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BMW planning smaller Z2 roadster

It's been a few years since we heard about the BMW Z2, a compact, two-seat convertible that would slot in below the aging Z4 (shown above). Now, though, the crew at Car and Driver are back with details on the oft-rumored roadster.
The big shock for enthusiasts on this one is C/D's report that the Z2 will spin its front wheels, rather than its rears. A front-drive roadster is strange enough, but a front-drive BMW roadster? It's apparently true, though, as the new model would share its platform with the front-drive Mini and 2 Series Active Tourer rather than with the racier 228i or M235i coupes.
According to C/D, the rumored Z2 could be powered by a range of three- and four-cylinder, turbocharged engines, although it's more likely to be a four-only affair. Power should range from 160 to 230 ponies, while an M variant could arrive with 300 horsepower (that's a whole lot of power for front-wheel drive...).

BMW X4 Concept is no Shanghai surprise

"One in four new BMW cars is now a BMW SAV." If you're new to BMW parlance, SAV stands for Sports Activity Vehicle, a vehicle type most of us more commonly refer to as a crossover, and that statistic, which comes straight from the automaker itself, tells you all you need to know about why the X4 Concept you see above exists.
Like its larger X6 sibling, the BMW X4 Concept tries to shove a crossover in a mold shaped vaguely like a fastback coupe. Put another way, the X4 is likely to be a polarizing design, though perhaps not to the extent that the X6 divided opinions. As for us, we definitely prefer the styling of this X4 Concept, with its strong character lines and impressive wheel-to-bodyside ratio, over that of its bigger brother. That said, we're sure the AMC Eagle comparisons will begin in earnest starting right about... now.
Dimensionally, it seems the most obvious machine with which to compare this X4 Concept is the 3 Series Wagon - we're not sure if it will be as spacious inside as the 3 Series Gran Turismo. A two-inch stretch in the wheelbase ought to bring a commensurate improvement in legroom, and a body that's nearly five inches longer should be a boon for cargo capacity. Of course, that fastback roofline will surely cut down on the car's roominess inside, but we'll have to wait for the final production model to judge its true capabilities.

Police arrest 'Fastest Lap Around Manhattan' driver [w/video]

Don't speed. Don't drive recklessly. Don't try to break the unofficial record for a lap of Manhattan. And if you go against this reasonable advice, do not, under any circumstances, record it and post the video on YouTube. If you do, you'll end up like Christopher Adam Tang - under arrest and facing a bevy of charges relating to the video.
Tang posted the video, which showed him lapping Manhattan in 24 minutes last Wednesday, and it quickly went viral. Now Tang, who went by the online moniker AfroDuck, is in cuffs. According to a local CBS affiliate, he was picked up at his home on Wednesday evening by police, who also seized the car used in the video, a 2006 BMW Z4.
What isn't clear is how Tang was caught. His video seems carefully done in that there are no outwardly visible signs that point to him, while the video itself is clearly sped up. While the NYPD hasn't come out and said that Tang was caught due to its extensive surveillance systems around the city, police commissioner Ray Kelly did point out that the new systems "will assist in this type of investigation." Let that serve as a warning to anyone that tries to break the 24-minute barrier. Scroll down to watch the full video.