Recently in BMW Category

Munich. The presentation of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe sees BMW venturing into a new vehicle segment once again. The third model in the BMW 6 Series line-up follows in the tyre tracks of the Convertible and Coupe, and is the first four-door Coupe in the history of the brand. The athletic elegance of the car's design makes it a particularly handsome addition to the range. Powerful engines and sophisticated chassis technology combine to produce an impressively dynamic driving experience. And the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe also makes its mark with exclusive equipment features and a level of practicality unmatched by its premium four-door Coupe rivals.

The sixth generation of the BMW 3 Series Sedan, the world's best-selling premium car, sets new benchmarks in terms of sporting prowess, elegance and comfort. The pioneering history of the 3 Series serves as inspiration for the new sports sedan, whose powerful styling represents a fresh interpretation and conscientious development of traditional BMW design cues.

The National Post have published a review of the 2012 BMW X1 xDrive28i. 'Arguably, the 2012 X1 xDrive28i even looks better than the aging 328i wagon. The X1 has an aggressive snout, a nice long hood, a rump that looks like the larger X3, yet the X1 is easier to climb in and out of. Even better, the X1 starts at, gulp, some $10,000 less than the 328i wagon. Saving $10,000 still gets you the same xDrive all-wheel-drive system as the 328i, a similar interior layout, gauges and controls and several of the same underpinnings, plus a snappy, eight-speed automatic transmission, not to mention a higher ground clearance and almost equal cargo space.'

The BMW Blog have published a review of the 2012 BMW M5. 'Laying quietly under a thin sheet of aluminum is BMW M's latest technological marvel. Known internally as the S63tu (technical update), this latest M engine is an advancement over the previously employed S63 V8 in the X5/M and X6/M "Super-utes." The basic layout and structure is the same, with both the S63, and S63tu sharing the same block, head, and the majority of components. Both engines are Twin Turbo, Twin Scroll 90′ V8 units featuring BMW's patented cross-bank exhaust headers, continuously variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side, and high precision direct fuel injection.'

Car And SUV have published a review of the 2011 BMW 1 Series M coupe. 'Power comes from BMW's N54 twin-turbo inline six-cylinder petrol engine. It's 3.0-litres in displacement and is a hotter version of the engine that was used in various BMW vehicles before the newer N55 motor. But this engine isn't outdated and produces 250kW of max power and a whopping 450Nm of torque. That's 50Nm more torque than the current model M3 and with a kerb weight of 1,495kg it's around 100kg lighter. Peak power is reached at 5900rpm, low by M-car standards, but max torque comes on from just 1500rpm. With this twin-turbocharged engine the 1M breaks away from the screaming high rpm nature of its M-division ancestors in favour of more flexible power delivery. It's quick out of the blocks too, with a 0-100km/h-sprint time of 4.9 seconds and will push on till it reaches a limited 250kph top speed.'

A review of the 2012 BMW 650i convertible has been posted over at Edmunds.com. 'At a base price of $91,375, the 650i convertible competes against the cars that represent the highest pedigree in the automotive world, though not directly. It's a bit of a tweener, a little more restrained than the rock-star convertibles beyond the $100,000 mark, yet more personal and expressive than more familiar convertibles. Of course, once you add a few options as in our test vehicle, the 650i convertible's price zooms to $105,025. All this elegance begs the question: Is this car more about appearance or performance? The answer comes when you tap the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 and experience its 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque.'

Paul Tan have published a review of the BMW ActiveHybrid 7. 'The ActiveHybrid 7 made its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt show. Designed to be "the most dynamic and luxurious rendition of the hybrid car", it's available in both short and long wheelbase formats of Munich's S-Class rival. This is not a full hybrid where the electric motor can solely propel the car, but a mild hybrid without a dedicated EV mode. The car's main mover is a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine featuring BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and High Precision Injection, as used in the 750i. Despite already having power boost from the electric motor, BMW really went all out and has seen fit to tweak the V8 to produce 449 hp and 650 Nm of torque (from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm), which is quite a significant increase from the 750i's 407 PS/600 Nm.'

CNET have published a review of the 2011 BMW M3 Coupe. 'Lacking much in the way of cabin electronics, this car was optioned for the track, with such features as Electronic Damper Control (EDC), a carbon fiber roof, and Double Clutch Transmission (DCT). And at the heart of it all is a 4-liter V-8 using BMW's innovative Double-VANOS engine control technology and direct injection. The M3 can also be had in sedan and convertible forms, but the coupe is the perfect body style to showcase this performance technology. The lack of rear doors or a retractable roof reduces weight and allows for the carbon fiber roof option. Manually adjustable sport seats are lighter than power seats, although the car still comes with handy seatbelt butlers that automatically push the front seatbelts into arm's reach when you get in the car.'

The Auto Blog UK have published a review of the BMW X3 2.0d SE. 'This X3 gets off to a good start by being far better looking than its predecessor, in fact it now almost looks like a scaled down version of its bigger brother the X5. It's 83mm longer and 28mm wider than its predecessor, but it's 13mm shorter and sits on a slightly longer wheelbase. At the front, there's the usual massive kidney grille, but more interesting is the way the faired-in headlights are angled slightly downwards and the fog lights mounted high in the front airdam. Strangely, this X3 looks lower on the road, but this is an illusion, as in fact the ground clearance is unchanged. The sculpted flanks certainly give the side of the X3 a more muscular look.'

Car Advice have published a review of the BMW 6 Series Convertible. 'The 650i comes loaded with features: Rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, high beam assist, Bluetooth (phone and audio streaming), mobile internet (using your phone), cruise control, dual-zone climate control, Professional Hi-Fi system (which sounds brilliant) plus iPod connectivity. You can also option digital radio and an automatic park feature which will park the car without steering assistance from the driver. The comfort seats fitted to the 650i are brilliant, with both heating and cooling, and there's little need to adjust them to find a comfortable position. The 640i - which will be launched in August - comes with sports seats as standard, though 650i buyers can option them at no cost. If it were me buying, the comfort seats offer enough support, even in hard cornering, not to warrant the sports seats.'