Oldschool Photoshoot: BMW Z3 M Coupe Gets CCW LM20 Wheels

The BMW Z3 M – affectionately dubbed “The Clown Shoe” – is one of those cars that appreciated over time and became a cult. Released back in 1998, the Z3 M immediately captured the eye of the automotive world, but it also brought on itself a hate it or love it relationship with the would-be owner base – all due to its quirky looks. However, if you ignored its unique design, the Z3 M actually brought out an impressive performance for that time. The vehicle actually shared its engine with the BMW E46 M3, a well-known performance model from the Bavarian car maker.

The first Z3 M models (produced from 1997  – 2000) featured the S50B32 inline-six engine which delivered 316 horsepower and 258 lb-ft (350Nm) of torque in the EU-spec model and 240 horsepower and 225 lb-ft (305Nm)  of torque for the US model. Later on (from 2000 and until the end of its production life) the EU spec was upgraded to the 321 horsepower S54B32 inline-six engine, delivering 250lb-ft (350Nm) of torque. The US-spec version was powered by the same inline-six engine, delivering 315 horsepower and 251lb-ft (340Nm) of torque. The sprint to 62mph (100km/h) took around 5.2 seconds for both vehicles.





The compact coupe was intended to be a BMW Z3 Roadster with increased torsional and structural rigidity. The car was developed under the leadership of engineer Burkhard Göschel and it almost never saw production. The development team had a hard time convincing the Board of Directors to approve the BMW M Coupe – the development on the coupe model was done by a group of BMW engineers outside of work hours in their own time – but the car eventually received the green light.

One of the helping hands in this situation was the fact that the Z3 shared numerous components with the BMW Z3 Coupe, so it remained cost-effective to produce. For a lot of casual BMW fans, the naming nomenclature can be a bit confusing. The vehicle is often called the Z3 M, M Coupe of the first-generation or, for those die-hard fans, an E36/8 M Coupe naming is used.



For most of us, however, talking about a “BMW Z3 M” does the trick and negates any possible problems with the subject at hand. Pretty much a similar confusion was brought on when the BMW Z4 M Coupe was released, as it was basically a follow-up or a second generation of the BMW M Coupe. The same principle of naming it a BMW Z4 M did the trick to avoid confusion.
The BMW Z3 M got off to a rocky start when it was introduced to the market. Dealer sales were slow but steady and the Z3 M received numerous awards upon release, with the Automobile Magazine’s “Design of the Year” award in 1999, among them.



Like so many before, the owner of this Silver Metallic Z3 M is bitten by the modding. But, before you bring out the pitchforks and torches, this is an example of a well-kept and nicely tuned vehicle.
Featuring a set of deep-dish CCW LM20 wheels, the car pops right up and its aggressive stance is really something else. The wheels come from CCW Wheels, a US-based wheel maker most known for their racing wheels. Translating that know-how into street applications, they’ve produced a set of wheels that have a familiar design, reminiscent of the great racing wheels like the BBS LM or the BBS E88, for example. Thanks to a Brushed Gold finish and deep, step lips that come adorned with a Polished Finish, these custom wheels look great on the Clown Shoe. Additionally, the long nut bolts give the wheels that much-coveted ’90s look as well.



Overall, the vehicle looks clean. Even the license plate fits the bill. Truly, this is definitely one of the more interesting builds we’ve seen so far this year. This Silver BMW Z3 M Coupe build is shot by Mike Kuhn Racing. Take a closer look at the entire photoshoot in the media gallery right below.

BMW M CoupeBMW Z3 MCCW WheelsPhotoshootTunedtuningwheels

Source : bmwblog

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Best-ever February for BMW Group sales

Once again, sales at the BMW Group have achieved new heights with total sales in February up 5.8% (178,910). So far this year, a total of 348,459 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles have been delivered to customers around the world, which is an increase of 4.8% on the same period last year. Both figures represent new all-time sales records.

“The BMW brand achieved a solid sales increase of 5.1% in February, with all major sales regions making a positive contribution to this result,” said Pieter Nota, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Brand BMW. “This is a big year for our popular X models: the all-new BMW X2 is just arriving in showrooms and at the motor show in Geneva last week, we premiered the new X4. Together with the BMW X3, which will see significantly increased availability in the second half of the year, I’m sure our X family will continue to be an important growth driver in the coming months. Another significant growth area is electro-mobility: with a year-to-date sales increase of over 40%, momentum is clearly building strongly for our electrified vehicles,” Nota continued.

The BMW Group is targeting sales of at least 140,000 electrified models in 2018 and is well on track to achieving that, with global sales of these innovative vehicles totalling 15,041 in the first two months of the year, an increase of 40.2% compared with the same period last year. In the USA, which is the company’s largest single market for electrified vehicles, 7.3% of total BMW Group sales in February were electrified, with a total of 1,936 BMW i, BMW iPerformance and MINI Electric vehicles delivered to customers. In Scandinavia, a quarter of all BMW Group vehicles sold in February were electrified.

The BMW Group has long focussed on improving the fuel-efficiency of its vehicles and last year once again achieved a reduction in its overall new-car European (EU28) fleet CO2 emissions. The reduction in 2017 of a further 2g/km means that CO2 emissions from the BMW Group’s new-car fleet in Europe (EU28) is now 122g/km. Since 1995, the average CO2 emissions for new BMW Group vehicles sold in Europe has fallen by more than 42%.

February saw solid growth in global BMW brand sales, which grew by 5.1% to total 155,328. In the first two months of the year, the brand’s sales increased by 4.3% to total 303,738 vehicles delivered worldwide. These new record figures can be attributed to increased sales in all major sales regions. A range of models contributed to growth in the year-to-date, including the BMW 1 Series (31,775 / +33.2%), the BMW X1 (48,159 / +22.5%) and the BMW 5 Series (55,344 / +13.6%).

The MINI brand achieved double-digit global sales growth of 10.8% in February, with the delivery of 23,319 vehicles to customers. The MINI Countryman continues to be the brand’s strongest growth driver, with sales in the first two months of the year totalling 12,687, more than twice what they were in the same period last year. Around 13% of MINI Countryman customers choose to buy the plug-in hybrid version of the car.

BMW Motorrad sales also continued their steady growth with sales in the month up 3.1% to 10,172. In the first two months of the year, a total of 18,627 BMW Motorrad customers took delivery of a new motorcycle or maxi-scooter, an increase of 7.2% compared to the same period last year.

BMW & MINI sales in the regions/markets at a glance

All three major sales regions contributed to the BMW Group’s increase in sales, with Mainland China and the USA the two main growth drivers.

 

 

	In February 2018	Compared with previous year %	In ytd February 2018	Compared with previous year %
Europe	77,728	+4.0	142,810	+3.0
–        Germany*	20,626	-0.4	45,253	+2.1
–        UK	7,962	+3.9	17,955	+2.1
Asia	62,312	+9.1	133,395	+7.7
–        China (Mainland)	44,317	+8.9	98,992	+7.5
–        Japan	5,266	-12.7	8,894	-10.7
Americas	33,707	+7.6	62,252	+6.8
–        USA	26,573	+7.5	48,526	+5.6
–        Latin America	3,909	+9.8	7,760	+12.9

*Provisional registration figures

 

 

 

BMW Group sales in/ytd February 2018 at a glance

 

	In February 2018	Compared with previous year %	In ytd February 2018	Compared with previous year %
BMW Group Automobiles	178,910	+5.8	348,459	+4.8
BMW	155,328	+5.1	303,738	+4.3
MINI	23,319	+10.8	44,249	+9.0
BMW Group electrified*	7,906	+43.9	15,041	+40.2
BMW Motorrad	10,172	+3.1	18,627	+7.2

*BMW i, BMW iPerformance, MINI Electric

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Source : bmwblog

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Electrification of BMW M Lineup Inevitable, Weight Remains Key Factor

The Geneva Motor Show was the venue where we got to see the latest BMW M offering, albeit in Concept guise. If BMW stays true to its ways, the M8 Gran Coupe will look almost identical to the Concept in production guise once it comes out next year, and that’s just music to our ears. However, the BMW M8 Gran Coupe might also be one of the last M cars out there that won’t have a hybrid powertrain.

As most officials already pointed out, the M8 will come with the same powertrain and transmission as the M5 and that means it will be animated by a 600 HP 4.4-liter V8. Nothing wrong with that or the fact that it will have the super-smart M xDrive all-wheel drive system fitted under the sheet metal but it looks like the days of thunderous V8s are coming to an end. Speaking to Automotive News in Geneva, BMW spokesman Bernhard Santer said that the future of the BMW M brand will be electrified.

“We do plan to electrify the M lineup, but the vehicles must maintain their ability to go on the racetrack,” he said. “Weight plays a big role there, so we need to balance those decisions with battery technology.” That’s no different than what other high-ranking members of the BMW Group said in the past, as they too are aware of the fact that new regulations will make these gas-guzzling beasts obsolete.

However, it’s important to note that BMW will try and keep the weight in check, to make sure that the resulting M cars will still feel like they should, adhering to the philosophy developed by the brand over a number of decades. If this exercise proves to be a success, future fully-electric M cars will most likely deliver exactly what we expect them to and that’s all we can hope for right now as the days of the ICE definitely seem numbered.

BMW MelectrifiedEVhybridperformance

Source : bmwblog

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Top Gear Test: F90 BMW M5 vs Mercedes-AMG E63 S

Since the new F90 BMW M5 has debuted, its been almost endlessly compared to the Mercedes-AMG E63 S. And for good reason, as they’re both extremely close competitors and they’re both the best super sedans in the world. So it only makes sense to see which is better. Typically, though, this battle happens on a race track, where you’d imagine their performance potential really shines. Except that the track only shows you a brief glimpse of the sheer engineering genius of both cars. So Top Gear recently put both of them to the test in a variety of different and challenging circumstances.

They started off in Sweden on a frozen lake, as you do. There, both the M5 and E63 were able to show off how well they go sideways and were able to do so at sane speeds. It also showed off their balance, which one was easier to slide. The BMW M5 was a bit better balanced but its sharper steering and quicker inputs made it a bit snappy, whereas the E63 S was a bit easier to slide around, thanks to its slightly slower steering and response. Still, both cars are a hoot to slide around, it seems.

Following the ice-lake shenanigans, TG took both cars on a bit of a road trip from Sweden to Britain. On the road trip, they were able to sample the top speed capabilities of each car. The AMG was a bit hamstrung by its winter tires here, which were limited to 130 mph. The BMW M5 was able to hit 175 mph. That’s flipping fast. The crazy thing was how stable and calm the M5 was at 120 mph, though. It could hold that speed for long periods of time without ever feeling out of control or nervous. Hell, it was even quiet.

I don’t want to spoil the whole comparison, because it’s worth a read. However, TG seems to be a bit torn on the two cars. In the end, they pick a winner but it’s so close that it could go either way. Here’s what they said: “Even after 1,500 miles, I’m torn. The BMW is the more rounded, comfy car. It covers all bases with a staggering depth of engineering, and might well be the most complete sports saloon ever. To an enthusiast, though, such completeness can be a help and a hindrance. The Merc is less couth, bigger hearted and encourages its driver to be more playful. Particularly if they’re on a frozen lake. Oh, and it comes as an estate, too. The AMG edges it.”

[Source: Top Gear]

BMW M5Mercedes-AMG E63 S

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Will the G20 BMW 3 Series look like this render?

BMW needs to make this next-gen G20 3 Series a smash-hit. While the 3 Series has always been incredibly important for the brand, being its bread-and-butter sales machine, its success is more important than ever before. That’s mostly due to the segment it’s in, which is now ripe with superb competitors, more than we’ve ever seen. Back in the day, it was really just the 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. Those were its only real competitors. Now, on top of those, there’s the Cadillac ATS, Jaguar XE, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Genesis G70 and soon-to-be Volvo S60. All of which are excellent.

While we don’t have a ton of information on the upcoming G20-generation 3 Series, we know that it will have similar styling to BMW’s more modern cars, such as the aforementioned 5 Series. But we wonder how similar it will be. In this new render from Carscoops, the upcoming BMW 3 Series basically looks like a 5 Series with little notches cut into its headlights.

AutoBild’s 3 Series Render

Now, considering that the Germans are all using the “Same Sausage, Different Lengths” design language, it’s entirely possible that the next 3er looks similar to this. However, I think we’ll be a bit disappointed if that’s the case, as we’re hoping the 3 Series has a bit of character of its own. Especially being that it’s going to be competing against some very pretty cars, like the Giulia.

Aside from its styling, we know that it’s going to be based on the brand’s new CLAR platform. That same platform is what the new 5 Series and X3 are built on, so it’s going to have good bones. We also know that it’s going to get BMW’s new engines, an entirely new interior from what we’ve seen from BMW and an M Performance model for the first time. So we’re very anxious to see what becomes of the new 3 Series. For now, though, all we have to go on are renders like this and spy photos that keep leaking. Stay tuned.

3-SeriesRender

Source : bmwblog

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2018 Ford F-150 2.7L EcoBoost V-6 4x2 SuperCrew

Excepting its wider-set facial features, its smattering of new active-safety technologies, and three new or updated engines, Ford’s 2018 F-150 lineup is the same excellent collection of pickup trucks as before. We bestowed a 10Best Trucks award on it for 2017, and the updated lineup won the honor again this year.

Tested here is the F-150 that provides the best value among its four available engines, the smaller of the two EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V-6s that Ford offers in non-Raptor F-150s. Displacing 2.7 liters and smoothly making 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque (the latter up 25 lb-ft from 2017), the baby EcoBoost is smaller in displacement than the 375-hp 3.5-liter version and the F-150’s available naturally aspirated 395-hp 5.0-liter V-8. Yet it feels plenty strong, and it’s only a $995 upcharge on the XL and XLT—the lowest two trims, where it replaces the base engine, a naturally aspirated 290-hp 3.3-liter V-6—and it is standard on the Lariat.

In the Money

First, the dollars and sense. We typically review pickups bedecked with leather, cowboy-Cadillac trim, and giant wheels. That’s what automakers send us, looking to show off their latest toys. The crew-cab (SuperCrew in Ford-speak) truck tested here, by contrast, is sparsely optioned, wearing humble XLT spec and cloth bucket seats. If it had a front bench seat and four- or all-wheel drive, it would be closer to a pure work truck.

SuperCrew F-150 XLTs with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost start at $40,950. To that was added the $295 center console and front bucket seats, the $945 Chrome Appearance package (chrome 18-inch wheels, side steps, grille, and other exterior bits), and the $1150 301A package (an eight-way power driver’s seat, a color driver-information display in the gauge cluster, a seven-speaker audio system, a rear-window defroster, heated side mirrors, power-adjustable pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a Class IV trailer hitch and wiring). Keeping the 5.5-foot pickup box (a longer 6.5-foot box is available on the SuperCrew), the total came to $43,340. In a world where fully optioned full-size pickup pricing easily crests $60,000, this counts as Yankee-doodle-dandy basic.

The price creates a pleasant juxtaposition between the XLT’s functional look—the diplomatic description for the interior’s hard plastics, cloth upholstery, and lack of even a touchscreen—and its aluminum wrapper and the new-age technology beneath.

It Goes Up to 10

The thoroughly modern 2.7-liter EcoBoost now bolts to the same 10-speed automatic transmission introduced in the 2017 3.5-liter EcoBoost-equipped F-150 and F-150 Raptor. (Only the entry-level 3.3-liter V-6 still uses a six-speed automatic.) While a console shifter is available, arming the 10-speed with a good old-fashioned column shifter is weirdly satisfying. Also rewarding is the transmission’s Sport mode, which keeps the tightly wound twin-turbo V-6 revving right where it makes meaty power and good boost.

On this stage, the 2.7-liter steals the show. For 2018, Ford implemented changes it deems comprehensive enough to call this engine the “second generation.” A new exhaust-gas-recirculation system, the addition of a port and direct fuel-injection system, and reduced internal friction headline the changes. As before, the little EcoBoost pulls forcefully from idle, its thrust feeling diesel-like—except that it revs toward its low 5750-rpm redline with gas-engine zeal. Power is found seemingly at any rpm, although the smooth-shifting transmission wisely keeps revs low and takes advantage of the prodigious torque on tap.

Wind out the engine, and it emits a quiet thrum with a pleasant mechanical precision to its melody. Read nothing into the advantage measured for the last 2.7-liter F-150 we tested, a four-wheel-drive, extended-cab 2015 model without the 2018’s extra 25 lb-ft of torque. That 2015 truck reached 60 mph 0.2 second quicker than this two-wheel-drive crew cab’s 5.9-second rip. But four-wheel drive offers a tangible advantage in launch traction over a strictly two-wheel-drive rig and did so for that 2015 truck. To wit: When launched in its rear-wheel-drive mode—the configuration owners would actually use when driving on dry pavement—the older truck was a full second slower to 60 mph, needing 6.7 seconds. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost was quick before and is even quicker now, smoking the last Chevrolet Silverado we tested with its 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 (7.2 seconds to 60) and even running an almost dead heat with the burlier, 420-hp 6.2-liter Chevy (5.7 seconds).

During our test, Michigan furnished plenty of fresh snow to challenge this rear-drive pickup. Keeping a light foot on the accelerator helped maintain purchase in the white stuff without throwing the traction-control system into a tizzy, although when the skies really opened up, we tossed a couple of sandbags into the bed to weigh down the rear. Bonus: If you do get stuck, you’ve got some sand to toss beneath the drive wheels.

Other Weighty Matters

Where the lack of four-wheel drive made the biggest difference was at the scales. This F-150 weighed a svelte 4721 pounds, or 153 less than the similarly optioned, 2.7-liter-equipped F-150 SuperCab 4x4 we tested in 2015. This pays dynamic dividends: Our test truck stopped from 70 mph in a mere 167 feet, besting a number of mid-size and compact sedans in that measure. The brake pedal seems to respond more to travel than pressure, but it is sprung nicely and offers firm resistance underfoot.

The 0.79 g of grip we measured on our skidpad is not similarly carlike, but the way the F-150 changes direction and comports itself through turns is. Body motions are well controlled, and on its relatively small-diameter 18-inch wheels and tires, our test truck rode quietly and nicely over pothole-cratered roads. The biggest surprise is the electrically assisted power steering, which has perfect weighting on the firm side of light, is laser accurate (for a truck), and even offers some feedback when the front tires begin to lose grip.

We must also throw a shout-out to the F-150’s seating position, which centers the steering wheel to the driver’s chest (something Chevrolet, until its 2019 Silverado, had not done) and places the pedals, even without their optional power adjustment, low to the floor, allowing the driver’s heel to comfortably rest on the floorboard (unlike in Ram’s 1500). The seats in our F-150 were supportive, and the rear seats in any SuperCrew F-150 offer palatial, limousine-like legroom. As in other full-size pickups at this price, the dashboard is largely made up of hard plastics, although their graining looks nice and most critical touch points inside the F-150 are made from softer materials.

You Can’t Touch This Screen

Without Ford’s now ubiquitous Sync 3 touchscreen infotainment system, this F-150 presented the driver with a plethora of hard buttons and a relatively tiny color display in the dashboard. We debated whether this non-touchscreen setup was charming or too button heavy, but there’s no question that the larger Sync 3 touchscreen is easier to read and manipulate at a glance. (It’s available on the XLT as part of the pricier 302A option package.) Fiddling with Ford’s online F-150 configurator reveals that an everyday pickup buyer not planning to use the truck for work could probably find a better buy in the Lariat, the next-level-up trim. It has the 2.7-liter EcoBoost standard and bundles a lot of features (Class IV trailer hitch, leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, proximity-key entry, Sync 3) for only $1430 more than the as-tested price of this modestly optioned XLT.

Whichever avenue you follow, no 2018 F-150 presents as a poor choice. You can’t go wrong with any of the powertrains, since even the base 3.3-liter has its positives. We’re partial to the 2.7-liter, but you might enjoy the 3.5-liter EcoBoost’s greater power or the 5.0-liter V-8’s, well, sonorous power delivery. Low spec or fully loaded, the F-150 is as we’ve deemed it: a 10Best-winning pickup that sits atop the full-size-pickup class.

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Source : caranddriver

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New Custom Rolls-Royce Models on the Way, Following Sweptail Pattern

Rolls-Royce is planning a true luxury offensive, after seeing how the Sweptail was received. Speaking to Autocar at the Geneva Motor Show last week, the brand’s head of design spoke mentioned yet another bespoke model coming out in the near future. The new model will be a truly bespoke creation too, and it looks like the Brits are planning to bring even more out on the longer term, something they hinted at with a press release last week.

To get a scope of how much demand for truly hand-built cars there is out there, you should know that Rolls-Royce currently has about 100 people working on such creations, from designers to engineers, customer liaison staff and more. Furthermore, it looks like the pricing doesn’t even matter anymore when it comes to making these truly unique cars. “It’s the future of luxury,” said Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Muller-Otvos. “People don’t want something others can get. They want something very unique. We’ve invested quite a lot in this. Bespoke is very important – without it, we wouldn’t sell as many cars.”

An unexpected hand could come from the rise of truly autonomous, electric cars. As we all know, autonomous cars will only work if they are 100% safe and thus they will allow automakers to design cars without having to abide by pedestrian safety rules currently in effect. “It could bring the old era back,” Otvos added, referring to the early 20th century cars that usually had custom made bodies by coach builders.

That’s certainly not a bad prospect in our book and, if we’re to believe the CEO of the double-R brand, the spiritual ‘successor’ of the Sweptail could be made in the low single figures. That’s definitely not the same level of bespoke luxury as the car unveiled in Italy last year but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

BespokeCoachbuiltRolls RoyceSweptail

Source : bmwblog

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