BMW AG Archives

BMW’s i3 now offered with a sportier and more powerful variant

The ever popular small premium EV, the BMW i3, has received a mide-life facelift in the shape of some design tweaks and increased performance. As a whole, its still the cheerful car as before but now has a wider track and wheel arch molding contours that run along the body, horizontally.

New to the range is the addition of a sportier version called the i3s. Though similar in design, there are subtle hints that make it out to be the sportier variant of the lot. These features include, at the front, the bumper inlay and its U-shaped surroundings are in black finish.

The front fascia’s side sections are bordered on their lower edge by accent strips in BMW’s i Blue or Frozen Grey colours. The contrasting scheme does add a sense of sportiness to the car.

The signature kidney grille is painted in high-gloss black and consists of a more prominent design. Such is the case for the the rear apron which has a black surround frame that is extra wide and comes with body coloured inlay.

Underneath the new exterior, the i3s is fitted with a sports suspension, which drops the ride height about 10mm compared to the base car. Exclusive 20-inch lightweight alloy rims are standard for the variant too, which are slightly wider than before.

Overall the i3 now has an improved Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system and a faster responsing Traction Control System. This means that drivers can now have a bit more fun before the safety net cuts in and spoils their fun.

BMW’s standard i3 is powered by a 170bhp synchronous electric motor but the i3s comes with a slightly more powerful 184bhp one. Due to the increase in power, the latter is also about 0.4 seconds faster from 0-100km/h at 6.8 seconds.

The new i3 is also available as a range extender version that features a two-cylinder petrol engine, which generates electricity to the electric motor once the car’s battery pack has depleted.

Speaking of power, BMW is now offering an electric charger called TurboCord that has the ability to charge the i3 three times faster than what the standard charger is capable of.

There are a number of driver assistance systems that are availble with the car aside from the latest iDrive 6 interface, which include Active Driving Assistant and Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go.

Other than that, there’s also Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information and ConnectedDrive Services and a navigation system. When equipped with the Technology and Driving Assistance Package, Apple CarPlay can be enabled and the i3 also gets a useful system called Park Distance Control.

This 2018 i3 will debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September 2017. Check out the the picture gallery below and let us know whether the i3 is more appealing than the vehicle it replaces.

BMW reveal new M5 with Need For Speed Payback

BMW, in collaboration with Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed gaming franchise, has chosen to unveil the latest M5 concurrently with its installment called Payback. A marked improvement over its predecessor, the new car features more elegant lines and curves that overshadows the car it replaces.

Under the hood is a 4.4-litre V8 engine that is outfitted with BMW’s M TwinPower Turbo technology. Power is rated at 600bhp and an incredible 750Nm of torque. Due to the immense power at its disposal, the car is able to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and reach a limited top speed of 249km/h.

The engine is mated to an 8-speed tranmission which sends power to the wheels via the M xDrive AWD system that works intelligently by shifting power based on which wheel needs it most. In normal conditions, the M5 behaves like a rear-wheel-drive car, its only when the rear wheels reach their traction limit does power get diverted to the front ones.

Shifting characteristics can be altered through the gearbox’s Drivelogic shift lever located on the gear selector. Doing so, will adjust shift times according to the set limits. Drivers can still shift gears on their own by selecting manual mode and engaging the paddle shifters.

Damper settings can be altered by choosing between three driving modes: Comfort, Sport, SportPlus. There’s also electronically controlled shock absorbers and M Servotronic steering with modes that are named identical to that of the damper settings. The steering is able to adapt based on steering input and is said to offer decent feedback to the driver.

Should the driver engage the M Dynamic mode (MDM, 4WD Sport), the car’s characteristics are altered to a reveal an M5 that has a sharper throttle response and is more agile around corners. More torque is sent to he rear wheels, allowing the car to break traction and execute playful drifts while ensuring that the driver maintains adequate control.

Another nifty feature, is the car’s head up display that is able to project vital driving information to drivers while on the move. Other worthy mentions include red lacquered buttons M1 and M2 next to the shift paddles on the M multi-function steering wheel that control the driving settings for xDrive, DSC, engine, transmission, damper and steering.

Drivers will be able to toggle between 4WD and 2WD modes depending on their preference. BMW boasts that its engineers placed great emphasis on driving dynamics during chassis development. And as such, the car is said to be extremely agile and rewarding to drive.

“The M is not only synonymous for the world’s most powerful letter, but has also become a synonym worldwide for the prototype of the Ultimate Driving Machine,” said Frank van Meel, President BMW M Division.

He later added, “While the M5 won’t be officially released until next spring, Need for Speed players can drive it first and exclusively in Need for Speed Payback. We at BMW M are really proud of this collaboration.”

Though many might consider the M5 in Payback to be a marketing ploy, BMW and Need for Speed have enjoyed a great partnership together dating back to 1999. The E39 M5 was featured in the first Need for Speed installment and remained a mainstay for all future editions of the game.

Though the M5 won’t be launched for quite a while, check out the picture gallery below as well as the game trailer featuring the M5 and let us know what you think of BMW’s latest chariot of the gods.

BMW 8-Series is an iconic vehicle that deserves praise

BMW is known for building luxury cars with sportscar-like credentials, something not many have been able to replicate. Over the years, the Bavarian automaker has produced some absolute stunners including the E46 M3. But what many tend to forget is, it also made a Grand Tourer called the 8-Series.

Meant to entice the upper echelon of society, the car was an over-engineered and sophisticated machine that featured many firsts for a road car and for BMW in general. It was the first to use a multiplex type of wiring system that has since become the industry standard. It was also one of the first to use a drive-by-wire throttle, which meant that there was no real mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the throttle opening or closing.

The body was designed through the use of Computer Aided Design or CAD software. A technology that was still relatively new back in the 1980s. The result, was a body that was 3kg lighter than if it had been designed with conventional tools during that era. The car had a significantly better drag coefficient that that of the then BMW 6-Series, which was an impressive achievement at the time.

The car was built between 1989 to 1999, and during its 10 year production run, the it was offered with either a V8 or V12 engine. There were two variants of the former and three of the latter but only two choices of automatics (4-speed & 5-speed) and a single 6-speed manual.

Despite the boxy 80s’ styling and the absence of the fluidic contours of contemporary BMWs, the 8-Series was a marvel in its own right. The absence of the B pillar made the car look considerably larger and more spacious, couple that with cool pop-up headlamps, and what you have is an iconic vehicle that is still revered till this day.

Unfortunately, the car never sold well due to the steep asking price, stricter emissions regulations as well as a sequence of events that led to some economic turmoil during that period.

There is a new version of the 8-Series that is scheduled for launch next year with dimensions and design that isn’t far off from the current generation BMW cars, but we digress.

The original 8-Series has a special place in the hearts of many BMW enthusiasts especially the one in this awesome Petrolicious video. Check out Taylor Patterson’s story and tell us what you think of the iconic 8-Series.

BMW introduces the M4 CS

BMW has introduced a new variant of their M4, called the BMW M4 CS. It’s a special edition M car that is positioned above the standard M and the Competition versions. It sits at the top of the M4 range and is poised to offer drivers racing-like character but in a fully road-legal car.

Built in Munich, the M4 CS’s bonnet and boot are made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic or CFRP, which is a lightweight but extremely rigid material. Similar to the standard car, the front end has LED headlights, a large front apron with three section intakes that offer cooling to the engine and braking system.

Unique to this variant is the front splitter made from carbon-fibre, which should lower the weight even further. At the rear is the rear diffuser borrowed from the M4 GTS and the same is true for the exposed carbon-fibre Gurney spoiler lip on the boot lid. It’s rear taillights incorporate OLED (Organic Light Emitting Dioede) technology which is a feature that is only found on the M4 CS and GTS variants. Lastly, the M wing mirrors and flared wheel arches and complete the muscular look of the car.

It rides on lightweight alloy wheels which are 19-inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that are considered semi-slick road legal tyres but offer excellent grip on race tracks. Alternatively, buyers can have their M4 CS equipped with Michelin Sport road tyres if they don’t plan on exploring the limits on a racetrack.

Under the hood of this beast, sits a turbocharged straight-six 3.0-litre engine that has been tuned to offer 10bhp more than the one in the M4 with the Competition package, with a total of 460bhp. The engine features two mono-scroll turbocharges, charge air cooler, High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and Double-VANOS fully variable camshaft timing.

Mated to the engine is a 7-speed M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT) with Drivelogic. The engine and transmission combination allow the M4 CS to cover the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.9 seconds and reach a stop speed of 280km/h.

The car features the adaptive M suspension setup similar to that found on the M4 with the Competition package and is optimised to offer a good balance of road and track performance. The control systems such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Adaptive M Suspension and Active M Differential have been modified to suit the M4 CS, giving it the best on and off track performance that the M division could muster. The electromechanical steering’s behavior and suspension setup can be changed by adjusting the drive modes which are Comfort, Sport and Sport+.

In typical BMW fashion, the inside is covered with leather and Alcantara which offers a decent blend of luxury and sportiness. The overall layout doesn’t differ much from the standard car and features automatic Climate Control, BMW infotainment system and a sophisticated navigation system.

There’s no word yet on when the M4 CS will be made available for Malaysia but in Europe, the car should go on sale soon at a price of EUR 116,900 or RM 551,854. However, don’t expect the same price tag once the vehicle hits our shores as the various taxes will definitely drive up the price up somewhat.