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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

BMW M Reportedly Plans to Stick to Rear Wheel Drive (Ahem…X5 M, Cough, Cough…X6 M)

The news coming from the world's oldest car magazine (yes, that's the same one that had the Auto Cars Concept on the Alfa Romeo 4C), is that BMW M's division is committed to rear wheel drive.

BMW M boss Friedrich Nitschke spoke to the publication about the matter during last month's Detroit Auto Show: "Our philosophy in regards to steering feel and precision is that rear-wheel drive is the best solution," he said. "xDrive brings an 80-90kg weight penalty and the M differential is the industry’s best rear-drive set-up."

Well, we guess neither Nitschke nor Autocar have ever heard about the…BMW X5 M and X6 M, or the M135i xDrive, M550d xDrive and the X6 50d xDrive (granted; the Bavarian company describes the last three as "Powered by M" and "M Performance" models, but they still carry the "M" nameplate anyway).

During the interview, Nitschke added that the M brand will continue to offer manual gearboxes as long as there's demand, and that there are no "imminent plans" to offer an M3 version of the new 3-Series Gran Turismo.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

BMW's 4-Series Coupe Promo Sounds Conspicuously German to Us

There's a new BMW coming our way next year: the successor to the two-door 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models, the newly named 4-Series. But you already know that since the Bavarian carmaker brought a thinly disguised concept of the coupe to last month's Detroit auto show.

So, what's the deal with this new video released by BMW over the weekend? Well, it's a promotional clip made to keep the buzz going around until the reveal of the final production version, though, unless you're fluent in German, you won't understand a word that's said in the video...

For what it's worth, this is the Google-translated script from YouTube:

"The Ultimate Driving Machine. When will she start? When the engine starts, you feel the power, the precision. It begins when the speed goes up and the heartbeat follows. If you accelerate. Only degrees, curves, centrifugal forces. If one leaves everything else? No, it starts at the first glance."

You'll find the promo clip, along with a "making of" video and a relevant short film dedicated to the first 3-Series model code-named E21, right past the break.

Articlea Source : Carscoop

Video Source : Youtube

Friday, February 15, 2013

New BMW Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo Racing to the Geneva Auto Salon

BMW has a very close relationship with Alpina, even offering the latter's special models through its own dealers and with full warranty. At least for now, the only Alpina model available through official channels in North America is the 7-Series-based B7 flagship, even though the German specialty brand has its own proposal for most BMW models.

At the Geneva Auto Salon in March, Alpina will welcome another member in its family, the next generation of the B3 Bi-Turbo, based on the F30 3-Series sedan.

Alpina itself released only a single, partially blocked-out picture of the new B3 Bi-Turbo without any details, but the crew from the BMWBlog got their hands on a full blown image and preliminary specifications.

According to the report, the new B3 Bi-Turbo will use an upgraded version of the 335i's 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 404hp (410PS), linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels, for a 0-100km/h run in just 4.0 seconds. The car is said to return a combined fuel economy of 7.9lt/100km (29.8mpg US / 35.8mpg UK).

Articles Source : Carscoop

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Vorsteiner Readying New Tune for BMW M6 Coupe and Cabriolet Models

In January, Vorsteiner announced the release of a new set of forged aluminum concave wheels finished in brushed aluminum and available in sizes 21"x9.5J for the front and 21"x11J for the rear end of the BMW M6 Coupe (F12) and Cabriolet models (F13), but that was only the beginning.

The tuner is now working on a full styling and exhaust package for the mightiest models of the 6-Series range that are both powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 at 552hp (560PS) and 516 lb-ft (700Nm).

For now, Vorsteiner is teasing its M6 Edition Package through a set of renderings depicting the coupe model fitted with an aero kit that includes a modified front bumper with a lip spoiler, side skirts, a boot lid spoiler and a new rear diffuser, all made out of carbon fibre.

The car is also riding on a different set of deep-dish wheels finished in black with beefier tires than the original.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Thursday, February 7, 2013

BMW 4-Series Document Allegedly Confirms Production Dates and Engine Range

The members of one of the many model-specific forums sprouting on the internet these days, have purportedly gained access to a snippet from an official BMW document listing a number of details including the production dates and model trims for the upcoming 4-Series range, which was teased through a coupe concept at last month's Detroit Motor Show.

BMW 4-Series Coupe

For starters, the list states that the F32, which is BMW's code-name for the coupe, will be offered at launch in four flavors – the 428i and 428xi (all-wheel drive) motivated by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four (likely delivering 240-horses), and the 435i and 435xi featuring a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six (with 300hp unless BMW uses its more potent 315hp unit).

Series production of the 2013 model Coupe will begin this July at BMW's Munich factory and will end in June of 2014, when the new model year kicks in.

The Convertible version codenamed F33 will be offered with the same two engines in the 428i and 435i, but only all with rear-wheel drive. Production starts at the BMW's Regensburg factory in November of 2013 and ends in June next year.

In both cases, the last date refers to the end of production for the specific MY (Model Year), not the series, which at that point, will continue with a new model year that may or may not bring some updates.

Articles Source : Carscoop

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

2014 BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo

Like it or not, BMW will be launching a new mid-size hatch with the form factor something along the lines of a smaller 5-Series Gran Turismo.

Whether it will be called the 3-Series Gran Turismo or come as a new model, remains unclear. Whatever it's called, this is what it will look like.

2014 BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo

Two completely undisguised versions were spotted in the U.S. during a recent photo shoot for the car, and they will be making their official world debut soon, most likely as 2013 models.

2014 BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo

The version in brown is a regular model, while the silver one has been fitted with a planned M Sport Package.

From the spy shots, we can see that the 3-Series GT is sporting the latest in BMW design cues. Some key elements include a more pronounced grille, headlights that blend into the grille, accented intake surrounds and new vender vents shaped like a reversed number seven.

Many of these elements will also be appearing on the upcoming 4-Series Coupe and 4-Series Convertible, the respective replacements for the 3-Series coupe and convertible models. The elements were first previewed on BMW’s Active Tourer Concept at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, a concept that will also spawn a smaller 1-Series GT.

At the rear, we can clearly see an additional line running across the hatch just above the BMW roundel and a "GT" badge. This is for an adjustable rear spoiler that rises out at high-speeds, which means the 3-Series GT won't feature a two-tier hatch design like its bigger brother.

The previous interior spy shots reveal the cabin’s design will stick close to the 3-Series sedan's themes. We're also expecting an updated navigation system, a revised menu for the iDrive interface and more voice-activated controls as part of BMW's expanding ConnectedDrive technology portfolio

The vehicle rides on a slightly longer version of the platform underpinning the latest BMW 3-Series, which means it should be powered by the same slate of engines as well. This equates to a 240-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four in a base 328i GT and a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter turbo straight-six in the 335i GT. An xDrive all-wheel-drive system will likely be an option.

BMW hasn’t announced whether the 3-Series GT will be sold in the U.S., though given the fact that it’s being photographed here strongly suggests it will be.

Look for a debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March. While you await its reveal, be sure to watch our previous spy video of a prototype at the Nürburgring race track in Germany.

Articles Source : motorauthority