�� BMW �� 2010 - �� 61

�� · #**301** 01-10-2010, 11:10 PM

Filed under: Wagon, Paris Motor Show, BMW, Luxury

2011 BMW 5 Series Touring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Take a good, hard look at this vehicle, which is currently on display at the Paris Motor Show. Seems like it would be the perfect alternative for someone who wants a luxury SUV but doesn't need a vehicle that large. It also appears to be the perfect car for a person who wants cargo room yet despises luxury crossovers. This is the 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring - and we can't have it.

Wagons are, quite unfortunately, going the way of the dodo in this country. A vehicle that makes too much sense won't sell in a country where sense is tossed into the wind. The problem is, that's part of what makes this country great - the idea that we can go and buy a V10-powered Ford Excursion even if we just use it to drive the kids to soccer. Yet, that vehicle only makes sense for a small number of people, and those people are buying better tools for their job anyway.

The 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring, assuming of course that you are looking for a luxury car, makes far more sense to far more people. It fits just as many people as the high-riding crossover alternative, while also providing just as much cargo space. It's arguably better looking than any crossover or sport utility vehicle. More importantly, it has loads of useful space while at the same time being a blast to drive. The only area it would fall in a comparison would be in regards to towing.

You can view the stats for the 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring in the press release after the jump, but it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. We won't get to enjoy the 306 horsepower 535i Touring, or any other variant of this wonderful wagon. And before it's even left in the 'comments', yes, we know all about the BMW 5 Series GT.

Gallery: Paris 2010: BMW 5 Series Touring

Continue reading Paris 2010: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring is an excellent vehicle you'll never drive

Paris 2010: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring is an excellent vehicle you'll never drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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�� · #**302** 02-10-2010, 09:10 PM

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., BMW, Bugatti, Motorcycle

2010 Bugatti Veyron versus BMW S 1000 RR

Car guys insist that their four-wheeled machines are as fun as any motorcycle. The two-wheeled, leather-clad bike folks laugh at this notion, then scream off into the twisties at 9,000 rpm. The discussion can go back and forth until both parties are blue in the face. Inside Line decided it would be fun to put two powerful examples, one car and one motorcycle, to the test. These aren't just run-of-the-mill vehicles, either: In one corner is a 2010 Bugatti Veyron while in the other sits a 2010 BMW S 1000 RR. The battleground? Forest roads around Molsheim, France

The Veyron obviously has the power advantage, thanks to its quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1,001 horsepower. The 190-horsepower BMW, however, has a huge weight advantage and the agile bike can get around any Citroën-shaped obstacles that it might come across.

The staff at Inside Line give the nod to the bike, for a number of valid reasons. It makes more sense in a day-to-day atmosphere, can slip through traffic, and when the luggage rack is applied it has more cargo capacity. The S 1000 RR also gains an edge when comparing maintenance costs. Changing a tire on a bike isn't too much of a hit to the wallet, but to change the full set of rubber on the Bugatti costs $90,000. Furthermore, there are only two machines in the world capable of handling that job -- one in France and another here in the US.

Regardless of the outcome, the pair both represent unique forms of engineering excellence and the real winner of the shootout is Inside Line. Getting to spend time with either vehicle is a treat, but getting to do it on a scenic French road is a dream. Head on over to Inside Line to live vicariously through their lucky contributor.

[Source: Inside Line]

Bugatti Veyron vs. BMW S1000 RR - Which is fastest? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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�� · #**303** 04-10-2010, 10:10 PM

Filed under: Technology, BMW, Rumormill, Luxury

BMW seems to think American buyers are ready to sink their teeth into small luxury vehicles. The automaker has reconfirmed plans to unleash a wave of small, front-wheel drive creations positioned below the 1 Series and due to go on sale in the U.S. market. The vehicles will be sold under a new class called UKL, and there are supposedly several different body styles just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting North American buyers. The news came via Ian Robertson, a BMW board member for sales and marketing, who also said that the full line will pack a four-cylinder engine when the cars debut before 2013.

BMW is looking to move around 100,000 units of its new UKL series vehicles worldwide, though the company hasn't said exactly how it expects that figure to be broken up by market. Automotive News reports that while the company has also been tight lipped about exactly how many different vehicle types will fall under the new front-wheel drive, four-cylinder philosophy, other reports have pointed to a total of four body styles at launch.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

BMW developing FWD, four-cylinder small car line for sale in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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�� · #**304** 06-10-2010, 06:40 PM

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW 1M Coupe teasers - Click above for image gallery

Between the 6 Series Coupe concept, the 5 Series Touring wagon and the new X3 crossover, BMW had plenty to show us this year at the Paris Motor Show. But the real surprise, as it turns out, may have been in the French capital during the show, it wasn't even put on display. Instead, the Bavarian automaker took its currently-in-progress 1M Coupe out onto the city's famous tree-lined boulevards, covered up and disguised, but did a suitably Parisian burlesque striptease to give us a glimpse at what to expect.

Aside from the silhouette, all we can see are the front fender, headlamp (which is now taped-up in Zorro-esque fashion for some reason) and part of the air dam - all of which we saw before in the last teaser video - along with a newly-revealed section of the rear bumper and quad-pipe exhaust, plus the wheels protruding from the flared arches. If previous reports prove accurate, there will only be 2,700 examples on offer, so this may be the best look we'll get for some time... better check it out in the gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Gallery: BMW 1M Coupe teasers

[Source: BMW M-Power via 1Addicts]

BMW 1M Coupe stops by Paris, doesn't even stay for the show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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�� · #**305** 07-10-2010, 09:30 PM

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, BMW

BMW M6 Convertible spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW unveiled its 6 Series Coupe concept at this year's Paris Motor Show, giving us a preview at what the next-generation Sixer will look like when it debuts sometime next year. Fear not, M6 fans - this latest set of spy shots clearly shows that BMW has every intention of giving its latest grand tourer the high-power treatment.

Aside from the revised styling of the next-gen 6 Series, we can clearly see a set of large wheels wrapped in fat tires, not to mention the M-signature quad-exhaust pipes out back. Expect the M6 to use the same twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 setup that will debut in the new M5 sedan, meaning power numbers should be somewhere around 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. It all sounds delicious, and we can't wait to see how the M treatment looks on the even sleeker coupe.

Gallery: Spy Shots: BMW M6 Convertible