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We just put the new 2012 BMW 328i on our Rotary Lift the other day to see what it looks like underneath all that shiny red metal. It's quite tidy as you might expect. We'll have a full suspension walkaround for you later, but for now just enjoy this look at the latest in German engineering.
The 2015 BMW i8 looks as though it's actually moving closer to production. Even more shocking is the fact that it appears as though the i8 will keep the wild styling of the concept.
It might look like a downsized 6 Series from this angle, but the rear end has the same "wings" that gave the concept such an interesting profile. Other details are hard to make out, but it's clear that BMW is taking a much different path when it comes to the styling of its new "i" series of cars. Set to be on the road in 2014, it's still a long way from finished.
BMW is a big player in the automotive industry, and to prove it, they're spending a ton of money on Super Bowl ads. BMW is also a company that is highly profitable, so they're not spending as much money as some other big names.
Instead, BMW is airing two thirty-second spots during the Big Game promoting the all-new 3-Series and running a total of six 30-second spots on YouTube. The first two after the jump "the Big Grab" and "the Close Call" will be aired on Sunday.
When we first drove the 2012 BMW 328i we honestly weren't expecting to be as impressed by this new 2.0-liter turbocharged motor as we ultimately were. "It has tremendous strength at low revs for such a small capacity engine, with 225 pound-feet of torque arriving at 1,250 rpm and staying flag until 4,800 rpm," we wrote. "The odd thing is, it doesn't feel like a torque monster in normal driving...The 2012 BMW 328i offers a drive that starts strongly and just gets stronger."
Strength and torque, though, weren't the driving force of the switch from a straight-six to a turbocharged four. No, the reason was, like so many other things today, fuel economy. drove the change. And it appears to have worked.
Here's what I want hear during a video about the new line of tri-turbo, diesel-powered M cars from BMW: Engine noises.
Here's what this video, by BMW, gives you: Everything but engine sounds. Want to hear BMW execs talking about the cars? Want to see them running on a track with loud music streaming over the car noises and fuel economy facts scrawled across the screen?
No? I didn't either, but I still watched this three times hoping to get something good out of it.
X5 M50d. M550d xDrive. M550d xDrive Touring. X6 M50d. And you thought carmakers had lost touch with cool names.
Confirming what we had suspected for months, BMW today official unveiled their M division's line of performance diesel offerings. The M version of the d cars feature a tri-turbo 3.0-liter common-rail straight-six cranking out 376 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and a whopping 545 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. All variants get an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In the M550d xDrive this is good for a 0-62 time of 4.7 seconds -- less than half a second off the pace of the M5. The M550d xDrive weighs in at 4,178 pounds.
Click here for more and our full photo gallery with 45 pictures of the BMW M Performance Diesels.
BMW's ConnectedDrive department is following in the footsteps of Google and developing their own self-driving car.
The "highly automated" BMW 5 Series uses radar, cameras, laser scanners and ultrasonic scanners to replace the human eyes/brain. The system relies on precise mapping -- to the centimeter -- and advanced driving strategy simulation with advanced algorithms to cope with the real world including obeying all software laws.
While the self-driving BMW is still far, far away (or never, they say it's a technology study) we are looking at individual systems that will find their way into production cars in the near future. Watch BMW explain themselves -- and ignore any mention of joy -- after the jump.
Every day I see the same guy on my commute into work. He's got a green Ninja 250, one of the new ones, an orange safety vest with reflective tape and reflective tape on his helmet. He's also got a GoPro on his helmet and one mounted to the back of the bike. He's a good rider; I've seen him get out of some tricky spots (busses in LA care not for motorcycles), and while a lot of people are hooking up GoPros to catch their canyon carving, I think this guy's doing it for insurance purposes.
Sort of like this driver whose dashcam saves him from an annoying/expensive insurance claim.
Even with its sophisticated traction control and supercomputer powers, the new BMW M5 isn't crash proof. Part of that probably has to do with the 560 horsepower twin-turbo V8.
Part of it also has to do with unfamiliarity. This car was crashed during a dealer demonstration in the Netherlands. This one looks salvageable and there's no damage to the passenger compartment so we're assuming everyone walked away from this one just fine.
More photos available at Bimmerpost.
In an announcement that focused around the BMW's decision to invest $900 million (and 300 new jobs) into their plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, BMW also announced that the X4 will be built here in the U.S. for 2014. BMW wants the plant to kick out more than 350,000 cars by 2014 and the X4 is key to that growth.
The plant is already the home of BMW X3 production and it makes sense that the company will build the X4 there as well. The X4 will be available with the same powertrains as the X3.
The Spartanburg facility employs more than 7,000 people and built 276,065 cars last year.
Is there a replacement for displacement? What about a replacement for an icon?
For years now, the naturally aspirated inline-6 has been a cornerstone of what makes BMWs so great to drive. Smooth, great power, killer sound and flexible enough to keep up with any driving habits, the I6...
Unfortunately, the straight-6 isn't as fuel-efficient as BMW would like it to be in today's automotive climate. BMW drivers, though, aren't willing to sacrifice power for a few more MPGs and that's why BMW has ditched the 2011 BMW 528i's 3.0-liter I6 in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged (gasp) four-cylinder (gasp) for 2012.
The new 2012 engine makes the same 240 horsepower as the outgoing 3.0, but produces 30 pound-feet more torque -- and does so at 1,250 rpm instead of 6,600. Adding insult to injury, the I4 is lighter, too.
Fuel efficiency, power, torque and weight are on the side of the I4. Do the track numbers back this up and, if so, does it still have soul?
Back in June we were lucky enough to stumble across this 2013 BMW M5 mule testing with a manual transmission. Today, BMW has finally confirmed what we've long known: The 2013 BMW M5 will come with a manual transmission.
The row-your-own transmission will be a no-cost option instead of the seven-speed M-DCT and will feature gearing optimized for acceleration and fuel economy. The manual-transmission car retains the same final drive (3.150) and M Active differential as the seven-speeder. As you'd expect from BMW, the shift knob is black leather.
The manual will only be available in the North American model, which goes on sale in late summer this year.
This year's Detroit Auto Show will host the 'World Auto Show Premiere" of the 2012 BMW 3 Series Sedan. And while we're looking forward to seeing this one in the flesh, the bigger news here is that the Detroit Auto Show will also be the first official premiere of the 2012 BMW 3 Series Hybrid.
BMW calls it the 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3, but no matter what you call it, the new hybrid 3 gets BMW's 3.0-liter TwinPower turbo I6 and an electric motor and is capable of going 2.5 miles on electricity alone with an electric-only top speed of 37. Horsepower is 335, torque is 330. BMW estimates a 12.5 percent fuel savings compared with the gasoline version.
The new 3 series goes on sale here in February with the ActiveHybrid 3 going on sale in the fall.
As 2012 wakes, stretches and yawns, one thing is certain: Lots of models got the old heave-ho in 2011. In some cases, the parting was a sorrowful one. We'll mourn the loss of the super-versatile Honda Element, and Volvo's S40 and V50 will surely be missed.
In other cases, however, the guillotine couldn't have been dropped quickly enough.
"This is a new kind of car."
"On every road you feel like you're on a racetrack."
"Direct response that exceeds your expectations."
"You don't fear stopping...because you know you can take off again."
"It deserves the M badge."
Okay, so it's not definitely the BMW X6 M550d, but it probably is. Consider that the X6 already has an M badge. What would they change to make it deserve it anew? Diesel makes the most sense in a completely nonsensical car.
The 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists have just been announced and there are few surprises.
A group of 50 automotive journalists have voted on cars which are "all new or substantially changed" and have narrowed it down to three cars and three "trucks." The finalists are...
It seems like an eternity since we first got the official word on the 2012 BMW M5 so it's initially surprising when we see what amounts to teaser footage of a car we've frankly forgotten isn't on sale yet.
But the 560-horsepower twin-turbo V8 powered M5 is not for sale yet and BMW still has some pushing to do to make sure this car gets an appropriate welcome in the marketplace. Part of that push includes BMW's sponsorship of the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games.
In anticipation of that, here's a BMW M5 drifting around a beach.
When you're driving through inches and inches of snow, assistance can be useful, and all-wheel drive provides exactly that. This system sends power to all four wheels, providing traction that can mean the difference between an uneventful ride home and getting stuck in the sludge.
All-wheel drive can be useful on clear pavement at well, as it can serve to improve traction in corners. If you're thinking sedans, you'll be happy to know that there are choices on the market that are both snow-friendly and a blast to drive.
Wards auto has released its official list of the 10 Best Engines for 2012. A record seven feature direct injection and five engines feature turbo or supercharging. Wards made the decision after driving 36 different vehicles with 34 new or redesigned motors over 2 months. Scores are based on power, technology (think that slightly skews this towards DI/Turbo motors instead off something like, oh, the LS1?), observed fuel economy, noise, vibration and harshness. Vehicles must be priced below $55,000.
Full list after the jump. (Pretend you didn't see the spoiler photo above.)
I'll be perfectly honest with you; I have no idea what's going on here. BMW has just released a teaser of a new X6 with the caption "A new chapter powered by M. Step 1."
Here's what we know from that: 1) It's not just the X6M with new LED (or laser!) head and tail lights -- blurred here to screw with us. 2) It's a new chapter in...something.
Now, first thoughts are that this new chapter could be a diesel M car. That'd be kind of neat. X6 M50d seems reasonable.
Well, as reasonable as adding more torque to this goofy sport
But if we look closely, the badge they've blurred out doesn't look like it ends in a "d". I get that it could be intentional misdirection, but it really does look it is says LI. A long wheelbase X6M though makes less sense than a diesel.
Watch the video after the jump and decide for yourself.
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