2018 BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo Preview

BY CHRISTIAN WARDLAW - JD Power

Fast Facts:

• Replacement for 5 Series Gran Turismo
• Offered as the 640i xDrive with a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine
• 5-door hatchback and a roomy interior with seating for 5 and up to 65 cu. ft. of cargo space
• Numerous luxury, performance, safety, and technology features
• Pricing starts at just over $70,000

Introduction
With the existing 6 Series lineup winding down in advance of the introduction of the new 8 Series, BMW is replacing the 5 Series Gran Turismo with the new 2018 6 Series Gran Turismo. When it goes on sale, it will be offered as the 640i xDrive at a starting price of $70,695, including the destination charge.

Exterior Features
The 6 Series Gran Turismo sits up higher than the 5 Series on which it is based and uses what BMW characterizes as a “coupe-inspired” 5-door hatchback body style to provide extra passenger and cargo carrying capability.

Sport design trim is standard, along with adaptive LED headlights, active grille shutter system, and an active rear spoiler. Wheel designs range from 19 ins. to 21 ins. in diameter.

Interior Features
BMW says that the 6 Series Gran Turismo supplies roomy and comfortable seating for 5 adults.

Compared with a 5 Series sedan the seating positions are higher, improving entry and exit, aiding outward visibility, and cultivating what BMW calls an “imperious driving experience.” Compared with the old 5 Series Gran Turismo, the replacement model adds soundproofing measures to quiet the interior.

Standard equipment includes leather sport seats with adjustable side bolsters, automatic climate control, ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof, and a navigation system. A hands-free power tailgate is standard, too, and when the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats are powered down the 6 Series Gran Turismo holds 65 cu. ft. of cargo.

Optional Features
BMW has detailed three main option packages including Luxury, M Sport, and Driving Assistant Plus. Details for the latter package are provided in the Safety section below.

The Luxury package adds extra chrome trim and power-reclining rear seats, among other improvements. The M Sport package installs a sportier look, and itself can be enhanced with a Dynamic Handling package. That upgrade installs a 4-corner air suspension, active steering including rear-wheel steering, active roll stabilization, Comfort + driving mode, and an intelligently networked adaptive driving mode.

In addition to these features, 6 Series Gran Turismo buyers can enhance the car with quilted Nappa leather, multi-contour front seats, active seat ventilation, front-seat massage function, and a Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system with 1,400 watts of power and 16 speakers.

Under the Hood
The new 6 Series Gran Turismo is equipped with a turbocharged, 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine, an 8-speed sport automatic transmission with paddle shifters, and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The engine makes 335 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque, the latter available from 1,380 rpm to 5,200 rpm. The result is acceleration to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, according to BMW.

Driving Dynamics Control is standard, equipping the car with Eco Pro, Comfort, and Sport driving modes. BMW has also intelligently networked the transmission and automatic engine start/stop systems to, under certain conditions, use navigation route data to anticipate operational requirements for maximum effectiveness and efficiency.

Safety
Every BMW 640i xDrive Gran Turismo is equipped with a reversing camera, park-assist sensors, and the company’s Active Driving Assistant technology. Active Driving Assistant includes forward-collision warning with daytime pedestrian detection and low-speed automatic emergency braking, active blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-departure warning.

The Driving Assistant Plus package adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and a traffic-jam assistant, active lane-keeping assist, side-collision avoidance, front cross-traffic alert, and Evasion Aid corrective steering. Notably, the traffic-jam assistant and active lane-keeping assist allow for hands-free driving for as long as 50 seconds, BMW says.

Technology
Equipped with BMW’s next-generation iDrive 6.0 infotainment system, the new 6 Series Gran Turismo features a freestanding, 10.25-in. touch-screen display with a tile menu layout, natural-voice recognition, gesture control, and Apple CarPlay smartphone-projection technology.

A navigation system is also standard in the new Gran Turismo 6 Series and includes car-to-car communication capabilities to convey specific road conditions to nearby BMWs that may encounter them. On-street parking information and advanced real-time traffic are also included.

BMW Connected personal mobility assistant and ConnectedDrive services are also standard for the 6 Series Gran Turismo. Highlights include BMW Accident Assistance with Intelligent Emergency Call enhanced by vehicle location and accident severity reporting. With the car’s available Display Key upgrade, an owner can see their vehicle and its surroundings from their smartphone using a BMW Connected App.

Optional technology features include a new head-up display with a 75% larger projection area, surround-view camera system with 3-D view, and BMW Night Vision. Parking Assistant technology works for parallel, perpendicular, and angled parking spaces, and with the Display Key option BMW’s Remote Control Parking system allows the driver to put the car into a tight space while standing outside of the vehicle.

Watch The Historical BMW Art Car Series Enter The Virtual World

By Nargess Banks - Forbes

A BMW M6 GT3 racecar appears on stage, cloaked in matt carbon black. The audience aim their smartphones at the number 18 on the car and through an app project colorful light swishes onto its surface. The augmented reality technology transforms the M6 into other-worldly shapes for a moving, dancing sculpture in virtuality. Meet the latest BMW Art Car #18. If this sounds like the most surreal Art Car to date, then that’s because it is.

The multimedia artist behind this latest project is one of China’s rising stars, Cao Fei. Following the contributions by art world royalties Jeff Koons and John Baldessari, at 39 Fei is also the youngest and the first Chinese artist to be involved in the series. The unique BMW Art Car project started life in 1975 when racing driver Hervé Poulain casually asked his artist friend Alexander Calder to paint a 3.0 CSL which he subsequently raced at Le Mans. Since, the paintbrush of some of the most notable names in art history have stroked BMW racecars, with all but one competing on the international racing scene. Watching a work of art race towards the finish line can be sensational.

There have been some incredible contributions – who can forget the Koons M3 GT2 in its riot of colors racing at the Le Mans in 2010. Yet until now none have attempted to take the car into virtual space. A decade ago, artist Olafur Eliasson made an ecological statement by removing the wheels from his Art Car, but Cao has taken a greater leap by using the occasion to make a statement on the second life of the automobile – the clean, multi-functioning, digitalized, autonomous vehicle. Simultaneously, she is narrating the dazzling speed of China’s evolution.

Cao’s work is presented in three layers - a short film titled ‘Unmanned’, the carbon black racecar and a free app that employs both virtual and augmented reality - all to be seen simultaneously for a theatrical and interactive experience. Unmanned (well worth seeing for its cinematic brilliance and soundtrack Gosh by Jamie xx) sees a time-travelling monk leave a tranquil hilltop, setting off by foot toward a nameless megacity passing fragments of modern China - mass construction of soulless high rises, super highways with their endless traffic, giant advertising billboards, a factory car park with row upon row of identical cars.

He approaches the black M6 GT3, puts on a VR headset and executes spiritual movements, which echo in colorful streams of light. The monk’s dance is paying tribute to the traditional Asian spiritual ceremony of blessing a new object, here the racecar and driver. The light elements mirror what the eyes cannot see and the mind may not picture. In the real world, when the app is used within the premises of the car, these light swishes become an AR installation floating above and around the car. We, the spectator, therefore become an interactive participant. This is art as experience.

Cao was chosen by an independent jury that includes some of the world’s most notable gallery directors, but it took some convincing the BMW board members in Munich. “It wasn’t easy for the company to go ahead with this car,” admits Thomas Girst, head of BMW Group cultural engagement. “The Art Car project was always about celebrating the artwork and racing – it wasn’t about autonomous flying cars! But it felt like a natural development of the series.” The jury too were unanimously in favor of Cao. Richard Armstrong, director Guggenheim Museum New York, says: “She is a very courageous choice because of her capacity to make parallel universes.”

One of the premises behind the Art Car project is to allow the artists complete creative freedom, that is as long as they don’t mess with the body weight or aerodynamics of the racecar, says Girst. In Cao’s case the challenge was to find a surface that would work with augmented reality technology. The only way this could function effectively is on a non-reflective matt color - reflective surfaces simply cannot be picked up by the algorithm. Cao says: “I needed the darkest of shades so when the color appears with the AR you only see the shadow of the car.”

The artist is very much from the digital age. She has a prominent presence in Second Life and says she views the machine as human. You can sense her comfort within the virtual world. “When looking at the boundaries between the virtual and real world my answer is light, something visible and something invisible. To me, light represents thoughts. As the speed of thoughts cannot be measured, the Art Car questions the existence of the boundaries of the human mind.”

She offers: “We are entering a new age, where the mind directly controls objects and where thoughts can be transferred, such as unmanned operations and artificial intelligence. Which attitudes and temperaments hold the key to opening the gateway to the new age?”

The artist is also from a generation born into a modern China. Her father was a prominent socialist realist sculptor who created busts of heroes and political figures. In contrast, the young Cao was raised in Guangzhou, a city close to Hong Kong and one of the first to experience Westernization in the 1980s. She admits her work takes a great deal from witnessing China’s rapid development. This, alongside a childhood observing her father’s more traditional work, has helped inform her art work.

“Being from the new generation, I could see this new China and you can see these contradictions in the development of my work.” She admits there are constraints working as an artist in China but that “swimming along is a Chinese skill,” she smiles. “My father was expressing the idea of restrictions within restrictions. For me virtuality is a means to express myself, to understand reality which is what I’m interested in. We are living in an age of rapid technology and in this context, we need to know that virtuality has changed the way reality works. And to do this we need to be part of it,” she says. “Here I want to convey a message to the younger generation by using an app. This kind of interaction is crucial for me.”

The romance of the motor car, that historical and emotional connection, has little value in China. Cars for mass consumption is a relatively new concept here and I cannot help wonder if, in much the same way Cao is so comfortable in the digital world, the second life of cars which we conceptually perhaps struggle with in Europe, feels like a natural evolution to her. China’s dazzling development, whereby city maps have to be reconfigured every six months, leaves little time for the romance of contemplation.

As BMW continues to reposition itself as a tech firm, exploring cars that are advanced mobile tech gadgets, I ask the artist if she is aware that her car is expressing this vision. “Today, it isn’t enough to use a brush to paint but we need to go beyond aesthetic values,” she offers. “The monk in the film is travelling from past to the future through different spaces. It is about past, present and future, but also reality and virtuality. Image can give energy to cars because this kind of energy cannot be expressed in language. These images can showcase our vision for the future automobile.”

The eighteenth BMW Art Car has taken three years from initial concept during which time Cao, who doesn’t hold a driving license, had a racing experience in Switzerland that greatly informed her work, as well as spent time at the BMW headquarters working closely with the engineers and digital specialists.

A virtual experience of the #18 Art Car will be on display during Art Basel later this month. Most importantly, BMW racing driver Augusto Farfus will take the M6 GT3 on the track at FIA FT World Cup in Macau in November. The team admit that they are working on how to project the AR on a car moving at such speed. Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport director, says the project perfectly suits this era. “The augmented reality experience makes this unique, making the tradition of BMW Art Cars livelier than ever.”

The BMW M2 at Lime Rock: Still the Coupe du Jour

By Lawrence Ulrich - The Drive

I want a BMW M2 Coupe. So does everyone else, apparently.

After falling for this tough little bugger at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last year, I had another go-round with the brilliant, 365-horsepower M2 at Lime Rock Park this spring. After trading hot laps with deputy editor Josh Condon on a picture-perfect afternoon in woodsy northern Connecticut, I drove the M2 home to Brooklyn where our day had started. Having had my fill of speed at the historic circuit—including some enjoyably pointless drifting on a wet skidpad—I settled into a southbound convoy with Condon’s Lexus RC F. The M2 flowed from bend to bend on Route 7, in an apparent synchronized swim with the wide Housatonic River. Fast, slow, or in-between, the BMW never missed a beat.

It felt bad to bid this M2 goodbye, a sure sign of a car that's wormed its way into my brain and heart. I dropped the BMW at a Newark airport lot en route to another famous track: Imola, where I drove the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, not far from the company’s headquarters and factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese. (Check back for a full Performante review next week). Now, the M2 won’t wring out the Nürburgring like the record-setting Huracan. But it doesn’t cost $275,000, either. And like Lambo’s track-day special, you can drive this BMW from your own neighborhood to any road course and back home again, for a starting price of $52,695. 

In sharp contrast to most BMWs, there are only three factory options, two of them included on my test car: A seven-speed, dual-clutch DCT automatic transmission for $2,900, and a $1,250 Executive Package that adds heated seats, a rear-view camera, ultrasonic rear parking sensors and BMW’s Active Driving Assistant. (Metallic paint, in blue, gray or black, adds another $550.) Grand total for my tester: $56,845.

The ever-playful M2 awaits its turn on the Slip 'N Slide skidpad at Lime Rock

Between the relatively attainable price, compact footprint, and endorphin-boosting performance, the M2 has made folks nostalgic for the good old days of BMW. Adopting the ultra-wide front and rear axles of the M3 and M4, the BMW looks menacing without being overly macho and bulked up. Its dramatic, wing-shaped front air dam slips along the pavement like some graceful manta ray. This M2 is actually 8.2 inches shorter than the classic E46 M3 model, but 2.5 inches wider. 19-inch forged wheels are stuffed into those provocatively flared wheel arches, their black finish creating a stark, handsome contrast with my test car’s Alpine White paint.

The BMW is stiffly sprung, but not so stiff that I couldn’t drive it every damn day, even in the Boschian hellpits of New York. (You want to ooze down the road? Get a Lexus ES300.) The M2 is actually a perfect city car. It's small enough to park anywhere; stylish enough to turn heads and spark compliments from and conversations with Bimmer fans; and just practical enough for airport and grocery runs. When the front occupants kindly eased forward an inch or two, we even made room in back for six-foot-tall adults. Some drivers grouse about the upright driving position, but I love the BMW’s at-the-ready stance, which reminds me of a VW GTI.

If I had my druthers, I’d save $2,900 and Choose Life in the form of the optional six-speed, rev-matching manual transmission. But on Lime Rock’s short, flowing track, where preserving momentum is the difference between a fast lap and the back of the pack, the DCT automatic—including its tactile, perfectly-situated metal paddle shifters—made it easy to get shifting done before key corner entries, while keeping my concentration fully on steering and braking. I’d describe the rear limited-slip differential as a benign kick in the pants, though it’s more a boot to individual butt cheeks: The BMW’s slip-sensing computer sends the lion’s share of torque to a single inside rear wheel to help chew your way out of corners.

And how efficient is the M Division’s beefed-up 3.0-liter six, with its whirring twin-scroll turbocharger? Fire up the computerized launch control, which eschews the tail-happy, rubber-torching drama of the M3 and M4 launch programs, and the automatic M2 snarls from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the manual version. Both numbers are just 0.1 seconds behind a Corvette Stingray, which would seem to have the M2 whipped on paper. The Chevy boasts 95 additional horses, a bit less weight, and nearly double the displacement from its big pushrod V-8.

On Lime Rock’s 1.5 miles of roller-coaster plummets and curves, the BMW’s engine spins like Sean Spicer in the bushes. The inline six zings past 7,000 rpm and emits an expensive-sounding snarl through a quartet of exhaust outlets. The single turbocharger helps wind up 343 pound-feet of torque with virtually no trace of lag. Stand on the gas to access 369 pound-feet for short bursts through a turbo overboost function. As with any modern performer, the electrically assisted steering can’t quite match the pure fidelity of an old hydraulic unit. But it’s still damn good, with just enough road (or track) feedback trickling in through the chunky M steering wheel.

In the pit lane of Lime Rock, its 60th anniversary banners flashing from a pedestrian bridge, Condon and I switched back-and-forth into the driver’s seat. I peered into the BMW’s front wheels, where M Compound brakes are working overtime, to look for any traces of smoke. Not even close. Those all-day-strong brakes include blue-painted, four-piston front calipers, with aluminum hubs to trim unsprung weight. As a full-fledged M Car, the M2 also gets extra protection for its internal components. Sling the BMW into corners—or pitch it sideways on the skidpad like an especially spoiled teenager—its modified oil sump and suction system provides reliable lubrication in situations where g-forces might starve a lesser car. Ditto for the extra radiator, and a secondary transmission cooler for the DCT automatic version.

More than a year after my Monterey drive, M2 resale values are increcibly strong.

The only real bummer is a surprisingly hefty curb weight of 3,450 pounds, rising to 3,505 with the DCT gearbox. That’s just 80 fewer pounds than the larger M4 Coupe. Yet the M2 feels notably more sprightly and entertaining than its big brother. And for roughly $25,000 less than a well-equipped M4 , there’s no question which one I’d rather own.

The catch, of course, is getting your hands on an M2 for something near sticker price—a hard task, between dealer markups and the constrained production of the Leipzig, Germany factory whose output also includes the electrified i3 and i8 models.

As ever, Internet resellers tend to be optimistic, sometimes wildly so, about what their cars are actually worth. But it’s clear that there are no bargains to be had on an M2, new or used. TrueCar's data shows that owners are paying about $1,100 above sticker price, on average, for a 2017 M2, or about $3,500 above dealer invoice. Nearly 14 months after the 2016 M2 went on sale, specimens with roughly 5,000 to 12,000 miles are being listed online for roughly original sticker price, or even a few thousand dollars above. 

Owners and dealers of especially low-mileage 2016 versions are seeking about $60,000 to $64,000, for cars that maxed out at $57,000 on the sticker. And caretakers of 2017 models seem to believe their M2’s are appreciating Ferraris, seeking roughly $70,000 to $80,000 in online ads. (For that price, I’d just give up and buy a Porsche Cayman S.) Most grievously, some outfit called Century West BMW in Universal City, California is touting a 2017 M2 with 12 miles on the odometer for $105,435. That ad includes the helpful description of the BMW as “Unobtanium”! At that price, let’s hope it stays that way. Or that a Century West shopper, with a physique to match his sense of injustice, will punch the salesman responsible for setting that price in his opportunistic face—and call it the “visible hand” of the marketplace as he walks away.

Yet the remorseless state of supply-and-demand for the M2 does illustrate the market’s response to the car. The hype was justified, and BMW fans are bowing before this legitimate heir to the vintage BMW 2002ti. 

Bowing-and-scraping is another story, however. Those fans left without cars can only hope that BMW will see its way to building more M2s. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to Century West BMW to do some negotiating. I really think I can talk them down.

Lawrence Ulrich, The Drive’s chief auto critic, is an award-winning auto journalist and former chief auto critic for The New York Times and Detroit Free Press. The Detroit native and Brooklyn gentrifier owns a troubled ’93 Mazda RX-7 R1, but may want to give it a good home.

BMW's newly revealed concept 8 series is a modern-day coupe

Martin Hislop - Designboom

BMW is using this year’s concorso d’eleganza villa d’este—currently getting underway at lake como—to unveil the new ‘concept 8′ series. the design reveal serves as a preview of the forthcoming BMW 8 series coupe, scheduled for launch in 2018. the elegant concept car is instantly recognizable as a BMW in the way it simultaneously showcases new design ideas alongside form-building techniques.

the interplay between the BMW concept ‘8’ series’ long bonnet and flowing roofline brings a sense of motion to the car’s flanks, while the upward sweep of the its trailing edge provides a sharp conclusion to the car’s rearward flow, while adding a sporting flourish. the silhouette of the concept vehicle spreads powerfully over the road. within the silhouette, a clean, dramatic arrangement of surfaces and forms creates a crisp, contemporary look.

skilfully moulded line sources and flowing highlights accentuate the concept ‘8’ series’ athleticism. a greyish-blue exterior paint finish named ‘barcelona grey liquid’ shows off the surfacing to optimum effect. 21 inch light-alloy wheels feature a sporty and exclusive multi-spoke design and aero elements, create visual depth and completes the sense of motion from a standstill.

the concept car’s front end is sporty, low-slung and visually striking. the classic BMW template now has a fresh interpretation, taking the company’s design language in a different direction. a large kidney grille, slim twin headlights and large air intakes form a striking, sporty front-end graphic. drawing inspiration from the company’s coupes of years past, the kidneys are brought together by an unbroken frame to form a single, wide element, emphasizing the dynamic character. super-slim laser headlights, and a hexagonal take on the ‘twin circular’ theme,  brings a focused look to the front end.

the concept’s back features a low, sculptural tail with maximum width-enhancing effect. powerful wheel arches hint at the car’s power and celebrates its rear-wheel drive. the elongated, slim rear lights extend far into the sides and provide a connection between the rear and flanks. the lights take the form of L-shaped blades and project out from the rear, emphasizing the width of the car and its muscular stance on the road. the dark, stylized carbon-fibre diffuser in the lower section of the rear apron adds extra lightness and a sportier feel to the rear graphic. trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes frame the rear section and points to a powerful driving experience.

the interior explores the contrasts between emotion and engineering, dynamic flair and luxury; its form suggests sportiness, while high-quality materials exude exclusivity. the exclusive sports seats are slim in design, a carbon-fibre shell provides the basic structure, and the finest leather makes them the perfect place to sit. the steering wheel features hand-polished aluminum spokes arrowing forward, and red-anodized shift paddles bring the race track to mind. the contrast of aluminum and dark leather on the gripping surfaces emphasizes the sense of sporting-luxur in various details. merino leather in ‘dark’ brown and ‘fjord’ white lends the interior a high-quality ambience. surfaces are clad in carbon fibre and hand-polished aluminium, creating attractive contrasts, while radiating a sporty and technical feel. a faceted ground gearshift lever, plus an ‘iDrive’ controller made from swarovski glass with a smoky quartz look, give the interior some contemporary finishing touches.

First Drive: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive

By Preston Lerner - Road and Track

THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW about the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is that it is not— repeat, not—an M7. In BMW-speak, it's an "M Performance automobile." Translation: It slots into the territory between a standard production car and a performance-optimized M vehicle. M-influenced, rather than M-badged. It's an important distinction, but one that should not get in

the way of the fact that the M760i is the most powerful and expensive vehicle BMW sells. Its twin-turbo V-12 is awesome. That cylinder count still means something, even in the face of increasingly ridiculous and brawny forced-induction engines. Some relevant numbers: 601 hp from 5500 to 6500 rpm, 590 lb-ft of torque starting at 1500 rpm, and a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds.

Are those bragging rights worth the $72,300 premium over an entry-level, six-cylinder 740i? Well, that depends on the size of your investment portfolio. But also on how you look at it: Yes, it's an expensive sedan. The M760i comes off the same assembly line as the 740i. Yet it's the cheapest option in a rarified V-12 market dominated by supercars (Ferrari/Lamborghini/ Pagani/Aston Martin) and wretched-excess mobiles (no fewer than four Rolls-Royces). The M760i also undercuts the price of the V-12-powered Mercedes-AMG S65 by $73,030, although Mercedes still dominates with 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. At the same time, the new Bimmer steals some of the thunder from Audi's autobahn-stormer, the S8 Plus, which boasts 605 hp but a measly eight cylinders.

The 7-series interior, already pretty swell, gets a few upgrades (brushed-aluminum inserts, stainless-steel pedals). Ditto for the exterior, which gets unique bumpers and special gray trim. But the M760i is more of a sleeper than a look-at-me totem. The most obvious sign that this BMW is something special is elegant 20-inch wheels painted in a stylish matte finish.

Of course, it doesn't take much to make a luxury car more luxurious. The real challenge was sharpening the handling of a four-door that weighs as much as a Lincoln Town Car ferrying a couple of drunks. The solution was equipping the M760i with virtually every electronic stability-augmentation system in BMW's toolkit, from adaptive air suspension to electromechanical active roll stabilization.

There's no hiding its heft, but the Bimmer is lighter on its feet than its size would suggest. Turn-in is sharp, and understeer—what you'd expect from a sedan sporting all-wheel drive and a huge engine in the nose—is mild. BMW doesn't bother to promote the silly fiction that the M760i will be used as a track-day plaything. But it is a car that's designed to be driven briskly, and driven briskly it can be.

Still, the Bimmer's raison d'être is that aluminum V-12. The engine, known internally as the N74, debuted in the previous 760Li and, in a different state of tune, can be found in the Rolls-Royce Ghost and its spin-offs. A longer stroke increases the displacement from the previous 7-series' 6.0 liters to 6.6, same as the Rolls-Royces'. Thanks to a relatively straight exhaust, the noise coming out the quad tailpipes makes for a mesmerizing soundtrack.

With so much torque available, BMW says there was no need for a dual-clutch gearbox; the conventional eight-speed ZF automatic works just fine and better fits the car's intended use. Acceleration isn't mind-bending, but it's relentless enough to mash you back into your seat and get you into triple digits before you realize it.

For sure, the speed on tap is addictive. When the turbos spool, the M760i rockets to 155 mph—its electronically limited top speed for North America. Elsewhere in the world, buyers can opt for a so- called M Driver's package that raises the governor to 190 mph.

So, it's not a purebred M machine. But it's more than a prosperous businessperson's workaday ride. Considering the limit market for a car like this, it seems odd that BMW showrooms already offer another hot-rod version of the 7-series. The Alpina B7 xDrive make 600 hp and has a 0-to-60 time of 3.6, yet costs a mer $138,000. A bargain, right? Maybe. With its V-8 engine, the Alpina is fated to play second fiddle to the M760i. Because if you want to be a headliner in this company, only 12 cylinders will do.

Here's your first look at the new 2018 BMW X4

By Joel Stocksdale - Autoblog

The BMW X4 was introduced about three years ago for the 2015 model year, which means we're due for a new version. And that's exactly what we're looking at in these new spy photos. This prototype is sporting surprisingly little camouflage, which reveals that the next X4 will have significant styling differences.

Starting from the front, the headlights have been tapered at each end, and the far corners wrap around the fenders more than the current model. The twin-kidney grille also appears to have been extended farther down the front fascia. The round fog lamps mounted high in the bumper of current X4s seem to have vanished entirely, and the vents in the bumper look as though they may be smaller.

Along the side, the chunky character lines running along the doors and over the rear fenders seem to be gone, or at the very least significantly smoothed out. The front fenders have also picked up little extractor vents like so many other modern BMWs.

The back has been thoroughly revamped, too. The taillights seem to have a similar shape to the current examples, but they look as though they extend farther to the center of the hatch. The license-plate zone is no longer in the middle of the hatch, either. A BMW roundel now occupies that section, while the license plate lurks in the new rear bumper. The bumper now features some plastic mesh to give the appearance of a rear vent, instead of simply being painted gray. The exhaust tips have a new trapezoidal design, too, and they're better integrated with the rear bumper.

The car on this carrier looks like it's probably close to production, considering the usage of just vinyl wrap to hide the design. It wouldn't be surprising if BMW reveals the crossover at the end of this year, possibly at the LA auto show, or next spring. Deliveries would probably follow a few months later.

2018 BMW X5 spotted at Nurburgring

By: Sam Sheehan - AutoCar

A next-generation BMW X5 development car has been spotted being testing at the Nürburgring, showing its new design more clearly.

Earlier development cars have worn adapted versions of the current X5's exterior, but this later sighting shows the car's new bumper and boot lid.

The next-generation X5 will use the same platform as the 7 Series, on the CLAR (cluster architecture) platform. This platform supports steel, aluminium, carbonfibre and magnesium construction, so it's likely there will be a sizeable reduction in weight compared with the lightest of the current X5s, the xDrive35i, which tips the scales at 2030kg. 

A plug-in hybrid X5 will follow the standard X5 sometime after its introduction, as will a performance-orientated, 600bhp-plus X5 M variant. BMW's aim of launching performance variants earlier in the lifecycle of its models means that the X5 M could arrive not long after the regular X5.

Sources close to BMW also report that the next X5 line-up will feature a combination of four, six and eight-cylinder engines. It will launch at roughly the same time as its arch rival, the next Mercedes GLE.

The facelifted version of the current X5, which has been around since 2013, is due to make an appearance in the coming months, when the model is due to have a mid-life refresh.

The X5 will no longer be the flagship of BMW's non-coupé SUV range, when the X7 makes its debut in 2018.

BMW, Shell Unveil Fashion-Forward Hydrogen Fueling Station

By: Christian Gilbertsen - The Drive

A joint collaboration between BMW-owned Designworks and Shell has given us the hydrogen refueling station of the future. Commissioned by Shell, Designworks has created a sleek filling station design that looks like it was lifted straight out of the movie Blade Runner. 

As a hydrogen car driver approaches the refueling station, he or she will be greeted with what BMW calls a "light guidance system" that helps other users clearly see how much remaining fuel time there is, in order to keep the flow of cars moving through the entire refueling station. There's also a screen on the filling apparatus itself that's meant for users to track their own remaining refueling time, the cost of hydrogen, and to check maps and route details.

Sonja Schiefer, Director of the Munich studio of Designworks, said, "Next to enabling product innovation, one of the most important benefits of the Fixstern process is its power to create commitment for a common goal by providing a tangible vision that multiple project partners can work towards."

Of course, one of the main setbacks for the proliferation of hydrogen-powered vehicles is the lack of filling stations altogether—not just the absence of these beautiful, futuristic ones Designworks has come up with. But if and when fuel cell cars become mainstream, at least BMW and Shell seem to have plans to give us cool filling stations for them.

BMW’s plug-in hybrid 530e iPerformance will get wireless charging

By: Darrell Etherington - TechCrunch

BMW revealed its newest electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid called the 530e iPerformance. The variant’s options include a forthcoming wireless charging pad, targeting a 2018 release window, which will include a charging pad drivers can install in their garage and drive over to provide a power supply with rates up to 3.2 kW, with a total charging time for refilling the vehicle’s onboard battery of about three and a half hours.

BMW is already showing the wireless pad and its charging capabilities in prototype form, and the system includes visual feedback and instructions for the driver via the in-car infotainment dash display, so that they know when they’ve pulled in for an optimal charging connection. Wireless charging is a big carrot for EVs and hybrids, since it takes away the added mental component involved in remembering to plug your car in once you’re done driving. It seems like a small thing, but it goes against many decades of learned behavior for most drivers.

The other interesting component here is that BMW is offering its Digital Charging Service for the 530e iPerformance, which intelligently manages charging when plugged in so that the car remains topped off for when it needs to drive. The service also adjusts the planned charging to draw power mostly during off-peak hours, and to prefer power supplied by the customer’s own solar power generation capacity, if they have both that and BMW’s Wallbox Connect dedicated vehicle charging solution.

Getting customers excited about electric vehicles is in part about making sure they see that it’s also not going to change their lives dramatically in terms of their daily routine and how they use their cars. These charging technologies help with that, and wireless charging in particular should be a hit if BMW can deliver it as promised.

SPIED! BMW 8 SERIES CAUGHT TESTING AT THE NURBURGRING

By Stefan Ogbac - Motor Trend

Our Spy photographers have caught the upcoming BMW 8 Series undergoing testing at the Nürburgring race track. Looking to challenge other big luxury coupes like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and the new Lexus LC 500, the BMW 8 Series will return as a grand tourer slotting above the 6 Series coupe and convertible.

Based on the photos, the 8 Series will be fairly large and will likely be as long as its key rival, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe. From the side, the 8 Series appears low-slung with a dramatically sloping roofline that exaggerates the car’s overall length. The side windows appear to be a bit narrow as well, which visually lowers the car. Despite the swirly camouflage, you’ll find BMW’s trademark dual kidney grille up front with wider openings. Out back, the classic coupe proportions continue with a short rear deck that almost makes the car look like a fastback.

Since this particular prototype features dual exhaust tips, it’s likely that it’s only a standard 8 Series, but the black side mirrors indicate that it may be an M Sport variant or an M Performance model like the recently released M760i xDrive. It’s not yet known what will power the 8 Series, but if it’s based on the current-generation 7 Series it’ll ride on BMW’s scalable CLAR platform and most likely share powertrain choices with the flagship sedan, which include a 3.0-liter turbo-six, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, and the range-topping 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12.

Currently, there’s no large coupe in the BMW lineup as the 6 Series is smaller than the cars the 8 Series will likely target. Last year, we reported that BMW was likely planning to bring back the 8 Series after the automaker applied for trademarks on the names 850, 860, and M8 among others. Three months after that report, we spied a prototype for the first time.

Soon, 'electric-car range will no longer be a factor,' BMW chief says

By Steven Edelstein - Green Car Reports

Among German luxury brands, BMW was the first to show significant interest in electric cars.

It launched its "i" sub-brand in Europe in 2013, and its plans have evolved to include adding all-electric powertrains to models within the main BMW brand in future.

That is part of an effort to grow sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids significantly this year.

These ambitious plans are buoyed by optimistic views among the company's executives, it seems.

"Soon, range will no longer be a differentiating factor" among electric cars, BMW CEO Harald Krüger said in a speech during a recent shareholder meeting.

"We are already concentrating on achieving an optimum balance between all relevant features: safety, range, and duration and life of the battery," he said.

That indicates BMW hopes to achieve advances in battery technology that could increase the range of its electric cars.

The current BMW i3 is rated by the EPA at 114 miles of range with the larger of its two available battery packs.

It may soon be eclipsed by a crop of 200-mile mass-market electric cars, the first of which include the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model 3, and next-generation Nissan Leaf.

Krüger also noted that BMW is "keeping expertise in electric drivetrains, power electronics and battery cells within the company."

This reflects concern among both auto-industry executives and public officials in BMW's home country of Germany that electric powertrains will give too much influence to the suppliers that manufacture critical components, mainly battery cells.

Krüger said keeping things in house would also bring cost benefits.

In addition to battery-electric cars, Krüger said BMW is continuing its work on hydrogen fuel cells for "larger model series and long distances."

BMW will produce a low-volume fuel-cell car in 2021, with wider availability in 2025, he said.

By that time, all BMW powertrains with internal-combustion engines will also be fitted with 12 and 48-volt energy recovery systems," he said.

These so-called "mild-hybrid" systems are expected to proliferate as a more cost-effective way to meet stricter fuel-economy standards than full hybrid powertrains.

BMW plans to expand its "i" sub-brand with a crossover called the i5 and a large sedan codenamed iNext, as well as a convertible version of the current i8 plug-in hybrid.

It will also add an all-electric Mini model in 2019, and an electric version of the X3 crossover in 2020.

This year alone, BMW hopes to sell 100,000 battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids

That's the same amount it sold in the previous three years combined.

BMW wins the future with HoloActive Touch controls

By: Wayne Cunningham - CNET

For its CES technology demonstration, BMW created an image that appears to float in the air, react to touch inputs and even give haptic feedback to the user.

When BMW announced last year it would bring some sort of holographic control interface to CES, I was skeptical. Today, I got to use an interface that delivers on BMW's promise and more.

The technology, called HoloActive Touch, creates what looks like a floating graphic over the console. For BMW's demonstration, these graphics typically showed binary buttons, such as on and off. Touching either button with my finger not only controlled the features that showed up on BMW's Inside Future concept's screen, but also sent a palpable sensation to my finger, a slight vibration that confirmed the touch.

Extraordinarily, HoloActive Touch works. Each time I touched the floating graphic, the system reacted perfectly.

The graphics themselves don't have to be simple, either. At one point during the demo, a simulated incoming phone call summoned a full color photograph of a person. More surprising, the imagery was visible from a reasonable range of viewing angles and I could even photograph it.

It may look like something out of science fiction, but the technology to achieve HoloActive Touch is not so far-fetched. It uses three main components: a projector, a camera and a speaker. The projector sits in a panel on the console and makes the images appear to float in the air.

The camera, similar to the one used to enable gesture control in the latest BMW 7-series and 5-series cars, captures the motions of pointing at the graphics. When it recognizes a gesture, it activates the appropriate response in the system, such as stopping or playing a movie.

To generate the haptic feedback, the feeling of actually having touched something, a subsonic speaker mounted in the console fires a pulse. Impressively, that pulse felt localized to my finger tip when I touched the floating graphic.

BMW considers HoloActive a potential future form of its current iDrive control system, which lets drivers set navigation and digital audio, among other car features.

Although BMW brought HoloActive Touch to CES as a concept, a spokesperson said the company was devoted to making it a reality. And given the components behind the technology and how well it worked as a concept, it could certainly come out as a production feature in the next couple of years.

BMW will invest €500 million in automotive startups

By Anthony Spadafora - BetaNews

BMW Group has announced that its i Ventures division will be investing €500 million over the next 10 years on new car technologies in an effort to bolster its progress in developing autonomous vehicles.

The company's i Ventures division will use the money to invest in startups working on technologies such as autonomous driving and mapping that will allow BMW to improve its cars by making them both more intelligent and efficient.

BMW made the announcement via its website this week and its decision to invest in new technologies comes at a time when the company has begun to lose ground to rival Tesla, which not only produces electric vehicles but has made significant headway towards its cars being autonomous.

The i Ventures division will be moving its headquarters from New York to Silicon Valley and it will also be allowed to operate with more autonomy. This move will free up the division to make quick decisions as to what startups it wants to invest in or partner with in developing new automotive technologies. BMW i Ventures has also broadened its scope when it comes to searching for startups and the division will begin to look in Europe and Asia for new companies to acquire.

BMW Group board of management member Peter Schwarzenbauer explains why the company has decided to invest heavily in its i Ventures division, saying: "These days, more and more innovations come from the startup scene. Venturing allows us to tap into this potential at an early stage. To achieve this, we are now giving BMW i Ventures a much broader footing. The atmosphere of radical openness and idea-driven exchange that characterizes the startup scene is particularly fruitful for an innovation leader like BMW".

A 400-hp BMW M2 CS might be on the way, but is that what we really want?

THE HYPOTHETICAL M2 CS WOULD GET THE M4'S S55 ENGINE, DETUNED

By Graham Kozak - Autoweek

“We didn’t want to build a small M3 or M4,” BMW M Engineering VP Dirk Haecker told us when we drove the BMW M2 for the first time earlier this year.

OK, but what if BMW actually did decide to build a small M3 or M4? It would have to trade its 365-hp turbocharged inline-six -- known as the N55 -- for the more powerful S55 variant. It might get the electronically adjustable shocks found on the bigger M-cars. Probably a different body kit. Wider tires. Hopefully a few weight-saving measures, like a carbon-fiber roof, to offset the mass of all that performance stuff. Maybe it would be called the BMW M2 CS.

At the Bimmerpost forum, a longtime user that goes by the handle "ynguldyn" uses unknown sources to maintain a fairly accurate future product pipeline -- and they just added the M2 CS in one of their November updates. They claim it will be built around a detuned S55 engine producing around 400 hp; if built, it will likely go on sale sometime in 2018.

We do have more than this single unverifiable claim to go on -- like this video from late September, which shows something interesting undergoing testing on the Nurburgring. It looks like an M2, camouflaged from the beltline down, making funny noises that sound a lot more like an M3 or M4:

Let's work under the assumption that the video above shows a more powerful M2 variant that will eventually make it to market (whether it's called the M2 CS or something else entirely).

Our question is, who is it for? We have yet to read a review of the M2 that calls for more power; the general consensus is that it's one of the most balanced, versatile and all-around fun M-cars in recent memory, though it could stand to lose some of its 3,450-pound curb weight. 

If we had to venture a guess, we'd say the hypothetical M2 CS will be something along the lines of the limited-production M4 GTS -- a track-focused specialist that offers more power and more performance potential, yet won't make vanilla-M2 owners feel like they've missed out on the "better" version of their car. If we're lucky, it won't even have back seats.

We'd tell you to stay tuned for updates from BMW, but it's probably going to be awhile before we hear anything official on this front. In the meantime, keep an eye out for more more weird camouflaged coupes ripping around the Nurburgring.

M3 at 30: BMW Releases U.S. Pricing for 30th Anniversary Model

By Greg Fink - Car and Driver

Thirty years ago, BMW introduced the world to the M3. In celebration of this milestone, the German automaker recently announced the release of the limited-edition “30 Jahre M3” (German for “30 Years M3″). Now we know more about the 150 cars earmarked for our shores.

On sale this month, the 30 Jahre M3 will be available with your choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Opting for the former will set bank accounts back $84,245, the latter $87,145.

All U.S.-bound 30 Jahre M3s wear a deep coat of Macao Blue paint, a color first seen on the E30 M3 Sport Evolution. Complementing the distinct hue are special 20-inch “star spoke” wheels, much like those found on the M4 GTS. Interior changes are equally minimal: 30 Jahre M3 logos are placed on the dash and doorsills, and they’re embroidered into the headrests of the two-tone seats.

Along with the visual kit, BMW fits the 30 Jahre M3 with its Competition package. As its name implies, the package helps the M3 better take down the competition. An adaptive suspension works to improve the sedan’s dynamic capabilities, while the standard 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six is massaged to produce 444 horsepower—up 19 over the standard car.

Like it or not, every 30 Jahre M3 that makes its way to the states also will include BMW’s Executive package (head-up display system, heated steering wheel, rearview camera, and other equipment), the Driver Assistance Plus package (blind-spot monitor, additional exterior cameras, and more), and LED headlights with automatic high-beams.

BMW Could Make the i8 Into an All-Electric Supercar

By Collin Woodard - Road and Track

Rumor has it that BMW is planning a battery electric i8 with plenty of horsepower. Look out, Tesla.

It's far from your typical sports car, but we love the BMW i8. Yes, it's a three-cylinder hybrid, but it's also gorgeous, light, and drives incredibly well. Last month, though, we reported that a refreshed version is on the way with more power and a longer range. And if the latest report fromAutocar is accurate, BMW is considering adding an all-electric drivetrain to the updated i8.

This upcoming all-electric i8 will reportedly be based on the hydrogen prototype the company showed off last year. But without the hydrogen tanks onboard, the widened platform could be used to fit more batteries.

"The idea is to use the space within the widened center tunnel to house the battery instead of the hydrogen tanks," an anonymous source inside BMW told Autocar.

Power for this all-electric i8 will reportedly come from three brushless electric motors that are capable of revving much higher than the i8's current electric motors. The new units are said to each make 268 horsepower.

While it's unclear what the max power of this rumored electric i8 would be (calculating electric car horsepower is complicated—you can't just add up each motor's output), it sure sounds like this will be a very quick EV. And the electric i8 is said to weigh about the same as the current car, meaning no weight penalty for the zero-emissions drivetrain. 

Considering that the last i8 we tested hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, it's not like the current car is slow. But if BMW wants to build one that's faster, we'll take it. After all, faster is almost always better.

First BMW vehicles with Apple's CarPlay coming later in 2016

By Roger Fingas - Apple Insider

The German-language document takes effect in August, and mentions CarPlay support as an option for X5M and X6M models, Bimmerpost noted. Those vehicles will also get 10.25-inch touchscreens, offering one of the largest native CarPlay interfaces.

The list moreover hints at possible wireless CarPlay support, referring to "wireless and convenient use of the iPhone in your vehicle via Apple CarPlay." This has been feasible since iOS 9 debuted last year, but has so far yet to make it into a shipping car.

Either way, CarPlay support is mentioned as arriving in the second half of 2016. BMW is still missing from Apple's official partner list, but that may have to wait for an announcement or the new vehicles actually shipping. 

Although automakers were initially slow to support the standard, CarPlay is now available — or coming soon — from most major automakers, such as Ford, Honda, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, and BMW's most direct rival, Mercedes-Benz. A greater issue for buyers has been cost, because many CarPlay-ready vehicles are mid- to high-end models, and/or require a package upgrade. Most models are also too new to reach people in the used market.

2017 BMW 5 SERIES PROTOTYPE CAUGHT TESTING IN THE WILD

John Inama - TFLcar

TFLcar staffer, Brian Waring, snapped this photo in Southern California of what appears to be a 2017 BMW 5 Series out testing in the wild.

The shape is unmistakably BMW, and the scale puts it right in the midsize 5 Series dimensions. Judging by the car’s silhouette, it appears this test mule is a standard 5 Series, as it’s missing the more aggressive bumpers of the M Series cars.

Not much is known about the seventh-generation 5 Series, but reports indicate that it might be unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in September and that base models may have a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Seeing as how it’s a BMW, their signature straight-six engine will most likely be offered in higher trim levels.

The new 5 Series will also purportedly be much lighter than the current one thanks to the use of carbon fiber.

BMW should be releasing the first official images of the 2017 5 Series sometime this summer. Check back with TFLcar to find out more about the upcoming 5 Series as we get it.

The 5 Series used to be the most sporting midsize luxury sedan on the planet. However, increasing competition from other company’s products, most notably arch-rival Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class, have tarnished that reputation. The current 5 Series is also a heavy car, which also takes away from its sportiness. Hopefully the weight reduction helps return the Bimmer to the top of the heap.

Check out this TFLcar video review of the 2016 BMW 750i

BMW Has Confirmed a Quad-Turbo Diesel Engine

Jens Meiners - Car and Driver

BMW got out of the business of building V-8 diesels several years ago, as did Mercedes-Benz. But the Volkswagen Group didn’t, and that’s one reason why BMW has continued to squeeze the most out of its inline six-cylinder turbo-diesels. Currently, the Bavarians offer a triple-turbo diesel engine, rated at 376 horsepower. (That’s it pictured above.) But that’s not enough to compete with Audi, which is continually pushing the limits of its V-8 diesel, and so BMW engineers were sent back to the drawing board with a clear assignment: Create a “V-8 fighter.”

And here it is. BMW’s top-of-the-line turbo-diesel remains an inline six, but it gets four turbochargers, two low-pressure units and two high-pressure units. In effect, BMW engineers replaced the single low-pressure charger of the triple-turbo setup with two smaller ones. Under low load, one high-pressure charger is boosting. With higher load and rpm, the two low-pressure turbos add boost to the high-pressure charger. From around 2700 rpm, a second high-pressure charger comes on and all four chargers provide boost.

Fitted in the upcoming, Europe-only 750d xDrive, the new engine makes 394 horsepower from 4000 to 4400 rpm; maximum torque is rated at 561 lb-ft and is available from 2000 to 3000 rpm. That’s up from the triple-turbo’s 376 horsepower and 546 lb-ft. On the road, the new engine’s capabilities translate into a zero-to-60-mph time of around 4.5 seconds in the 750d xDrive; top speed will be governed at 155 mph. As a welcome side effect, fuel consumption is lower by 5 percent.

Like before, BMW was looking to achieve “exceptional revving capability,” and the briefing we attended spoke of a significant improvement in response. A new fuel-injection system operates at more than 36,000 psi, compared with the outgoing engine’s 32,000. Cylinder pressure was increased to a maximum of 3046 psi, with the increase in both injection pressure and cylinder pressure being given the most credit for the new engine’s power boost over the old one.

BMW said that maximum torque is limited by the transmission, not by the engine. To which we reply: Get a stronger transmission. This engine promises to be awesome, and we hope it eventually will be offered in the U.S., even as we know the likelihood is slim.

BMW’s CEO reveals plans for the i NEXT, a self-driving car set for a 2021 debut

Bryan Heater - TechCrunch

Before you get too excited, the above image is the Vision NEXT 100, the concept car BMW showed off back in March to note that, as it celebrated its 100th anniversary, the company was spending more time looking forward than back.

The automaker’s CEO Harald Krueger struck a similarly futuristic tone during its annual shareholder meeting in Munich this week, though the chief executive was far more pragmatic in his prognostications, discussing the sorts of innovation his company anticipated bring to market within the next decade. Krueger described BMW’s relatively near-term strategy as containing “both evolutionary and disruptive elements.”

After looking slightly back to the BMW i3 of 2013, Krueger, projected forward to the 2018 BMW i8 Roadster, and even more compellingly, a new, feature-packed vehicle for 2021. The exec didn’t let out a ton of details about the forthcoming car – just enough to make the auto-watching world sit up and pay attention.

“[The i8] will be followed in 2021 by the BMW i NEXT,” Kreuger told shareholders, “our new innovation driver, with autonomous driving, digital connectivity, intelligent lightweight design, a totally new interior and ultimately bringing the next generation of electro-mobility to the road.”

And while he didn’t offer much else about the car itself, Kreuger had plenty more to say about self-driving vehicles, a topic spurring much debate with regard to both safety and legality. While BMW already has the technology, he explained, there are still a lot of questions to be answered and wrinkles to iron out.

“In 2011, a BMW drove on the A9 autobahn from Munich towards Nuremberg – without any driver intervention,” he told the audience. “It will be a while before these cars reach series maturity – also because the proper legal framework for customers and manufacturers has not yet been decided.”