The BMW Z8 was one of those cars that were great in theory, but lacked true ingenuity in production form. Before that realization, though, BMW built 5,703 units from March 2000 to July 2003, and 555 of those units were an Alpina version - meaning they were equipped with an an automatic gearbox and featured a wider radiator grill and side air intakes created by Henrik Fisker to get something good out of a design that didn’t exactly work out the way they had intended. Needless to say, the Z8 needed some work to crank up its style and Senner Tuning was able to get their hands on one of these models to do just that.
The BMW Z8 by Senner Tuning features a sleek, black exterior with a new set of 19" Work Schwert SC1 wheels in Diamond Black, wrapped around Continental Sport Contact 5P 255/40R19 and 285/35R19 tires. The wheels were then combined with a new set of Racing Gold varnished brake calipers and a new coilover suspension Variant 2 Inox-Line. The suspension comes with an adjustable rebound and a strut bar installed on the reinforced shock mount in the front in order to stabilize the front end. Nothing else was done to the look of the vehicle, which is probably okay because of the engine upgrade provided.
The original Z8 came equipped with a 5.0 liter V8 engine producing 400 HP and 370 lb-ft of torque. With a sports air filter set, a new a stainless steel silencer, and flame tubes designed with metal catalysts, the Z8 by Senner can now deliver an extra 50 HP and 25 lbs-ft, bringing it up to 50 HP and 395 lb-ft of torque. These figures make the Z8 good for a top speed of 186 mph, up from the standard 155.4 mph.
The full conversion kit for the BMW Z8 by Senner Tuning will set customers back 18,900 Euro (or $24,800 at the current exchange rates).
The X6 Active Hybrid may be seeing the end of its production day, but BMW is still forging ahead in its environmental pursuit with the new ActiveHybrid5. The new hybrid sedan will go on sale in March 2012.
The BMW ActiveHybrid5 combines a BMW TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line engine, an electric drive system, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. With a total output of 340 HP, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 has become the most powerful and efficient full hybrid in its segment. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and deliver a fuel economy of 44 – 40 mpg. The 55 HP electric engine offers an all-electric driving range of up to 2.5 miles at an average speed of 22 mph.
The BMW ActiveHybrid5 will feature the same design language as the standard 5-Series, but will be further identified by "ActiveHybrid 5" lettering on the C-pillars, a BMW kidney grille with galvanized slats, and exhaust matte chrome tailpipes.
UPDATE 01/09/2012: BMW showed up to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show with pricing for their ActiveHybrid 5. The 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 is scheduled to arrive in US BMW Centers in late Spring 2012 at a starting price of $61,845 (including the $895 Destination and Handling charge).
UPDATE 01/29/2012: BMW has announced that the new ActiveHybrid 5 will go on sale March 2012 with a base MSRP of $61,845 (including $895 destination and handling). Next to this info the company has unveiled a new set of images for the hybrid sedan, so enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the BMW ActiveHybrid 5.
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BMW’s dive into the diesel market included not just the M550d xDrive, but the X5 M50d as well. Just like the M550d, the SUV version is powered by the 3.0 liter six-cylinder in-line diesel engine that delivers a total of 381 HP and a peak torque of 546 lb-ft. With this amount of power, the X5 M50d will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph. Fuel economy has been reported at 37.7 mpg.
Compared to a standard X5, the new M50d will be distinguished by an optimized aerodynamic balance and enhanced driving pleasure. In the space reserved for the fog-lamps, the new model has received new air intakes joined by horizontal bars painted in Ferric Grey metallic paint and race-inspired air-channeling flaps that sit below the side air intakes to optimize the car’s aerodynamic balance at high speeds. The BMW kidney grille features titanium-colored vertical bars, while the exterior mirror caps are painted in Ferric Grey metallic. The car sits on a standard set of 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in V-spoke design, but there are alsooptional 20-inch M light-alloy wheels in Ferric Grey metallic.
The new BMW X5 M50d will go on sale in Germany on June 16, 2012 at a price of 82,300 euro ($106,500 at the current exchange rates).
We all knew that BMW’s future i line-up would include the i3 hatchback and the i8 supercar - both electric vehicles - but new spy shots have revealed that the company is also testing a prototype for an i sedan. This newest i model will be launched after the i3 and the i8, so don’t expect to see it on the market until early 2014.
We think the mysterious i sedan will also be an electric model because, well, the other two are, but also because it looks like there are wheel hub motors, electric motors, powering the front wheels. There is also the fact that the both the fenders in the front and back don’t exactly fit and the vehicle is sporting some really narrow tires. All of these quirks lead us to believe that BMW is working on a bigger sedan within the i-family. No other details have been provided, but expect to see an electric engine delivering a little bit more power than in the i3 (rumored to have a 170 HP electric engine).
Guess Tesla and Fisker just got themselves a real competitor.
UPDATE 01/26/2012: According to reports from AutoBild, BMW is developing the i5 midsized MPV as a model that bridges the gap between the compact i3 and the high-end sports car that is the i8.
Details behind the i5 have yet to be revealed, but as a mid-sized MPV, we’re making guess-timates that it’s going to feature a high roof, sliding rear seats, and maybe even a large cargo space. It could also carry an electric motor similar to the i3 while featuring a similar futuristic design language that plays right into the elements of both the i3 and the i8.
The BMW i5 is expected to be introduced in the coming years, possibly as soon as 2015. We don’t know if that’s soon enough for us, but we’re definitely interested to see how the third member of BMW’s "i" family looks and what kind of powertrain it carries.
BMW brought out the X6 in the second half of 2008, and with a few years of experience in the market, the SUV is now ready for a minor facelift to keep it refreshingly attractive. And when we say minor, we really do mean minor, because you need to look very close to see the changes in this facelift.
The facelift starts off with redesigned fog lights, headlights, and taillamps with a new adaptive LED option, and moves on to newly designed bars, new paint finishes, light alloy wheels, and leather trim. And that’s pretty much it.
The US market will get its usual xDrive50i powered by a 4.4-liter 400 hp TwinPower Turbo V8 and the X6 xDrive35i with a 300 HP TwinPower Turbo inline-6. However, for the first time, the BMW X6 will be able to be ordered with an M-Performance package that adds a few ponies and a meaner look.
On the US market, the new BMW X6 will go on sale in the spring of 2012.
UPDATE 01/26/2012: This review has been updated with the official images and specs for the BMW X6.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 BMW X6.
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