Certified Pre Owned Plus Maintenance, Premium Package, Sport Package on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 BMW M2 First Drive

Don't skip down to the conclusions, because I'll save you the trouble and spell it out for you right here. The 2016 BMW M2 is superb. Lay out your criteria for a contemporary sport coupe. Then check all the boxes. There are gripes. We've gotten good at uncovering the little issues in an age where the difference between the best and worst car in a class is smaller than ever. But they're that: little. It's a small price to pay for a vehicle that delivers so much more to the driver than the M235i – engagement, performance, pleasure – that it seems a bargain at $52,695 to start. Moreover, it's the right-sized M car we've wanted since the M4 burst its chrysalis and turned into an extra-large, if not overweight, butterfly. BMW had us out to Monterey to sample two M2s: a 7-speed DCT on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and a six-speed manual on the fog-kissed Pacific Coast Highway. The formula here is old-school – thank heavens. It's a compact sport coupe with swollen wheel arches and a hot-rodded inline-six. The proportions are classic: longish hood, short rear deck, reasonably airy greenhouse in the tradition of sporting BMWs, and plenty of meat on the sticky tires. Long Beach Blue paint provides depth to the sheetmetal scalloping and contrast to the fender flares – and the M2 looked great in this bold color. I can't say the same for the less-exciting grey example parked in the hospitality tent. Like most modern turbocharged BMWs, the torque curve is fatter than an In-N-Out Double Double, Animal Style. The overall rightness of the proportions compensates for the more polarizing details. The dimples in the rear bumper, the "scoops" in the lower secondary air inlets, the obligatory fender vent (which is at least small). They're all intended to communicate aggressive sportiness, and succeed to varying degrees, but it's just jewelry. Inside, BMW's excised some of the cheapness that plagued the 2 Series' predecessors. The blue contrasting stitching looks great, the sport steering wheel is perfectly sized, and the carbon-fiber patterned accents at least provide a little texture to break up an unapologetically black interior. On the other hand, the door pulls are not only cheap-looking, but also so large they're impossible to ignore. It's a baffling misstep in an otherwise simple and classy interior. As a quick aside, the HUD is clear and functional – not a new feature for BMWs, but worth noting.

Autoblog Podcast #389

Episode #389 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, and Mark Pereira from Autoblog Canada talk about Johan deNysschen's move to Cadillac, rumors of more BMW nomenclature changes, a second generation for the Subaru BRZ, and cars from 2004 that we miss. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #389: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Johan de Nysschen moves to Cadillac BMW model designations changing even more Subaru BRZ getting second generation Cars We Miss In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Ducati 899 Panigale 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2015 Volkswagen GTI 2015 Chevrolet Silverato 2500 Diesel Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Mark Pereira Runtime: 01:59:10 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Johan deNysschen - 36:12 BMW Nomenclature - 53:58 BRZ - 56:27 Cars We Miss - 01:05:07 Q&A - 01:30:09 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Auto News Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Podcasts BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Hyundai Subaru Volkswagen

Recharge Wrap-up: Lego Tesla logo, BMW goes electric in Singapore

A man built a giant Tesla logo out of Legos. Adrian Drake, a Tesla owner, displayed his brickwork homage to the electric car company at Brickworld Chicago. In the video above, the hosts interview Mr. Drake about his creation, and he gives some insights into how he conceived and constructed the freestanding display. Drake also demonstrates its sturdiness, giving the logo a tap to send it wobbling precariously from side to side. You'll probably notice that standing to the left of the logo is a Lego model of a Tesla Supercharger. That was built by Robert Turner and can be seen in a separate video. See the Lego Tesla logo in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Canadian power generator TransAlta will use Tesla stationary batteries for a commercial energy storage project. The project involves installing five Tesla Powerpacks to store energy during periods of low demand for use during peak grid times. TransAlta believes that energy storage systems like this will help encourage the creation of more wind and solar energy. "This is a major step forward in putting new technology to work in Canada," says TransAlta Lead Engineer of Technology Dan Chapman, "and Tesla is already a leader in this field." The project is expected to be up and running in late 2016. Read more from TransAlta. BMW and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have launched an electromobility research program. In addition to the projects the joint Future Mobility Research Lab is already working on, (Advanced Battery, Driver Enhancement and Intelligent Mobility), the groups will also begin Electromobility in Asia and Smart Materials research projects. The Electromobility in Asia project focuses on how people interact with BMW's i cars, while the Smart Materials project seeks to improve touchscreens and interactive surfaces. BMW has provided the lab with an i3 and i8 with which to conduct research. Each partner is investing $965,000 into the new programs. Read more at Green Car Congress, and in the press release below. BMW Group and NTU embark on S$1.3 million electromobility research NTU receives BMW i3 and BMW i8 as research platforms Singapore. BMW Group and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) today launched a new electromobility research programme, involving the all-electric BMW i3 and plug-in hybrid sports car BMW i8 that runs on electricity and petrol.