Archive for the 'BMW M' Category

BMW M 1

Published on November 18, 2009 in 1 Series, BMW 1 Series and BMW M. 0 Comments Tags: , .

BMW M 1

Successive generations of the BMW M3 have come a long way since the original, with a skyrocketing curb weight and an ever-climbing price tag. The new M3 GTS may have done a lot to counter the former, although sadly it only further escalated the latter. But enthusiasts take heart, because someone’s on the case. Fortunately, that someone is Dr. Kay Segler, head of Munich’s famous M division.

According to reports, Segler and his team are pushing the beancounters to give them the authorization to make an M-tuned 1 Series. While the twin-turbo 135i is touted by many as a closer successor to the original M3 than the current M3, he feels there’s more that can be done.

Unfortunately, Segler is talking about the next-generation 1 Series, so even if approved, it’d be a while before any future M-tuned 1 hits the road. If and when it does, however, it could take aim at the Audi S3 with a 330-horsepower version of the Bavarian automaker’s new TwinPower engine. As for naming schemes, they may have to get a little creative to avoid confusion with the original M1 supercar.

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Lumma Design BMW M5 730 HP

Published on November 10, 2009 in BMW M, BMW M5, BMW Tuner, BmwM5, BmwTuner, Lumma Design, Lumma Design BMW M5, Lumma Design CLR 730 RS, LummaDesign, LummaDesignBmwM5, LummaDesignClr730Rs and M5. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Lumma Design BMW M5 730 HP
With its latest creation, the CLR 730 RS, it seems that Lumma Design is making a play for the title of Europe’s most garish tuner. However, this two-tone widebody BMW M5 is actually subtle compared to previous Lumma Design models, and we think the title still firmly remains with Mansory.

So what’s special about the CLR 730 RS? For starters, 730 horsepower. The 50% increase in chutzpah comes from a set of twin-superchargers courtesy of G-Power, and Lumma Design claims an impressive top speed of 228 mph. Additional performance upgrades come in the form of a sport suspension, six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes, and an upgraded exhaust system.

The candy cane interior of the CLR 730 RS is even more over-the-top than the outside, with a combination of carbon fiber, leather, and suede. It’s not really our style, but we would probably be more accepting of it in a more subtle color.

BMW with six-cylinder Concept 6 motorcycle

Published on November 10, 2009 in BMW, bmw concept 6, BMW M, BmwConcept6, concept 6, Concept6, eicma, eicma 2009, Eicma2009, Motorcycle, plants and video. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .



BMW is known the world over for its excellent brand of inline-six cylinder powerplants. In most cases, those supremely smooth and powerful engines power the German company’s cars and trucks. Apparently, that won’t always be the case, though, as BMW has just revealed its new Concept 6 motorcycle at the EICMA Show in Milan.

As the name implies, the Concept 6 boasts an engine with six cylinders, and the best news is that the mill is destined for a new production model in the near future. Expect to see a replacement for the long-running LT series of touring bikes, bringing BMW more in line with the standard-setting Goldwing from Honda.

Looking at the actual concept itself, the chassis appears to be heavily based on the current production K-Series unit, and the powerplant is tilted at the same 55-degree angle as the current four-cylinder. Bodywork is suitable for concept duty, with a futuristic take on the old-school Cafe Racer look.

BMW’s being a bit coy at the moment, suggesting that it makes as much horsepower as the current 1.3-liter four (over 150, to be sure) and as much torque as any other motorcycle engine in production with a stout 96 lb-ft at 2,000 RPM.

BMW teases new 5 Series sedan

Published on November 9, 2009 in 2010 bmw, 5 Series, 525i, 530i, 535i, 550i, 5Series, Bimmer, BMW, BMW M, BMW Museum, luxury, sedan, spy, spy shot, spy shots and video. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .



We knew that BMW’s pivotal 5 Series was slated for replacement soon, and we’ve seen plenty of spy shots to prove that it’s in the cards. Up until just now, however, we didn’t know when it would appear.

In a brief press release available after the jump, BMW promises that its new 5 Series will be revealed with a “Live-Stream of the unveiling ceremony” on November 23 at 8pm CET. In the meantime, the automaker has released a teaser video of an amazing kinetic sculpture at the BMW Museum that gives away the car’s outline.

BMW M3 GTS is here!

Published on November 4, 2009 in Bimmer, BMW, BMW M, BMW M3, bmw m3 csl, bmw m3 gt, bmw m3 gt4, bmw m3 gt4 street, bmw m3 gts, BmwM3, BmwM3Csl, BmwM3Gt, BmwM3Gt4, BmwM3Gt4Street, BmwM3Gts, breaking, coupe, csl, m3, m3 csl, m3 gt, m3 gt4, m3 gt4 street, m3 gts, M3Csl, M3Gt, M3Gt4, M3Gt4Street, M3Gts, performance, spy, spy shots and video. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .



The eye-catching orange paintjob is a throwback to extreme Bimmers of yore. But after you look past the timely Halloween color scheme, you’ll notice a set of exclusive 19-inch competition alloys – coated with 225/35 rubber up front and 285/30 in the rear – protruding out of the bulging bodywork, housing six-piston calipers up front and four in the rear and mounted to yellow springs and an adjustable suspension. You can hardly miss the giant front splitter and rear wing protruding from either end, and the interior’s been stripped down with contoured racing buckets, an emergency cut-off switch and a fire extinguisher taking the place of the air-con, nav and radio, along with mounting points for a roll cage and six-point harnesses and a Macrolon rear windscreen to replace the stock glass, helping the M3 GTS tip the scales at just 1490 kg (3285 lbs), some 419 lbs less than the stock M3 coupe’s 3704-lb curb weight.

First deliveries are scheduled to begin in Germany next May, carrying a sticker price of 115,000 euros (about $170k) before taxes. Official engine specs haven’t been released, but we’re still looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower from an enlarged 4.4-liter V8, driving through the Bavarian automaker’s 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

$170k BMW M3 GT/GT4 Street

Published on November 3, 2009 in Bimmer, BMW, bmw csl, BMW M, BMW M3, bmw m3 csl, bmw m3 gt, bmw m3 gt4, bmw m3 gt4 street, bmw motorsport, BmwCsl, BmwM, BmwM3, BmwM3Csl, BmwM3Gt, BmwM3Gt4, BmwM3Gt4Street, BmwMotorsport, coupe, csl, m csl, m3, m3 csl, m3 gt, m3 gt4, m3 gt4 street, M3Csl, M3Gt, M3Gt4, M3Gt4Street, M5, MCsl, Motorsport, Nurburgring, performance, spy and spy shots. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .


The former turned out to be a one-of-a-kind special. But details on the latter are beginning to circulate, and they look promising. Firstly, sources suggest that the model won’t wear the CSL designation at all, and instead be labeled either M3 GT or M3 GT4 Street, in reference to the homologated racing version.

First, the good stuff: the engine is tipped to be tuned in the neighborhood of 450 horsepower, give or take, driven exclusively through the 7-speed dual clutch transmission with no manual expected to be on offer. Stopping power is anticipated to come from Brembo 6-piston calipers up front and 4-pots in the rear gripping slotted steel discs, and while carbon-ceramics may be on the options list, the jury’s still out on when BMW will roll out the production version of its F1-derived Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a.k.a. regenerative braking. Recaro buckets and the removal of the rear seats should help the M3 GT (or whatever it will be called) shed some 220 lbs of weight, sitting 25mm lower on BBS alloys mounted to a Sachs suspension with standard roll bars.

The prototype is said to have already lapped the Nurburgring in 7:40, with testing still underway in France. Targeting the Porsche 911 GT3, the hard-core M3 will be extremely limited in production – possibly as few as 25 examples annually – available directly from BMW Motorsport but certified for road use – at a price point hovering around 110,000 euros ($172k). Unfortunately, the signs suggest that it won’t be making the transatlantic voyage Stateside.

BMW E39 M5 Wagon

Published on November 1, 2009 in BMW, BMW E39 M5 Touring, BMW E39 M5 Wagon, BMW M, BMW M5, BMW M5 Touring, BMW M5 Wagon, BmwE39M5Touring, BmwE39M5Wagon, BmwM5, BmwM5Touring, BmwM5Wagon, convertible, coupe, E39 M5, E39 M5 Touring, E39 M5 Wagon, E39M5, E39M5Touring, E39M5Wagon, luxury, M5, M5 Convertible, M8 and performance. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .


It seems to be raining apocryphal BMW M cars that have been sitting in cold storage. And in a way, it has! On Thursday, we saw the mind-boggling, hyper-cool E34 M5 Convertible that BMW stashed away for twenty long years. Today’s car isn’t nearly as crypto (meaning we’ve seen pictures of it before), but in a way it’s much, much cooler.

We posited that perhaps the E34 M5 is in fact the best M car of all. Well, here’s the truth — the E39 M5 is the one we want, hands down, 100%. We were just waxing poetical. E39 M5, every time over here, boss. Why? With that big fat 400 horsepower V8 and those conservative duds, the E39 is still the ultimate M sleeper. Er, that is, it would be if not for the E39 M5 Wagon.

Yes that’s right, an M Wagon. Many of you who bothered to click through the E34 M5 convertible gallery noticed the M5 Wagon (or “Touring” as BMW calls the 5-door in a lame attempt to mask its wagonness) just sitting there. We were going to say something, but, you know how it is — pics or it didn’t happen. Anyhoo, the story goes that BMW wanted to build the E39 M5 Wagon but some issue with the rear axle misbehaving led them to decide that the car just wouldn’t be up to M Division snuff. And the plug was pulled.

So there you have it. And now we come to the part in the story where we come fully clean and admit that the M Coupe is our actual favorite ever M car. Unless that M8 shows its face…

BMW looking at cheaper 5 Series Gran Turismo

Published on October 27, 2009 in 5 Series, 5 Series GT, 5-seriesGt, 535i, 535iGT, 550i, 550iGT, 5Series, 5SeriesGt, Bimmer, BMW, BMW diesel, BMW Gran turismo, BMW Grand Turismo, BMW M, BMW Motorsports, BMW wagon, BmwDiesel, BmwGrandTurismo, BmwGranTurismo, BmwM, BmwMotorsports, BmwWagon, diesel, Gran Turismo, Grand Turismo, GrandTurismo, GranTurismo, M-technik and Motorsport. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .



The famed automotive pot-stirrers at Autocar are at it again. According to two blurbs from the UK publication, BMW’s new 5 Series Gran Turismo may spawn at least one less costly, less powerful variant, but a high-performance M version is apparently off the table.

On the fuel and financial economy front, Bimmer is reportedly considering adding four-cylinder powerplants to the controversial new five-door, including the 175 bhp diesel from the 320d. A twin-turbo diesel may also be in the cards. The fear here is that the premium-priced 5GT may in fact be priced too aggressively, as it stickers above a comparable 5 Series Touring model. In any case, we don’t expect to see the less-powerful diesel Stateside, although we wouldn’t be terribly suprised if the company chose to shoehorn in something like the twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel already on offer in the 335d.

On the M side of the equation, Autocar says that the gasoline V8-powered 550i will remain the pinnacle of the range, as BMW has “ruled out” a M-Technik variant. Given that BMW has recently seen fit to move M beyond traditional cars (see: X5 and X6) and that these higher performance models often have thicker margins attached, this strikes us as somewhat curious decision – especially as the 5GT figures to be the most dynamically promising of the bunch. This source also doesn’t jibe with what we heard from BMW officials just last month when we drove the car in Portugal. At that time, the official line was that no decision had been made, but knowing glances and meek smiles seemed to indicate that things looked good for the model.