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Watch the next BMW M5 slide its way around the Nurburgring

By now, you've probably seen the spy photos of the next BMW M5 – we posted three sets of camouflaged cars last year. Now comes recently captured video showing three camouflaged examples – including the car shown in our June 2015 photos – lapping Germany's famed Nurburgring. The (obvious) advantage of video when looking at prototypes like this is that we can actually see the vehicle in motion. That allows us to make a couple of educated guesses, particularly when it comes to the rumors about the next M5 moving to an all-wheel-drive setup. In the video, we can clearly see the next super-sedan throw its tail out around a bend. Judging by the way the driver takes the turn and the change in engine note, it looks and sounds like the driver was actively trying to throw the tail out. That could point to a rear-drive layout, or at the very least an AWD setup with a heavy rear-wheel bias. Beyond seeing the M5 sliding about, we also get to hear its thumping, twin-turbo heart at work. It's widely expected BMW's popular 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 will carry on under the hood, and this video gives us absolutely zero reason to think otherwise. It sounds a lot like the current car, down to the abrupt upshifts of the seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. According to the video's caption, that upgraded V8 should get around a 60-horsepower bump, which would put it around 620 hp. That's 20 ponies more than the 30th Anniversary car and would contradict a June 2015 report claiming that M was capping its cars at 600 hp. Related Video:

BMW will electrify all brands and model lines, including Mini

BMW has announced that it plans to produce a fully electric version of the three-door hatchback Mini. The car will go into production in 2019, and the battery electric drivetrain will be produced at BMW's Bavarian facilities, then transported to Plant Oxford where it will join the cars. BMW says there will remain a diesel variant in addition to the petrol, plug-in hybrid, and EV versions of the Mini. No prototype shots have been released of the upcoming cars; the current one was unveiled in late 2013. The UK production location isn't the only place where BMW builds Minis, as the former Volvo/Mitsubishi/Smart NedCar plant in the Netherlands has been tooled to build some of the 360,000 Minis built yearly. According to the BBC, UK Business Secretary Greg Clark considers the choice to build EV Minis in Britain a "vote of confidence" despite Brexit, and that it would see battery technology development boosted in the UK. By the time the EV version starts production, UK will likely have already left the European Union. The electrification of the Mini is part of BMW Group's continuing addition of full-electric or plug-in versions to all its brands and model series. Of all the vehicles it will sell in 2025, 15-25 percent will be electrified in one way or the other. Similarly to Volvo, BMW sees flexible production to be in a key position in the future: The facilities would have to be able to build all versions at the same time, as markets fluctuate depending on incentives and infrastructure. If EVs sell strongly, the production process can quickly respond to the demand. An electric Mini underwent trials back in 2008, so the full-scale production vehicle would have over a decade's worth of engineering behind it. Green BMW MINI mini ev bmw group

2015 BMW X6

Most everyone would agree that BMW offers a range of very attractive and well-proportioned coupes, sedans, crossovers and wagons. Yet there is one member of its family that has always struck us as a bit odd: the X6.
Proudly coined "The world's first Sports Activity Coupe" by its German maker, the X6 features a wedge-shaped body with a characteristic sloping roofline that appears to squash the heads of its second-row occupants. The crossover rides high off the ground, with a pronounced gap between its chassis and oversized wheel/tire package, capped by short overhangs on both ends. Although curious to the eyes, its overall styling is masculine, and its stance aggressive.
Whether you consider the X6 to be attractive or an eyesore - opinions seem about equally divided - there is nobody at BMW questioning its business model. As of today, the automaker has sold more than 260,000 copies of its five-door crossover, which is why it has flown us to Spartanburg, SC, to sample its second-generation 2015 BMW X6.