Autocar February 13, 2019

DEAL OR NO deal, or anything in between, those controlling the purse strings of the UK car industry just want to know which way the wind is blowing to help them plan for whatever trading conditions they will be working under from 23:00 on 29 March. But with claim and counterclaim, and views ranging from ‘it’ll all be fine’ to ‘this will be the death of the UK car industry’, we ask this week: what does the best-and worst-case scenario actually look like (p18)? Brexit is just one of several high-stakes issues the global car industry is facing, of course. Falling diesel sales have affected many car makers, as have sales in China going into a dramatic tailspin. For many, it’s both, their businesses having to be radically overhauled in response. For every…

“The new twin-turbocharged straight six is also being earmarked for the first-ever M4 Gran Coupé” The next-generation BMW M3 and M4 due in 2020 will receive a significantly upgraded six-cylinder engine capable of more than 500bhp in its top form. The flagship model to use this new engine will be a new M4 Gran Coupé (imagined by Autocar above), the first time the four-door coupé has featured a full-fat M variant. It will be joined once again by two-door coupé and cabriolet variants, beside the M3 saloon. The 3.0-litre powerplant, which carries the internal codename S58, is a development of the firm’s standard B58 unit, as used in the existing 440i and other BMW models. But as M division officials have revealed to Autocar, “it is for all intents and purposes an all-new drivetrain…

DEAL OR NO deal, or anything in between, those controlling the purse strings of the UK car industry just want to know which way the wind is blowing to help them plan for whatever trading conditions they will be working under from 23:00 on 29 March. But with claim and counterclaim, and views ranging from ‘it’ll all be fine’ to ‘this will be the death of the UK car industry’, we ask this week: what does the best-and worst-case scenario actually look like (p18)? Brexit is just one of several high-stakes issues the global car industry is facing, of course. Falling diesel sales have affected many car makers, as have sales in China going into a dramatic tailspin. For many, it’s both, their businesses having to be radically overhauled in…

With looming emissions legislation and the blanketing of speed cameras on our roads, who would have thought the old German horsepower war would still be going on in 2019? The M3 and M4’s 500bhp-plus figure shouldn’t be too surprising, given Mercedes-AMG has been selling the C63 with 503bhp for a few years now. But this is no longer a race between BMW, Audi and Mercedes, thanks to Alfa Romeo bursting onto the scene with the wonderful 503bhp Giulia Quadrifoglio. But, yet again, I find myself questioning where it will all end. Many will call me a cynic, but I feel like we are already in a situation where super-saloons are becoming less fun because they’re too powerful. For me, nothing beats the thrill of nailing a corner apex, running up to the redline…

By the end of 2019, the M division line-up is planned to include up to 37 models, split between entry-level M Performance and hardcore, full-blown M models. M PERFORMANCE CARS M140i M240i Coupé and Cabrio M340i Saloon and Touring M550d saloon and Touring M760Li facelift M850i Coupé and Cabrio M850i Gran Coupé X2 M35i X3 and X4 M40i X4 M40d X5 M50d X6 M50i/M50d X7 M50i/M50d Z4 M40i M CARS M2 Competition M4 Competition M4 Coupé and Cabrio X3M and X4M X3M Competition X4M Competition M8 Coupé and Cabrio M8 Gran Coupé X5M and X6M X5M Competition X6M Competition…

“The new twin-turbocharged straight six is also being earmarked for the first-ever M4 Gran Coupé” The next-generation BMW M3 and M4 due in 2020 will receive a significantly upgraded six-cylinder engine capable of more than 500bhp in its top form. The flagship model to use this new engine will be a new M4 Gran Coupé (imagined by Autocar above), the first time the four-door coupé has featured a full-fat M variant. It will be joined once again by two-door coupé and cabriolet variants, beside the M3 saloon. The 3.0-litre powerplant, which carries the internal codename S58, is a development of the firm’s standard B58 unit, as used in the existing 440i and other BMW models. But as M division officials have revealed to Autocar, “it is for all intents and…