2003 Bmw M5 Base Sedan 4-door 5.0l 460hp 31k Miles on 2040-cars

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BMW showing all eight of its 'hommage' vehicles at Villa d'Este

BMW is paying a tribute of sorts to its tribute vehicles by bringing together all eight "hommage" concept vehicles for the first time. BMW will exhibit its hommage cars and bikes at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, which takes place near Italy's Lake Como this weekend. The vehicles will be shown off in the Padiglione Centrale at Villa Erba as part of BMW's "The Next 100 Years" campaign. BMW's first tribute vehicle was 1997's MINI ACV (Anniversary Concept Vehicle) 30, a two-seat, mid-engined, right-hand-drive car that the automaker produced to pay tribute to the UK brand's past while hinting at what BMW would subsequently do with the iconic badge. The automaker followed with its BMW Concept Coupe Mille Miglia in 2006, and then officially started grouping the concept cars in 2008 under the hommage designation with the introduction of the BMW M1 Hommage. That car marked the 30th anniversary of the original BMW M1. View 17 Photos Since then, there have been the BMW 328 Hommage (2011), the BMW Concept Ninety motorcycle (2013), and the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage (2015). In addition to paying tribute to the iconic 1970s-era coupe, last year's concept car showed off advances the company has made in its light-weighting efforts. This year, BMW is adding the BMW 2002 and BMW Motorrad R 5 Hommage to the party. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este also features about 50 historic cars built between the 1920s and 1980s. For more information from BMW, take a look at the press release below. Tradition as inspiration. The BMW Group's Hommage vehicles come together for the first time at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2016. Munich/Cernobbio. With BMW's centenary headline "The Next 100 Years" in mind, the BMW Group is bringing together, for the first time, the full line-up of Hommage vehicles unveiled over recent years. They will be joined on display at a special exhibition titled "Hommage and Concept Vehicles" in the Padiglione Centrale at Villa Erba by the models from the past that inspired them. Munich/Cernobbio. With BMW's centenary headline "The Next 100 Years" in mind, the BMW Group is bringing together, for the first time, the full line-up of Hommage vehicles unveiled over recent years. They will be joined on display at a special exhibition titled "Hommage and Concept Vehicles" in the Padiglione Centrale at Villa Erba by the models from the past that inspired them.

BMW i8's three-cylinder sounds like it's shaping up quite nicely

We've run across some rather interesting news... or perhaps we should say interesting sounds. The folks from Bimmerpost have scrounged up a short video showing a preproduction BMW i8 running through a few gears in Sport mode at a quick pace, and if you were concerned that the somewhat eco-friendly nature of the upcoming German sports car would neuter its ability to stir the aural senses, fret not.
Judging by the lovely noise coming from the engine compartment of the i8 in the video, BMW's expertise in tuning high-strung, small-bore engines - remember, BMW Motorrad has quite the penchant for well-conceived motorcycle engines - has come through loud and clear. Now, it's worth mentioning that BMW's controversial Active Sound technology will be included with the i8, so the production car may not sound exactly like this version, which is running with the tech disabled. Owners won't have the ability to disable Active Sound on production i8s.
In related news, Bimmerpost reports that BMW will equip the i8 with an external Active Sound Design system to go along with its Pedestrian Protection System. That means those on the outside will likely hear piped engine recordings from the rear and a sort of "howl" from the front in order to warn pedestrians that the otherwise quiet (when running on electricity, that is) car is approaching. It will also feature technology that can stop the car before contacting a pedestrian.

BMW 3 Series eDrive plug-in hybrid spotted in development

BMW has shown its commitment to the development of hybrid and electric powertrains in recent years, with vehicles in its ActiveHybrid range, electrics like its BMW ActiveE and range-extended EVs like the i3 and i8. Plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles are clearly top-of-mind for the German automaker. We saw spy shots of the PHEV BMW X5 eDrive prototypes about a year ago, and now our shooters have come through with a 3 Series-bodied version of the technology, as well.
In addition to the obvious "Hybrid Test Vehicle" designation you see on the bodysides of this 3er, we also note that a second 'fuel cap' - presumably hiding the electric charge point - is in evidence. It's a fairly safe assumption that this 3 Series is making use of the same turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor configuration that the X5 eDrive used. In the case of the X5, that meant a top electric-only speed of 75 miles per hour, with a range of just under 20 miles, and 0-62 mph in under 7 seconds. With considerably lighter, compact sedan bodywork clothing the PHEV drivetrain, we'd guess that the 3 Series eDrive could improve on each of those numbers.