BMW Zagato Coupé

The venerable Milanese coachbuilder Zagato and BMW have unveiled a unique driving experience in the luxury class: The BMW Zagato Coupé.

2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupé Test Drive

On-Sale Date: Late June

Price: $76,895

Competitors: Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7, First Class Mediterranean Cruises

Powertrain: 320-hp, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter inline-6, eight-speed automated manual, RWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 20/30

What’s New: From the windshield forward, this new 6-Series is almost identical to its two-door 640i brother, the only difference being the shape of the plastic front bumper cover. But from the windshield back, the Gran Coupé is its own four-door thing and rides on a 4.4-inch longer wheelbase. The Gran Coupé comes with BMW’s EfficientDynamics package of regenerative braking, start–stop engine controls, and a supplemental battery pack, though not its own electric motor; that tech combines to save gas in stop-and-go crawls.

The first Gran Coupés to land in America will be 640i models powered by the twin-turbo direct injection 3.0-liter straight six BMW uses in other vehicles. BMW claims a swift 5.4-second 0–100 kph (62 mph) time for the 640i version. The V-8-powered 650i Gran Coupé should show up before 2013.
Tech Tidbit: Steel, aluminum, and plastic are all used in the 640i Gran Coupé’s structure. The high-strength steel is found in areas such as the rear fenders and the stampings around the doors. Aluminum is used on door skins to shave weight. And the front fenders are plastic, to take hits with minimal damage.

Driving Character: Dial up the Comfort mode on the steering, suspension, and transmission and this beast is silken over pavement but not too interesting to drive. Shut down the nanny tech, however, by choosing the Sport or Sport Plus settings wherever you can and it becomes an engaging, athletic, and entertaining dance partner.

Using the shiftable eight-speed automatic to effect, the 640i Gran Coupé always feels lithe, able, and ready to rollick. Along California’s legendary Highway 33 it swept through long corners with a nice, flat bearing. In tight corners, if the driver uses the flappy paddles to put the car in the right gear, the car would push its nose a bit under braking and then rocket out when given some spur.

Inside, the Gran Coupé’s driver faces the same dash and instrumentation as other 6-Series. That’s good in that everything is beautifully made. It’s bad in that there’s a steep learning curve to understanding BMW’s blizzard of wands, buttons, knobs, and i-Drive controls. To BMW’s credit, the driver has positive control over most of it, including the suspension settings and steering feel. But all those controls aren’t for the easily intimidated.

The Gran Coupé uses the same front seats used in the 6-Series convertible, though “seats” seems too diminutive a word for describing these high-performance driving thrones. Throw in BMW’s great steering wheel that electrically adjusts for reach and height, and there simply aren’t much better driving environments.

Favorite Detail: There’s only one detail that matters with this car and that is its utterly gorgeous proportions. With a long hood and graceful near-fastback roof, this may be the best-looking four-door ever devised by Germans.

Driver’s Grievance: The traction-control system is annoyingly intrusive. If you forget to turn it off and try to accelerate hard out of a tight corner, it effectively shuts down the car. It’s almost dangerously disconcerting. Bottom Line: In 1976, the then-new BMW 6-Series coupe faced a stiff challenge in following the, low-slung 3.0CS as the brand’s flagship two-door. It succeeded with a mix of superb styling and a chassis that combined excellent reflexes with long-range touring comfort. Thirty-six years later, the first four-door version of the 6 – the 640i Gran Coupé – uses essentially the same formula to earn its spot in the line.

In today’s context, the 640i Gran Coupé’s 320 hp seems modest, but the engine is tuned to deliver its maximum torque consistently from 1300 to 4500 rpm, which results in effective and flexible thrust despite the fact that this engine is powering a more than 2-ton vehicle. Yeah, it’s another great driving BMW. The electric power steering is too numb to qualify as BMW’s best, but there’s still plenty of entertainment at the driver’s fingertips.

I hate the name. Gran Coupé sounds like one of those names Oldsmobile considered in the mid-1970s and rejected. But as dorky as the name is, the car itself is devastatingly beautiful, aggressive, and better-looking than even than the two-door. From its pointed prow to the curvaceous doors and on to the best roof line outside of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the 640i Gran Coupé is delicious. It’s so handsome from the front that it ought to shame Mercedes into giving the CLS emergency rhinoplasty. It’s so sweet from the rear that Audi should immediately start redesigning the A7’s full-diaper rear bumper cover.

And looks matter with cars like this, since the 6-Series has virtually no dynamic advantages over BMW’s more conventional 5-Series sedan. In fact, the Gran Coupé shares its suspension design and powertrain components with the 5-Series. But the 5-Series sedans offer more rear leg room and head room with taller rear door openings that make getting in and out easier. So if style matters (and price doesn’t), the Gran Coupé is an easy choice. For practicality, it’s difficult to see choosing the 640i Gran Coupé over the 535i sedan.

BMW has been slicing its market niches ever thinner. It’s unlikely it will sell more than a few thousand Gran Coupés every year. But this car seems more like a “real” BMW than machines like the tall X6 or X5 or awkward 5-Series GT. And, dopey name or not, it’s the best-looking car BMW makes.

Read more: 2013 BMW 640i Gran Coupé Test Drive - Popular Mechanics

The new BMW 7 Series. Part 1: Design.

The new BMW 7 Series is the new benchmark in the luxury segment. Besides the revised design, the product substance has been improved dramatically. This clip gives you detailed informations about the new BMW 7 Series design.

BMW named most valuable car brand

In the latest release of its BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, market researchers Milward Brown have given BMW the highest ranking of any carmaker, according to Automotive News. Toyota – last year's winner – finished second, followed by Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Nissan, according to the report.

BMW had last finished atop the rankings in 2010, according to the report, with Toyota taking the crown from 2006-2009. The highest-ranked American brand was Ford at seventh, trailing sixth-place Volkswagen. The top ten was filled out by Audi, Hyundai and Lexus. Toyota's drop was attributed to its production interruptions due to the natural disasters that affected all of the Japanese automakers last year, according to AN.

BMW's win among auto manufacturers was only enough to place it 23rd in the overall brand ranking, with an estimated brand value of $24.6 billion. Apple, the overall winner, according to the report, had a $182.9 billion valuation, ahead of IBM ($116 billion) and Google ($107.9 billion). Toyota's valuation was $21.8 billion, with Mercedes-Benz and Honda far behind at $16.1 billion and $12.7 billion respectively. No other carmaker had a valuation over $10 billion.

MINI United 2012: Epic Stunts and Breathtaking Racing

Racing is at the very heart of MINI United, and with the world's finest MINI motorsport teams hitting the tracks, you know it's going to be a wild ride.

40 Years of BMW M, And Eight Of Our Favorite M Cars

If 30 is the new 20 and 40 is the new 30, BMW’s M division is hitting the prime of its life. The high-performance car builder turns 40 this year, and we’ve rounded up our eight favorite cars, one for every five years of the performance subsidiary’s existence.

1972-1975 BMW 3.0 CSL: The Leader

BMW’s first M-division-fettled car was the 3.0 CSL, a racing version of the BMW 2800CS coupe that raced in European Touring Car Championship events. The car was powered by an inline-six-cylinder engine (3.0 liters in early models, 3.2 liters in later ones), which made around 200 horsepower. In 1973 BMW sold the 3.0 CSL to customers as a homologation special, which used thinner steel and less soundproofing than the 2800CS on which it was based. The result was a 204-horsepower race car for the street, one that often wore an aero kit so aggressive the car was nicknamed the Batmobile. The years of BMW M making hopped-up road cars heavily based upon race-spec vehicles had begun.

1978-1981 BMW M1: The Superhero

It had to be one of the stranger automaker tie-ups in history: in the late 1970s BMW looked to make a supercar and contracted with Lamborghini to build and develop it.

Lamborghini eventually left the project thanks to some financial insecurity, but the project went on and the M1 was launched to the public in 1978. It was no Miura–it was powered by a 3.5-liter inline-six–but it made 273 horsepower and propelled the car to a top speed of 160 mph. It didn’t hurt that the M1 was one of the most distinctive BMW designs ever built, thanks in part to the M1′s mid-engine layout. If you ever see one, count yourself lucky: only 456 were ever built.

1985-1988 BMW M5: The Sleeper

The idea of a sleeper car had already been around for years before BMW M previewed the M5 at the Amsterdam Motor Show in 1984, but the M5 may be one of the better iterations of that idea. The M5 might look like a simple luxury sedan, but beneath the hood lay the 3.5-liter inline-six-cylinder engine making 282 horsepower (260 in U.S. specification, thanks to a catalytic converter) from the M1. Those numbers might be matched by many mass-market mid-size sedans today, but it was enough in 1986 it was enough to make the M5 the fastest production sedan in the world. In later years, iterations of the M5 were powered by V-8s (with and without turbochargers), and even a V-10. Morning commutes for mid-level executives, it would seem, would never be the same.

It’s nearly impossible to speak to an automotive journalist about BMW M cars and not end up listening to some long soliloquy about the E30 M3, and during that soliloquy, it’s nearly impossible not to hear the word “benchmark” used at least once. As you’ve no doubt heard before, the E30 M3 is said to have a legendary blend of performance, handling, and usability.

The stock M3 was already quite different from the 3 Series–the M division grafted in new body panels, upgraded the brakes, suspension, wheels, and tires, and fitted a better four-cylinder engine underhood–but we reserve a special respect for the Sport Evolution version, a 600-unit special edition that used a bored-out, 2.5-liter version of the stock M3′s 2.3-liter motor and made 235 horsepower. Considering the Porsche 911s of the time had almost identical power outputs, the M3 Sport Evolution was a true everyday sports car.

2004 BMW M3 CSL: The Loud One

By 2004 a few things were known: the BMW M3′s S54 inline-six-cylinder engine’s days were probably numbered, and a new BMW 3 Series was on its way to replace the E46-generation car. In the face of all this adversity, the BMW M division must have decided that the car should go out with a bang, because it introduced the M3 CSL. And bang it did.

The CSL (which was never sold in the U.S.) had 17 more horsepower than the stock M3, but engineers went crazy with weight-saving modifications. The aerodynamic kit was lighter, and the car used thinner glass. Sound insulation was at a minimum, and base-model cars had no air conditioning, radio, navigation, or electric seats. The trunk liner, infamously, was made out of cardboard. The M division finished the package by giving the car a tweaked sequential manual transmission, a lightweight exhaust, and a less-intrusive traction control system.

The result was a car that was louder, rougher, and faster than the M3 upon which it was based. If the M3 was something that was home both on the track and on the street, the CSL was a brash, hard-riding version that could care less about creature comforts.

2007-2010 BMW M5 Touring: The Family Hauler

Between 2007 and 2010, BMW made what could be one of the strangest M cars ever. It was called the M5 Touring, which means that it had a V-10 engine, five seats, and a hatchback.

The M5 Touring was motivated by exactly the same 5.0-liter V-10 engine making 500 horsepower as the M5 sedan, and it sent that power through the same seven-speed sequential manual gearbox as the sedan. But the addition of a station wagon body style made the car that much more bonkers: it could get from 0-60 miles per hour in about 4.5 seconds, but it could ostensibly do that with a load of groceries or luggage in the back. There will undoubtedly be a few strange, high-performance station wagons to come, but there will probably never be another V-10-powered station wagon again. We’ll remember the M5 Touring’s strangeness for years to come.

2010-Present BMW X5 M: The Controversial Pioneer

Quick: name the first car to have both an M badge and a turbocharger. Now name the first one to have an M badge and all-wheel drive. The first M badged car available exclusively with an automatic transmission. You should have named the same car three times: the BMW X5 M.

The BMW X5 M (and its X6 M sibling, which shares its running gear and went on sale around the same time) is a controversial figure around BMW fan circles, because it’s just about the polar opposite of the CSLs and M3s that helped M gain notoriety. It’s heavy, has two turbos, and only two pedals. But in M’s quest to broaden its appeal, the X5 M was the first of a few pioneers. In the years since, M has released its first diesel-powered car (the M Performance-labeled M550d xDrive), and the new mission is clear: take cars that people buy, and make them faster, no matter the powertrain or body style.

2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe (1M): The Return of the Benchmark?

BMW M purists were probably busy wiping the tears out of their eyes (after watching M unveil two hi-po SUVs) in 2010 when M boss Dr. Kay Segler announced late that same year that a hopped-up 1 Series coupe would make its way to dealers. The 1 Series M Coupe was born, and quickly nicknamed the 1M.

At first glance, the car wasn’t a whole lot more than a tweaked 135i coupe, with a 335-horsepower version of BMW’s twin-turbo inline-six-cylinder engine, but it also got upgraded body kit items and better suspension, brakes, wheels, and tires (courtesy of its big brother, the M3), and the result is a slightly insane, somewhat unforgivinghoonmobile that will send serotonin to your nervous system as quickly as it will send your body down the road. The E30 M3′s image may have been tarnished by a parade of slushbox’dluxo-trucks, but the 1M brought the lunacy of a high-powered coupe back to the BMW M brand.

2013 BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon Debuts, Confirmed For U.S.

BMW has revealed the wagon variant of its latest-generation 3-Series and at the same time confirmed that this new model, just like the previous two, will be sold in the U.S.

The vehicle goes on sale in Europe later this year but won’t hit U.S. showrooms until spring 2013.

Powertrains and pricing will be announced closer to launch but expect to see a similar specifications to what is already offered with the sedan.

 

This means the base model in the U.S. is likely to be a 328i powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and rated at 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. A 335i powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine and rated at 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque should also be offered for power hungry buyers.

Customers will also be able to choose from three different trim levels including the Sport Line, Luxury Line and Modern Line. For the enthusiast who wants an even sportier Sports Wagon, the M Sport Line will also be offered. No word yet if BMW plans to launch a true M version of the new 3-Series Sports Wagon or an ActiveHybrid model like with the sedan.

Also like the sedan, the latest 3-Series Sports Wagon is slightly larger than its predecessor, most notably its wider track which is 1.46  inches wider up front and 1.85 inches wider in the rear. The vehicle’s length has also been increased by some 3.66 inches. This has increased room for rear-seat passengers as well as boosting cargo capacity by 10 percent.

A net as well as an additional strap along the right side panel can be used to help secure cargo. On top of this, four tie-downs are integrated into the cargo floor. A net along the left-hand panel will also be available. A pair of coat hooks and an addition 12-volt outlet add an extra measure of flexibility.

The rear seats can be folded down in three sections in a 40:20:40 split. The large, through-loading facility allows the new 3-Series Sports Wagon to carry four adults and longer items, such as skis or snowboards, at the same time. Also available are roof-rails as well as a full glass panoramic sunroof.