The new BMW X6. 2012.

Have a brief look at the new BMW X6 and watch the highlights of the Sports Activity Coupé: Selective modifications in design and innovative equipment features.
Since its market launch, more than 150,000 of the Sporty Activity Coupé were sold within approximately three years. This far exceeded the original plans and shows the impressive confirmation of the unusual vehicle concept.

Mini Traveller/Spacebox mule suggests van/MPV cometh

It looks like BMW is set to put the Mini back in minivan, with an enlarged version of its Countryman crossover.

Our spy photographers snagged these shots of the jumbo-sized Mini mule testing in Europe and wearing conventional Countryman bodywork. But if you look closely, you can see that the front wheels have moved forward a bit, suggesting the Mini people mover will have a longer wheelbase than the Countryman. It should also prove to be wider to accommodate three across in the backseat, which is probably why the mule has those extended fender flares.

Sources say the five-passenger Mini van will debut as a concept named "Spacebox," though the production version could pick up the vintage "Traveller" moniker. Expect to see something on the streets by 2014.

Apple adding a new button to your car, will activate Siri

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Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developer's Conference keynote is winding down as you read this, and while many car enthusiasts could care less about the next version of iOS or the MacBook Pro's new Retina Display, they will probably care about one piece of news just delivered by Apple's VP of iOS Software, Scott Forstall: Apple is going to add a new button to your car.

Called Eyes Free, it's basically just a steering wheel-mounted button that will activate Siri on the iPhone or iPad (yes, they announced Siri is coming to the new iPad, too) you have with you in the car. Likely paired over Bluetooth, Eyes Free will let you talk to Siri through the car, giving you access to a wealth of information without using both your eyes and hands (except for that initial button press). And since this is Apple, automakers are apparently lining up to add Siri buttons to their steering wheels. Apple reports that BMW, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda are all signed up to start offering Eyes Free within the next 12 months.

We find it curious that GM has chosen to participate, considering that what Siri offers is not at all unlike what the automaker's subscription-based OnStar service provides. Conspicuously missing from the list of on-board automakers is Ford, whose Sync infotainment systems are all based on Microsoft-branded technology.

BMW Sailing Cup Final 2012.

The BMW Sailing Cup is one of the biggest international regatta series for amateurs worldwide. The International Final of the 2011/2012 BMW Sailing Cup took place in Istanbul, Turkey.

Happy 25th Birthday, BMW Z1 Roadster

These days we take it for granted that BMW sells two-seat roadsters, given that the Z4 is a mainstay in the company’s lineup. But in 1987, BMW showed off its first roadster since the 507 of the late 1950s. Up until then, there hadn’t been a two-place, open-top BMW for decades. The Z1 concept car eventually became a low-volume sports car that looks so cool, we couldn’t help but reminisce on its 25th birthday.

The BMW Z1 was a product of the BMW Technik GmbH, a think tank designed to dream up clever new vehicles and technologies. Although it was originally meant only as a vehicle study, the Z1 made its public debut in summer 1987 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The public soon fell in love with the car and BMW received scores of inquires as to whether the Z1 would go into production — including from a German car magazine, which offered a cool 150,000 Deutsche Marks to buy the concept car off the display stand.

BMW soon revealed that it would build up to six copies of the Z1 per day for paying customers, and by the time production started in late 1989, the company already had 4000 orders for the roadster. Through the end of production in June 1991, about 8000 examples of the BMW Z1 were built and sold. Twenty-five years later, BMW is proud to note that the roadsters haven’t all become museum pieces: one daily-driven example has apparently covered more than 205,000 miles.

The BMW Z1 was quite an innovative design in several ways. Its monocoque was made from sheetmetal that was doused in zinc to help increase structural rigidity, while the body was made from plastic. BMW used advanced plastic composites that proved exceptionally light and strong. The bumpers could deform and then return to their original shapes after impacts at up to 2.5 mph, while most body panels were strong enough to resist dents and dings without any visible damage. To demonstrate this fact, then-BMW Technik GmbH director Ulrich Bez jumped onto a fender placed on the floor — and impressed journalists when the panel popped back to its original shape, unharmed.

BMW even claims that one could have changed the color of a Z1 in less than an hour by using a screwdriver to replace the body panels. As seen in this photo, the body panels were simply bolted to the monocoque and could be easily removed. There were, incidentally, four colors with quirky names: Nature Green, Dream Black, Fun Yellow, and Top Red.

More striking still were the electric doors, which used two motors and a toothed belt to retract into the sides of the car. This way, owners could even drive with the doors “open.” No production car since has copied this design. The unique doors also had retractable windows, and a special freewheel feature so they could be opened and closed manually if there was a mechanical problem.

Under the hood was a 2.5-liter inline-six engine good for 170 hp. It was mated to a five-speed manual transmission that sent power to the rear wheels, giving a 0-to-60-mph of less than eight seconds and a top speed of 140 mph. Rather than speed, however, BMW claimed that the goal of the Z1 was pure driving enjoyment. Thanks to suspension cribbed from the 3 Series, the Z1 was said to offer “go-kart” handling. The roadster boasted near-perfect 49:51 weight balance, and a center of gravity that was four inches lower than in a 3 Series sedan.

In addition to being a truly stunning vehicle design, the BMW Z1 paved the way for the Z3 roadster to launch in 1996, which was replaced by the Z4 in 2002.

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