Latest news with #N54
The Citizen
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
BMW M135 xDrive review: Faster, sharper and still premium
The BMW 1 Series has always been a popular choice amongst those who wanted a small everyday premium car. And hardcore enthusiasts that wanted to tear up the streets. The Citizen reports that over time, with the advent of the world going SUV-crazy, the BMW 1 Series has become more of a niche car. And with the change from the old days of them being rear-wheel driven and powered by those legendary N54 and N55 engines, dare I say it, the car has become more civilised in M135 xDrive guise. Just like the VAG boys have moved from 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, VW Golf Rs to 2.5-litre, five-cylinder Audi RS3s for breaking records. With the new M135 now running the same 2.0-litre B48 four-cylinder powerplant as before, it's no longer considered a weapon for the BMW guys that want to tear up the streets and dragstrips. Today they are spending stupid money on S58 3.0-litre straight-six powered M2s, M3s and M4s. New naming strategy A quick lesson in BMW badging might also be in order right now. BMW have dropped the 'i' from the naming of their gasoline-powered cars because this letter is now reserved for their electric cars like the i4 etc. But the diesel cars still get a 'd', and the plug-in hybrids get an 'e' and the mild hybrids don't crack a mention. I think these corporate execs have too much free time on their hands like the Audi guys who decided the 30 TFSI and 40 TFSI means something to them and only them. So, when I type M135 and M135i, I am actually referring to two different cars and have not just made a typo. This is in no way a VW Golf 8 R versus BMW M135 shootout. But almost everybody I spoke to had to chip in and say that the Golf would smoke the M135. So, for what it is worth, these two are separated by mere hundredths of a second here and there at any measured distance. And by less than one kilometre too as you can see from the comparison chart. Faster than before This does not mean the BMW M135 is slow by any means. It is in fact now very much back on par with the VW Golf R. And also somewhat quicker than its predecessor despite making less power and torque, while almost weighing in the same. But how? Let me give you the numbers first, so that you too can try figure this out, before I add my two cents. The BMW M135 hit 100km/h in a fraction better than claimed 4.77 seconds, while the previous M135i did this sprint in 5.41 seconds. At the longer 800m mark, the new car is doing 212km/h, while the old one is lagging at 199 km/h. This is an advantage that stays all the way to their electronically limited top speeds of 250 km/h. Even in the roll-on acceleration runs, the new M135 outguns the old M135i. For 2025 the F70 BMW M135 xDrive produces 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque. The previous F40 BMW M135i xDrive with the same engine churned out 225kW and 450Nm. 50Nm of lost torque is not easy to overcome, especially when the listed kerb weights are only a mere 5kg in favour of the new car. Dual-clutch advantage The power now comes in a bit later, as does the torque. Yes, the power holds a bit longer, but the torque starts running down at the same place on paper. But this alone can't explain the difference in performance on the road. I have only two explanations that make some sort of sense to me. One, put the two cars on a dyno and you might see graphs that indicate different power and torque figures throughout the rev range that differ from the claimed numbers. Two, the change in transmissions from the previous gen's eight-speed, torque converter back to a seven-speed dual-clutch unit has had a bigger effect on the performance than we thought it would. I thought the old transmission was really good, but my off the line data indicates that the dual-clutch set-up gets up and bolts away from torque-converter. And without anything else to work with, unless I got a dud M135i from the manufacturer a few years ago, I am just going to say that the new F70 BMW M135 is quicker than the old F40 M135i. And I have no idea why. BMW M135 road test data
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Teen best friends died 'holding each other's hands' in 75mph horror crash on the way to prom after driver ignored their pleas for him to slow down - as he admits dangerous driving charges
Two teen best friends were laid next to each other 'holding hands' after they died in a horror 75mph crash on their way to their school leavers ball, a court was told. Kiea McCann, 17 and Dlava Mohamed, 16, died after the car they were travelling in, crashed into a tree in County Monahan, Ireland on July 31, 2023. Anthony McGinn, 61, who was put in a 'position of trust' to drive the two young girls to the Debs ball in Monaghan Town, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing their deaths. He also confessed to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Dlava's sister, Alva Mohammed, during the same incident. Monaghan Circuit Court heard how McGinn ignored the girls pleas to 'slow down' as he drove at nearly double the speed of a 50mph zone. His car, a white BMW then careered and collided with a tree on the N54 at around 75mph in the Legnakelly area, killing the two girls and injuring another. It was also heard that front passenger Oisin Clerkin has asked McGinn to 'slow down', but the driver did not respond. 'He was driving really fast and it scared me. None of the girls said anything. Kiea looked scared. I said 'Goodbye' to Kiea and I woke up in hospital,' he told Gardai in a statement. Upsetting scenes unraveled at the sentencing as family and friends of the two girls were shown footage of their final moments where the car was involved in the horror crash. Kiea McCann (left), 17, and Dlava Mohamed (right), 16, died after the car they were travelling to their school leavers ball in left the N54 and crashed into a tree in the Legnakeely area on July 31 2023 The court was told McGinn was shown dashcam footage showed of the horror crash after his arrest and confessed that he had 'no answer' and did not 'know what speed [he] was doing. Following this, there was an outburst from Kiea's father, Frankie who, according to the Irish Mirror said: 'If this man won't send you down. I'll never forget you, you fu**ing b**tard.' Family's read aloud their impact statements, with Kiea's mother Teresa sharing how she had 'trusted' the 61-year-old to take her child to the Deb's Ball safely. 'When we got to the scene, Kiea was already gone. Her dad tried CPR on her. Nothing would bring her back,' she said. 'Kiea and her best friend were robbed of their lives. They were put side by side holding hands on the grass as me and my husband lay beside them.' Her heartbroken mother revealed that Kiea's 18th birthday present was her headstone, as the family had been left with only memories and pictures of the teen. Kiea's father, Frankie, who tried revive the two teenagers at the scene of the crash, described his child as a 'gift from God'. At the sentencing, he spoke of his heartbreak Kiea never being able to experience getting married or having her own family, describing her passing as a 'death sentence' for their family. Dlava's father, who had brought his family from war-scarred Syria to Ireland, said his daughter's dreams had died with her, adding that he lost a piece of all of his children on that fateful day, as well as his heart. He asserted that he wanted the most severe punishment for McGinn, adding that he wanted 'justice, not revenge'. Dlava's sister, who had experienced severe injuries in the collision, said the incident had forever changed the trajectory of her life, explaining her sister had been accompanying her to the Deb's ball. Recalling the crash, Alva said she had told McGinn to 'stop' before 'everything went black'. She told the court that she had not known the two teenagers were dead for months. Breffni Gordon, mitigating, told the court McGinn was seriously injured in the collision, and was remoresful. They also added that the driver had apologised to the victims' families and he had entered an early guilty plea. McGinn also lost his job, income as well as his relationship with his wife and children, the court was told. Sentencing is due to take place next Wednesday at May 14.
Business Mayor
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
Tinubu pledges tech-driven forest security in Northwest – The Guardian Nigeria News
President Bola Tinubu has pledged to reclaim Nigeria's ungoverned forests, particularly in the Northwest, using advanced technology and surveillance to combat banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism. Tinubu made this declaration while speaking at a state dinner in Katsina on Friday night in response to concerns raised by former Katsina Governor Aminu Bello Masari. Tinubu declared that his administration would intensify security operations in the region, emphasising that economic growth depends on safety. Tinubu stated, 'On the issue of security raised by former governor Aminu Bello Masari again this evening, yes, I agree that security is a challenge for the country. I addressed the men and women of the armed forces earlier today and assured them that we will do everything to fight terrorism and banditry. 'We will invest more in technology and take over the forests. Security is a national issue, not just at the local or regional levels. If we genuinely need investment in Nigeria, we must address security. 'Investment is cowardly, and it will not go where there is banditry and terrorism. We will solve the problem together with the states and local councils.' President also assured that victims of terrorism will receive support to pick up their lives. He announced plans that the federal government will consider upgrading the airport in Katsia State to create jobs and expand the economy. In response to this, Governor Dikko Radda said the proposed airport expansion, including the cargo terminal, customer terminal, and fire truck, would create 2,700 direct jobs and cost N54 billion. Radda added that the state had established a security outfit that gathers and supplies intelligence
