant.

Yes, the X3 M may have only debuted in 2019, but BMW is already working on a facelifted model. While prototypes of the regular 2021 X3 LCI have been spotted in the wild already, this is the first time the X3 M meets the cameras of our spy photographers.

This black prototype was spotted on and around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with the test driver not missing the opportunity of covering some hot laps of the ‘Green Hell’. Just like the BMW X4 M LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) prototype spotted last month, the 2022 X3 M has the front and rear ends completely covered in camouflage.

See Also: Facelifted 2021 BMW X3 M40i Drops Some Camo In Latest Spy Shots

That’s where the main changes are taking place, with the front end getting slightly larger kidney grilles placed closer together; don’t worry, they won’t be as big as those on the latest BMW M3 and M4, which share their powertrains with the X3 M and X4 M. BMW M is also making some changes to the bumpers, which get newly-designed air intakes up front and likely a bigger diffuser between the quad exhausts out back.

As you can see, the headlights are partially camouflaged, indicating they’re in for some changes as well. Expect a new and slimmer design along with a new DRL signature, in similar fashion to what we’ve already seen on the facelifted 5 Series. As for the taillights, it looks like they will get new graphics too and possibly a revised shape.

Given that the X3 M launched only a year ago, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six powertrain should carry over unchanged, at least in standard guise. In base form, the engine delivers 473 HP (352 kW / 479 PS) and 442 lb-ft (598 Nm) of torque, enabling the current model to sprint from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.1 seconds, before hitting a limited top speed of up to 174 mph (280 km/h).

As for the X3 M Competition, it could arrive with a performance boost as the 2021 M3 and M4 Competition are rated at 503 HP (375 kW / 510 PS) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. The X3 M Competition also has 503 HP (375 kW / 510 PS), but only 442 lb-ft (598 Nm) of torque, so there’s some room for improvement there. As before, both X3 M models will feature an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and rear-biased M xDrive AWD system.

The facelifted BMW X3 M is expected to debut in the second half of 2021.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

Photo credits: CarPix & S. Baldauf/SB-Medien for CarScoops