Luxury

The BMW 8 Series Convertible has arrived, and with its arrival comes a lot of questions regarding how it compares to the model it’s effectively replacing: the departed 6 Series Convertible. To be clear, the 8 Series Convertible isn’t a direct-line successor to the 6 Series Convertible. It’s packaged as a true-born flagship, developed to compete against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and, in some ways, the Aston Martin DB11 Volante. You can’t say the same thing about the 6 Series Cabriolet. Still, even if there’s no direct connection between the two, it’s hard not to think of one without thinking of the other. So, we lined them up together to see how the 8 Series Convertible and the 6 Series Convertible compare to each other.

The original Bullitt Mustang is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and, while that’s going on, a brand-new sixth-generation Mustang with the Bullitt package headed for the emblematic Isle of Man to tackle the TT course. Yes, that idolized ribbon of road.

Held annually in May or June for over a century, the Isle of Man TT races, where TT stands for Tourist Trophy, are arguably the most dangerous races you can attend. Year in and year out, riders dabble on the edge of disaster and disaster does strike some of them. That’s because the TT is run on the B-roads that go around the picturesque Isle of Man.

The whole road course stretches over 37 miles and, along the way, you encounter hills, jumps, dips, houses, towns, just about everything you can imagine. There’s no room for error and, in spite of that, the current lap record translates to an astounding 135 mph average speed. Ford took a 2019 Mustang Bullitt to the island for its latest installment in the series that talks about Europe’s greatest driving roads.

Keep on reading to learn more about the way the Mustang Bullitt faired around the Isle of Man

BMW is currently inviting automotive journos over to Portugal where it has organized a launch event for its all-new Z4 roadster and, if you’re like us, you’re edging in your seat to know what it’s like to drive. Those who took part in the launch venue got to drive the car both on Portugal’s famed Estoril track, as well as some of the country’s twisty mountain roads with extremely smooth tarmac.

BMW’s 3-Series Gran Turismo is the other practical variant in the 3-Series lineup for those who don’t want to buy the wagon. It actually has more carrying capacity than the load lugger, and unmatched passenger room, as well as a hatchback design, so you can load big items into the back fairly easily.

It’s really the amount of interior space that impresses in the 3 GT, a car that is nowhere near as popular as it should be because, from my experience with it, there’s actually a lot to like, and it has a bit of a lovable character. Comfort levels are very high, especially if you avoid the harder suspension of the M sport pack (which apparently ruins the ride quality), and opt for the standard setup with adaptive dampers - it is the most comfortable 3-Series you can buy by quite some margin.

Design and styling may not be to everybody’s taste, certainly, but the fact that it has a bit of extra ground clearance over a regular 3-Series and the fact that it’s slightly taller overall, doesn’t negatively affect the way it looks. I think that for a halfway model whose aim is to convince you not to buy an actual crossover or SUV, it looks more than adequate and for some reason better in person than the 6-Series Gran Turismo - its larger and more expensive 5-Series-based brother.

In the 330i xDrive Luxury spec I tested, it was motivated by a turbocharged four-cylinder which is easily powerful enough for lively acceleration and not terrible on fuel. I wouldn’t call it explicitly sporty, but it is miles better to throw around a twisty road than, say, the BMW X3, which just feels tall and cumbersome by comparison.

BMW is probably not going to make a follow-up model for this 3 GT, due to its low appeal in these crossover crazed times. That means a few years down the line it will be even less of a common sight so as time progresses people may start looking for these as a rare, slightly oddball model, but one with excellent daily driver credentials.

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.

Ever since BMW entered the SUV market with the X5 back in 1999, enthusiasts have been clamoring for the Germans to produce a pickup truck. Now that Mercedes-Benz is offering the X-Class, a BMW-badged truck seems to make more sense. With the flagship X7 unveiled a few weeks ago, we can’t help but wonder whether BMW should consider a truck version at last.

After years of rumors regarding an entry-level R8 model fitted with a smaller turbocharged engine, we now know for a fact that Audi’s fledging supercar will only be available with the naturally-aspirated V-10 that we’re all familiar with.

Ever since a leaked image supposedly showcasing Audi’s release schedule over the next couple of years hit the internet, people have been talking about the possibility of a more affordable model to complete the range. Since the arrival of the second-generation R8, back in 2015, Audi dropped the V-8 engine option the R8 originally had at its core.

Now, with most manufacturers choosing forced induction to minimize the size of their engines and the number of cylinders, the R8 would have been a likely suspect of receiving this treatment in the near future.

The Chevrolet Impala was rejuvenated again for 1961, officially the year when the third generation rolled into production. Chevy’s flagship full-size model was now entirely modern and, more importantly, an SS version became available.

The Impala debuted in 1958 as the top trim level for the Bel Air known as the Bel Air Impala. 1958 was the year of GM’s 50th anniversary, and the Bel Air Impala was the anniversary Chevrolet model. It featured different styling compared to lesser Bel Airs and people bought into it. So much so that, only one year later, the Impala became a model of its own - which is now considered the second generation Impala.

The 1961 Impala was still based on the B-body platform and sat on an X-frame chassis without side rails that were said to improve rigidity and lower the center of gravity. It had already been in use for two years on the previous Impala iteration. The new car came as a Hardtop 2-door Coupe, a Convertible, a 2-door Sedan, a 4-door Sedan, and a 4-door Station Wagon.

BMW recently lifted the veil off its all-new 2019 Z4 roadster, the sixth-generation Z model (or third-gen Z4) and the most visually striking one yet. However, unlike with the first-gen Z4, this one will get neither a hardtop coupe version nor a hot Z4 M variant.

For the first time ever, the 8 Series will spawn an M8 version. We know it’s coming, we’ve seen it in concept form, and also as a race car. We still don’t know too many details about the drivetrain, but BMW just released a bit of information and more photos of a camouflaged car.

Thirteen years after departing the mid-size luxury SUV scene, the Lincoln Aviator is all set for its comeback as the production model takes center stage at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. The production version’s debut comes eight months after Lincoln introduced the concept version at the New York Auto Show. Once it arrives, the Aviator will slot between the Nautilus and the range-topping Navigator in Lincoln’s SUV lineup.

Some cars’ warning tones for leaving a door ajar, the headlights on, or low fuel can be downright annoying and sometimes startling. I know the low fuel warning in my mid-2000’s Ford gives me chills when I’m not expecting to hear it, and it’s a problem shared with newer Fords whose chimes can be quite annoying. But for its premium Lincoln brand, the Blue Oval has chosen to record actual musicians playing actual instruments and the result is a much better and more soothing one.

Hennessey is at it again with another demented tuning creation, this time for the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Apparently, the Texas-based tuner isn’t satisfied with an SUV that already boasts 707 horsepower. So in keeping with its identity as a creator of tuning programs that border on insanity, Hennessey dropped the mother lode on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, turning it into a 1,200-horsepower monster that’s capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in a jaw-dropping 2.3 seconds on its way to a quarter-mile time of 9.66 seconds @ 145 mph.

The new BMW M3 is on its way, as confirmed in a recent rash of spy shots that show the Bavarian rocket ship out for a spot of testing at the Nürburgring. For now, though, specifics aren’t quite nailed down, with the question of two pedals or three providing one of the biggest question marks of them all. Luckily for those of us who prefer a manual, it’s looking like Bimmer isn’t quite ready to ditch the stick shift.

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.

This is the battle of the heavyweights... quite literally. If there’s anything scarier than seeing two huge beasts on the road, it is seeing them race each other. Well, that is exactly what we will be doing here. We will be pitting two of the most luxurious SUVs on the market today, and the brands’ biggest offering as well in terms of size – the 2019 BMW X7 and the 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS.

Tesla has been changing Model 3 prices very frequently lately. In its latest change, the automaker has added the $5,000 performance upgrade package as standard equipment on the top-trim of the Model 3 without any increase in the price. This time, the change is a good thing!

Six months after the 8 Series Coupe dropped at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, BMW has revealed the hotly anticipated 8 Series Convertible, and long story short, it’s quite the looker! YouTube personality Shmee150 got a chance to get up close and personal with the latest topless Bavarian hotrod and documented the experience in this 10-minute, 46-second walkaround video.