X2 might be out, but BMW could be planning an X4
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/" rel="tag">Crossovers/CUVs</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/rumormill/" rel="tag">Rumormill</a></p><a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/ANA03/810060331/-1/BREAKING"><img width="450" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="243" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_x4_2010.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><br />BMW has been aggressively expanding its vehicle offerings, and like most other automakers, crossovers make up the majority of additions. Earlier this year, team Bimmer <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/detroit-2008-bmw-unwraps-the-production-x6/">added the X6</a>, and with the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/02/paris-2008-bmw-x1-concept/">X1 concept</a> unveiled in Paris, mild-to-wild CUVs seem to be the focus for the boys in Bavaria. <em>Automotive News</em> is reporting that the SAV love will continue next year when BMW unleashes the X4. Design elements are said to come from the larger X6, which is to say that it'll probably look like a really tall hatchback. The X1 concept and the production X3 are based off of the excellent 3-Series platform, and we're guessing the X4 will also don the sharp-handling underpinnings. <br /><br />If this is what BMW needs to do in order to remain the world's top-selling luxury automaker, we're not so sure it's worth the trouble. The X1 will probably sell relatively well, but it will do so with underwhelming sheet metal. An X4 based off the X6 sounds like an even worse proposition, but then again, we didn't think the X6 was a bright idea either.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/ANA03/810060331/-1/BREAKING">Automotive News</a> - Sub. Req.]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081006/ANA03/810060331/-1/BREAKING>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/09/x2-might-be-out-but-bmw-could-be-planning-an-x4/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1337773/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/09/x2-might-be-out-but-bmw-could-be-planning-an-x4/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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BMW reveals race-ready S 1000 RR
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorcycles/" rel="tag">Motorcycles</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/1091067/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_s_1000_rr_450.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><small>Click above for more shots of the BMW S 1000 RR in its race colors</small></span><br /></div>
<br />BMW took the wraps off its upcoming S 1000 RR World Superbike contender as the Motorrad division showed the new bike in its official race colors at the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. Taking a good look at the photos, we can see that the bike is indeed very compact. Look through the numerous cutouts and vents in the fairing and you'll see how neat and tidy the new literbike is. Next year, new BMW factory riders Ruben Xaus and past Superbike champion Troy Corser will ride the 190-horsepower S 1000 RR in competition against the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/06/honda-announces-new-cbr600rr-and-cbr100rr-fireblade-for-u-k/">Big</a> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/29/suzuki-unveils-2009-gsx-r1000/">Four</a> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/28/kawasaki-updates-entire-motorcycle-line-for-09/">Japanese</a> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/yamaha-introduces-2009-r1-with-big-bang-firing-order/">superbikes</a>, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/29/ducati-1098-r-180-horsepower-364-pounds-traction-control/">Ducati 1098 R</a> and the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/22/officially-official-aprilia-rsv4-superbike/">RSV4 from Aprilia</a>. It should all be very exciting to watch.<br /><br />Expect a street-going version shortly, with 1,000 units of the new model due for 2009. Unlike past Beamers, the S 1000 RR uses an inline four-cylinder engine mounted transversely in the frame with a standard chain drive. Suspension bits also follow the normal telescopic formula up front with a traditional coil-over out back, eschewing BMW's past Telelever, Duolever and Paralever designs. Take a look in our gallery below.<br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/">BMW S 1000 RR race livery</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/1091067/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_s_1000_rr_large_2_thu mbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/1091068/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_s_1000_rr_large_3_thu mbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/1091064/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_s_1000_rr_large_5_thu mbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/1091063/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_s_1000_rr_large_1_thu mbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr-race-livery/1091066/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/bmw_s_1000_rr_large_4_thu mbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr/">BMW S 1000 RR</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr/755354/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/bmw_1000_rr_large_1_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr/755356/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/bmw_1000_rr_large_2_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr/755357/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/bmw_1000_rr_large_3_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr/755355/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/bmw_1000_rr_large_4_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-s-1000-rr/755358/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/bmw_1000_rr_large_5_thumb nail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: BMW]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/11/bmw-reveals-race-ready-s-1000-rr/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1339140/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/11/bmw-reveals-race-ready-s-1000-rr/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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Spy Shots: BMW Z4 caught practically naked
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/spyphotos/" rel="tag">Spy Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/convertibles/" rel="tag">Convertibles</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a></p><a href="http://www.nextautos.com/spy-shot-new-bmw-z4-spied-nearly-naked?gid=11682&nid=29693 #gallery-11682"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/phphano9g.preview_opt.jpg " alt="" /></a>We haven't shown you new spy shots of the upcoming redesigned BMW Z4 for, oh, at least a couple of weeks, but the latest pics reveal the hardtop convertible's final shape with only minimal covering. That psychedelic applique aside, we can easily see now that the new Z4 will be an evolutionary step for the design of this little roadster. What it will do is wipe clean the Bangle-inspired design elements that made the current car such a visual mess from every angle. It will get the clean, sculpted sides of current BMWs like the 3 Series, and an even larger twin-kidney grille. And unlike the current car, the proportions are now much more balanced with a reasonably sized front end flowing into a tidy cockpit and tapered rear. As mentioned, BMW will be ditching the soft top for a retractable hard top, which may take away some of the car's open air flavor but is largely a necessity in this class nowadays.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.nextautos.com/spy-shot-new-bmw-z4-spied-nearly-naked?gid=11682&nid=29697 #gallery-11682">Next Autos</a>]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/spy-shots-bmw-z4-caught-practically-naked/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1340668/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/spy-shots-bmw-z4-caught-practically-naked/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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Zeydon builds the BMW of yachts
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/euro/" rel="tag">Euro</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/toys/" rel="tag">Toys</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/lifestyle/" rel="tag">Lifestyle</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/zeydon-bmw-designworks-yacht/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/zyrd_bmw_ych.jpg" /></a>Much like its Porsche Design counterpart, there isn't really anything BMW DesignWorks won't try to make better, from an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/18/bmw-builds-ultimate-espresso-machine-for-starbucks/">espresso machine</a> to a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/27/bmw-studio-designs-jet-for-fictional-russian-billionaires/">custom interior for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner</a>. So it was only a matter of time before they put pen to paper and created a yacht, this particular example being a 60-foot offshore performance sailboat for the Zeydon boatyard of Belgium.<br /><br />Meant, as with any BMW, to be just almost everything to almost everyone, the yacht, christened "WYSIWYG," is a regatta-oriented sailer as fast as it is luxurious. And no, your eyes don't deceive you: it's blue. Why? Because according to the heads of Zeydon, "it perfectly communicates the characteristics that determine our corporate identity: progressiveness, originality, courage, strict authenticity and infinite emotion." And it's got wooden racing stripes. Click the image at right for a high-res version and follow the jump for the press release. <br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/us02.nsf/fwPressemeldungFrame?read form&docid=0E87DA36D418EE 11C12574DC004C161A">BMW</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/zeydon-builds-the-bmw-of-yachts/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Zeydon builds the BMW of yachts</em></a></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/us02.nsf/fwPressemeldungFrame?read form&docid=0E87DA36D418EE 11C12574DC004C161A>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/zeydon-builds-the-bmw-of-yachts/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1337517/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/zeydon-builds-the-bmw-of-yachts/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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FIA wants standard engine for F1 in 2010
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/honda/" rel="tag">Honda</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes-Benz</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ferrari/" rel="tag">Ferrari</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/renault/" rel="tag">Renault</a></p><a href="http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17102008/58/fia-invite-tenders-single-engine.html"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/10/ferrari-f1-engine-050-2001_450op.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Citing the ridiculously spiraling costs associated with engine development, the FIA sent out a statement seeking drivetrain suppliers for <em>every</em> Formula 1 team starting in 2010, meaning that the same engine/trans combo would be fitted to every car on the grid. The company that gets the contract would either build and supply the engines or design and supervise the building of them so they meet a specified range.<br /><br />This kind of plan seems almost incomprehensible given that Formula One has always been known as a series that allows manufacturers and private teams to compete within the regulations to push the boundaries of what's possible in car development, and especially in engine technology. It seems unfathomable that a team like Honda might consider staying in F1 if they had to use a Renault powerplant, or God forbid a Toyota mill. McLaren-Mercedes/Ferrari anyone? <br /><br />Despite the obvious negative reaction to this announcement, F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone said he doesn't expect to lose any teams: "We're trying to get a level playing field," he said. "I don't see why [manufacturers] should leave, we're saving them an awful lot of money I hope." While increasing development costs have gotten out of hand and threatened the future of the sport by increasing the likelihood that all teams but those with the deepest pockets will be driven out, the overall feeling is that the FIA is using their usual tactic of offering a pretty unpleasant plan, with the hope that teams will accept their much more palatable alternative when that is offered.<br /><br />Still, there is some support within F1 for this type of plan, especially among the smaller teams that already rely on the major manufacturers to supply engines. A smaller budget means these teams are usually perpetual backmarkers, and with a spec drivetrain, they might be better equipped to grab more podiums. The FIA is set to meet with the Formula One Team's Association in Geneva after this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. We'll keep you posted. <em>Thanks to Doug for sending this in!</em><br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17102008/58/fia-invite-tenders-single-engine.html">Eurosport</a>]<h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17102008/58/fia-invite-tenders-single-engine.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/fia-wants-standard-engine-for-f1-in-2010/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1345678/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/17/fia-wants-standard-engine-for-f1-in-2010/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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