All posts in Review

BF Review: MINI JCW Coupe vs BMW 1 Series M Coupe

18 Jun 2012 / 6 Comments

The high end of the MINI JCW line versus the low-end of the M line. It’s a little apples to oranges but in the BMW Group empire, these two aren’t that far apart in positioning and pricing. So what better way to spend a weekend than to take both of these highly coveted cars out to the backroads of the United State midwest and have a face-off.

First Drive: BMW 640i Gran Coupe

04 Jun 2012 / 12 Comments

The 6 Series Gran Coupe is perhaps the best expression of the concept ever produced by a major auto manufacturer. From almost every angle inside and out, the car wears a confident style that is immediately likable – an elusive trait in more than a few modern BMWs.

BimmerFile Review: BMW M3 CRT

01 Jun 2012 / 11 Comments

The practicality of a four door with the brazen attitude of the track prepped M3 GTS sans roll cage. BMW M has created a car that will give four grown adults the roller coaster ride of their lives.

BimmerFile Review: The New BMW M6 Convertible

23 May 2012 / 2 Comments

There was a moment during my recent time behind the wheel of the M6 that it struck me. I had just enjoyed some opposite lock acrobatics on a twisting mountain road and was turning off it heading to a rather mundane highway. As I did I switched off the hardcore M programming and set the car to comfort. The moment was nothing short of a revelation as the savage beast I was just piloting became the mildest of GT cars.

BimmerFile Review: 2012 BMW 335i

07 Feb 2012 / 11 Comments

It was just two months ago that we first drove BMW’s all-new 3 Series on the sun-soaked roads of Spain. Of course, we only got to sample the new four-cylinder 328i back then (along with the not-for-us 320d), and every last one of them was equipped with a sport package and an automatic transmission. Last week, just before the newest 3-series range started rolling into American showrooms, BMW finally turned us loose with the six-cylinder 335i; they also let us do the shifting ourselves as we got reacquainted with the 328i on home turf.

BimmerFile Review: ActiveHybrid 5 Series

31 Jan 2012 / 4 Comments

BMW’s ActiveHybrid 5 Series is the first two mode hybrid from the brand. Unlike the X6 and 7 Series Hybrids (one was a learning tool codeveloped with Mercedes Benz and GM , the other is barely a hybrid) the 5 Series Hybrid follows the typical formula of two drivetrains that can work together or separate using a battery pack to supplement engine drive. There are some key additions to this formula that makes this a uniquely BMW solution.

The BimmerFile 2011 BMW of the Year

22 Dec 2011 / No Comments

2011 saw us in everything from a 1973 3.0 CSL to the 2013 F10 M5. Thousands of horsepower, countless black tire marks and a mountain of miles ticked off of odometers meant 2011 was a great year. Our favorite reviews and drives? For me it had to be a combination of the 1973 CSL, 2011 1 Series M Coupe and the surprising 2012 650i.