2001 Bmw M3 Base Convertible 2-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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It's a V8 party! Lexus IS 500, Cadillac Escalade and more | Autoblog Podcast #667

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. It's all V8s all the time this week, starting with the Land Rover Defender V8 unveiling, Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance debut and pricing announcement on the Jeep Wrangler 392. Next, they move on to what they've been driving. Spoiler alert: That means more V8 talk. Zac has been driving the Cadillac Escalade with the 6.2-liter V8 and BMW M550i with its 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. Greg and Zac take a pause from the V8 theme by discussing their shared time in our long-term Acura TLX. From this, they segue into a "Spend My Money" feature about garage lifts to finish the show. Autoblog Podcast #667 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 priced at nearly $75,000 2022 Land Rover Defender bulks up with a 518-hp V8 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance brings back the V8 What we're driving BMW M550i Cadillac Escalade Acura TLX Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video:

BMW M models will stay rear-wheel drive as long as possible

Don't expect BMW's M cars to go soft any time soon. Carsten Pries, the division's head of product management, wants to focus on at least six cylinders and rear-wheel drive for as long as possible. Pries sees the combination of six (or more) cylinders and rear-wheel drive as defining features of the division. "These are cars that attract new people to the M brand and that is very important," he said to Motoring. He doesn't think it's time to deviate from that strategy yet. "I hope not, because six is part of our DNA. Not only the power, but that hallmark sound that we have." We certainly like Pries' sentiment, but the division's current lineup shows a willingness to compromise the purely rear-wheel drive focus when necessary. For example, the latest X5 M and X6 M already feature all-wheel drive systems, which can send 100 percent of the power to the back at times. Spy shots and rumors heavily suggest a similar option for the next-generation M5, too. The latest M4 GTS proves BMW knows how to tune a fantastic sounding six-cylinder, but there's no reason a well engineered four-cylinder model couldn't be great. The original M3 relied on one to speed around, and it became a performance icon of its period. Pries even admitted in 2014 that a new four-cylinder M vehicle could happen eventually. For now, he isn't ready to introduce a new four-pot model. Pries admits that the division's strategy might need to change someday, but he still expects to create M-badged models. "If the framework changes in the future, we have to look then at what we can do in terms of a proper or decent M offer," he said to Motoring. Related Video:

2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible is easy, breezy, beautiful

BMW debuted its 2014 4 Series Convertible today at the LA Auto Show, and the sporting two-door will feature a folding hardtop - like the convertible 3 Series before it - and be offered in 428i and 435i guises.
The 428i Convertible is equipped with BMW's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, which pumps out 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque - good for sprinting from 0-60 miles per hour in 6.2 seconds. The 435i Convertible gets the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, which steps up output to 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. The topless 435i drops the 0-60-mph time to 5.5 seconds. Both cars come standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and BMW says that a manual transmission will not be offered on 4 Series Convertibles in the US market.
The 4 Series Convertible will be offered in Sport Line, Luxury Line and M Sport trims. Pricing starts at $48,750 for the 428i Convertible and $54,900 for the 435i. Head on below to peruse the (long) press release for details.