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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.

Take a look at the shocking Rolls-Royce Next 100 concept

Rolls-Royce showed off its Vision Next 100 concept today in London, giving a look at what its vehicles might look like a century years from now. Each BMW brand will show its own concept this year; BMW's Vision Next 100 concept was an interesting mix of textile-like patterns with stretchy fenders and a very 2010s four-door coupe shape, but this Rolls-Royce concept looks more like a luxury version of a World Solar Challenge racer. The car's official title is 103EX, following the convention of recent Roller concepts. Whereas its BMW counterpart was perhaps a safe, predictable vision of the future, the Rolls is a striking vehicle and a big departure for the brand. Whether it works as a whole for you or not, it represents the kind of stylistic provocation that made ex-BMW stylist Chris Bangle a household name. While the early Bangle cars were extremely controversial, this Rolls concept is clearly the heir of his penchant for sharply creased character lines. Call the rocker panel crease flame surfacing if you want. The floating headlamps and blade-edged verticality of the fenders are classic Rolls: imposing and visually heavy, without necessarily being classically beautiful. The square, flat grille is, to my eyes, much less successfully integrated. It seems like Rolls had the perfect opportunity to evolve the trademark grille into something more contemporary. In 100 years, the brand will still need to lean on this sort of anachronism? That seems short-sighted. We'll have more on this concept from our man on the ground in London later today. Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100 Concept View 27 Photos Design/Style BMW Rolls-Royce Coupe Autonomous Vehicles Concept Cars Future Vehicles Luxury

2014 BMW 5 Series starts at $50,425* and gets a new diesel, 5 Series GT starts at $60,925* [w/video]

BMW itself says it is making "Precise modifications to the design" of the facelifted, sixth-generation 5 Series, and this is the result. The 2014 5 Series will come in four flavors - sedan, Touring, Gran Turismo and ActiveHybrid 5 - the biggest news probably the addition of a diesel engine for the US market.
When they go on sale in August, the 528i sedan will start at $50,425, a $1,700 increase over the 2013 model, and if you want xDrive that adds $2,300 to the price across the model range. The 535d employs a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline six-cylinder diesel with 255 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque and starts at $56,025. BMW portends "substantial fuel efficiency gains over its gasoline-fueled counterpart," but the exact numbers won't come until closer to the on-sale date. The $64,825, top-dog 550i holds pat with 4.4-liter, twin turbo V8, with output upped to 445 hp and 480 lb-ft - an increase of 45 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque. The outputs haven't changed on the twin-turbo four-cylinder in the 528 nor the 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine in the 535, and *all prices include the $925 destination charge. The engines are also fitted with a coasting mode that uncouples the powertrain when rolling downhill.
Outside there are new "contour lines" for the grille and air intakes, slimmer taillights and elements that accentuate the car's width - as if that were necessary. Xenon adaptive headlights will be standard along with side indicator lights on the rearview mirrors, the options list adds LED headlights, the Luxury Line and Modern Line packages. The former package adds chrome trim to certain exterior elements, the latter adds matte chrome trim.