Sep 30th, 2011
Official Release: BMW Individual, the most exclusive way to drive a BMW, is now also available as an interactive experience on the iPad. An innovative user interface allows you to navigate through chapters that describe the premium BMW Individual range in detail. The wealth of customisation options leaves you plenty of room for new inspiration, allowing you to realise your dream of the perfect automobile.
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Sep 30th, 2011
In the hot sun of southern Spain tires can come into question, especially in a performance sedan. The M5 was shod in Michelin Pilot Super Sports and they did an admirable job keeping the car connected to the tarmac both on the street and track. Wear was even and they didn’t get as greasy as we expected. All in all they were an impressive tire and there is some interesting technology behind them. Full release after the jump.
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Sep 30th, 2011
Today BMW takes the wraps off of its latest hybrid, the ActiveHybrid 5 Series. In contrast to the X6 and even 7 Series hybrids, BMW expects this car to sell in noticeable numbers and has given it the tech to make it more palatable to the car buying public. Additionally (if sources are to believed) the power-plant will also form the the basis of the upcoming 3 Series ActiveHybrid.
Official Release: BMW today announced the introduction of its newest hybrid, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5. Based
on the BMW 535i Sedan, the ActiveHybrid 5 brings together BMW’s 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline six-cylinder engine, an electric drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission for the first time. The latest generation of BMW ActiveHybrid technology also adds precisely controlled energy management to the mix. All of which gives the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 an exceptional balance of performance and fuel economy for a benchmark performance/luxury sedan. Its drive system generates combined output of 335 hp (DIN), allows the car to be driven on electric power alone up to 37 mph (60 km/h), and accelerates the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds (preliminary). The BMW ActiveHybrid 5 will arrive in US showrooms in March 2012.
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Sep 29th, 2011
Chris Harris attended the same event M5 in Spain as us and he came away with some similar opinions (no surprise there as the car is sublime). He just posted his video diary on “evo” regarding his time in the all new M5. In this video he sets out to answer these five questions:
- Has it got any range?
- Has it got torque?
- Can you not rev the tits off it and still go quite quickly?
- Does its gearbox want to break your neck everytime you change gears quickly?
- Can an M5 really be turbocharged?
Sep 29th, 2011
Could M do the unthinkable and ditch BMW’s famed inline configuration for a V? It’s been rumored for several years now but we had no hard evidence of the move. Until now. The video after the break is the first we’ve seen of the new F80 M3 four door in action on the road. And we’ll be damned if that exhaust note doesn’t sound a lot like a highly tuned V6 rather than the smoother sounding inline 6.
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Sep 29th, 2011
The engineers were more than happy to show us the key parts of the M5 rear suspension while putting one up on a lift. What that means is that we snapped some of the first shots of the new M5 from underneath. The rear was our main focus as there is a lot of new techniques being used back there and that is where the sound comes from (in theory).
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Sep 28th, 2011
During our time with the M5 in Spain we were surprised by the new differential, which is called the Active M Differential (no surprise there). It was quiet, played nice and was seamless in its ability to shift power from the wheel with slip to the one with grip.
According to information we’ve received, it has limited parasitic loss and is just one of the many components that helps the new M5 achieve outstanding performance while improving efficiency. We have broken the complexities down as best we can. It is an amazing piece of hardware.
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Sep 27th, 2011
Before we dig in and let our views on this highly controversial subject fly we need to take a trip in the not-so way back machine. The year is 2009, and we are at Road Atlanta for the X6 ///M launch. The inter webs were full of hate towards this vehicle for taking ///M to turbo charging, SAVs and all wheel drive. These were a lot of things a lot of people wanted to hate but they also didn’t want to learn or look deeper into what M was doing with this and the X5 for the future of performance and the brand.
Taking the X6 ///M on the track, putting it through its paces and being amazed at how well it drove at 10/10ths there was little for journalists to bemoan except the huge weight, the soundtrack that came out of the exhaust and the limited sound that entered the cabin. The X6 M introduced many of us to cylinder deactivation on shifts but that combined with the cross bank manifold and strange firing order of the S63 created less than a harmonious sound. Many including us referred to it less than affectionately as a burp or even worse, a flatuant.
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