2013 Bmw M5, Loaded!! 5k Mls!! on 2040-cars

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Automakers paying Chinese dealers for lower-than-expected sales

The Chinese dealers vs. foreign manufacturers story won't quit. It began with a story on the struggles faced by FAW-Toyota joint venture dealers, with supposedly 95 percent of the showrooms losing money, and 10 percent of them doing so poorly that they'd have to exit the business. The problem is mandated sales targets, most set when the country's economy was racing. Now that things have slowed, China's dealers are swimming in unsold cars and the costs to keep them. In the case of FAW-Toyota, dealers asked Toyota to hand over 2.2 billion yuan ($355 million) to help address the situation. That was followed by a report noting the issues that Honda, BMW, and Nissan dealers are having with the same issue, revealing that the Chinese Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) had taken the highly unusual step of writing to the Chinese government to complain. Now Reuters reports that CADA is not only pressing its case even harder, it's being open about it: it announced that BMW agreed to pay dealers 5.1 billion yuan ($820 million) to alleviate poor profits last year. Unnamed sources said Audi has thrown 2 billion yuan into the kitty for subsidies, and Daimler has contributed "about 1 billion yuan" to its dealers. The battle isn't just about 2014, but how business will be run in 2015 as well: Chinese Porsche dealers have requested the automaker lower its 2015 target of 64,000 cars, which would be a 40-percent increase on its 2014 sales of 46,931 vehicles. One analyst called it "shocking" that the CADA has taken its fight public, while CADA comments continue to imply that dealers have been railroaded to the cliff's edge without recourse. "Due to the difference in status," it's deputy secretary said, "individual dealers are not willing to, or don't dare to, talk frankly with the carmakers...." Both parties need one another, so they'll figure out a way to make it work – but that could mean acknowledging the Chinese market is behaving more like a mature one, not an emerging one. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Audi BMW Porsche Toyota Car Dealers Luxury

Season 9 of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee teases us with BMWs and Volvos

Jerry Seinfeld's successful online show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is heading into its ninth season, returning January 5th. It should be no surprise that the list of actors and comedians is impressive, with Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, and more making appearances. Seinfeld has lined up an equally impressive list of cars for the new season. Porsche, BMW, and Volvo all have beautiful machines lined up to shuttle Seinfeld and his guest to different coffee shops. As always, it's a mix of light humor packed into a relatively short and, most importantly, free video. Catch up on the previous eight seasons now on Crackle. Related Video: News Source: YouTubeImage Credit: YouTube Celebrities Humor Acura BMW Cadillac Porsche Volvo Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance Classics Videos Sedan trailer jerry seinfeld comedians in cars getting coffee seinfeld

BMW M5 Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition is a US special

America usually misses out on limited-edition models, but BMW has just made an ultra-exclusive version of its M5. Only 50 units of the Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition will be made, and the high-performance sedan is a US-only affair. Built upon a M5 with the Competition Package, the special edition boasts more power and a unique paint job to make it stand out from the regular M5. The Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition is up to 600 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, which is 25 hp and 16 lb.-ft. of torque more than a M5 fitted with the Competition Package. The added power is from an increase in boost pressure and "targeted modifications." Thanks to the M dual-clutch transmission with Drivelogic, zero to 60 mph is dealt with in 3.9 seconds. The special edition is only marginally quicker than a base M5, so the power increase is more useful in bar trivia than in the real world. On the outside, the Pure Metal Silver paint job is one of the special edition's defining features. The color is BMW's most expensive paint option – it costs $10,000 in BMW Individual's Catalog. While being insanely expensive, the paint job is stunning and gives the M5 a chrome-like look. Besides the paint, the special edition retains the 20-inch M alloy wheels, black M Performance kidney grill, and M Performance Exhaust with carbon bezel as the M5 with the Competition Package. The interior features Merino (gray) leather with contrast stitching and aluminum trim to match the sedan's unique paint job. Each vehicle will have a badge (ranging from one to 50) highlighting the vehicle's limited quantity on the trim. Pricing for the Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition starts at $130,900 plus a $995 destination and handling fee. That represents a $30,000 price hike over the M5 with the Competition Package. That's a whole lot of silver for a gray car. But the special edition does come with the M Driver's Package as standard, which raises the top speed to 190 mph and includes an entire day of high-performance driving at BMW's Performance Center in California or South Carolina. The ultra-exclusive M5 will be available in August. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 BMW M5 Pure Metal Silver Limited Edition News Source: BMWImage Credit: BMW BMW Luxury Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan limited edition