After being caught testing in many times, the revised BMW 5-Series lineup made its world debut today before being put on sale later in July. As no surprise, BMW is offering no major updates on the car’s exterior and look, but it did added a new model to the lineup: the 518d, plus a more powerful V-8 powertrain.
In terms of design the 5-Series sedan received different structured lower air intakes, a modified front apron and more sharply contoured taillights. For the first time the 5-Series is being offered with two new package: BMW Luxury Line and BMW Modern Line packages, both adding exclusive design and equipment features.
For the interior BMW is offering additional chrome trim, more room on the storage compartments, and of course new upholstery colors and interior trim elements.
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 BMW 5-Series.
Along with the new 2014 BMW M5 Competition Package, the M6 is also going to receive a Competition Package for 2014. The new package will be put on sale this July and was specially designed to enhance the M6’s handling properties and performance.
The Competition Package starts by adding an extra 15 horsepower under the hood, so the high-revving V-8 engine now delivers a total of 575 horsepower. Once the output was increased, BMW engineers made extensive modifications to the chassis setup. They have installed improved suspension and damping systems and retuned the stabilizer bars for added rigidity. As a result, the M6’s ride has been lowered by around 10 mm (0.39 inches) and body roll is greatly reduced.
The M6 Competition Package also adds an Active M Differential with its own control unit that ensures a more direct mapping to enable firm and secure contact with the road. The car is offered with exclusively designed 20-inch M light-alloy wheels and a sport exhaust system with the customary M twin tailpipes in black chrome.
Thanks to the new Competition Package, all the driving dynamics attributes of the M6 have been increased to their highest level.
Updated 05/19/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs.
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
If you have no plans for the weekend, we might have an idea for you; the "BMW - The Ultimate Driving Machine"exhibition will open this weekend and will feature some of the coolest BMW models out there. Andy Warhol’s 1979 BMW M1 Art Car will be the center piece of the exhibition and next to it you will also see the BMW 3.0 CSL that won the Daytona 24 Hour race in 1976, plus tons of other road cars, motorcycles and race cars.
Andy Warhol was the first to paint the entire car himself, as previous BMW Art Car artists prepared a draft version on a scaled-down model and then moved that on the real car by assistants to the painter.
"This exhibition at the Saratoga Automotive Museum will provide visitors a great look at BMW’s long heritage and provide a sense of how the company has evolved to become the leading premium automobile and motorcycle manufacturer in the world," said Ludwig Willisch – President and CEO of BMW of North America. "It will also show just how integral motorsports has been throughout the company’s history."
Don’t worry, if you don’t have the time to go this weekend, the exhibition, will run until November 3, 2013.
Click past the jump to read more about Andy Warhol’s 1979 BMW M1 Art Car.
BMW announced today the addition of a new M Sport edition offered for the entire 6-Series lineup: Coupe, Convertible and Grand Coupe. The new edition will be available from June 2013 at a starting price of $80,625.
According to BMW, the new special edition "delivers a driving experience that assuages the most discerning requirements while also offering an attractive price advantage." The new 6 Series M Sport Edition will be distinguished by tons of M-specific elements, like an aerodynamic kit, wheels and exhaust system.
The interior has also been optimized with numerous M elements, like M leather steering wheel, M door sill finishers and sports seats in Alcantara/Nappa leather.
As a first for the 6 Series, BMW is also offering a Sakhir Orange metallic M paintwork combined with an interior trim in BMW Individual leather Merino fine grain Opal white with contrast seams in Sakhir Orange.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2013 BMW 6 Series M Sport Edition.
A few days ago, BMW was positively beaming in reporting about its latest achievement. No, Bimmer didn’t introduce a new car or win any races. What it did was set a new world record and a pretty impressive one at that.
Actually, the record for longest drift was set back in February by Johan Scwartz while piloting a BMW M5 and covering a ground of 47.71 miles. Well, it didn’t take long for Schwartz to break his own mark, besting it over the weekend at the BMW Performance Center near Greenville, South Carolina.
This time around, Schwartz, using the same BMW M5, managed to run a total of 322.5 laps around a circumference of 841 foot circle. All told, he was able to travel a distance of 51.278 miles - while drifting.
When news of the record-setting mark first hit our news feed, BMW kept a video of the attempt under the covers. But now, Bimmer has finally released it and you can enjoy the whole show when you click past the jump.
It looks like the Canadian market received lots of attention from Bimmer today. After the 335i M Performance Edition we announced earlier, BMW Canada then announced the M6 Gran Coupe Launch Edition. The model was built in cooperation with BMW Individual and marks the launch of the M6 Grand Coupe into the Canadian market.
The M6 Gran Coupe Launch Edition is finished in an exclusive Pure Metal Silver paint combined with two-tone upholstery for the interior. The seat centers, lower dashboard and door inserts are offered in Merino Silverstone, and the seat bolsters, center console, upper dashboard and carpeting are offered in black.
The front and rear seats, dashboard, and the upper door parts are wrapped in black leather with contrasting Silverstone stitching. The rest of the interior is trimmed in a deep luster of BMW Individual Piano Black. As a standard feature, the M6 Launch Edition comes with a Bang & Olufsen audio system.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard BMW M6 Gran Coupe.
BMW Canada has announced the launch of the 335i M Performance Edition. This version can be ordered in either a rear-wheel-drive or xDrive format and includes an array of M Performance components designed to enhance the styling and performance attributes of the 335i.
The 335i M Performance Edition receives a new M Performance Power Kit and M Performance Exhaust that increases the engine’s output to 326 horsepower and 332 pound-feet torque. As a result, the sedan will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds – 0.5 seconds faster than the standard 335i.
BMW is also offering a full M Performance aerodynamics kit, including: black kidney grille; front and rear diffuser; side skirts; and 20-inch alloy wheels. The model can be ordered in four exterior colors: Laguna Seca Blue, Valencia Orange, Black Sapphire and Glacier Silver. For the interior, BMW offers either a Coral Red leather or Black leather trim combined with an exclusive Piano Black BMW Individual trim.
The 335i M Performance Edition is priced at $63,300 (rear-wheel-drive version) and $65,900 (xDrive version). The model will be produced in July and August of 2013 but all orders must be received no later than May 17, 2013.
Click past the jump to read more about the standard BMW 335i.
Every time we see Pininfarina make the news with a new concept it’s developing, we can’t help but get excited about what the Italian coachbuilder has in store for us.
Well, it looks like Pininfarina is preparing something; a concept, it appears, that will make its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este later this month.
The concept, which has been dubbed as the one-off Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe, was designed and collaborated with BMW and comes as a notable successor to the BMW Z4 Zagato Coupe that BMW and Zagato also introduced at last year’s event.
Not much is known about the model except that it’s going to be a huge luxury sedan in more ways than one. Aesthetically, it will be feature a long wheelbase, a stretched bonnet, short overhangs and a set-back greenhouse with a smoothly sloping roofline. Thinking about these descriptions it’s easy to be reminded of the German automaker’s 8 Series line.
Actually, the connection to those 8ers from past decades doesn’t just end with its looks. The Gran Lusso Coupe is also reported to carry a monster V-12 engine that will be based on the 6.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces an output of 535 horsepower.
That’s as much as we can tell you because that’s the limited information BMW and Pininfarina have released. In the meantime, click past the jump to revisit the car the former brought to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este last year: the Z4 Zagato Coupe
It looks like BMW is having all the fun in the world smashing the strangest world records out there. Back in February, a BMW M5 with Johan Schwartz behind the wheel entered the Guinness World Record Book for the longest drift: 76.8 km (47.71 miles). Now, Schwartz managed to smash his own record while driving the same unmodified M5.
This time the record was established at BMW Performance Center near Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday, May 11, 2013. This time, he did a total of 322.5 laps around a circumference of 841 foot circle, providing a total distance traveled of 51.278 miles.
This event is just the first of many during a week of events leading up to the BMW Charity Pro-Am. To date, a total of $20,000 has been raised with benefits going to more than 150 charities.
Those attending the world record were invited to enjoy drives in new BMW vehicles, including the M6 Coupe or received a "hot lap" ride from one the BMW Performance Center Instructors.
Click past the jump to read more about the BMW M5.
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