TOTAL BMW

A friend recently had his beloved F82 M4 written off in a non-fauit accident caused by another driver not paying attention. He was understandably heartbroken, and the incident made me think about how awful a situation like that is for us as car enthusiasts. For us, cars are family members, passion projects, reflections of ourselves, and hobbies into which we gladly pour our money because it gives us joy. For us, losing a car we love so deeply and feel so passionately about would be genuinely traumatic. Whether it's something classic, something rare, something we've modified, or just something we really love, these cars bring us joy through their very existence. If I were to lose one of my cars, I would feel lost myself, and I'm sure so many…

BMW well and truly set the cat among the pigeons in the ‘80s and ‘90s with the first two generations of M5. They were stunning super saloons powered by characterful and melodious straight-sixes and with chassis setups that were equally at home pottering around town, eating up motorway miles or entertaining and involving the driver on a favourite back road The E28 and E34 M5s were, quite simply, the standard by which all others were judged. So when BMW launched the E39 generation of 5 Series in 1995, and it was almost immediately dubbed ‘The best car in the world’ by the motoring press, companies who were producing pretenders to BMW's super saloon crown must have been quaking in their boots. If the boggo 523i or 528i were this good,…

If you are looking for a full-on four-door for 2023, the new hardcore G80 M3 CS is exactly what you want. The M3 CS makes 550hp, 40hp more than the standard Competition model, along with 479lb ft of torque, and combined with M xDrive and the M Steptronic eightspeed automatic gearbox, that means a 0-62mph time of just 3.4 seconds, while the top speed has been electronically limited to 188mph. The additional power comes courtesy of some tweaks to the engine management and the boost being raised from 1.7 to 2.1 bar. The M3 CS also features a specially designed engine mount, with increased spring rates, to create an extremely rigid connection between the S58 engine and the vehicle's structure. The M3 CS also features a titanium rear silencer, complete…

CT Carbon F8x M2C/M3/M4 Induction Kit MStyle is now stocking the latest CT Carbon induction kits to improve performance, dress up the engine bay and add a sporty tone to the induction sound of late-model BMWs. The kit shown here is for the F87 M2C and F8x M3/M4; it is a direct replacement for the factory induction system with no drilling or permanent alterations required. The kit will smooth the flow of the induction charge for better breathing. The insulation properties of the carbon fibre help the air remain cooler and, therefore denser, which then delivers more oxygen to the engine for a more efficient burn leading to more power. The kit includes two stainless steel high-flow air filters, carbon fibre pipework and housings, silicone hose connectors and fasteners. Fitting…

While everyone loves a fairy tale, I must admit that I wasn't holding my breath for one to happen at this year's running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. While BMW has been hugely dominant in some of Europe's Blue Riband endurance events – securing the most overall wins at both Spa and the Nürburgring by a country mile – Daytona has never been the happiest of hunting grounds. Its single overall win came back in 1976 when Gregg, Redman and Fitzpatrick brought the legendary 3.0 CSL home in first place. While BMW engines have powered the winning machine twice since, and the M8 GTE won the GTLM class in both 2019 and 2020, that's about it for honours at America's biggest 24-hour event. To be fair to BMW, there…

FIRST DRIVE For BMW enthusiasts, the humble X1 is not necessarily the most desirable product in the BMW range. The smallest of the SUVs, it isn't usually considered fast, fancy or fun enough to get the pulses racing, but the X1's importance to BMW is not to be underestimated. The first-generation X1, codenamed E84, was launched in 2009, and between that and the introduction of the second-generation F48, a total of 2.7 million units have been sold. As a result, the new X1, which is codenamed U11, has quite a job to do. In fact, it's one of the key pillars propping up halo products such as the forthcoming 3.0 CSL and other M cars. And while those cars steal away all the glamour, it's the poor old X1 that…