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BMW Bringing OnDemand to the U.S.  The Europeans get all of the cool stuff first, as BMW allows them to rent various BMWs, including M-Series models, hourly, daily, or weekly, as opposed to shelling out the $40,000+ required to buy one. Well, after successfully testing in the Euro market, BMW is finally bringing this system, called OnDemand, to the U.S. Initially, the U.S. Launch will be isolated to only one dealership, BMW of Manhattan, and to one model, the 328i. BMW of Manhattan will offer up a total of 100 328is for people to rent to impress their boss, friends, or date. This system is also great for fleet companies deciding if BMW is right for them or prospective retain customers looking to take an extended test drive prior to lumping down thousands of dollars. It is pretty safe to assume that given this is the initial launch is in Manhattan, booking a rental 328i won’t be as simple as booking a Taurus from your local Avis dealer. Given this is all successful, we will see the available lineup slowly expand. Some of the models to be added to the available rentals include the new 7-Series, X5, X6, M3, and even the M5. According to the report, however, to get premium rides, like the M3 and M5, the renter has to go through a more rigorous qualification process. Pricing for renting the initial 328i will not be known until about August, but you can rest assured that it will not be a $20 per day rental and we bet insurance is not optional. We’ll update you once pricing is released on this new system. BMW Dropping Manual Transmission Option from the M5 and M6 For true car nuts, there is nothing better than having total control over your car’s power via a manual transmission. Unfortunately, we three-pedal lovers are becoming less and less common each year, especially with the advancements being made in automatic transmission technology. This disappearance of the slush-box automatics and introduction of precision shifting performance automatics has left the manual transmission as an undesirable hunk of metal. The BMW M-Series is a clear example of where a manual transmission is at its best. With the baby brother, the M3, punching out 414 ponies and its two big brothers, the M5 and M6, slated to wallop the concrete with 560 horsepower; we think a manual transmission is the only way to really experience them. Well, apparently we are in the minority, as according to Inside Line, only 15 to 20 percent of the M5s sold in the U.S. last year were six-speed manuals and BMW has taken notice. With this, BMW has decided that the next generation M5 and M6 will not be engineered with a manual transmission option, leaving just a dual-clutch automatic as the only available transmission. This makes the reports that the U.S.-bound M6 models will come with a manual option seem like they were just pipe dreams. The M3, however, will still receive its typical no-cost manual transmission option. Fortunately for us, the dual clutch transmission is just as responsive, if not more responsive, than a manual transmission. Plus, there is no clutch to mess with, so your left foot can take a much needed break from all of the thrashing it has received over the years. To boot, this automatic transmission has also proved to be a more fuel-economy-friendly option over manual transmissions, which is pretty much the opposite of what we have had crammed into our heads for the last, say, 100 years!
2012 BMW M5Just a few months before the car’s official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW has decided it was time to reveal the official specs on the fifth generation M5 sports sedan. After seeing the first concept version at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show, now we can see the M5 in all its glory. And we sure like what we are seeing. The M5 name was used for the first time back in 1984, but since then, the car has evolved into an impressive sedan that combines track potential with the comprehensive practicality of a luxurious business sedan. The new generation brings a high-revving 4.4-liter V8 engine with an M TwinPower Turbo package that delivers an impressive 560 hp at 6,000 – 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 502 lb-ft from 1,500 rpm. The model will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and, when the speed limiter is removed, is capable of hitting an impressive top speed of 190 mph. Despite these impressive performance numbers, the car will deliver an estimated fuel economy of 28.5 mpg. UPDATE 06/22/12: BMW has unveiled a very cool commercial for their new M5. In this video, the world’s fastest sedan recreates super slow-motion bullet footage on a much grander scale. The result: High Performance Art. More details about the BMW M5 after the jump. Full story Russian BMW M-series drivers cause pile up in Moscow
In what can only be described as a dream drive turning into a true nightmare, a recent BMW M club drive day in Moscow, Russia could have ended in tragedy. One driver made a small mistake that created a BMW pile up with a damage bill well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a wicked turn of events, the incident was captured all on film and even though the drivers may hate to relive the crash, it at least gives us a chance to show you just how careful you have to be when driving on busy roads, no matter what country you live in. As you’ll see from the following video, the event all started when a blue, E34 Sedan unknowingly merged into the right-hand lane while a champagne-colored E46 M3 was speeding up behind. As a result, the two cars side swiped each other, spearing the classic M3 into the camera car, said to be a blue E90 sedan, which was then just seconds later rear-ended by BMW’s latest M-series vehicle, the 1-Series M. Despite the aforementioned cars involved in the crash being followed by an even bigger group of M-cars, only the four BMW’s were damaged in the crash, with a civilian’s Subaru Forester also reportedly being involved. No serious injuries resulted and only one of the Beemer’s seems to be a confirmed write-off.
Video: New BMW M line lets you have your cake and eat it tooBMW is well known for their amazing commercials when it comes to their M line-up. The latest one is called "Cake" and features three of the latest models: the M5, the M3 GTS, and the 1M Coupe. Which one is the best? Sorry, we can’t decide, but feel free to take your pick! The commercial’s slogan is "Have your cake and eat it too." This is more than appropriate when you take into account the power, style, and luxury offered in BMW models. The BMW M5 is powered by a 4.4-liter V8 engine with an M TwinPower Turbo package that delivers an impressive 560 hp at 6,000 – 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 502 lb-ft from 1,500 rpm. The M3 GTS gets the same engine, but the output in this model is 450 HP. On the other hand, the 1M Coupe gets a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 340 horsepower. Chris Harris Drives His Unusual Dream Car: A 1986 BMW M5
As all of automotive enthusiasts got introduced to cars we began falling in love with certain makes, models, and types of cars. For most of us, this happened at an early age. I was primarily raised around muscle cars, so it is easy to understand why I have an absolute infatuation with them. It also had to do with the fact that I learned about cars in the `80s and there weren’t many powerful cars to speak of in that era. Chris Harris also learned about his love for cars through the 1980s, but obviously had more exposure to German cars than the average American youngster in the `80s, as his childhood favorite was the car that spawned the performance sedan market way back in the `80s. This epic, but little-known, ride is the 1986 BMW M5. This car pumps out 286 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque from its 3.5-liter inline six cylinder and only 187 of them were ever imported into the U.K. with right-hand drive. While the 187 number is impressive by modern-day standards, the 286 ponies and 251 pound-feet are pretty average. Then again, the 1986 was chock-full of big V-8s that struggled to even push out 200 horsepower (see: 1986 Camaro Z/28, 1986 Mustang GT, and 1986 Corvette). You can obviously tell that Chris loves driving this car, as he drifts it around a few turns and really gets into it. He makes it clear that the car is far from flawless, as the rear bumper trim is falling off, it has some dents, and the interior is just a little above average for its age, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Check out the above video to have a look and listen to this impressive machine. You also get a chance to gain just a little more respect for Chris Harris, as he shows that he knows exactly what BMW built this car to do. 2012 BMW M5 by Kelleners Sport
Kelleners Sport isn’t a stranger when it comes to tuning BMWs, and their latest project only adds credence to their reputation as one of the best BMW tuners around. The program is for the new BMW M5, which as we all know, is a car that’s ripe for the aftermarket industry. For their project, Kelleners Sport decided to give the M5 a comprehensive aerodynamic program with a future performance modification kit set to follow. In terms of the former, the Kelleners kit involves plenty of carbon fiber components, including a new front lip spoiler, extended side skirts, carbon fiber mirror caps, a new rear diffuser, and an aggressive rear spoiler fitted into the car’s trunk. The program also features a new set of lightweight multi-spoke wheels, which adds a touch of sporty aggression on the car. In terms of performance, Kelleners was able to increase the car’s output by 100 horsepower. Add that to the standard model’s 560-horsepower output and you get 660 ponies to go wit 790 Nm of torque. Pretty impressive, right?
2011 BMW M5 Hurricane RRS by G-Power
The current BMW M5 F10 already has a G-Power tuned program to its name, one where the German tuner squeezes 640 horsepower out of the German sports car. But even if the M5 F10 is already out and about, G-Power still did something pretty sensational to the previous generation M5, calling their new program the M5 Hurricane RRS. To give the M5 some added shine, G-Power added a plethora of performance improvement components, including the company’s now famous BI-Kompressor "Sporty Drive" supercharging system. A new coil over suspension was also added, as were a new set of 20" Silverstone Diamond wheels and high-performance brakes. Ceramic brakes are also being offered as an option. Thanks to its already stout Hurricane power kit, G-Power managed to increase and optimize the engine to a staggering 830 horsepower and 575 lb/ft of torque. Those numbers are good enough to allow this ridiculous M5 to hit 0-62 mph in just 4.3 seconds, 0-124 mph in 9.1 seconds, and 0-186 mph in 25.2 seconds. And as for top speed? Try an eye-popping 231 mph. 2013 BMW M5 M Performance EditionTalk about the ultimate tease, right? Long rumored to be in the pipeline, we finally have our first evidence of the highly anticipated BMW M5 M Performance Edition, albeit one that only lasts 32 seconds. This video, which was released by BMW, is effectively the teaser before the introduction of the M5 M Performance Edition. Not a lot of details were shared about the special edition models, except that we can expect it to come in three distinct color schemes with only 30 available models. Do the math and that should equate to 10 models for each color. The hope is that we find more information about the M5 F10-based M Performance Edition sooner than later. For now, enjoy this 32-second teaser of the special edition BMW model and wish more information to come from BMW as soon as possible. The wait has been long and the anticipation for the M5 M Performance Edition has reached fever pitch. BMW’s Active Sound: Cool Trick or Useless Gimmick?
Not all of us are quite privileged enough to be able to lump down enough money to import a 2012 BMW M5 into the U.S., nor are we all patient enough to await the 2013 release of the new M5. This means we are stuck with videos from people like the fine folks over at Bimmerpost. One of the new features on the 2012 M5, which will likely be a part of the M5 when it hits U.S. showrooms for the 2013 model year, is the Active Sound system. This is a system that is integrated with the stereo system and pipes engine notes through the stereo’s speakers. So, here is our dilemma… Is this new feature a cool trick or simply a useless gimmick that BMW is slapping on this ride to make it seem cooler? The folks at Bimmerpost saved the day again by providing us automotive nerds with audio of the 2012 M5 with the AS system active, then with it deactivated, which involves yanking a fuse that also disables the entire stereo system and the rear parking assistant. After listening to the two audio clips, which you can do in the above video, we can certainly tell the difference between the actual engine sound and the digitized engine sound. While BMW did go to great lengths to help match the digi-engine with the real engine, it is really a disappointment. To some people it might be a cool feature, but real auto buffs want to hear the engine itself. BMW could help us all out by putting an “On/Off” switch on this feature, without having to disable the entire audio system by pulling the fuse. This rings even more true with folks that add in aftermarket components to this already high-performance sedan. They want to hear the modified turbo whistle, blow-off valve, and exhaust note, not some synthesized version of the stock engine. We call this a useless gimmick for now. Let us know how you feel in the comments section below!
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