Tag Archives: 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.

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BMW Is Ready For ICE Bans Say Boss, But Hints It May Not Be The Way To Go

Unlike many of its competitors, BMW won’t commit to an end date for its internal combustion engines. However, CEO Oliver Zipse said that the company will be ready for ICE bans as and when they come into force. 

His comments came during a conference in the town of Nuertingen, near Stuttgart, reports Reuters. “We will be ICE-ban ready,” said Zipse. “If a region, a city, a country gets the idea of banning ICEs, we have an offering.”

However, Zipse appeared to cast doubt on whether such blanket bans were the best way forward: “The BMW Group is not worried about this. Whether it’s a good idea is another question… but we will have an offering.”

The EU has proposed a ban on the sale of fossil-fuel cars from 2035 as it focuses on combating global emissions. But although BMW expects half of its global sales to be EV by 2030, the Bavarian marque appears to think there’s life in the ICE yet.

Also Read: European Union’s Internal Combustion Engine Ban To Be Fought Against By Czech Republic

A BEV 5-Series undergoing testing ahead of a 2023 launch

Last month, BMW development chief Frank Weber questioned whether both the system and consumers are ready for the shift, and cited reasons why the brand is avoiding a cut-off date. “The last thing we want is that customers have to buy electric cars, and there is no adequate charging infrastructure,” said Weber, speaking to Auto News.

The news of BMW’s readiness for ICE bans is unlikely to appease environmentalists, some of which have already sued the automaker for alleged climate change complacency. DUH, a German NGO, has accused BMW and Daimler of not doing enough to curb carbon emissions.

However, BMW has committed to electrifying their line-up, with the new iX and i4 EVs already being rolled out across markets. They will be followed by battery-electric derivatives of the 7-Series and X1 next year, with an EV 5-Series and Mini Countryman expected in 2023.

BMW Confirms LMDh IMSA Entry Using Dallara Chassis

BMW M Motorsport has confirmed it will enter the LMDh class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from the 2023 season through a partnership with Dallara.

BMW is the latest car manufacturer to commit to the new LMDh class. Just last month, Cadillac confirmed it will participate in both LMDh and Le Mans with its new prototype. Lamborghini is also expected to join, alongside other brands including Acura, Audi, and Porsche.

BMW will run two prototypes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that feature chassis produced by Dallara. The first test car will be built at Dallara’s site in Italy in a close collaboration between BMW M Motorsport engineers and a team of Dallara engineers. The car will make its on-track debut at the Varano circuit in 2022.

Read More: BMW To Join Le Mans Daytona Hybrid Class In 2023

“In Dallara, we are delighted to have found a partner for our LMDh project that shares our passion, professionalism and huge ambition in motorsport and, like us, is fully committed to the goal of writing a new success story in the history of BMW M Motorsport from 2023,” BMW M chief executive Markus Flasch said in a statement. “After speaking to all the possible chassis partners, the decisive factor in our decision was that Dallara, with all its expertise and experience, was enthusiastic about working together with BMW M Motorsport. The chemistry was there between us from the word go. We see our relationship as a real partnership in which we are fighting for a common goal of success at the racetrack.”

On his part, Dallara president Giampaolo Dallara commented: “I’m honored to have been selected by BMW M Motorsport and with great enthusiasm I’m looking forward to begin this new adventure. Back in 1977 I had the opportunity to work alongside BMW on designing the M1 as Lamborghini consulting. It was a great experience and a lot was learned. I hope to repeat the same adventure in LMDh. I firmly believe that we will do great things together.”

Dallara is one of four companies approved to make chassis for the series, the others being ORECA, Multimatic, and Ligier. Cadillac will also source their chassis from Dallara, while both Porsche and Audi have partnered with Multimatic.

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Base Porsche 911 Carrera Vs. BMW M3 Competition: Which Is The Best Sports Car Of The Two?

If you’re a fan of German performance cars, desire excitement, and happen to have £90,000 ($124,000) lying around, you might want to consider having a look at the latest offerings from BMW and Porsche: the M3 Competition, which costs £87,000 ($119,000 converted), and the £85,000 ($117,000) Porsche 911 Carrera.

Starting with the exterior design comparison, the elephant in the room is predictably the beaver-tooth grille of the M3 that’s totally different from the relatively subtle and, perhaps, “smiley” face of the 911 Carrera. From the back, the M3 maintains its aggressiveness, with sharp lights, a noticeable diffuser, and relatively large quad exhausts. Still, the simple design of the Porsche coupled with new elements like the single bar taillight and a spoiler that pops up once you reach a certain speed might give it a little bit of competitive advantage.

The interiors are, as you’d expect, impressive, with the 911 paying tribute to its heritage with the gauge layout, even though the steering wheel obscures some of it. Mat Watson from Carwow points out a few minor issues with the infotainment system, too, including small icons that can be a little fiddly and the rather apparent lack of Android Auto (although we expect that to be updated soon). Less impressive is the fact that, after a few hard launches, a nasty rattle rears its ugly head. The M3, on the other hand, does have Android Auto, as well as Apple Carplay, and although it might not feel as ‘racey’ as the Carerra’s 2+2 layout, the Carbon Pack adds some rather fetching carbon-backed seats.

See: 2021 BMW M4 Competition Vs Base Porsche 911 Carrera

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With design out of the way, it’s time to start talking numbers. The M3 Competition is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six with 503 hhp (510 PS) driving the rear wheels, although a four-wheel-drive version is an option. The 911 has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six driving the rear wheels and although it comes with “just” 385 hp (390 PS/287 kW), it’s evidently more than enough, considering that it reached 60 mph (96 km/h) from a standstill in 3.7 seconds during its run with Watson, beating the M3 which needed 4.0 seconds for the same sprint.

But what you lose for a couple of tenths of a second in the M3 is gained by a rather spacious rear seat that can be accessed with the extra set of doors and will comfortably accommodate two adults. The Porsche, on the other hand, should never have more than two people sitting in it – and two small kids, at best, at the back. Trunk space isn’t that impressive either, giving you just 132 liters in comparison to the Bimmer’s 480 liters, but then again the Porsche could never compete in practicality.

As a daily driver, the 911 Carrera happens to hold its own pretty well. Watson finds fault with the slightly stiff suspension and annoyingly loud tire noise, but it’s bearable. In Sport mode is where the Porsche performs how it’s meant to after inheriting bits from generations of 911 perfection. The M3 does stiffen up quite a bit more than the regular model, but it also manages to feel a little cushier than the Porsche on the daily commute. When you start to push it, though, the BMW brings out its wilder, more playful side that could be good or bad depending on your driving style.

BMW Makes Bizarre Double U-Turn, Crashes Into Focus ST And Drives Away

In the immortal words of Ron White, you can’t fix stupid and one Redditor found that out to their own cost. The driver took to the social media site to give details on the story that started with what appears to be a deeply indecisive BMW driver (that or the worst donut we’ve ever seen) which ended with a three-car collision and the 3-Series allegedly driving off the scene.

User u/AStupidCouch posted photos of the damage that was done to his car in the dedicated Focus ST subreddit yesterday. Although the driver has dashcam footage and managed to get their hands security cam footage from a nearby building, none of that will be necessary in finding the BMW since its license plate fell off and is now safely with the police.

Fortunately, the ST owner didn’t suffer any serious injuries.

“So for everyone asking I was the only driver and walked away with nothing super major, I feel body aches and some pain around mainly my wrist and knees. As for the person who hit me it was a hit and run,” he wrote in a comment.

Read Also: Video Of A Police BMW Doing Donuts With A Passenger Mooning From The Back Was Staged

In a second comment, the user wrote “It wasn’t road rage. My dash cam footage shows he was just being an idiot. Never had an altercation or anything. Also I was going the speed limit.”

Although a separate Redditor who posted the footage described the BMW’s action as a donut, it’s such a bizarre maneuver that it’s hard to know what it was. It may have been the world’s most unsuccessful powerslide or a panicked and equally unsuccessful double u-turn. Whatever the case, the car goes from the lane to the right of the left turn lane, does a 180, goes straight for a split second, and then from the rightmost opposing lane, turns back into the path of the Focus ST, which takes evasive action.

The Focus’s driver, although unfortunate, probably did avoid a more serious head-on accident and so should probably be applauded. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to save the car, which was declared a total loss by his insurance.

BMW M Reportedly Plotting 1,341 HP iM2 For Their 50th Anniversary

BMW M will be celebrating their 50th anniversary next year and the company has already said we can expect a “year full of surprises.”

Now we’re starting to learn more about what those surprises might be as BMW will reportedly mark the occasion by unveiling an all-new iM2.

According to Car Magazine, the coupe is being developed under the “Project Katharina” codename and will have insane performance specifications. How insane? Try four electric motors that reportedly produce a combined output of 1,341 hp (1,000 kW / 1,360 PS).

Also Read: Mystery BMW M2 Test Mule Spotted With An Electric Powertrain

That’s a ridiculous amount of power and it will reportedly enable the model to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 2.5 seconds or less. The car has also reportedly lapped the Nürburgring in less than seven minutes which, if true, would best times posted by supercars such as the McLaren 720S and Ferrari 488 Pista.

Little else is known about the model, but the publication claims it will have the “most extreme battery technology conceived to date” as well as a “radically advanced level of torque vectoring hitherto available only to the cars you see in cartoons.”  They went on to say the vehicle is being developed to showcase the extreme performance and handling that is possible with electrification.

While the project is reportedly a “work in progress and not yet an approved program,” one insider told the magazine that a limited edition variant is likely. We’re a bit skeptical, but the model would reportedly feature carbon fiber body panels, a rear seat delete, and lightweight glass as well as an insane electric powertrain.

Note: BMW M2 EV Mule pictured, credits CarPix for CarScoops

The Clown Shoe 2002 BMW M Coupe Is An Ugly Duckling Turned Cult Classic

The 2002  Z3 M Coupe (also known as the M Coupe) may be far from the most beautiful car that BMW has ever produced, but it has become a bit of a cult classic and is much rarer than most modern M models.

This Z3 M Coupe, which is up for auction through Bring a Trailer, is currently in Emeryville, California and is being offered with a window sticker, factory literature, tool kit, car cover, recent service records, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Washington title. With five days left in the auction, bidding had already hit $51,000, more than the car’s original retail price of $45,935.

Watch Also: Chris Harris’ Daily Is A Gorgeous BMW M2 Competition – And He Had It Detailed

The bodywork is painted in Titanium Silver Metallic and the car also features an optional glass sunroof. It sits on staggered-width 17-inch factory Style 40 wheels mounted with 225/45 front and 245/40 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires that were fitted last year and have lots of life left in them.

Powering the M Coupe is a 3.2-liter S54 inline-six complete with individual throttle bodies and producing 315 hp and 251 lb-ft (340 Nm) of torque. Mated to this engine is a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential.

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While the interior isn’t laden with the type of technology you’ll find in a modern BMW, it is still very functional and looks well suited to both short and long drives. Key features include heated power-adjustable sport seats trimmed in black Nappa leather, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, and a Harman/Kardon audio system. A look at the odometer reveals the car has a touch over 12,000 miles (~19,000 km) under its belt.

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What Is The Quintessential BMW Driver’s Car, The One All Look Up To?

BMW’s MO has been to create the “Ultimate Driving Machine” and over the years, they’ve produced various cars that have certainly embodied that philosophy. However, as times change, so does the definition of what this means, and for that reason, it’s hard to pick just one BMW that is truly that: the ultimate driving machine.

Let’s take a look at a few of the contenders.

BMW E30 M3

Watch: What Makes The BMW E30 M3 So Freaking Special?

First is the E30 M3. Introduced in 1986, the E30 is the oldest car of the three. It was a homologation special based on a race-proven chassis, having seen great success in many forms of motorsport. With none of the heavy intrusion from modern electronic aids, the driving experience was about as raw as it could get. It was a no-frills car whose only goal was to be as enjoyable to drive as possible. Not to mention, on top of all its performance credentials, it was the car that started the M3 line, and one of the most recognizable performance nameplates of today would not exist if not for it.

BMW E46 M3

See Also: Get Your Techno Violet Groove With This Beautiful E46 BMW M3 Individual

Next up is the E46 M3. While the E30 may have been the first of the pure M3s, the E46 was, probably, the last. It was the last to have a naturally aspirated inline-six, as the succeeding generations used either more cylinders or forced induction. In that regard, it was the last modern M3 to retain some of that old-school driving experience. Faster than an E30 or E36, but more balanced and driver-focused than an E90 or F80, the E46 combined the best traits of all the M3s, while also dipping its toes further into luxury car territory.

BMW M2 CS

Watch More: The BMW M2 CS Is The Best Driver’s M Car Currently On Sale

Lastly, we come to the M2. With the other two cars in this article being 3-Series, we felt it would be nice to mix it up a bit. It is arguably the best modern BMW when it comes to having fun, and owners and reviewers alike all seem to share this sentiment. With a solid amount of power on tap, but the right amount of weight to keep things balanced, the M2, especially in CS guise, is undoubtedly the epitome of the modern “Ultimate Driving Machine” compared to its faster, but heavier, heavier M3/4, M5, and M8 siblings.

While there are of course many other iconic BMWs across the brand’s long, storied history, these were the three that we felt best embodied the brand’s philosophy of an all-around driver’s car.

Which of these cars do you think is the quintessential BMW? Or do you have your own suggestion? Let us know in the comments below.

Porsche Macan Turbo Drag Races Tuned BMW X4 M40i, 911 GT3 RS Joins The Party

Can the BMW X4 M40i beat the Porsche Macan Turbo in a straight line? With that question in mind, YouTube channel Cars with Pilot Tseno brought the two sporty SUVs at the drag strip for two quarter-mile races from a standing start.

The Macan Turbo holds the upper hand in terms of power, with its twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 petrol engine producing 440 PS (434 HP / 324 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque. It needs 4.4 seconds to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph), and maxes out at 272 km/h (169 mph).

Watch Also: BMW X4 M, Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 And Jaguar F-Pace SVR Vie For Premium Compact Performance SUV Supremacy

As for the X4 M40i, it has ‘only’ 360 PS (355 HP / 265 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, which allows it to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds. However, this particular example rocks a €500 ($611) Stage 1 software upgrade, which lifts the output of the turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six to 410 PS (404 HP / 302 kW) and thus brings it closer to the Porsche.

Both the X4 and the Macan, which are from the 2018 model year, had winter tires on and ran on half a tank of fuel. So, do you think the Bimmer was the first to cross the finish line, despite the obvious deficit in power? Before finding out the answer to that question, we have to highlight the fact that the winner was set loose against the Porsche 911 GT3 RS in a quarter-mile sprint – but we probably know how that ended, right?

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BMW M4 Driver Brakes From 174 MPH, Narrowly Misses Rear-Ending Mazda3

For many car enthusiasts, the Autobahn is viewed as motoring nirvana, but things can turn from sweet to sour in the blink of an eye, as this video shows.

This clip was filmed from the helmet camera being used by the driver of a BMW M4 and shows him hitting speeds of around 174 mph (280 km/h). At the 15-second mark, the BMW driver is quite late to brake to avoid a slow-moving hatchback in the fast lane but when it gets out of the way, he quickly hits the throttle once again and starts to accelerate to over 167 mph (270 km/h).

However, at the 48-second mark of the clip, a maroon-colored Mazda3 changes into the fast lane to overtake a Ford Fiesta, crossing directly into the path of the BMW.

Watch Also: Red Light Runner Comes Within Inches Of Taking Out A Motorcyclist

The M4 driver is forced to slam on the brakes to avoid rear-ending the Mazda and apparently managed to slow from 174 mph to 87 mph (140 km/h) in just a few seconds. Had the BMW driver been a little later to react or had the Mazda driver made the lane change a touch later, the two might have collided and the results may have been devastating.

One could say that the driver of the Mazda is primarily to blame for the near-miss. Changing into the fast lane of the Autobahn isn’t something you should ever do without getting a good look at your mirrors to ensure there is no fast-moving traffic behind you. The M4 driver should have also been more careful and perhaps lifted off the throttle while passing slower traffic.

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