A recall for 200,000 North American BMW vehicles with potentially malfunctioning airbags was revealed today in a bulletin by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The bulletin states the affected vehicles include: 2004 and 2005 5-series sedans, 2004-2006 X3 SUVs and a portion of the 2006 model year 3-series cars.
The problem involves a passenger-side […]
Despite its M3 moniker, the BMW M3 Cabrio isn’t the pure-performance beast its hard-top brother is. This is mostly due to the chassis stiffness disadvantage spawn from its roofless design as well as the necessary weight gain from the added reinforcements that attempts to overcome this. Still an impressive machine, it’s somewhat less […]
Update: While BMW recently announced a new partnership with Fiat, the carmaker’s ongoing talks with arch-rival Mercedes-Benz are still well in progress and have reportedly turned to negotiations over procurement and purchasing agreements. Both German luxury marques are looking to reduce costs by combining their purchases for vehicle components that aren’t visible to consumers, such […]
The German tuners at Alpina revealed their take on the BMW 3-series diesel, the D3 Bi-turbo, in March, but only in sedan and estate form. Now the company has taken the wraps off its coupe variant, and like the original, it too is powered by the twin-turbo diesel engine from BMW’s own 123d.
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BMW has reportedly canceled plans for a new full-size SUV positioned above the current X5, which the carmaker was planning as a rival to the Mercedes-Benz GL and top-selling Range Rover luxury SUVs. The decision comes amidst declining profits, falling demand (especially in the U.S.) and tough new emissions and fuel-economy standards being rolled out […]
The boss of BMW’s M division, Ludwig Willisch, has confirmed that performance variants of both the X5 and X6 SUVs are in development, and earlier today we saw a rendering of the X6 version along with several spy shots of prototypes at the Nurburging. Now we have a rendering of the X5 version, […]
Updated with new renderings.
Last year BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed plans for several all-new models including a design study dubbed the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS). Beyond an obscure design brief for the new concept details have been relatively scarce, but the wait will soon be over - the car is set to […]
Tiny ‘bubble cars’ that pack super-efficiency into small dimensions are nothing new to the automotive world, though they have all but disappeared in recent years. Now reports are beginning to speak of an alliance between Fiat and BMW that could yield the next-generation of 100mpg minicars, bearing names not used for decades.
Rumors of the revival […]
Along with the list of 2009 model year changes for the entire BMW M range is the introduction of a new ‘Competition Package’ for the M6 Coupe. The latest package includes increases the performance of the already strong car, with an updated chassis, lowered suspension, new aluminum wheels and a restyled bonnet distinguishing the Competition […]
BMW will be introducing a host of updates for its M range of cars for the 2009 model year, with a number of styling and mechanical changes, plus increased equipment found on the latest M3, M5 and M6 models. Major changes include the introduction of BMW’s new iDrive system throughout the range as well as […]
The somewhat ungainly proportions of BMW’s not-a-sedan, not-an-SUV X6 have been the subject of intense debate. It’s not ugly in the traditional sense, but it’s not especially attractive either. AC Schnitzer has nevertheless decided to take on the challenge of tuning the X6, focusing its efforts on the diesel-powered versions.
The diesel […]
Third-year students of the European Institute of Design (IED) in Turin were given the task of designing the BMW of 2015, with the goal of creating a vehicle that would appeal to someone aged in their mid-30s. The project was endorsed by BMW and a special commission was established by the carmaker to […]
Prototypes of a new X6 model with a unique front bumper, featuring the aggressive styling of BMW’s M cars, were spotted testing at the Nurburging recently. Initially, these prototypes were thought to be running the same twin-turbo 4.4L V8 engine as the standard xDrive50i models but with extra boost, however latest reports indicate […]
We’re used to seeing plenty of modified BMWs from the German tuners, but rarely do we see a Japanese customizer give the Teutonic saloons and coupes the aftermarket treatment. Wald International is one such tuner that specializes in the modification of some of Europe’s finest, with kits available for cars like the Bentley […]
The low value of the U.S. dollar against the Euro has forced BMW to change its production plans for the next-generation Z4 sports car. At the moment the Z4 is built alongside the X5 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but the new model, due late next year, will be built in Germany, most likely […]