Latest news with #Bimmer
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Why the SA-built BMW X3 will stoke your sense of patriotism
Part of the M Sport kit is a thick-rimmed, three-spoke steering wheel, with a familiar template that echoes a style dating back to the most beloved BMW icons of decades past. It feels right and ergonomically correct in the palms. At the COTY testing days some (including myself) were surprised at how quiet the cabin is despite the diesel powertrain. Some thought they were in the petrol version. Vibrations and exterior intrusions are incredibly well suppressed. The 2.0l turbocharged-diesel, four-cylinder unit outputs 145kW/400Nm, with a gutsy feel under hard acceleration, typical of torque-rich oil-burner motors from Bimmer. The best part is that even if you drive with a leaden foot, average consumption lingers around the late 6l/100km mark. Allow me to wrap-up this ode to the X3 with two gripes that were identified. Minor issues but they exist nonetheless. First, there seemed to be no way to fully deactivate the automatic stop-start system. I certainly could not find the right button. Second, the doors unlock automatically each time you engage the parking brake. The obvious downside to this was revealed in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The X3 is an awesome example of what the local automotive manufacturing sector is capable of. We need such reminders, particularly in uncertain times where global politics, government-related challenges and tough local economic conditions loom threateningly over the fate of the industry.
Canberra Times
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Canberra Times
Audi A3: 150kW AWD warm hatch coming later in 2025
Rivals include the 150kW/300Nm BMW 120 M Sport (from $61,100) though the Bimmer is front-drive, and the 165kW/350Nm Mercedes-Benz A250 4Matic (from $73,800). Our guess is the Audi will be more aligned with the former than the latter.
The Print
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Print
2 Series Gran Coupe may be BMW's best bet yet to win India's luxury war
On the face of it, the car might make a Bimmer loyalist red in the face with fury. After all, it features a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine and is front-wheel drive. It is off-putting for a BMW sedan, once touted as the 'ultimate driving machine'. But here is the funny thing: when one evaluates cars, you have to look beyond the headline numbers. And truth be told, this car is very nice to drive. It feels like a BMW ought to feel — well-balanced suspension and responsive steering. That said, it might just be what I recently drove on Chennai's East Coast Road (ECR) that could give BMW the real growth impetus it needs to overtake Mercedes-Benz: the second-generation BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. In the first half of 2025, BMW India, along with Mini, sold 7,774 cars, growing 10 per cent over the same period last year. This growth was largely due to several new products, such as the X3 SUV and, especially, the all-electric long-wheelbase iX1, which has propelled BMW to the top of the luxury EV sales charts. And you know what? While the engine will attract plenty of comments — even though the same engine powers the Mini Cooper and BMW X1 — it has been tuned differently in Gran Coupe. It now produces 156 horsepower, and that power kicks in pretty fast. The 2 Series Gran Coupe does 0-100 kmph in 8.6 seconds. For young buyers While engines with an odd number of cylinders usually feel out of balance, BMW engineers have sparkled some pixie dust on the three-cylinder engine under the 2 Series Gran Coupe's hood. Unless you were told, you wouldn't know it's a three-cylinder engine. Sure, the engine sounds a bit gruff at low speeds from the outside, but inside the cabin, you can't hear a thing — so much so that at speed, BMW actually pipes in noise through the speakers. Sure, anyone can go fast in a straight line, but this new car handles supremely well. While the ECR is pretty straight, Tamil Nadu police has helpfully (or not) set up roadblocks all over the place and this car handles direction changes without an issue. No screeching tyres, no violent body roll, just calm, measured confidence. One major improvement over the first generation car is the switch from harsh run-flat tyres to standard tubeless ones, which has made a world of difference. No, this is not a performance car. It's not even as fast as the regular 3 Series sedan. But BMW India is launching it to appeal to younger buyers. They expect the target customer to be around 40 years old, maybe younger. A mid-career executive who wants to make a statement with the BMW badge. After all, rocking up at a family wedding in a BMW is still making a statement. While the price hasn't been announced yet, it's expected to be around the Rs 50-lakh mark. In an era when luxury brands talk in crores, that's downright affordable. And according to BMW India executives, the company will be coming out with innovative payment schemes and buyback policies to bring this 'new' buyer into the luxury segment. This isn't the first time BMW India has tried this playbook. Around 15 years ago, they launched 'Corporate Edition' variants of the X1 and 3 Series. But those cars were stripped-down versions — no sunroof, no bluetooth telephony, basic alloy wheels, and halogen headlights. While they sold well, priced below Rs 20 lakh at the time, there was some buyer's remorse. Even a Rs 5-lakh hatchback back then had features Corporate Edition cars did not. Also read: Delhi's new fuel policy is forcing people to buy new cars. It won't reduce pollution Eye on India But BMW hasn't repeated that mistake. The new 2 Series Gran Coupe even has a heads-up display, something the current 5 Series lacks as standard. Everything's included: ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, Level-2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and BMW's M-colour stitched on the dashboard lining. This vehicle will be sold in only one variant for the time being. There is no stripped-down model. That said, in the heat and humidity of a July afternoon near Chennai, I did palpably sense the lack of ventilated seats. There are other issues as well. At around 4.6 metres long, this car is designed primarily with the driver in mind. Rear-seat comfort is not bad, but it's not ideal for someone on long drives. For a young family, though, it is perfect. There's plenty of luggage space and rear room for kids. I have no doubt that BMW India's sales in the second half of 2025 will set new records. And the German carmaker has little choice but to ramp up things in India. Because, like every other German manufacturer, BMW is contracting sharply in China. In 2024, sales of BMW cars in the country dropped 13 per cent to 715,200 units from 826,300 in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, sales in China fell by a precipitous 17.2 per cent. India might not yet make up for BMW's China losses, but strategists in Munich have realised that their future depends on India. And the products they've launched here this year prove that they know exactly what they're doing, because this 2 Series Gran Coupe is a genuinely good car. Kushan Mitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. He tweets @kushanmitra. Views are personal. (Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
WATCH: Porsche 911 GT3 RS Catches Fire, Goes Airborne In Nürburgring Crash
The Nürburgring has earned its nickname as the Green Hell once again after an explosive crash between a BMW M2 Competition and a 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS collided on a high-speed section of the circuit, completely destroying both German sports coupes. The videos uploaded to social media show the moment of impact from the Porsche driver's perspective and from a surveillance camera alongside the track, revealing that a misunderstanding between the two drivers led to both of them jockeying for the same bit of tarmac at the same time, and the internet is divided over which driver should take the bulk of the blame. The video from the GT3 RS driver's perspective shows that the Porsche driver was approaching the Bimmer at high speed after exiting a right-hand turn. As the circuit curved to the left, the slower-moving M2 moved over to the right side of the track. It seems that the fast-approaching Porsche driver had assumed this was an invitation to overtake, as passing on the Nordschleife during these Touristfahrten sessions (when the circuit turns into a tolled public road) should always be done on the left unless it cannot be avoided. Normally, the slower car indicates to the right and moves over, thereby informing the following driver that the slower car is aware of their presence and won't cut across the track, but in this case, the M2 driver didn't activate their turn signal. This suggests that the M2's movement to the right side of the track was to prepare the car for the approaching left-hand bend, not to yield to the Porsche. Thus, both cars arrived at the same apex with the Porsche marginally ahead, the Bimmer driver turned into the right rear of the 911, effectively performing a PIT maneuver on the 911. This caused the Porsche to deviate right, and as it careened toward the barriers, it took the Bimmer with it. On impact, a fiery explosion occurred, and the Porsche was sent flying through the air. The entire front end was ripped off, and a suspension arm (still attached to the brake disc and caliper) landed nearly a hundred feet away. Happily, both drivers survived, but things could have been much worse. Perhaps the M2 driver ought to have been aware of the approaching GT3 RS; slower cars are obliged to move over for quicker traffic on the Nordschleife, but as discussed above, there is a correct way to do this: in conjunction with a turn signal activation. It should also be noted that slower traffic should move over when it is safe to do so, not the very instant they see another car in their rearview mirror. With the preceding turns being rather technical, it seems a little unreasonable for the M2 driver to be prepared for a move up the inside when the Porsche appeared to have only just closed the gap to its rear bumper. On the other hand, the Porsche driver might argue that the speed with which they were approaching should have been obvious to the BMW driver, and the way in which the M2 abruptly moved to the right side of the track might have looked like an invitation to pass. We don't have more video evidence of the preceding miles, but based on the crash itself, we're inclined to side with the Bimmer driver on this one. Sure, both drivers could have done something differently, but the M2 driver had the right to that piece of asphalt, and the Porsche driver seemed a little overeager to prove that the GT3 RS was quicker. Some commenters have proclaimed that this sort of incident is the result of amateurs trying to replicate YouTube personality Misha Charoudin's style of Nürburgring video, but his fans will argue that Charoudin has always campaigned for greater safety and has tried to discourage reckless behavior on the Nürburgring. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
The 2026 BMW M2 CS Just Decimated The Audi RS3's Nürburgring Record
There's been a bit of back and forth between Audi and BMW at the Nürburgring of late. In 2021, the 8Y Audi RS3 set a time around the Nordschleife of 7:40.748, earning it the title of the fastest compact car on the 'Ring. In 2023, the G87 BMW M2 stole the record with a time of 7:38.706 on the 12.944-mile route, so last year, the revised 2025 RS3 went back to the Nordschleife. It smashed the Bimmer's time by over five seconds, posting a time of 7:33.123, and the Bavarians simply couldn't let that slide. "You beat us by five seconds? Fine - we'll beat you by eight," said BMW. It took a special model to achieve, but the 2026 M2 CS has now reset the record at 7:25.5, achieving the first sub-7:30 time for a compact car. You can watch that astonishing lap at the bottom of this article. This lap time is some 13 seconds quicker than the one set by the normal M2 back in April 2023, but all that matters to BMW is that all its current CS models have dipped below 7:30, including the M4 CS, M3 CS (sedan, a time with the wagon has not been posted), and M4 CSL. For the record, the latter is the quickest BMW Group production car with a time of 7:18.137. With over 70 bends, changing camber profiles, and varying surfaces on the track, one cannot simply attribute the record to more power, but also to enhanced suspension and grippier rubber. Still, there's no doubt that a jump from 473 horsepower to 523 helped. The only drawback? All that power means the M2 CS isn't available with a manual transmission. Then again, no Audi is. The M2 CS is some 66 lbs lighter than the car upon which it is based, and it's got 129 horsepower more than the RS3. For Audi to reclaim the record would likely require a very focused and heavily upgraded car, and as a four-door hatch/sedan, the RS3 might be a tough sell with more track focus. Then again, it's not unlike Ingolstadt to celebrate the end of an era, and with the five-cylinder engine now only available in the RS3 after the TT RS departed, it's not unimaginable to think that a limited-run RS3 with no rear seats, a bigger turbo, and some specially developed rubber could be created to say goodbye to an icon. There are rumblings that the TT will return at some stage, and its smaller footprint could give the M2 CS something to worry about, but that will take a couple of years to come to fruition, if it ever does, so BMW's record will likely be safe for a long time to come. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
