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BMW M5 gets a facial for next generation

There's no mistaking a car designed by BMW's M Division. Every vehicle has a distinct set of characteristics that sets it apart from plebeian Bimmers. That's why even through all of the camouflage, we know these are photos of the company's next-generation M5 testing in southern Spain. The current car has been around since 2011, so it's no surprise that BMW is working on a replacement. Although these photos are new, prototype M5s have been running around for a while now. We even have video of a car testing at the Nurburgring. The car is probably close to production ready at this point. All of the M Division trademarks are there. Four exhaust tips, flared fenders, beefy brakes with fixed calipers, lots of tire, etc. A few things differ from the previous spy shots we've seen. The front bumper looks to be slightly reworked, with larger air intakes than before. The design of the headlights appears to be slightly different and more in line with the new 7 Series. Other than that, there's not much here that we haven't already seen. We expect the new M5 to be powered by a twin-turbocharged V8. The Nurburgring tester sounds like it has a V8, and the M Division previously said it's not giving up on eight cylinders yet. There are also rumors floating around that the next generation of M cars will send power to all four wheels. Audi has put Quattro in its cars for years, while Mercedes-AMG is moving most of its models to all-wheel drive. Although BMW has said that it's sticking with rear-wheel power, don't discount optional AWD for next-gen M cars. Related Video:

Kitten rides 300 miles in Royal Navy pilot's BMW

The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, has a new recruit–a tiny kitten named Tigger. According to the Royal Navy Online, Lieutenant Nick Grimmer flew in to Birmingham Airport after a vacation refreshed and ready to return to duty. Grimmer, who flies sub hunting Merlin Mk2 helicopters for the Fleet Air Arm's 814 Squadron, then hopped in his BMW and drove 300 miles to his post at Royal Navy Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall. The next day, he heard a quiet, feeble meowing coming from somewhere in his car and began to investigate. "I looked in the boot, under the bonnet, and climbed all over and under it and still couldn't find what was making the noise," Grimmer told Royal Navy Online. "I called up some of our air engineers who came and helped me to start dismantling my pride and joy. On taking off the rear bumper we were greeted with a tiny tiger-striped kitten." Since he was already dangerously close to being late for duty, Lt. Grimmer had no choice but to take his new friend with him to work. His squadronmates, delighted by their newest recruit, named him Tigger in honor of the squadron's nickname–the Flying Tigers. After his harrowing journey in the BMW, Tigger has been a little anxious and unwilling to leave his savior's side. "The place he has felt most comfortable is in my flying helmet, which is the only place he is able to sleep," said Grimmer. "We are more than happy to adopt Tigger as a mascot," Commander Brendan Spoors, CO of the squadron, told Royal Navy. "After all, it's a tradition for Royal Navy units to have a ship's cat!" The 814 has launched a campaign to locate Tigger's owners called "Operation Tiger Kitten". If the 814 can't find Tigger's owners, the kitten may end up serving aboard HMS Ocean along with the rest of the squadron, as they are due to deploy for training exercises in the Baltic and Mediterranean. Tigger's story isn't unusual. We've seen a few stories of kittens surviving rides after crawling into cars to keep warm during the night. Sometimes they drop out of cars at inconvenient times, like when this kitten fell into the middle of a busy intersection. Sometimes rescuing the kitten can cause costly damage, as this man found out after he cut his truck's body to save a trapped kitten. Many more, however, go undiscovered and can die after getting trapped in a wheel well or engine compartment. To prevent unwanted stowaways, give you horn a quick honk to send them running.

2015 BMW 740Ld xDrive

When it first came stateside in 1978, choosing a BMW 7 Series was a simple process. With one engine and one wheelbase, you could just pick what color you want and be on your merry way. Today there are ten different models, forcing drivers to choose among four engines (plus a hybrid), rear- or all-wheel-drive, and two different wheelbase lengths. As if this isn't tricky enough, the options list has more custom choices than the Taco Bell app. Do you want standard paint and upholstery, or something from the pricey BMW Individual collection? What about the headlights: Do you want LEDs, or are the standard xenons just fine? Need a head-up display? Night vision? Adaptive dampers? The list goes on and on. After a week with a new version of BMW's flagship sedan, we've sorted out which model you actually want, although it's still up to you whether or not to order a ceramic-glazed iDrive knob. Our favorite 7 Series is now the 740Ld Xdrive, a conclusion we came to after a week at the helm of the smooth, torquey land yacht. Driving Notes When the diesel 7 first arrived at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, its engine was already familiar to American consumers. It's the same 3.0-liter, turbodiesel inline-six found in everything from the E90 3 Series to the past two generations of X5, as well as the current 5 Series. A robust 413 pound-feet of torque lathered across the rev range, with peak twist available between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm, and the corresponding horsepower tops out at 255. 0Í–60 happens in a sedate 6.1 seconds, and for those with autobahn dreams the top speed is a modest 130 mph. While those figures aren't terribly impressive, as is often the case with diesels, the real-world application of the engine's power is far more dramatic. Even small throttle inputs produce a smooth surge of acceleration, making the 740Ld feel a lot quicker than the performance metrics might indicate. Even with the current cheap price of gas, the superior fuel efficiency of a diesel engine is worth noting, especially as this model only costs $1500 more than a 740Li xDrive. The diesel tips the scales at nearly 4,700 pounds, yet it boasts a 31-mile-per-gallon highway rating. It's rated at 23 mpg in the city, while our real-world testing saw returns in the mid-to-high 20s. Simple anecdotes about acceleration and fuel economy figures only convey a small part of the 740Ld's goodness.