BMW News
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Mini is resurrecting one of its most famous models, a car that once belonged to Beatles member George Harrison. Decked out in psychedelic paintings, the legendary Beatle Mini Cooper appeared in the rock group’s 'Magical Mystery Tour', and now Mini is dedicating a reinterpretation of Harrison's vehicle to the man himself. The latest car is being produced strictly as a one-off for the brand's 50th birthday and will be given to Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison. The ceremony will take place at the world's biggest Mini fan event, Mini United, in the UK later this month and the car will then...
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BMW's Reithofer wary of tighter relationship with DaimlerFiat is trying to tie together Chrysler and GM via Opel, so perhaps the idea of a BMW-Daimler tie-up isn't the strangest corporate pairing in the works, but it is potentially one of the most contentious. Lastweek Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said he'd like to see a partnership of equals between the...
Ralph Hanson -
Mercedes Benz and BMW predict low sales for luxury hybridsJapanese carmakers have been building hybrids for years and have largely been successful with their efforts, especially Toyota with its Prius line. General Motors and Ford have been in the game for some years as well but have had limited success compared to their Japanese rivals. European...
James Martinez -
BMW and Volkswagen downsizing to three-cylinder enginesExpect to see smaller engines for BMW’s and Volkswagen’s future models, as high fuel prices and greater environmental concerns are pushing buyers towards engines with lower displacements and carmakers would be foolish to ignore the trend. VW’s plans to introduce a new...
Jeremy Weber -
Mini celebrates 50 years of production at UK's Oxford plantTomorrow, May 8, 2009, marks 50 years to the day since the first Mini rolled off the production line at Plant Oxford, formerly known as Cowley. It's been a long and winding road for the British icon, but the Mini has made it through half a century of nearly continuous production despite passing...
Kenneth Hall -
Second crash on Sorcerer's Apprentice set injures 9There's a reason stunt drivers are at the wheel of the supercars in those high-speed chase scenes, and it's not just that the actors can't be trusted behind the wheel. It turns out weaving in and out of traffic, even when in a controlled environment, can be dangerous. A wreck of a Ferrari into a...
Alex Kaufmann -
In late 2007 BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed plans for several all-new models including a design study called the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS). Then, at March's Geneva Motor Show, BMW gave us the first tangible evidence of the new PAS in the form of the 5-series Gran Turismo (GT) concept vehicle. Today, we have new spy shots of the production version that's due to go sale in Europe this November and in the U.S. early next year. Clear differences between the production version and the concept are the smaller wheels, regular beige leather interior, rounded exhaust tips and new side...
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Report: BMW to cut 1-series production costs, introduce shooting brake variantBMW is having a hard time making much money on the 1-series because it is capped in its upper price range by competition with the 3-series, yet it still features much of the same technology and is nearly the same size as its bigger brother. To help remedy this situation, BMW is looking to cut build...
Alex Kaufmann -
Wiesmann GT MF5 picked as Official Safety Car for 2009 FIA GT ChampionshipWiesmann’s MF5 has been in production for just over a year but the striking GT’s combination of a BMW M5 V10 drivetrain and seductively retro styling has made it very popular among performance circles. One group that has noticed the car is the FIA, which has picked it as the Official...
Alex Kaufmann -
Production BMW 7-series hybrid headed to Frankfurt Motor Show?Hybrid drive systems are finally making solid inroads into the upper strata of the luxury sedan segment, with BMW's 7-series hybrid set to join the Mercedes-Benz S400 and Lexus LS 600hL later this year. The new 7-series hybrid was previewed as a concept at last year's Paris Motor Show, and since...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2009 BMW 750i dyno tested, reveals hidden powerDynamometers are notoriously tricky beasts, and comparing between systems, individual examples and even on the same machine across time can be hard or impossible. But they do serve to give a rough ballpark figure, and one of the latest tests of a 2009 BMW 750i reveals it's in a very interesting...
Alex Kaufmann -
G-Power Hurricane CS is world’s fastest BMW coupe with 370km/h top speedThe G-Power name has become synonymous with extreme BMWs and the company’s latest Hurricane CS based on the M6 Coupe fits in perfectly with that description. After G-Power’s own M5-based Hurricane RS broke the world record for the fastest sedan with a top speed of 367.4km/h (228mph)...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW’s next-generation 6-series isn’t due to arrive until late 2010 at the earliest as the current model was only given its mid-cycle facelift a little over a year ago. Prototypes of the new car, however, are already testing in Europe and have been captured by spy photographers for the first time at Germany's benchmark Nurburgring circuit. The current 6-series has proven to be a sales success, with numbers averaging just on 20,000 units per year. BMW doesn't want to risk hurting sales of the next-generation model so for the new car designers will be dialing down the controversial...
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BMW AMULETT project brings new level of communication to road safetyMarrying high-tech with road safety has been one of the primary goals of the automotive industry for the past several decades, often with very good results. The latest step forward by BMW promises to take the idea to a new level, equipping pedestrians and others with transponders that alert passing...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW’s next X3 will grow in size but prices will remain the sameBMW's X3 is often derided as a poor man's X5, a comparison that will become much more credible once the next-generation model rolls in early next year. The new model will be almost as big as the original X5 and better equipped, but thanks to increased competition in the small SUV segment pricing...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW and Mercedes Benz rethinking four-cylinders for U.S.Overseas BMW and Mercedes Benz sell a range of powerful yet fuel-efficient four-cylinder petrol and diesel models, but here in the U.S. both carmakers only offer six-cylinder engines and above. With tougher fuel-economy and emissions regulations set to roll in, however, both carmakers are now...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW reveals U.S. pricing for X5 M and X6 M performance SUVsWe bet there are still thousands of BMW M fans out there reeling from the fact that the performance division is launching its first ever SUV model, and a turbocharged one at that. Those fans better get used to it fast as BMW has just revealed pricing for the new X5 M and X6 M SUVs, which will start...
James Martinez -
Lumma unveils new upgrade package for BMW 3-series CoupeLove it or hate it, the BMW 3-series Coupe has a lot going for it - price, performance and features are all at a sweet spot for the market. That makes it a prime candidate for aftermarket add-ons, as owners of the popular car seek to differentiate their particular example. Enter Lumma Design with a...
Alex Kaufmann -
According to BMW's 'MINI Space' team of engineers and designers, race cars of the future may be built out of old oil drums, bomb shells and BBQ grills - oh and did we mention goldfish? While it may seem like the parts list for a race car out of a Dr. Seuss book, in reality the project by BMW to envision the race car of 2025 is a tongue-in-cheek look at what the future may hold for cars, as well as promoting its own team's design goals of thinking of new ideas for the creative use of space. The futuristic racer was first unveiled as part of a design competition at last year's Los Angeles Auto...
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New supercar club opens for race track enthusiastsMost people would agree that driving a Lamborghini or Porsche on today’s roads is a bit like riding a racehorse around your garden, but for many owners of such exotics this is the only way they can experience the extreme machines. A newly formed supercar club based in the UK - but open to...
Kenneth Hall -
Hartge takes the diesel X6 to new highs - and lowsStyle is undoubtedly a subjective thing, but sometimes agreement is nearly universal. The Mona Lisa has been revered through the ages, while the bowl-cut hair style is a perpetual laughing stock. Somewhere toward the latter end of the spectrum lie creations like Hartge's latest X6 variant, sporting...
Alex Kaufmann -
RDSport dials up M3 performance from the BMW 335i CoupeRacing Dynamics, or RDSport as the Milan-based tuning firm is also known, is renowned for its work with modifying cars from BMW. Now, RDSport has just unveiled its new take on the E92 BMW 335i twin-turbo coupe, and a number of aesthetic and mechanical upgrades bring the car much closer in...
Jeremy Weber -
BMW’s new X5 Security ‘Plus’ able to withstand an AK-47When it comes to armored cars we’ve seen everything from Rolls Royce Phantoms to stretched Bentleys, but the latest bullet-proof vehicle to hit the streets is based on the more mundane BMW X5. Labeled the ‘X5 Security Plus’, the latest model builds on the previous E70 BMW X5...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW to tackle 2009 Nürburgring 24 Hours with M3 GT4BMW will be using next month’s Nurburgring 24 hour endurance challenge to continue testing its GT4-class M3 race car, which will take place over the weekend starting on the 23rd of May. Behind the wheel will be BMW works drivers Augusto Farfus, Jörg Müller, and Andy Priaulx, all of...
Alex Kaufmann