2008 Bmw M3 450hp Exhaust, Intake, 20 Wheels on 2040-cars

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BMW M4 Concept beckons the new golden child of M cars

Ushering in the next-generation of two-door M performance cars for BMW, the new M4 Concept was officially unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last night after an unceremonious embargo leak yesterday afternoon. The reality of the fact that we will never again have a new M3 Coupe is a little easier to deal with after browsing the M4 Concept's sleek and sporty lines.
As was the case with the Concept 4 Series Coupe, we expect the this M4 to transition from concept car to production coupe with very few changes. Among the features we's bet against making it into production include the front splitter and the exhaust tips - both made from carbon fiber. Other notable details are the aero-shaped mirrors, the subtle M stripes on the carbon fiber roof and the 20-inch wheels exposing big six-piston from brakes. If it were up to us, we'd say bring this car to production as is - except for the paint color.
There is still no word on the M4's powertrain or if it will even offer a manual geabox, but we would imagine that we'll be seeing this car in production form, complete with all of those details at the LA Auto Show.

Five bikes from EICMA you need to know about

Each and every year, the world's biggest motorcycle manufacturers gather together in Milan, Italy to show off the latest and greatest machinery that will soon be offered to dealerships the world over. It's called EICMA (Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori), and this year's crop of new motorcycles is just as exciting as ever.
We've selected five of the coolest motorcycles shown at this week's show, including models from Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda and Yamaha. Join us down below for a high-performance, two-wheeled Italian journey.

Looking back at 84 years of BMW roadsters

Today BMW is a top player in the luxury vehicle market, but it wasn't always so. With origins as an airplane engine builder early in the 20th Century, it broke into the automotive industry when it bought Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928. That German manufacturer was licensed to build the Austin Seven under the name Dixi DA-1, which could be had in a roadster body style. In 1929, BMW dropped the Dixi name, and by 1936, it was building a car it designed in-house, the 326 sedan. That was followed by the company's first roadster of its own design, the swoopy two-door 327 of 1937.
XCAR picks up there, and gives a history of BMW's iconic roadsters starting with the 327, ending with today's Z4, and covering everything in between - including the beautiful post-war 507 of 1957 and the funky, plastic-bodied 1989 Z1.
The video, which we've included below, is a good history lesson and a great chance to see a bunch of classic BMWs, spanning 84 years, all driven back to back within the safe confines of a racetrack. When you have a spare 20 minutes, go ahead and take some time to watch it.