FAIL: BMW X5′s Aren’t Meant to Barrel Roll

I never watched the Dukes of Hazzard, despite them having a car with a somehow sweet name on the show (the General Lee). However I know enough about the show to know that the General Lee was asked time and time again to perform spectacular stunts, not least of which is the barrel roll.

Now, the Dukes of Hazzard undoubtedly have a huge following and I’m not sure if the show ever had any “don’t try this at home” warnings, but it I’m guessing with the type of people that watched the show, a warning wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

Case in point, an owner of a BMW X5 decided to try the classic barrel roll stunt. I’m not sure how much the General Lee weighed, but it was surely less than the over five tonne X5. Plus, I’m sure each stunt required quite an intricate set up. These facts of common sense obviously escaped the X5 owner. The lack of reaction from the people recording the stunt would seem to indicate that they saw this coming too.

Watch his unfortunate results in the video above.

[Youtube]

Oops! Next Gen BMW M5 Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friend

Being the successor to any generation BMW M5 is a tall order. Each variation has been been bigger and better and the next generation M5 is no exception.

There are few details coming out about the next gen M5 other than it is expected to retain the big German V8 found in the X5 M and X6 M with little or no tweaking to the engine. As a result 555 horsepower will be the order of the day. Nothing to sneeze at. That’s 55 horses more than the outgoing model.

As you’d expect, the next generation M5 is going to be faster than the outgoing model as well. Most manufacturers tend to use the infamous Nurburgring as their base for a vehicle’s performance and the next gen M5 was caught doing a few laps. Unfortunately, the next gen M5 isn’t quite ready for any photo ops yet as maxing it out on the ‘Ring recently proved to be too much to ask. It actually broke down on the ‘Ring and had to be towed by a family member back to base to nurse it back to health. The previous generation X5 was happy to help, but embarrassingly enough, the whole mishap was caught by sneaky photographers.

Clearly the next generation M5 isn’t ready for production, but when it is, you can be sure that it will set yet another benchmark in the sport sedan world.

Sidebar, those rims on the M5 are absolutely sick!

[Autoblog]

Test Drive: 2011 BMW 528i

By Kevin Harrison

Photography by Nick Rudnicki

As I start to get older, I start to notice certain changes. Mainly, I can’t eat a hamburger anymore without gaining 50 pounds. I also can’t seem to stay up past 2 am on a Saturday night as I’ll pass out from plain old fatigue rather than copious amounts of alcohol. I also caught myself in one of those ‘back-in-my-day’ moments wherein I was ridiculed by someone much younger than me for not having a twitter account.

“Back in my day…” I stopped short. I couldn’t believe those words came from my mouth.

Now I’m not old by any means, I’m in my mid twenties, but it’s definitely at this point in your life when you notice the changes. And they generally aren’t good ones.

The old adage ‘wine gets better with age’ doesn’t apply to humans. Cheese gets better with age though. So does scotch. But not human beings, I’m convinced of it.

Cars, on the other hand, are hard to figure. Do they get batter with age? The Chevrolet Impala, now into its ninth generation almost certainly has not. The Impala went from being an iconic tourer to a sleek coupe to a rapper’s wet dream to a hold-its-own sleeper to, well, the number one choice of car for people 70 and up. What the hell happened? The Impala used to be cool.

The BMW 5-Series is settling into middle age as well. Now into its seventh generation, is the 5-Series getting better with age? Or is it turning into an old grandpa mobile like the Impala?

I took the newest iteration for a spin to find out.

Read the rest of this entry »

Riding Shotgun In the BMW 1-Series M

Must. Have. Now.

This easily is going to be my next car purchase. Check it out the new member to the M family from the eyes of the passenger as it has a go around the track.

Test Drive: 2011 BMW M3 Coupe

By Kevin Harrison

There are few things in the world that exude absolute perfection. Much like beauty, perfection can in the eye of the beholder. For instance, the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo Di Vinci is undoubtedly the most famous painting in the world. The enigmatic facial expression of the portrait however, very much precludes it from being anything but perfect according to some critics. I, on the other hand, would disagree, but then again, I don’t claim to be an art critic.

Is Beyonce Knowles perfect? In terms of physical appearance I would definitely argue in favour, however again, many people have different priorities when it comes to beauty. There are some people that think Ke$ha is perfection after all.

So what exactly is perfection then? In the car world, is it the Bugatti Veyron? The fastest production car in the world can certainly make a case for itself, however at its top speed the tires only last for 37 miles and it chugs ridiculous amounts of fuel. It’s an impressive technological feat, but is it perfection?

Many consider the BMW M3 to be the absolute benchmark when it comes to style & raw performance for every day driving situations. It’s also quite capable of holding its own if you take it to the track. It’s one of the few cars that is capable of doing both. Its competition has been trying for decades to dethrone it as the ultimate performance machine, but the M3 remains resilient even today.

So has it achieved automotive perfection?

Read the rest of this entry »

Saab and BMW Team Up for Upcoming Audi A1 Fighter

Auto Express apparently has it on good word that Saab has officially inked a deal with BMW to build its upcoming sub-compact 9-2.  Rumour also has it that BMW will lend a helping hand with the next generation 9-3.

The 9-2, however, will use the Mini chasis along with other technologies from the lovable little Cooper.

According a Spyker exec: “We could build the 9-2 on our own, but that wouldn’t make sense. Thanks to the crisis in the industry, everyone is willing to share everything. So Spyker couldn’t have bought Saab at a better time.”

FAIL: Traction Control Can Be Your Friend

I am one of the few people left that believes a true raw performance recipe is rear wheel drive + manual transmission + light weight = fun. That said, as much as I love rear wheel drive, you really need to know how to drive it properly. Get it right, and it’s one of the more satisfying experiences in life. Get it wrong, and you’re going to be making an embarrassing phone call to your insurance company.

Case in point, a lucky person found a nice road to take their BMW M6 for a drive on. However, the driver is either too inexperienced with rear wheel drive cars, or was foolish enough to take the traction control off when the road surface was obviously slick. If it was on, the system would’ve helped to correct the slide and a crash likely would’ve been avoidable. Either way, he sends the M6 into an over-steering drift which he (or she) is unable to do anything about.

The end result is an M6 in the ditch. The crash didn’t seem too serious, so I assume the driver was okay, but the damage to the M6, no matter how minor, is likely to cost an arm and a leg.

Let that be a lesson to everyone out there. Sometimes traction control can be your friend, despite how annoying and intrusive it can be. If you’re inexperienced or the conditions aren’t the best, you should probably just keep it on. FAIL to the M6 driver for not realizing that.

Sidebar, the exhaust note of the M6 before the crash was sick!

[Youtube]

Nissan vs Germany Round 2

Recently Nissan has been becoming quite cocky as they have released ads taking jabs at three German companies known as being among the best for performance: BMW, Audi and Porsche.

Porsche didn’t take too well to Nissan’s new marketing approach as they threatened legal action against Nissan of using their logo without permission. I, on the other hand, said that Porsche should shut Nissan up by going head to head on the track. But anyway, technical legalities is definitely not stopping Nissan from digging at Porsche heals. Audi is also targeted again in this new round of advertising.

Nissan actually went out and bought an Audi TT-S and a Porsche Cayman S and is driving them around London with special messages to the public written on the side of each car. For the Audi, the message reads “More expensive, slower and less powerful than a Nissan 370Z”. The Porsche got branded with “I dream of being as fast as a Nissan 370Z”. Ouch.

That certainly is a way to get around the legalities that Porsche set out. BMW was not targeted this round, but I’m sure Nissan has something special in mind for them.

[Nissan via Top Speed]

Art in London

Good. God.

I never wished I was in London this bad in my life.

[Youtube]

Oh Hi: 2011 BMW X3

Behold, the 2011 BMW X3!

We’ve seen spy shots for a while now and after a test mule created a bomb scare in New York, BMW has finally released official images of the second generation  X3.

The new X3 is now wider, taller and longer – something not entirely unexpected thanks to the introduction of the X1 due out next year. The new X3 also gets a bigger signature kidney grille, a more square looking headlight cluster with halo lights standard and signature LED tail lights that are now more in line with the rest of the BMW family.

The X3 Xdrive28i (yes, BMW is still all over that new foolish name scheme) will feature a naturally aspirated 3.0 litre inline six making 240 horsepower and 230 pound feet of torque. This engine is likely going to be the one used in the next generation 128i and 328i as well. 0-100 will take 6.7 seconds, a half a second quicker than the old X3. The X3 Xdrive35i will make 300 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque from BMW’s new N55 single turbo inline six. 0-100 will take 5.5 seconds.

The new X3 will feature an eight-speed automatic as well as updated everything from the struts, to the suspension.

Production is expected to start at the end of this year. No word yet on Canadian pricing.

For more pics, click here.

[Autoblog]

‘How to Beat the Germans’ Nissan Style

Nissan is taking jabs at the Germans claiming their performance cars can do anything the Germans can do and do it better.

In a new ad campaign in the UK, Nissan touts the abilities of the 370Z and the GT-R. Both make an excellent case for being among the best in the performance world, but Nissan really wants everyone to know it.

When people think of performance, they tend to think of the German makes such as BMW, Audi, and Porsche. Well they are exactly who Nissan is taking aim at. The billboard ads feature either the 370Z or the GT-R with BMW, Audi and Porsche logos on the side of the car. Next to that is the five bar gate scoring system etched into the paint which showed the number of racing victories against each brand in the famous Nurburgring. Then the ad says “How to beat the Germans” or “The Germans came off Wurst” or “Kaisers Chiefed”.

BMW and Audi are no strangers to taking jabs at each other through friendly ads, so they likely won’t care too much, however this ad seems to have hit a nerve with Porsche. Apparently lawyers for Porsche are threatening legal action for unauthorized use of their logo. Nissan reportedly will comply, but will continue on with the campaign nevertheless.

That’s a bit of a bitch move Porsche. I mean, really? Getting lawyers involved? How about shutting Nissan up by putting your cars against theirs on the track instead?

[The Guardian]

Happy 25th Birthday, BMW M3!

Can you believe its been 25 years since the BMW M3 has been gracing our roads?

Many regard the M3 as being the ultimate BMW, sometimes even the ultimate sports car as it blends raw performance, handling and style into one tidy package. This was the concept 25 years ago when BMW’s M division decided to have a go at a regular old 3-series. Little did they know that they would create something that was going to be the benchmark in the performance world for decades. Even today, the M3 is the car to be measured against. Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, Lexus, and Jaguar have all tried their hand at dethroning the M3, and while they all came up with some credible copies of the M3, they were still copies nonetheless.

My favourite generation M3 was the E46 (pictured above). Even today, I’d wager it’s probably the best looking iteration of the M3, but not only that, it evoked a driving experience like no other. There are some cars out there faster than the M3, less expensive than the M3 and maybe even better looking than the M3, but no car to date has been able to evoke such a well-balanced adrenaline inducing driving experience.

Today’s M3 is still carrying on the legacy, even if it has become bigger and heavier, but there is no doubt that the passion of the original M3 is still there.

Happy birthday, M3!

Drool: BMW Releases Video of 1-Series M Coupe

Even though it is still fully camouflaged, BMW has released an official video of the upcoming 1-Series M. In the video, they do not give it an official name, but BMW has said that it will not be called the M1. That name is reserved for the original M1 and for a possible successor down the road.

Rumours of power have been all over the map, but the most consistant seems to be in the 320 horsepower range, about 20 more than a regular 135i. The 1-series M will also add two more air intakes, two additional ducts, wider fenders, a more pronounced ducktail shaped trunk spoiler, and of course drilled rotors are large brakes. Oh, and those sweet looking wheels will indeed make it to production as well.

No word yet on pricing, but BMW did say that the 1-Series M will only be available in limited numbers.

BMW’s Supercar to be Called M8? May Have Hybrid Set Up

It’s going to be the battle of the 8′s! M8 vs. R8.

BMW’s new supercar is reportedly going to be called the M8 according to Autozeitung. It is going to take aim directly at the Audi R8.

The M8 is going to take a lot of styling cues from the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept pictured above. That concept uses a diesel-hybrid engine which relies mostly on torque for its get-up-and-go and was thought to carry over to the production model, but apparently BMW has dropped that idea in favour of another hybrid set up.

They will reportedly take the power plant from the upcoming M5 which is expected to produce 580 horsepower from either a V8 or a V10. They are then going to add two electric motors for added boost and of course for added efficiency. Since it’s a BMW, the weight will be distributed properly with one electric motor in the front, and the other in the back for perfect weight distribution. Total output is expected to be in between 600 and 700 horsepower!

Add the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG into the mix and you’ve got yourself one tasty German supercar showdown. Can’t wait!

[Autozeitung via BMWblog]

Hot Seller: 2011 BMW 5-Series Sold Out in All Markets

Turns out BMW may have a winner on their hands in the form of the new 5-series. The all-new design just went on sale a month ago in North America, but apparently it is already all sold out. Not just in our market either, but every market accross the globe!

If you had your heart set on one, you’re going to have to wait an estimated three to four months now.

The new 5-series comes ins 535i and 550i trim levels. It is expected to gain a 528i varient later this year and by the looks of it, BMW would be mighty smart to do so. Although the 5-series initially is not offered with a manual transmission option, one is expected to show up further down the line.

Audi and Mercedes-Benz better start ramping up their A6 and E-Class. Looks like BMW has the game set.