2012 Bmw Z4 28i Cab *2659 Miles* on 2040-cars

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2015 BMW 228i xDrive

Has BMW lost its edge? The answer to that depends on what vehicle you're discussing. The company's products, while still quick and agile, are softer and more forgiving than they've ever been. And while this change may be worrying if we're talking about an M3 or an M5, is it necessarily a bad thing for more mainstream models? That's our question after a week behind the wheel of the BMW 228i xDrive, a vehicle that succeeds the beloved, driver-focused BMW 1 Series. In some ways this new car is a let-down, but in many other areas the new 2 Series is just plain better. The latter is particularly true if we're talking about the new sheet metal. While the 1 Series was a great source of compact, rear-drive entertainment, it wasn't a pretty car. The new 2 still isn't a stunner, but it benefits from BMW's latest design language. It looks wider and more muscular than the squat 1 Series, although certain elements, like the daylight opening and rear taillights, look like they were plucked right from the old car. Overall, BMW has crafted a more premium aesthetic for the exterior of its entry-level coupe. A weak spot for the 1er, the 2 Series cabin sports a similarly upscale redo. Like the last-gen car, the top of the dash is home to a master display for the iDrive system (a neutered, non-navigation version on our test car), while the lower half of the center stack is dedicated to analog controls for the HVAC and audio. The dash layout is similar to the 1 Series, but the execution feels more upscale. The trim around the radio and climate controls includes aluminum and gloss accents. The passenger side dash and center console ditch soft-touch plastic for authentic materials – our car uses real brushed aluminum, although piano black and wood are also available. As with all recent BMWs, the combination of the automatic gear lever, the knob and buttons of the iDrive system, and the toggle switch for the Driving Dynamics Control system mean there's a lot of clutter where the driver's right hand falls. What hasn't changed with the 2 Series is the excellent relationship between the driver and the primary controls. Our test car wears the Sport Line package, which does without BMW's obnoxious, too-large-diameter M Sport steering wheel. Instead, there's a thick-rimmed wheel with textured leather and red contrast stitching. It feels more natural than the oversized M wheel, while this car's large paddle shifters have a solid, well-damped action.

1971 BMW 2002 is a car designer's car

Choosing what car to buy, drive, and love is a difficult decision for anyone. But when you're a car designer, the decision carries that much more weight. Then again, it may be that much easier when your whole decision comes down to the visceral and the aesthetic. Take Radu Muntean, for example, who's profiled in this episode of Petrolicious. Not to be confused with the film director of the same name (and nationality), this Radu Muntean is a car designer by trade. Since moving from his native Romania and graduating from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Radu went on to work for the likes of Ford, GM, and Tesla. But his pride and joy is a set of wheels he didn't design himself: it's a 1971 BMW 2002. It's a model that BMW made for the long stretch of time in the 1960s and '70s, and enjoys a cult following to this day. And it's not hard to see why. Radu has customized his vintage Bimmer extensively, but rather than glitzing it up, he's boiled it down to its essence. And like a Lancia Fulvia or Alfa Romeo Giulia of the same era, this 2002 is a thing of simple beauty: squared-off design, slap sides, tall greenhouse, and little more. Related Video:

2015 BMW S 1000 RR looks to retain sportbike supremacy

The BMW S 1000 RR is already a pretty potent member of the superbike ranks, but BMW is revealing a host of upgrades for this two-wheeled lightning bolt at the Intermot 2014 motorcycle show that should make it even faster.
The biggest additions to the latest 1000 RR are its new cylinder head, lighter valves and different intake cam to tweak even more power from the bike's 1.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, and BMW now rates it at a claimed 196 horsepower (or 199 horses if you go with the European measurement, converted from 146 kilowatts), a boost over the first-gen's 193 ponies, and 83 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed gearbox. Those adjustments would probably be enough to make the cycle a tick faster alone, but the Bavarian engineers also cut 8.82 pounds (4 kg) to bring the motorcycle's weight with a full tank of fuel to a feather-light 450 pounds. Much of that diet comes from the redesigned exhaust that cuts about 6.6 pounds off the scales.
Cradling that tweaked engine is a redesigned, lighter frame with fully adjustable springs. The bike also comes standard with Race ABS, stability control, seven-step variable traction control and three riding modes. In terms of styling, all of these changes are communicated through an updated fairing with repositioned, though still asymmetric, headlights.