| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 BMW M5 
BMW’s decision to offer a revision for the M5 is a little bit surprising for us, considering the new generation was just unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Still, it looks like the company wants to keep the M5 as fresh as all the other models in the 5 Series lineup. After being tested for a few months, the revised M5 made its world debut today and will be put on sale later in July. Just like in the standard version, the M5 is going to receive only minor revisions on the front and rear. BMW will add in updated headlights and a new kidney grille, a new rear bumper and new graphics for the taillights. The new M5 keeps the usual V-8 engine, but, for the first time, BMW is also offering a Competition Package that adds an extra 15 horsepower. Updated 05/19/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs. Click past the jump to read more about the revised M5 Full story
2014 BMW M5 30 Year Limited Edition
The BMW M5 was first introduced at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1984, so if you do a little math you’ll find that in 2014 the model will celebrate its 30th anniversary. To mark the event, BMW is unveiling a special-edition M5. Or at least this is what a strange M5 prototype caught testing near the M factory in Garching suggests, as it was wearing a “30 Year Limited Edition” badge on its dashboard. From the same plaque, it appears that the special edition will be limited to only 300 units. Everything else seems to be identical to the standard M5, except some dark chrome gills added to the exterior. Also, the prototype seems to be an American version, judging by the U.S.-only manual option and the orange markers on the front fenders. Before this special edition gets the opportunity to hit the market, the M5 will receive a revision and the addition of a new Competition Package. Click past the jump to read more about the standard BMW M5. Full story
2014 BMW M235i Coupe
Everyone expects that once the new BMW 2 Series hits the market, a more powerful M version will be in tow. Our spy photographers have already caught some prototypes testing at Nürburgring and BMW previewed the model with the 1M Coupe and the M135i. Unfortunately, the M135i never made it to the U.S. and the 1M Coupe was an extremely limited model whose order books closed nearly as quickly as they opened. The M1 Coupe was a mighty micro-Bimmer, with its twin-boosted 3.0-liter straight-six engine that tortured the concrete with 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. We anticipate that the M235i will use the same powertrain. In fact, with the revisions that BMW is currently undergoing, we may even see a few more horsepower from the six-pot. . UPDATE 05/07/2013: We have created a rendering of the new M235i coupe to help you get an idea of what to expect. Click past the jump to read more about the BMW M235i Coupe. Full story 2014 BMW X5 M
In conjunction with the next-generation X5, BMW is also working on the M version of the SUV. The model has been caught testing for the first time doing some quick and loud laps around the Nürburgring race track. Although the SUV is still fully camouflaged, there are some distinctive M elements that confirm this is the future X5 M. These special elements include the quad M exhausts, the active differential, and blue brake calipers, which have become the signature color for M model brakes. Behind the M brakes, there are drilled rotors which are being used for the first on any X5 model. At the front of the car, there are huge air intakes and a path that connects the headlights to the kidney grilles, a feature found on the F30 3 Series. Under the hood, there will be the same engine that can also be found in the M5: a twin-turbo V-8 delivering some 560 horsepower. Expect to see the new BMW X5 M sometime in 2014. UPDATE 5/3/2013: The folks over at Bimmerfest have managed to dig up a pair of images of what is obviously the upcoming X5 M testing with a little less camo than we have seen in other spy shots. In these images, we can make out the middle of the door panels, the bottom of the revised rear liftgate, more taillight detail and part of the rear quarter-panel window. The biggest details we can make out are the revised taillights that look more stylish than last year’s model and the roofline looks a little sleeker. Full story
No M Version for the BMW i8 Early last year it was rumored that BMW could offer an M version for its i8 hybrid supercar. It was supposed to drop the hybrid powertrain in favor of a conventional V-8 powerplant with an output of about 600 horsepower. Sounded pretty great, right? Now - one year later - it appears that BMW has dropped the idea of developing such a model. While no other explanation has been offered, it looks like the M8 is "no longer part of the program." We do not understand why this decision was made, considering the i8 platform can easily accept front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive alternatives. So, while we are hoping that the company will change its mind in the future, we’ll just have to wait for the i8. It will arrive sometime later this year and comes with a driving range of about 20 miles in near-silent, zero-emission mode. This figure, combined with a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of 4.9 seconds, and the top speed of 156 mph makes it the ideal car for both city and track. Click past the jump to read more about the rumored BMW M8 supercar. Full story
Spy Shots: 2014 BMW M235i Caught Lapping Nurburgring We have heard rumors about a possible M235i ever since BMW unveiled the M135i Concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Back then it was rumored that the production version would carry the same M135i nomenclature, but considering that BMW has changed its naming system, the two-door coupe version will be called M235i. Until now, all we had were rumors and speculation, but today our spy photographers caught the M235i lapping the Nürburgring. As expected, the prototype is heavily camouflaged, but it is pretty obvious it will carry an aggressive exterior look similar to other M models. Under the hood, rumors suggest we are going to see the same engine we saw in the M135i Concept, which is a straight-six-cylinder engine with M Performance Twin Power Turbo technology that puts down more than 300 horsepower. The model will also be equipped with a rear-wheel-drive layout and sports suspension setup. Click past the jump to read more about the M235i Full story
2014 BMW M5 Competition Package The facelifted 2014 BMW M5 is set to arrive later this year and while no details have been released pertaining to what kind of engine it will carry, we expect it to be the same 4.4-liter V-8 that is currently under the 2013 model’s hood. With an output of 560 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque, the new M5 figures to be a handful on the road. But that’s not the only thing about the new M5 that’s generating some whispers. According to BMW Blog, the new M5 will also receive a Competition Package, which will come with its own set of upgrades, including new exhaust system, a revised suspension, and a new set of wheels to go with a performance upgrade that will tack on another 15 horsepower under its hood. With those modifications in tow, the M5 with the Competition Package is expected to be a tenth of a second faster than the standard model with the top speed remaining at an electronically limited 190 mph. Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 BMW M5 and to see a video of the M5 Competition Package in action on the Nürburgring Image Note: The above image is our rendering of the M5, not the Competition Package model. Full story
2013 BMW X6 MBMW recently revealed subtle updates to keep the BMW X6 M competitive in the face of stiff competition across the super performance SUV segment. Since the X6 M’s 2010 launch, the competing Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Sport and Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG are either all new or significantly enhanced to better neutralize the BMW threat. The X6 M follows the successful mechanical template from the X5 M but enhances its appearance with a fastback coupe profile and a trimmed window line. The stylish X6 M stands out in the BMW showroom when compared with the bread-and-butter models like the 3 Series and 1 Series. The appeal for these buyers comes from the inherent impracticality of the design’s chopped roof versus the practical X5. It separates the X6 M as a car bought by people for who all-weather performance is king of kings. The X6 M has been a runaway sales success for BMW among these niche audiences – to the point where non-M X6s are the rarity. Can the X6 M cut with the best competitors four years after its launch? Please follow the jump for details on the 2013 facelift, the mechanical and performance specs, and an image gallery of the new X6 M in action. Full story
2015 BMW X4M
People have been talking about a possible BMW X4 for quite some time now and now that the concept version has been officially unveiled, those rumors have been officially confirmed. To add a little extra fuel to the X4 fire, there are now rumors about a possible X4M version. Not a big surprise though, considering that almost each model in BMW’s lineup also has an M version. The upcoming BMW X4M comes as a direct competitor to high-performance variants of the upcoming Porsche Macan and will go on sale in 2015. The X4M is dubbed internally as "an M3 on stilts" and will be powered by the same M3 in-line six-cylinder engine that is derived from an extensively reworked N55. The engine will be mated to an M-engineered torque-sensing differential, which will drive all four wheels. BMW will also offer an advanced electronically controlled torque vectoring system, and X4M-specific springs, bushes and damping rates. From the M3 the future X4M will be also adopting the BMW M’s Electro-mechanical steering and a revised M-DCT transmission. On the exterior the X4M will use typical M design elements, including a more current M-Type kidney grille, exterior mirrors, subtle rear boot lid spoiler, traditional quad exhausts and a full carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic roof - a first for an X-Series M model. Updated 04/15/2013: With the prototype X4 images in hand, we were able to bring you a revised rendering of the upcoming X4M. You can see the image above and have a look at the old rendering in the gallery. You can see a comparison of our two renderings after the jump Enjoy! Full story
2013 BMW M5 by Vorsteiner
If you ask a Bimmer fan which is the best model launched on the market in the past few months, the M5 will most likely be on the top of the list. In fact, even the guys over Top Gear were impressed by the sports sedan. So, why update it? Well, because you can!! Vorsteiner, for example, has prepared a tuning kit for the M5 that includes a new aerodynamic kit made in carbon fiber, new wheels and numerous performance products. For the exterior, the new kit includes a new add-on spoiler, a new splitter and for the rear, a new deck-lid spoiler and a new lightweight trunk lid with integrated wing profile. The tuner also replaced the rear diffuser, so it now integrates the new exhaust system offered in two versions: either stainless steel or titanium. The Vorsteiner M5 will be offered with new forged wheels offered in various sizes, depending on customer’s wishes: 20, 21 or 22 inches. For the interior, the modifications are limited to embroidered floor mats and trunk mat accessories. The new BMW M5 kit will be available starting April 2013. | BMW M-series latest reviews:BMW M-series tuning:
Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|