Latest news with #Bavaria
Khaleej Times
18 hours ago
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
2025 BMW X3 M50 xDrive Review: A sharper, sportier take on the everyday SUV
As SUVs gained popularity for their space and utility, the appetite for sportscar-like performance grew too. The 2025 BMW X3 M50 xDrive answers that call — it's a high-performance Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) we recently tested. But first, a quick rewind. The X5 redefined the SUV segment, paving the way for the X3 over 20 years ago. By 2023, it had become BMW's bestseller. Now, we meet its fourth-generation evolution. DESIGN & AESTHETICS This is an all-new X3, and it's a radical transformation. At 4,755mm in length, 1,920mm in width, and 1,660mm in height, it's a mid-size SUV that's longer and wider, with a lower stance and broader tracks than before — yet, it appears more compact. BMW calls it a 'monolithic overall appearance', and unlike the disjointed designs of recent models, this one feels cohesive. Even the flared wheel arches — housing 255/45 R20 front tyres and wider 285-section rears — are seamlessly sculpted into the body. Grabbing attention up front is the oversized BMW kidney grille, featuring vertically and diagonally arranged bars. The optional BMW Iconic Glow adds contour lighting around the grille for additional drama. Flanking it are adaptive LED headlights with non-dazzling matrix high beam and distinctive double L-shaped daytime running lights. The side profile is sleek and unified, highlighted by a sharply rising beltline that gives the X3 a crouched, speed-ready stance. At the rear, fighter jet-style LED lamps sit on a concave tailgate, complemented by purposeful quad exhaust tips that look ready to aurally unleash all 400 horses with authority. The all-new interior has a distinct sci-fi feel, with illuminated surfaces, wedge-shaped and corrugated line details across the dash, door pulls, and a wireless charger — which, by the way, is angled well and easy to access. The BMW Curved Display impresses, featuring the latest iDrive, though the lower console tilts slightly away, making controls harder to read in sunlight. The digital cluster echoes the wedge motif, with graphic-style tacho and speed readouts, plus optional in-cluster navigation. A standout detail is the clock — neither digital nor analogue, but spelled out in words. The dash and doors use a funky engineered mesh that adds flair but may trap dust or scratch. There's also a noticeable use of plastic at touchpoints like the inner door handles, which feels slightly unrefined for the price. The flat-bottom three-spoke steering wheel is both stylish and functional, with truss-like spokes and red-blue cross-stitching, though the small toggle switches suit smaller hands. The brown perforated leather sports seats are soft and supportive, with good lateral hold. Slightly larger seat bases would improve comfort, but the manual thigh extenders are a plus. Rear legroom is adequate, though shoulder space is tight for three adults. POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE The M50 features the most powerful inline six-cylinder petrol engine ever fitted to an M Performance model. The 3.0-litre M TwinPower Turbo, paired with 48V mild-hybrid tech, produces 398 PS and 580 Nm, channeling power to all four wheels via an 8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and BMW's xDrive system. The result is full-bodied acceleration that inspires confidence — whether launching from a standstill, overtaking, or darting through traffic. With Launch Control engaged, 0–100kmph comes in just 4.6 seconds, and the Sport Boost function delivers an additional 10 seconds of thrust on demand. Standard on the M50 are M Sport suspension with adaptive dampers, variable sport steering, and an M Sport rear differential. Steering is sportscar-like — every small input feels immediate, with consistent grip that gives spirited drivers the traction and predictability they crave. Despite its dynamic focus, ride quality remains composed and surprisingly plush. Braking is equally impressive, with sharp stopping power delivered via vented discs: four-piston fixed calipers up front and single-piston floating calipers at the rear. While the M50 is a precision driving tool, the experience feels slightly synthetic — possibly due to the amplified exhaust note played through the speakers. We also recorded a pleasantly surprising fuel economy of 9.9l/100km, with an indicated range of 785km. FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY The X3 is an ideal urban SUV. Storage includes a small cubby, modest glovebox, and a 570-litre boot — expandable to 1,700 litres with the rear seats folded, enough for airport luggage. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, with personalisation via BMW ID. BMW Digital Key Plus can also be set up through the My BMW app. The M50 variant adds a clear-sounding Harman Kardon audio system and two front USB-C ports for connectivity or charging. Safety is well-covered with a full suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features, including a tyre pressure monitor. A thoughtful touch: ambient lighting pulses with the hazard lights. That said, the 360° camera view would benefit from a portrait-style display. The air conditioner offers good cooling, but the tiny, non-ergonomic vent controls — borrowed from the 7 Series — aren't ideal. VERDICT The all-new 2025 BMW X3 is a refreshing shift from recent BMW designs, featuring monolithic surfaces and a sci-fi-inspired cabin that blends form with function. Well-built and practical, it caters to both urban individuals and modern families. However, for its price, the extensive use of cabin plastics feels out of place, and there are a few ergonomic quirks. While the M50 xDrive variant delivers quick, precise, and confidence-inspiring performance, the overall experience feels slightly synthesised. Still, a very desirable sporty, urbane SUV.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Christoph Freund prefers Bayern Munich hunt for quality transfers over quantity, admits there are 'a few possibilities'
Bayern Munich's summer transfer business has been strange, so far. The club has already signed two players in Tom Bischof and Jonathan Tah, but the former's signing was announced in January and the latter should have been signed last year. It makes Bayern's transfer window so far seem very quiet, even though Germany's official transfer window has not opened yet. Of course, it does not help that it seems Bayern has been rejected multiple times by top targets. It is clear as day that Florian Wirtz rejected Bayern in favor of ending up in at Liverpool FC, while Nico Williams is reportedly set to choose FC Barcelona over the Bavarians. Advertisement The Williams is still fresh and unconfirmed, so sporting director Christoph Freund was asked by DAZN reporters on the topic following Bayern's 2-1 win against Boca Juniors in the Club World Cup: 'We're not commenting on rumors right now,' Freund replied, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. 'It's transfer season, and there are always a lot of rumors and speculation. But we want to move forward with our plans.' But will a big name player (like Wirtz) join this summer? 'I think we have a very, very good team. We have a lot of quality in the squad,' Freund countered. 'If you look at Michael Olise, for example, he wasn't necessarily a big name signing last summer. Now he's reached the very top. So, it has to be right for us. There are a few possibilities.' Ultimately, it is all about quality over quantity. More from
Malay Mail
20-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
A roof for less than €1: World's oldest social housing in Germany still charges 1521 rent — and a daily prayer
AUGSBURG (Germany), June 21 — When German pensioner Angelika Stibi got the keys to her new home in the southern region of Bavaria this year, a huge financial weight was lifted from her shoulders. Stibi has to pay just €0.88 (RM4.29) a year for her apartment in the social housing complex known as the Fuggerei, where rents have not gone up since the Middle Ages. Founded in 1521 by the wealthy businessman Jakob Fugger and believed to be the oldest such project in the world, the Fuggerei in the city of Augsburg provides living space for 150 residents facing financial hardship. An information plate is pictured at the Fuggerei in Augsburg, southern Germany April 1, 2025. — AFP pic Consisting of several rows of yellow terraced buildings with green shutters and sloping red roofs, the complex still resembles a medieval village. 'I had a truly wonderful life until I was 55,' said Stibi, a mother of two in her 60s from Augsburg. After she was diagnosed with cancer, 'everything went from bad to worse' and she was left with no other option but to apply for social housing, she said. Waiting lists are long for apartments in the walled enclave not far from Augsburg city centre, with most applicants having to wait 'between two and six or seven years', according to resident social worker Doris Herzog. 'It all depends on the apartment you want. The ones on the ground floor are very popular,' Herzog said. Applicants must be able to prove that they are Augsburg residents, Catholic and suffering from financial hardship. A general view of the streets at the Fuggerei in Augsburg, southern Germany is pictured on April 1, 2025. — AFP pic Relative of Mozart Martha Jesse has been living at the Fuggerei for 17 years after finding herself with monthly pension payments of just €400, despite having worked for 45 years. 'Living elsewhere would have been almost impossible,' said the 77-year-old, whose apartment is filled with religious symbols. The Fuggerei was heavily damaged in World War II but has since been rebuilt in its original style. Renowned composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's great-grandfather, the mason Franz Mozart, was once a resident and visitors can still see a stone plaque bearing his name. For Andreas Tervooren, a 49-year-old night security guard who has lived at the Fuggerei since 2017, the complex is 'like a town within a town' or 'the Asterix village in the comic books'. The meagre rents at the Fuggerei are all the more remarkable given its location an hour's drive from Munich, the most expensive city in Germany to live in and one of the most expensive in Europe. Rents have also risen sharply in many other German cities in recent years, leading to a wave of protests. A bronze bust of the entrepreneur and banker Jakob Fugger 'the Rich' is pictured at the Fuggerei in Augsburg, southern Germany April 1, 2025. — AFP pic Daily prayer But not at the Fuggerei, whose founders stipulated that the rent should never be raised. Jakob Fugger (1459-1525), also known as Jakob the Rich, was a merchant and financier from a wealthy family known for its ties to European emperors and the Habsburg family. Fugger set up several foundations to help the people of Augsburg, and they continue to fund the upkeep of the Fuggerei to this day. The annual rent in the Fuggerei was one Rhenish gulden, about the weekly wage of a craftsman at the time — equivalent to 88 cents in today's money. Although some descendants of the Fugger family are still involved in the management of the foundations, they no longer contribute any money. 'We are financed mainly through income from forestry holdings, and we also have a small tourism business,' said Daniel Hobohm, administrator of the Fugger foundations. The Fuggerei attracts a steady stream of visitors, and the foundations also receive rental income from other properties. In return for their lodgings, residents of the Fuggerei must fulfil just one condition — every day, they must recite a prayer for the donors and their families. — AFP
Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Bavaria's bootleg Banksy swaps spray paint for sticks and stones
Towards the end of last summer, Tom Fredl, a professional hunter on the Gut Oberfrauenau estate in eastern Bavaria, was doing his daily rounds through the woods when he saw something odd out of the corner of his eye. 'I often think about what fantastical sculptures nature creates,' he said. 'But then I suddenly caught sight of these little stone men along one of the forest trails.' Someone had piled up neat little stacks of rocks, most of them no taller than a child, on tree stumps and small mounds of soil, in such a way that they almost resembled human figures. Fredl shrugged and went about his business, reasoning that walkers often left similar impromptu sculptures in the Alps. By the time he returned to the track a few days later, though, the structures had multiplied. He found strange shapes made from moss, heaps of pine cones arranged like faces, and gnarled roots assembled into reaching arms. 'You can't miss them once you've got an eye for them,' Fredl said. So far more than 30 mysterious sculptures have appeared in the forest and the hunt is on for the artist, dubbed the 'Banksy of the Bavarian forest'. Alexandra von Poschinger, a culture writer from the family that has owned the Gut Oberfrauenau estate for more than 400 years, said it was tricky to define the sculptor's style. 'It looks as though the artist makes their decisions spontaneously on the spot,' she said. 'Sometimes they make conspicuous solitary figures, landmarks that are medium-sized or even as tall as a man. Sometimes they make groups of sculptures that look like gatherings of individuals who have found a connection with each other. Depending on which angle you look at them from, they remind you of people, animals or fantastical creatures.' Months of investigations have so far yielded no real clues about the guerrilla artist's identity. Gerhard Wilhelm, the estate's chief forester, said it was probably a local as no casual visitor would stray on to the remote tracks where the works had materialised. 'Nor can I imagine that a woman is making these sculptures,' Wilhelm said. 'Given the weight of the stones, branches and roots the artist uses, she'd have to be very strong indeed. Perhaps it's two people at work — who knows?' The secret sculptor is by now the talk of the town in Frauenau, the nearest settlement, whose parish council has scheduled a discussion of the topic for the coming week. In a whodunnit, the first question any self-respecting detective would ask is who stands to benefit. A particularly cynical sleuth might suspect the answer is the estate itself, which has energetically publicised the artworks in its magazine, the Gut News, styling them as 'Bavaria's most secret sculpture park' — presumably in the hope of attracting more paying visitors. Von Poschinger said she understood the suspicion but gave her 'word of honour' that it was a genuine mystery and not just an elaborate PR stunt.
Auto Blog
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
BMW's New M Cars May Feature Plant-Based Composites
A greener solution to weight reduction It seems like everything we used to consider good or tasty is getting some sort of veggie or plant-based alternative. These days, it's impossible to ignore the oat milk, plant-based cheeses, and Impossible meat on the menu at your local coffee shop or neighborhood bistro. Sometimes, those things taste just as good as the real animal-based thing. In today's eco-conscious world, equipping cars with lower-emission engines or electrifying powertrains is simply not enough for some automakers. Some manufacturers are going as far as decking their interiors with reclaimed wood trim, recycled plastics, as well as seats lined with 'vegan leather' instead of the kind that comes off the back of a cow. However, the best of BMW's Ultimate Driving Machines are getting a plant-based alternative to a space-age material. BMW plant-based carbon fiber Carbon fiber, meet 'Flax-Fiber' In a statement released this week, BMW unveiled a new lightweight material that it claims is a more eco-friendly alternative to carbon fiber. Dubbed 'natural fiber composites,' this new material is made from fibers derived from flax, the same plant used to create textiles like linen and special types of paper, including the ones used in banknotes. The Bavarians claim that this new composite material is stronger than the carbon fiber components it replaces and offers reduced CO2 emissions compared to producing carbon fiber parts. According to BMW, exchanging carbon fiber parts for those made of natural fiber composites in the roofs of next-generation BMW Group vehicles can lead to a CO2 reduction of around 40% in production. After years of research and development and trial runs in motorsport settings, BMW says these natural composites are ready to be used in BMW's road cars. In a statement, Franciscus van Meel, the CEO of the automaker's M division, said that the high-performance specialists 'are now looking forward to the use of these materials in future BMW M product ranges;' meaning that the the next-generation M3 and/or M4 may have a flax-roof when it reaches production. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. The flax-based 'natural fiber composites' were made in collaboration with Swiss clean-tech firm Bcomp, a company the automaker has invested in through BMW i Ventures. BMW and Bcomp developed this eco-friendly space-age material through an experimental development phase over several years. BMW M Motorsport initially used reinforcement parts made with these natural fiber composites in the 2019 season of Formula E. Since then, the same parts have also been used to replace carbon fiber plastic (CFRP) parts in BMW's M4 DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) car and the M4 GT4 cars. BMW says that the M4 GT4 that will compete at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring will be equipped with these panels onboard. 'Natural fiber composites are a vital element of innovative lightweight solutions in motorsport,' he said. 'They allow for a reduction in CO₂e emissions in the manufacturing process. This is innovation that perfectly fits BMW M's identity: 'Born on the racetrack. Made for the streets.'' Final thoughts By looking at it, you can convince me or the untrained eye that this 'plant-based carbon fiber' is actually carbon fiber. On a more serious note, BMW and Bcomp are making significant strides toward sustainability with the introduction of this new sustainable lightweight material, especially at a time when there is a strong emphasis on creating more environmentally friendly vehicles. Reducing emissions involves more than just improving or removing engines; it requires comprehensive solutions that go beyond simply placing a green badge on cars with electric motors and batteries and calling it a day. About the Author James Ochoa View Profile
