BMW Luxury Cars

BMW recently revived the iconic 8 Series and turned it into its halo model, but the nameplate is struggling in the U.S., where more than 2,000 units are sitting on U.S. dealership lots. Dealers blame it on poor marketing support from BMW, but could this be a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?

After the turn of the decade, we reported that BMW would be one of the last automakers to drop the internal combustion engine. In that same report, we explained more about what that meant and that while the four- and six-cylinder engines would be in play for a while, BMW’s V-8 and V-12 were living on borrowed time. We even told you that by 2023 BMW’s V-12 would probably be retired. Now, that fate has essentially be sealed as BMW has confirmed that the new BMW 7 Series – due in late 2021 or early 2022 – will be offered with a range of gasoline and diesel engines and even hybrid and pure-electric propulsion systems. So, we’ve got confirmation that the BMW i7 is coming, but we’ve also learned that the V-8 and V-12 are officially on the chopping block.

Prior to 2020, the BMW 7 Series was somewhat lacking when compared to models like the Audi A8 and Mercedes S-Class. For 2020, however, BMW put the 7 Series through an extensive facelift that included a revised exterior look, fresh technology, and updated powertrains – most of which were all inspired by the new BMW 8 Series. With a new V-8 engine being offered in the 750i trim, it was time to see what the 7 Series can offer, and we did exactly that. This is our experience with the BMW 750i and what we thought after spending a whole week with one of BMW’s most expensive models.

Things have a habit of being more expensive in the land down under, but I have to admit that I about fell out of my chair when I learned what Australians have to pay to set foot in a BMW M8 Competition. In local currency, we’re talking about $350,000 for the Grand Coupe and $352,900. I know, I know – the exchange rate, right? Well, it’s still downright expensive. Those figures translate to $235,130 and $237,078, respectively.

The 2020 BMW X6 M is the high-performance version of the third-generation coupe-style SUV. Just like the X5 M, it features a more aggressive exterior design with new options and a lot more technology inside the cabin. Thanks to new driver assist tech, the X6 M is a semi-autonomous vehicle in certain scenarios and it can park by itself. The really big news is the beefed-up engine, now capable of 600 horsepower. But BMW also offers a more powerful variant with the Competition badge that generates 617 horsepower. The new two-model lineup goes right after the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 Coupe, also available in two flavors. Let’s find out more about that in the review below.

The 2021 BMW M4 Convertible is the upcoming, next-generation version of the company’s beefed-up compact drop-top. Set to be unveiled alongside the Coupe, the 2021 M4 Convertible will share almost all exterior features with the hard-top model, save for changes necessary to accommodate a folding roof.

Likely based on the BMW Concept 4, the 2021 M4 Convertible will probably feature the massive front grille seen on the show car. Like most recent M-badged models, the 2021 M4 Convertible will most likely arrive with two engine options, with the more powerful version called M4 Competition. Let’s find out more about the upcoming convertible in the speculative review below.

AC Schnitzer knows its way around BMW models. That knowledge comes in handy when we’re talking about a comprehensive aftermarket program for one of Bimmer’s resident performance crossovers, the X3 M.

You’re probably thinking the same thing. The X3 M already has 510 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. It doesn’t need more power than what it already has, right? Well, don’t tell that to AC Schnitzer. The German tuner isn’t interested in what’s already there; it’s in the business of imagining what it could become and bringing that scenario to life. The product of all that is this extensive tuning program that not only adds a slew of aerodynamic improvements to the X3 M, but, more importantly, also adds more power to what is already a powerful performance workhorse.

AC Schnitzer hasn’t announced pricing details for the X3 M Competition program, but rest assured, expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000 to $30,000 for the program alone.

The BMW 3 Series is arguably Bimmer’s most popular model, and it’s about to go electric. The all-electric 3 Series is one of the 25 electric and electrified models that BMW has in the pipeline, and while most of those models will probably end up being electric crossovers and SUVs, the 3 Series EV is arguably the most intriguing, in part because it’s shaped as a sedan and has big shoes to fill.

Recent spy shots of a heavily camouflaged 3 Series sporting “Electric Test Vehicle” stickers recently made their way into the Interwebs, providing us with all we need to know that the car under all the swirly bits is nothing else but the electric 3 Series. There’s no set timetable on when the electric 3 Series will hit the market, but with testing ongoing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see BMW debut the model this year ahead of a possible launch in 2021.

Like its main competitor, Mercedes, BMW is spending some serious cheddar on research and development of electric vehicles and related technologies. And, like Mercedes, it will be bringing a handful of new EVs to the market, the first of which will be the iX3 that comes later this year. The iX3 will be followed up by the iNext shortly thereafter. That leaves a lot of people wondering just when BMW will make a hard left away from fuel-powered engines and start producing nothing but EVs. For most, this is a question of purity and uncertainty of what the brand will become. Can the legacy of BMW M survive in an all-electric market? What about the heart and soul that is pumped from each and every one of BMW’s six- and eight-cylinder engines? What about the legendary and almost unicorn-like V12 that’s available in the M760i?

Remember the excessively polarizing BMW Concept 4 shown at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show? Well, some of its distinctive styling cues are bound to be trickled down to the upcoming BMW 4 Series Coupé and we’ve already seen pics that suggest the oversized kidney grille is one such element.

Although we’ll have to wait a while to see the new 4 Series take a bow, our spy photographers caught a heavily camouflaged test mule and managed to sneak inside for a couple of interior shots. Read all about it and more in the in-depth review below.

The turn of the year marked the official demise of the BMW 6 Series in the U.S. But while it will no longer be offered in the U.S. market, the 6er will live on on the other side of the Atlantic. Proof of that comes in the form of new spy photos our eagle-eyed photographers culled of the soon-to-release, mid-cycle 6 Series Gran Turismo. Prototypes of the updated 6 Series GT have been spotted sporting barely enough camouflage to cover its entire body. A few physical changes are expected to come for the facelifted model, including some design cues that we’ve already seen in other new Bimmer models. The updated BMW 6 Series GT is scheduled to hit the market in the middle of 2020 as a 2021 model. It stands as the last 6 Series model in the market.

The 2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe is a four-door coupe version of the second-generation 2 Series. Essentially a smaller alternative to the 4 Series Gran Coupe, the 2020 2 Series Gran Coupe is the very first four-door version of BMW’s smallest two-door coupe yet. It’s also the first four-door model this small that’s available globally, after the release of the China-only 1 Series Sedan in 2017. Although it runs on the same underpinnings as the 1 Series, the 2020 2 Series Gran Coupe sports a unique exterior design that combines a three-box layout with specific details front and rear. Its interior layout and the technology is, however, identical to the 1 Series. The 2020 2 Series Gran Coupe is aimed at the Mercedes-Benz CLA, but it also competes against the Audi A3 Sedan.

The BMW X6 has been around since 2007, and in the space of 13 years, it has become one of the most popular coupe-SUVs in the segment. Now that the third-generation X6 (GO6) has arrived, Bimmer’s resident coupe-SUV is ready to take on all comers in its segment. The third-generation X6 comes with plenty of upgrades. All the press releases and first-wave reviews made points of all of that. But you don’t get to appreciate these upgrades until you actually see the X6 in person, as we did when we recently took one out for a spin around town.

The all-new X6 looks good on paper, but it looks even better up close. BMW outdid itself in designing a coupe-SUV that fully embraces its identity. The X6 also comes with a gorgeous interior, though that’s hardly a surprise considering the company that makes it. Very little about the all-new X6 comes as a disappointment, though considering the market that it calls home, it’s still going to have a fight in its hands against some of its rivals. BMW did the new X6 proud, though. It’s arriving at the party packing serious lead.

BMW is set to launch an all-new 4-Series two-door sometime in 2019 or 2020, and while the G23 coupe version will not feature any dramatic changes over the current model, the G22 droptop will. Spy shots indicate that for the first time in two generations (E93 and F33), BMW is giving up on the folding hardtop design in favor of the more traditional soft top option which it last used on the E46 model discontinued in 2006.

Heavy camouflage covers the prototype spotted, but this important change is quite evident as the canvas top is left completely bare (quite obviously on purpose). It might be an illusion caused by the camo, but it also appears this new 4-Series has a longer hood and rear decklid compared to its predecessor.

Update 12/30/2019: The BMW 4 Series Convertible was caught on the back of a transport on the way to some final testing before its big debut. Check out the latest pictures in our “Spy Shots” section below.

Back in 2017, BMW put together a fun little Christmas video that shows Santa driving a BMW X6 M down a rather snow road. We finally know what Santa has been driving for the past few years when he’s not flying and, to top it off, he rocks out a tiny Christmas tree on the dash instead of a random bobble head. Honestly, I expected a bunch of reindeer bobble heads or maybe one of Mrs. Claus – now that would be funny. But, nope, when it comes to work, Santa’s about work. He leaves his personal life at home.

For what it’s worth, the BMW X6 M50i is quite the performer and it does make sense as a good present hauler, even if the X6 M isn’t available in the States right now. The 4.4-liter under the hood is good for 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, so Santa is able to move his presents at the speed of 4.1 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed of 130 mph. Of course, Santa has magical powers, so we’re pretty sure his BMW X6 M is much faster. On that note, we also hope BMW didn’t make him pay a minimum of $85,650 to get into one. Either way, go ahead and check out the short video below. It’s good for a fun watch.

The holiday-themed videos that car companies generally come up with are funny and hilarious; something that is not very deep and spreads only joy and happiness. But then there are some videos like this one from BMW; emotional, touching and heart-warming. The German also modestly shows how technology is changing the lives of people.

The 2021 BMW X8 is an upcoming crossover based on the familiar X7. Rumored to arrive by the end of 2020 or in 2021, the X8 will fill another gap in BMW’s SUV lineup. Essentially an X7 with a coupe-style roof, the X8 will become BMW’s range-topping coupe-SUV, as it will slot above the X6.

BMW has yet to confirm the existence of the X8, but intel from BMWBlog claims that the vehicle is already in development with the internal designation G09 (the X7 is codenamed G07). Once it arrives, the X8 will be the eighth SUV in BMW’s lineup. What do we know about the X8? Quite a lot, and we also have a couple of renderings of the SUV’s design. Join me in the speculative review for more.

Until recently, BMW didn’t offer a righteous rival for the S-Class Coupe. Subsequently, the Mercedes-AMG S63 was ruling the realm without a competitor in sight, but that changed when the M8 was born.

Although the S-Class Coupe/AMG S63 is a shorter, two-door version of the larger S-Class sedan and the M8 was designed as fully-blown coupe right off the bat, it fits nicely into the same ballpark as the juiced-up Mercedes-AMG S63. So in our quest to see which is better, we’re taking a good close look at what they have to offer on paper.

Can you imagine sitting in your BMW M8 with an uncovered cup of coffee as you wait in line to enter your favorite track? It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, right? As soon as you hit that first curve at speed, there will be coffee everywhere, your interior will be ruined, electronics shot, and you’ll be pissed. That’s not a very fun day at the track, but if BMW has its way, you could –theoretically—cruise around the Nurburgring and have that coffee without a worry in the world. How does that work?

BMW thought it had the ultimate burn against its biggest rival, Mercedes, by releasing an image on social media that showed a Mercedes wearing a BMW costume. Things didn’t work out as planned, and now @BMAUSA’s social media team is feeling the burn as Daimler AG points out that even it doesn’t like BMW’s new massive grille designs.