1997 Bmw 740il Sedan 4-door 4.4l 305hp V8 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2013 BMW M3 Coupe Lime Rock Park Edition

Sic Transit Gloria
I like difficult cars. I like turbo "moments," dramatic weight distribution, low-grip, peaky power delivery, and overly quick steering, along with ultra-short wheelbases and any number of other non-racecar-perfect dynamic foibles. I love the newest generation of BMW cars and engines - all turbo'd up with tons of torque and power everywhere in the rev range, too. But what I think the enthusiast community will miss when this 2013 M3 Coupe becomes the 2014 M4 Coupe - replacing its idiosyncratic, small-displacement, revvy V8 for something like a triple-turbo, directly injected, inline six-cylinder powerhouse in the process - is the work it takes to drive the car fast and perfectly. Sometimes small flaws just make things better; my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, and all that.
The idea of this E92 M3 going away then, magnified by the loss of the M3 badge for the coupe, is at best bittersweet for me. This generation of M car is already surpassed in terms of raw thrills by the better-than-ever Mercedes-Benz C63, a car that doesn't ask its driver to sacrifice low-end grunt or the very latest in amenities in return for stellar backroad performance. Yet any time I've been lucky enough to lap a track in the M3, it has quickly become clear that the Bimmer is the better on-edge tool. With the freedom to wring the neck of the 4.0-liter V8 and room to exercise the lovely balance of the car, the E92 is hard to match (even six years after its debut).

Ruby celebrates 90 years of BMW Motorrad with special helmet collection

BMW isn't the only one celebrating its own 90th anniversary building motorbikes. So is Atelier Ruby, that French manufacturer of jewel-like motorcycle helmets.
Ruby has just released a capsule collection of helmets marking BMW Motorrad's 90th anniversary, and we want them almost as much as a Bimmer bike itself. The Munich 90 collection includes three new designs available in three helmet styles, including the signature blue and red stripes on a white background worn by BMWs of two wheels or four on the racing circuit.
Of course, these helmets, being made by Ruby as they are, won't come cheap, with jaw-dropping prices ranging from $980 to $1,450. Of course there are more cost-effective ways to protect your noggin, but few more stylish.

2013 BMW R1200GS and HP4 duel at Circuito de Almeria

The 2013 BMW HP4 is the track-ready version of the manufacturer's already mighty S1000RR, which puts the bike at the very tip top of the two-wheeled BMW food chain. The R1200GS, meanwhile, is intended to be a somewhat more utilitarian machine. Capable of conveying both rider and gear over vast distances and uncertain terrain, the big-boy GS is the Swiss army knife to the HP4's rapier. Or at least that's what we've always been led to believe. BMW recently rolled out some footage during a press launch that showed the R1200GS is actually no slouch when it comes time to sling around a road course.
The company threw both bikes on Spain's Circuito de Almeria for a little sparring match, and miraculously, the HP4 didn't just up and walk away from the R1200GS. From from it. Instead, the two stay tightly matched through most of the course before something surprising happens. We won't spoil the ending for you. Is it possible the rider on the HP4 still had some in reserve? Sure, but from the sound and look of things, neither bike was giving an inch. Check out all the video action below for yourself.