2006 Bmw M5 Base Sedan 4-door 5.0l on 2040-cars

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As BMW i3 US launch nears, more details discovered

Think of the BMW i3's gas-powered range-extender as akin to driving around with a middle linebacker in the back seat. Except that football player will have a hard time pushing the car 60 miles or so once the battery runs out. Thankfully, he won't prevent you from getting a nifty tax credit either, according to BMWBlog, which isn't affiliated with the company. The i3's front storage compartment is not watertight. Here in the US, where the i3 will be available in short order, BMW will offer an optional i3 plug-in vehicle with a range extender that will have a 1.9-gallon capacity gas tank. That sounds a good deal smaller than the 2.4-gallon tank used in Europe, but the two are actually the same, the US tank is simply limited to the smaller size, Dave Buchko, from BMW's product and technology communications department, told AutoblogGreen. The complete range extender system – including the tank, the engine, and all related hardware – adds about 265 pounds to the 2,634-pound curb weight of the i3 EV and the extra weight in turn adds about a second to the EV's 0-to-60 time of seven seconds flat. Adding the range-extender won't make the US government take any longer to dole out a $7,500 tax credit for the i3, though. We also learned that the i3's front storage compartment is not watertight since it is only meant to hold the mobility kit and the 110-volt charging cord. BMW recently increased its production of the i3 at its German factory from around 70 units a day to about 100 due to better-than-expected demand. Check out our First Drive impressions of the model here.

BMW M boss denies supercar collaboration with McLaren

The first time there was a McLaren Honda Formula 1 team, McLaren did some moonlighting with BMW on a supercar for all time, the F1. It just so happens that McLaren Honda is a thing again, and Car magazine recently ran a piece saying McLaren and BMW would get back together on another hopped-up coupe with roughly the same working agreement as before: BMW supplies a screaming V8, McLaren builds the body to go around it. Only this time the car would be a BMW model, not a McLaren, and be BMW's version of the next-generation McLaren 650S. The Car piece said that BMW head of R&D Klaus Frolich first got in touch with McLaren nine months ago, however, the head of BMW's M division, Frank van Meel, said he doesn't know anything about it. Mentioning every BMW exec referred to in the story, van Meel told Australia's Motoring, "I haven't had a phone call, [CEO] Harald Kruger hasn't had a phone call, and Klaus Frohlich hasn't had a phone call." The Car story said the reason BMW hasn't done a conventionally powered exotic recently is that former CEO Norbert Reithofer didn't want anything to eclipse the i8, the i brand, and the eco credentials the brand is charged with promoting. Changes in the executive suite – new CEO, new M boss, new R&D chief – were thought to meant changes in approach. Not according to van Meel, who gave those same i brand reasons to Motoring as then reasons BMW has no interest in a 750-horsepower, quad-turbo coupe. On top of that, after spending billions to move the game forward with in-house carbon fiber technology, van Meel asked, "I don't understand why we would need to work with McLaren for a supercar anyway. All of the technologies the story suggested are technologies that are core competences here at BMW and at M. Nobody in the world is more advanced with carbon-fibre than we are." The extent of the denial is so detailed that we're inclined to believe BMW on this one; cover stories usually stop at curt phrases like "We have no knowledge of that" or "We don't comment on future product." So you can put away your dreams of a McLaren F1 Part Two. For now. Related Video:

BMW Motorrad celebrates 90 years with new R nineT roadster [w/video]

90 years is a heck of a long time by any standard, and as good a cause for celebration as we've ever seen. That's how long BMW has been making motorcycles for, and it's celebrating with the retro cafe racer you see here - as promised and previewed.
Dubbed the R nineT (for 90 years), the latest product from BMW Motorrad traces its roots back to the original 1923 BMW R 32. And like the original, it's powered by a boxer twin - in this case, a 1,170cc air- and oil-cooled unit delivering 110 horsepower and 88 pound-feet of torque. All that muscle is packed into a classically-styled roadster that looks ready to line up next to a Moto Guzzi Griso, Triumph Thruxton or Ducati SportClassic.
The neo-retro styling drapes a unique tubular steel spaceframe chassis that uses the engine as a stressed member. The inverted telescopic front fork is borrowed from the S 1000 RR superbike and a paralever swingarm with spring strut suspends the rear. That's where you'll find a removable rear pillion for an extra passenger and dual tailpipes mounted on the left side, swappable for a titanium Akrapovic exhaust - just one of many customization options BMW Motorrad is offering for the R nineT.