BMW Modified Cars

The BMW X5 M is quite intimidating when it’s standing peacefully. With those big, burly wheels and tires, and the sharp cuts and creases all around, it has a very strong street presence. When you see it in action, well, that’s a whole different story altogether.

In its top-spec, it comes with a V-8 engine under the hood that can give even some powerful performance sedans a run for their money. But, it seems like this wasn’t enough for Manhart Performance. The German aftermarket company has created its iteration of this beast that comes with carbon fiber elements inside and outside, exhaust system and suspension upgrades, and a power boost that makes the X5 M even scarier in action.

Manhart is known to come up with extraordinary builds. This time around, they’ve laid their hands on the BMW X7 and gave it an armored, military vehicle look. Called the Dirt Edition 2, this X7 boasts of a rugged-looking matte wrap on the outside coupled with smoking-hot black wheels, a raised stance, and a power boost for the V-8 engine under the hood. The Wuppertal-based tuner calls it the Dirt Edition, thus implying that this is a follow-up to the first dirt edition SUV that was based on the BMW X6 almost a decade back.

Whenever BMW unveils a cool model, Alpina usually modifies it into something even more exciting. Unfortunately, the i8 hybrid sports car was an exception from this rule.

Alpina did develop a beefed-up i8, as revealed back in 2019, but the performance hybrid never made into production. Alpina initially said that BMW didn’t agree for the project to go on, but the tuning company is now back to explain why the souped-up i8 remained just a prototype. As it turns out, turning it into a production model would have been too complicated and expensive.

VinFast sounds more like an app of sorts that lets you check a car’s service history by introducing its VIN and getting details on when, where, and why it was repaired. However, VinFast is Vietnam’s only domestic car brand, which became independent in 2018, after it bought GM’s remaining operations in Vietnam.

At the helm of the company sits CEO Jim DeLuca, who also happens to be a former General Motors employee, but the owner is Vietnam’s richest man.

Why are we telling you all this? Well, VinFast just introduced its first SUV, a hot-rodded luxo-barge called the President, that’s based on the F15-gen BMW X5.

Like most cars, the M8 Competition Gran Coupe is far from perfect. It’s preposterously fast for a car that weighs in excess of two tons, and yet, the speed doesn’t really translate to the kind of enjoyable driving experience you’d expect from BMW’s range-topping model. Fortunately, AC Schnitzer is always there to answer the bell.

The German tuner known for developing programs for all sorts of Bimmers has come up with a program for the M8 Gran Coupe, one that addresses some of the perceived shortcomings of the M8 Competition Gran Coupe. The result is what you’d expect from AC Schnitzer.

In keeping with the reputation that it has built over time, AC Schnitzer’s program for the new Z4 Roadster M40i covers a lot of ground. From form to function, we see the tuner’s imprint on the Z4 Roadster M40i, including the addition of several aerodynamic pieces to go with a new set of wheels, an equally new custom exhaust setup, suspension upgrades, and, of course, an engine modification program that adds more power to the Z4 M40i’s already potent 335-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.

All these upgrades are meant to improve the Z4 M40i’s overall appeal, and judging by this before-and-after video that AC Schnitzer provided, the upgrades are also significant in the way we see the German roadster.

M-branded cars have been the flagship of BMW automobiles for a few decades now, but there’s one brand you can go to for a more exclusive Bimmer. I’m talking about Alpina, a small Bavarian company that has been modifying BMWs since the 1960s, long before the German firm established the M division. Alpina is now the go-to tuner if you want exclusive features on your BMW, but it also provides drivetrains that generate more oomph than those found in full-fledged M cars. One such example is the facelifted B5. Based on the G30-generation 5 Series, the 2021 Alpina B5 debuted with more oomph than the latest M5.Making things even better, it’s also available as a wagon.

What to do when you’ve got a 600 horsepower BMW Z4 that loves to smoke its back tires on your hands? The only logical answer is to take it to Germany’s limitless Autobahn network and allow it to run free. That’s exactly what the AutoTopNL did and, boy, is it a joy to watch. Just to refresh your memory before we delve deeper into this crazy build: never did the E85-generation Z4 come with anything bigger than the 3.2-liter S54 inline-six from the factory. Yep, we don’t quite know how the E60/E63-era V-10 fit in there either but here it goes.

Manhart has a new toy for big boys and it’s based on the smoking-hot BMW M8 Competition, a car that’s already brimming with performance. Yet Manhart didn’t settle for the stock grunt because, honestly, that’s not what tuners do. So what you’re seeing here is the MH8 800, the fastest BMW M8 Competition... in the world.

With a 4.4-liter turbocharged V-8 engine producing 591 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, the BMW F90 M5 packs a mean punch. The performance sedan is capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. It’s also capable of maxing out at 155 mph, though if you take the limiter off, the M5 can blitz its way to a top speed of 186 mph. All these numbers paint a clear picture of the M5’s performance capabilities, and, at least on the surface, the numbers are impressive. Then again, the F90 M5 is still teeming with untapped potential, and when there’s room for improvement, a tuner like G-Power is there to answer the bell. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the orange metallic body wrap-wearing BMW F90 M5 Hurricane RS by G-Power, and it is a monster in every sense of the word.

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.

Alpina is one of BMW’s most loyal tuners and the latest 3 Series-based B3 models continue to boast with a unique identity and performance figures that irk any M3 owner. The G20-generation B3 Touring is the 462 horsepower stopgap in a world without an M3 Wagon in it. Our only complaint? That we can’t buy this pinstriped grocery-hauler Stateside.

Once upon a time, Alpina and AC Schnitzer were duking it out on the race tracks of the world as BMW’s favored privateers teams. Both received support from Munich and decades of on-track rivalry now see both companies - but especially Alpina - put out some of the best modified cars on the market. So good, in fact, that Alpina has been a manufacturer for over three decades - although you’ll still find BMW logos on the B3. But Alpina doesn’t plan to crash the party of the upcoming M3 Competition either. That’s fair play!

Over the air updates can be cool. Your phone can get a new system, you can suddenly have a better game on your PC, or your fridge can get a different note when opened. All available via the Internet, instantaneously, and without any hustle. On the other hand, over the air updates for the cars gave a whole lot of headaches to regulatory bodies all over the world. And now, there is this German tuning company called the G-Power (they do all sort of witchcraft for the BMWs and Mercs AMGs of the world) that offer a simple ECU tuneup over the air that can increase the power of your engine.

G-Power started rolling out this program only recently, and it seems that the process is rather simple.

Lovers of fast wagons, you might want to sit down for this one as the mere sight of it will make your knees weak - the 2020 BMW Alpina B3 Touring is upon us and it is absolutely glorious. Wraps have just come off it at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show and it has instantly become one of the coolest BMWs you can buy right now at any price.

BMW is known for its elegant, capable, and good-looking vehicles, be it the sedans, SUVs, or sports cars. It’s been 20 years since the X5 was launched, and this is the fourth-gen of the SUV. However, the latest design philosophy has kind of diluted the last aspect for the majority of people. The kidney grille is not exactly a favorite, but BMW, for some reason, thinks this design will age well and is persistent to continue with it. But, thanks to companies like AC Schnitzer, these vehicles are looking quite good even in the latest iteration. AC Schnitzer got its hands on the 2019 X5 and has done magic on the SUV to make it look a lot better than what it does in stock condition. Are there any changes except for the makeover?

Our spies have spotted what appears to be the new BMW X7 testing almost completely covered in camo around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It is believed this is the hot Alpina XD7 version of the X7 which is going to get a power boost and some styling differences inside and out in the familiar Alpina style.

You may have spotted that it has a “D” in its model designation, so it’s going to be a diesel, definitely based on the most powerful oil burner BMW makes, the M50d unit that kept pinning me to my seat during my road test of the M550d - it’s a torque monster with plenty of top end too.

The engine will be breathed upon by Alpina to make more power, and the suspension will be altered as well - it will be lowered and stiffened for improved handling and grip will be improved through the use of higher performance tires.

Update 08/05/2019: The 2019 Alpina XD7 was caught testing in the wild yet again, this time bearing a little less camo and some miniscule changes. Check out our spy shots section below to see what’s new.

The BMW Garmisch is a concept car that the German firm first unveiled in 1970 and then recreated in 2019. Designed by famed car designer Marcello Gandini at Bertone, the Garmisch reportedly vanished after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970. BMW decided to rebuild the vehicle from scratch as a tributed for Marcello Gandini. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2019 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

One of the many BMWs designed by Italian studios, like the 328 Mille Miglia by Carrozzeria Touring and the M1 by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Garmisch didn’t make it into production, but it inspired some models introduced in the 1970s, like the first-generation 5 Series. The unusual name comes from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a ski town from Bavaria. According to Gandini, this name was picked because "skiing was very popular in Italy at that time. It evoked dreams of winter sports and alpine elegance."

Alpina and BMW have a long history. The former has been tuning Bimmers for over five decades and even provides graphic packages, different alloy designs, etc. Realizing the rising demand of Alpina-tuned cars, BMW started selling them through its own dealerships in the U.S. This time, BMW and Alpina have worked on the former’s big-face flagship luxury sedan to create an explosive monster known as the 2020 Alpina B7. The 2020 B7 was unveiled earlier this month in Palm Springs and is the sixth-generation luxury model from Alpina.

If you think the new 2020 BMW 7-Series grille is too big, but you still want the car, then why not buy the most powerful and fastest version of it so that people don’t have a chance to see your car’s monumental nostrils? That version is the reworked 7-Series called the 2020 Alpina B7. It was just revealed last week in Palm Springs and is touted as the world’s fastest three-box sedan.

I’ve wondered for long - what the heck is a sleeper? Can any of the modern performance-laden cars be sleepers? I think it’s possible, but only if you inject it with a proper amount of power. This time I am referring to a rather unusual entry in the world of modified cars - the Carbonfiber Dynamics BMW M5 Estate - an Estate with a power greater than that of a Porsche 918 Spyder. Yup, this BMW M5 Estate has an engine under its bonnet with 900 horsepower.

The Germans! What can I say!?

The BMW 8 Series goes on sale this month, and prospective owners can already look forward to a wealth of ways to modify the luxury grand tourer that steps in to replace the 6 Series. One such option comes from Prior Design who proposes an outlandish body kit.

Now that we’ve seen how both the coupe and the convertible 8 Series looks like, it’s time to let the tuners do their thing and rework the car’s appearance. One of the first to do just that is Prior Design who previews a wide body design for the grand tourer that enhances the car’s already menacing look. To top things off, they decided a vivid red would be the best color for it.