Tag: bmw

Video: BMW Group design boss von Hooydonk talks 328 Hommage

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Convertible, Performance, Europe, Videos, BMW, Misc. Auto Shows, Luxury

BMW 328 Hommage Concept

BMW 328 Hommage concept with Adrian von Hooydonk – Click above to watch the video after the break

While at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este (yeah, we’re roughing it here) we grabbed BMW Group chief of design Adrian von Hooydonk for an interview about his team’s latest two-person open-top concept car, the 328 Hommage.

The 328 Hommage marks 75 years since the launch of the gorgeous 1930s icon, the 328, and carries on the tradition of that car in its lightness. While the 328 six-cylinder was underpowered on paper in its day, it kicked butt on the race circuit due to its very light weight and superior dynamics.

The 328 Hommage frankly looks more like an homage to the 1950s sex-tastic 507, but at least the concept gets the open sides, leather straps, and wingnut wheels fairly correct. And we like that the tall kidneys on the grille make a modern return.

Von Hooydonk admits that the 328 Hommage isn’t proportionally much like the 328 of old, but, he says, “Any sports car today needs to be wider and lower anyway.” We, however, harken back to the 2006 Mille Miglia coupe concept, which simply blew one and all away. That car also went directly from its public unveiling into the BMW museum in Munich, never to be seriously driven.

Click through to the jump to continue reading and to watch the video.

Continue reading BMW Group design boss von Hooydonk talks 328 Hommage

BMW Group design boss von Hooydonk talks 328 Hommage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 BMW M5 inches closer to production in a stunning shade of brown

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, BMW

2012 BMW M5 spy shots

2012 BMW M5 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

The BMW M5 that debuted at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show may have technically been a concept car, but it comes as no surprise to see that the near-production models the German automaker is testing look exactly like the car we saw on stage. For what it’s worth, we certainly hope the dark brown paint seen on this prototype will be offered when the M5 hits dealerships. Those blacked-out wheels can stay, too.

As you’ve no doubt read countless times before, the M5 will be offered with BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, packing somewhere north of 480 horsepower. In the United States, both a manual and dual-clutch transmission will be available, and all-wheel drive may be in the cards, as well.

We’ll have the full details later this year. The Frankfurt Motor Show can’t come soon enough.

2012 BMW M5 inches closer to production in a stunning shade of brown originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW 5GT sales disappointing, has execs rethinking 5 Series wagon

Filed under: Crossover, Hatchback, BMW, Luxury

2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo – Click above for high-res image gallery

Automotive News is reporting that the BMW 5 Series GT has been having some unintended and rather unfortunate sales consequences for the German automaker. While the company originally believed that buyers of the old 5 Series Touring would be drawn to the oddball crossover, the truth is that those customers have fled to rival Mercedes-Benz for their wagon needs. Meanwhile, the 5 Series GT has stolen buyers from the more expensive 7 Series line. In Florida, for example, up to 10 percent of 7 Series owners have exchanged keys for the less-expensive GT, which isn’t exactly great news for the Bavarians, either.

Of course, overall sales of the 5 Series GT have failed to trend as BMW projected. The company originally said that it intended to move between 4,000 and 8,000 of the models each year, but 2011 has seen only 720 deliveries in the first four months of the year. BMW sold 2,848 examples last year after admitting that they probably incorrectly judged the model mix early on.

While speaking with Automotive News, BMW North America CEO Jim O’Donnell said that he wishes that his company hadn’t stopped selling the 5 Series wagon here in the States. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that the big fiver will return to the Land of the Free, at least not in this generation, but the issue will likely be revisited.

The good news is that the automaker may have learned its lesson. Despite the fact that a smaller 3 Series-based Gran Turismo model has been spotted testing (rumored to be called 4 Series), the 3 Series Touring apparently isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

BMW 5GT sales disappointing, has execs rethinking 5 Series wagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 328 Hommage unveiled to celebrate 75th anniversary of original

Filed under: Concept Cars, BMW, Design/Style

BMW 328 Concept

BMW 328 Hommage – Click above for high-res image gallery

Pop quiz time: What vehicle holds the highest average speed on the famed Mille Miglia circuit? A BMW 328. Their average speed was 103 miles per hour, and it was set way back in 1940. That car, the BMW 328, is a legend in the automaker’s halls, and was named one of the 25 greatest cars of the century. This year marks the 328’s 75th birthday, so BMW has prepared a unique concept car to pay tribute to one of its own iconic vehicles.

Dubbed the BMW 328 Hommage, this ultra-lightweight sports car was built to mirror the principles used to create the original 328. The 328 Hommage weighs in at a svelte 1,720 pounds, accomplished through the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. While CFRP wasn’t exactly around in the 30’s and 40’s, BMW engineers of that era kept the 328 light through the use of aluminum and magnesium. Both cars are cut from a similar cloth to achieve a lightweight end result, even if the methods to get there are very different.

Many design elements are shared between both cars. The original 328 was one of the earliest BMW vehicles to show off the now familiar kidney grilles. Those grilles nearly jump off the face of the 328 Hommage. Out back, the wide-set taillamps help close off the wide stance that runs the length of both versions.

BMW casually mentions that the 328 Hommage is powered by a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. Yet, we have no word on any potential output figures or what type of transmission it might be connected to. Of course, BMW fans might remember that the automaker built a similar concept a few years ago. It was called the Mille Miglia Concept Coupe. Stunning at the time, the 328 Hommage ups the wow factor several notches. Dive into the gorgeous photos in the gallery below, and click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading BMW 328 Hommage unveiled to celebrate 75th anniversary of original

BMW 328 Hommage unveiled to celebrate 75th anniversary of original originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Is BMW bound to bolt a V6 under the hood of the next M3?

Filed under: BMW, Rumormill

BMW M3 Competition Package

BMW M3 Competition Package – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’re an unapologetic BMW fanboy, the next few words might sting. BMW may be considering a V6 for the next generation BMW M3. No, we didn’t mean to type I6 – we’re talking about three on one side and three on the other.

According to M3post.com, BMW is likely to go in one of four directions. First up is the suggestion that BMW will take the M3’s current S65 V8 and add a pair of turbochargers to it. Now, we’re all in favor of adding forced-induction to this engine but this would have the M3 treading heavily on F10 M5 ground.

Another rumor pegs BMW as stuffing either a modified (read: boosted) version of the N54 turbocharged inline-six or a tweaked (read: detuned) version of the F10 M5’s twin-turbo V8 S63 motor. The most interesting rumor, however, is that BMW may look into a turbocharged V6 engine. Is BMW HQ ready to hurt the fanboy feelings of folks in love with straight-six engines? If it means a better M3, then anything is possible.

Is BMW bound to bolt a V6 under the hood of the next M3? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac ATS to show how much GM learned from the BMW 3 Series

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Technology, BMW, Cadillac, Rumormill, Luxury

Cadillac ATS spy shots

Cadillac ATS spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors wants so badly for the upcoming Cadillac ATS to rock our worlds on all markets (i.e., not just in North America) that a source within the automaker has told us that the BMW 3 Series has been a prime focal point for benchmarking the Baby Caddy.

We always suspected this should happen, but then GM hasn’t had much of a tradition of reacting quickly until recently. According to our source, teams at GM have basically stripped various 3 Series cars down to bare naked chassis bits and pieces, and fully intend on emulating an awful lot of what they see there, while, it can be assured, making it all correct for the Cadillac brand.

Sounds intensely good to us. Jeez, mega-millions for Bowling Green to hopefully try and finally keep Corvette interiors from smelling like toxic plastic in the hot summer sun, and now a smaller Cadillac that will actually drive and feel like the Standard of the World? Is it too good to be true?

Cadillac ATS to show how much GM learned from the BMW 3 Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, BMW, First Drive

The E30 M3 Reincarnated, But Where Does That Leave The M3?

2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

Enthusiasts, BMW has your car.

After painfully watching for years as the automaker’s beloved M lineup ballooned in both size and weight – even adding sport utility vehicles – the German’s have delivered us a new little jewel. It’s not another derivative of the race-bred M3, the highly anticipated next-generation M5 or a sneak preview of the future M6. Instead, this little shot of driving ecstasy comes in the guise of the lowly 1 Series – the entry-level BMW.

BMW invited us to its headquarters in New Jersey for our first driving impressions. Instead of death-by-PowerPoint, the traditional manner of new vehicle introduction, they immediately handed us the key fob to a brand-new 1 Series M Coupe along with a paper map. Our assignment was to drive the back roads for the next two hours to Monticello Motorsports Park, the private racing circuit outside New York City. After extended hot laps followed by lunch, we’d polish the marbles off the tire treads with a drive back to Montvale before a six-hour flight back home. Continue reading…

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2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW M5 gets sideways and leaves long trails of rubber

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Videos, BMW

f10 bmw m5

The new BMW M5 is not afraid to get wet – Click above to watch video after the jump

Are you currently suffering from BMW M5 withdrawal? Autoblog is here to help, and we’d like to offer up a video that will allow you to cope while you wait for the production version of the newest M5 to be revealed. BMW is still testing and fine-tuning the F10 M5, but the German automaker has been kind enough to bring a camera along to capture the more exciting bits.

Test drivers examine how the M5 responds to wet weather, steep inclines and smoky launches. Here’s a spoiler for you; it handles all of that quite well. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Click past the jump to see for yourself.

Continue reading BMW M5 gets sideways and leaves long trails of rubber

BMW M5 gets sideways and leaves long trails of rubber originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW M6 convertible spotted on the prowl

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Coupe, BMW

bmw m6 convertible spy shot

Spy Shots: BMW M6 convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery

The new 2012 BMW 6 Series has already proven itself to be an improvement over its predecessor in many ways, with a host of updates that should make BMW fans happy. The news we’re eagerly awaiting is the official reveal of the upcoming M6 variant, as well as its drop-top sibling. We’re under the assumption that the M6 should pack the same twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 as the M5, with something close to the sedan’s 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque.

Beyond that, we’re expecting the M6 convertible to look a lot like its non-M sibling, but for now, we’ll have to peruse spy photos until we can see the real thing. Click on the photo above or the gallery below to check out the well-disguised pics. There’s a lot of paisley camouflage, but we can clearly see some upsized wheels and tires, quad exhaust tips out back and body-side molding to keep this high-pot cruiser closer to the road.

BMW M6 convertible spotted on the prowl originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 3 Series loses more of its camo

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, BMW

BMW 3 Series spy shots

BMW 3 Series spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

The next-generation BMW 3 Series has been out stretching its legs before its official debut, and our tactical team of spy photographers was quick to snap a few photos before the vehicle returned to the automaker’s lair. These photos give us a more complete look at the new 3er for the first time as its shed more of the psychedelic-swirl camouflage than in any of its previous outings. We can clearly make out the rear fascia in its entirety and we’ve been given a good glimpse of the vehicle’s LED tail lamps as well. Those rear lights look an awful lot like the hardware found on the newest BMW 5 Series to us.

In addition, this particular mule shows off the vehicle’s new headlights as well. Those rigs look to be rocking the same squared-off LED shape as the latest 6 Series, which means we may see the diodes spread to the rest of the German automaker’s lineup. Check out the full gallery for a closer look.

Gallery: BMW 3 Series: Spy Shots

BMW 3 Series: Spy ShotsBMW 3 Series: Spy ShotsBMW 3 Series: Spy ShotsBMW 3 Series: Spy ShotsBMW 3 Series: Spy Shots

BMW 3 Series loses more of its camo originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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