2010 Bmw 528 I Alpine White Black Leather I Drive 17" Alloy Wheels on 2040-cars

Auto blog

BMW 3 Series set for mild facelift

The latest BMW 3 Series is pretty new, right? Well it's been on the market for the better part of three years now. And on a typical six-year production cycle, that means it's halfway through its life. It only makes sense, then, that BMW should be preparing a little mid-life facelift, and that's just what we appear to be looking at in these latest spy shots.
The changes will likely be minimal when the revised 3 Series debuts sometime in the middle of next year, with the visual changes to the exterior centering around a new front bumper. New lighting front and rear may also be part of the package, and you can also expect some updates to the interior while those Bavarian engineers are at it. Take a closer look in the gallery of high-res spy shots above for an idea of what to expect.

BMW R1200 GS Adventure is made for epic roadtrips

BMW Motorrad has taken the wraps off of its newest GS Adventure model. Based on the R1200 GS, the Adventure trim makes an already tough bike just a bit tougher, thanks to a number of technical changes that improve off-road capabilities without sacrificing any of the R1200 GS' riding manners.
The most noticeable change might be the larger fuel tank, up in size from 5.3 gallons to 7.9 gallons, although this largely due to the Adventure's lower fuel economy - it loses about three miles per gallon to the regular R1200 GS. BMW claims that the larger tank won't inhibit riding comfort, thanks to its narrow design and placement in the bike's frame. The spring travel is 0.8 inches longer, while there's nearly half an inch of extra ground clearance, which is largely responsible for its improve off-road talents. A new, larger seat promises a more comfortable ride and a greater range of adjustability, while a few tweaks within the engine offer an even smoother delivery of the bike's 125 horsepower and 92 pound-feet of torque.
We have a full gallery of images of the R1200 GS Adventure available up top, along with the entire press release from BMW, which can be found by scrolling down.

BMW Z8, Lambo LM002 sell for $192,500 apiece in Detroit [w/poll]

Think a car are a bad investment? That all depends on what kind of car you're talking about. Because while most cars depreciate in value as soon as you drive them off the lot, others can do even better than hold their value. The cars that appreciate tend to be pretty high-end exotics, but they don't have to be multi-million-dollar classics to command a premium at auction. Just look at the results from RM Sotheby's Motor City sale in Detroit this past weekend. The auction house moved a solid $7.4 million worth of metal, which is pretty impressive when you consider that – unlike events at Lake Como or Pebble Beach – not one of the lots dipped into seven figures. 1930s-era American classics performed the strongest, with Duesenbergs, Packards, Auburns and the like all fetching hundreds of thousands. But what intrigued us most were the European exotics that rounded the top ten results. Amidst the Depression-era American steel were a BMW Z8 from 2001 and a 1988 Lamborghini LM002, each of which sold for an equal $192,500. Hardly the highest figures paid for European exotics this year, but considering how much they were worth just a few years ago, they've proven solid investments. BMW only made 5,703 examples of the Henrik Fisker-designed retro Z8, of which only 2,543 were brought to the United States, where they originally sold for $128,000. The most anyone had ever paid for one at auction, according to Sports Car Market, was $184,082, just this past March at Silverstone. That makes the price achieved this weekend a new record for one of the slinkiest vehicles the Bavarian automaker has ever made, representing an impressive 50-percent increase in value over the course of fourteen years. This particular example – chassis WBAEJ13481AH60437 for those keeping track – is decked out in silver over black, with less than 15,500 miles on the odometer. This Rambo Lambo was produced early in the 301-unit production run, with the sought-after carbureted engine and 32,000 miles on the clock. It didn't set any records at the same price, other examples of the LM002 having traded over the past few years for over $200k. But considering that Sant'Agata originally charged around $120-130k for the SUV when it was new, its selling price still represents about 50-percent appreciation (leaving inflation aside).