MINI Recalling Cooper S, John Cooper Works Models For Fire Risk

BMW has announced the recall of some 89,000 Cooper S and John Cooper Works models built for the 2007 – 2011 model year. The recall includes the turbocharged Clubman, Convertible and Countryman models as well, specifically: Read more

Video: Is The World Ready For BMW’s Electric Cars?

BMW has gotten a fair amount of exposure over its i-Series electric cars since originally debuting the Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics prototype in 2009. Unlike brands that show a concept and then abandon the idea as too complex or too expensive, BMW will put both the i3 and the i8 into production, with expected availability in late 2013. The i3 is designed to be an urban commuter car, with a limited range and modest performance. The i8 exists at the opposite end of the spectrum, as a no-holes-barred performance coupe that happens to be be fuel-efficient and green, too. Read more

GM To Partner With BMW On Fuel Efficient Designs

While GM and BMW are both automakers, you’d hardly consider them rivals. GM builds, among other things, cars and trucks for the masses. BMW builds cars for the masses in Europe, but in the United States the Bavarian automaker is seen as a luxury brand and is priced accordingly. In regards to fuel efficiency, BMW builds more advanced gas and diesel engines than GM. When it comes to extended range EVs, General Motors has the superior technology. Read more

BMW Pioneers The Next Advance In Lighting: Laser Headlights

Automotive lighting has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, making quantum leaps in progress from sealed beam to halogen to high-intensity discharge to LED headlights. Each generation brings improvements in vision, reductions in glare and increased driver safety, but that doesn’t mean automakers are content to leave things status quo or rely solely on third party manufacturers for the next big advancement. Read more

The Ultimate Drive? There’s An App For That

Wouldn’t it be cool if there was an app to tell you about great driving roads near you? One that rated them and gave details on why the road was so good? Better yet, what if the app allowed you to share routes on Facebook or via e-mail, and even upload them to a GPS device? Thanks to BMW Financial Services, there is, and the best part is that the app is free. Read more

BMW Performance Edition: Bargain Priced Power

If you’re just about to order a new BMW 335i, let us help you out. When you’re checking the boxes next to the options you need, don’t forget to check the one marked “ZMZ Performance Edition.” It’ll only set you back $550, but it gives you 20 more horsepower and up to 32 more foot-pounds of torque, depending on your choice of gearbox. You also get a black grille and a BMW Performance Edition badge to let your friends and neighbors know you’re not driving “just another” 335i. Read more

How Well Does The BMW 1 Series M Handle?

In my driving instructor days, we usually ran an exercise teaching clients the basics of threshold braking (this was, after all, in the days before anti-lock brakes). I’d set up a braking chute, marked by cones spaced seven feet apart; that’s narrower than a standard traffic lane, but still significantly wider than most cars. What did I learn? At sixty miles per hour, even experienced drivers had a hard time judging the width of the braking chute, resulting in cones launch deep into the rattlesnake-infested infield. Good times, good times. Read more

Gone In Less Than 52 Weeks: BMW’s 1 Series M

When then-head of BMW’s M Division, Dr. Kay Segler, showed the 2011 BMW 1 Series M at this year’s North American International Auto Show, he referred to it as their “offer(ing) for the young enthusiast, which we need to cater for, because they would love to have something for which they can afford.” That’s a great sentiment, but the starting price for the 1 Series M was $47,010, before you began adding accessories. I haven’t seen many BMW’s on dealer lots that aren’t optioned to the hilt, and a well equipped 1 Series M can easily sticker over $52,000.I don’t know many “young enthusiasts” who would find a $50,000 car “affordable”, or even within reach once you factor the realities of rent (or mortgage) payments, student loan payments and the cost of food other than ramen and peanut butter. Read more

Next Page »