BMW M Models 2013 News

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Looking rather resplendent in its bright orange paintwork, this final performance two-door marks the end of a truly wonderful era. Why is this the last coupe? Because the brand will apply the M moniker to the upcoming 4-Series coupe going forward. M4 certainly doesn't have the same ring to it, but we will all get used to it in time. It will likely still be one of the best driver's cars on the road, and remain a performance target for other manufacturers. Still, it's a bit sad that we can't speak about the latest M3 coupe anymore. That's been a favorite bit of news to look forward to over the last few decades, and each iteration provided something new and special for the next generation of enthusiasts who were lucky enough to afford the highly capable machines. From E30 through E92, the generations of the BMW M3 coupe still find fans of all ages. Will these folks covet the M4 in the same way? Most likely... but we still prefer the old badge, and we wouldn't be surprised if a few 3 badges wind up on the tails of the 4. Kicking it older school with some new school tech is a way to celebrate the future while remembering the past. www.motorauthority.com  

The growing number of supercars and other exotics being bought by Dubai Police shows no sign of slowing. The latest patrol cars spotted on the beat in the Gulf city are a BMW M6 Gran Coupe and a Ford

With the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG now offering as much as 430kW in ‘S-Model’ trim, the 412kW of the BMW M5 is starting to look a little feeble, at least in terms of bragging rights (we doubt most owners would be able to tell the difference). To rectify the issue, BMW is planning an upgrade for the M5, which Car and Driver is reporting will boost output to 423kW. The upgrade will likely arrive as a Competition Package and is said to be developed for both the M5 and M6. Being part of a Competition Package, expect a host of other upgrades including new wheels, brakes and tires. Revised suspension and a number of minor aero tweaks are also likely. Cars fitted with the Competition Package are expected to deliver 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) times around 0.1 of a second quicker than those with the current 412kW rating. This could mean 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds for local models. For those at home counting, that’s still 0.6s behind the new all-wheel-drive E 63 AMG S-Model available in left-hand drive markets. Look for the M5 and M6 Competition Package to be offered overseas by the mid-year, while the option is yet to be confirmed for Australian models. "We would absolutely be interested if such a package proves suitable for our market, but cannot confirm any M5 or M6 performance boosts at this stage", BMW Australia's Corporate Communications boss Lenore Fletcher said. "Australia has the highest per-capita takeup rate of BMW performance variants in the world." Ms Fletcher suggested the package could join the range when the M5 and M6 range is refreshed locally in the fourth quarter of this year.  Note, the power wars aren’t likely to end there. Audi’s RS 6/RS 7 duo is tipped to receive their own ‘Plus’ upgrades that could see output reach as much as  447kW. However, no official word of their release has been mentioned.  

Information is good, but domination is bad. So I like big digital speedometers, blind-spot warning systems and reversing cameras, but I'm against automatic parking, radar cruise controls and anything which can influence the steering.My personal jury is still out on automatic emergency braking, but I think it's probably going to get a tick. The reason for this reluctance runs all the way back to the very first cars I drove with anti-skid braking systems, a BMW 5 Series and a Honda Accord.I can clearly remember the wheels of the Accord chattering and skidding as I tried a panic stop, but the Five was worse. I was driving on a gravel road when I needed to brake for a corner.I did, but the car did not, and I can clearly picture to this day the tree I narrowly missed as I arrowed off the road with the ABS system working - or not - precisely as the engineers intended.Hitting the personal fast-forward button, there was a Lexus that insisted on applying emergency braking power when another driver cut into my lane and cut the beam for the over-sensitive radar cruise control, a Camry that cut engine power just when I needed it in a corner, and a Volkswagen that refused to accelerate from a Stop sign because I was holding the car on the brake at the same time as tickling the throttle.Just last year, there was a Mercedes-Benz that swerved me into the path of an oncoming car when it detected that I had drifted over the white line, when in fact I was easing gently away from a potential head-on smash.I know that technology improves and I like some of the stuff that makes life easier, but I was overwhelmed this week by the all-new Volkswagen Golf and a bank of safety equipment that runs from a fatigue monitor to radar cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, automatic parking and even multi-collision braking to stop the car after a crash.A lot of this stuff is good, and there's no doubt that it should make our roads safer. But it's also encouraging a breed of drivers who are really just passengers, relying on their cars to save them from themselves. And that cannot be good.This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover 

The world record for drifting is currently 11.18km, set by Red Bull athlete Abdo Feghali at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit on February 15.Feghali was helped by using an Easy Drift system -- a ring mount that slides over the rear tyres to reduce grip and replicate skid conditions. Once the Easy Drift wears away, the driver continues on the car's tyres.However BMW is already eyeing his record, and plans to male a bid to break it on May 11 -- claiming BMW Performance Driving Instructor Johan Schwartz will drift a BMW M5 for 65km or more. The teaser video shows him in practice and we'll be keen to see the official bid. 

The German brand has announced details of the M3 Pure Coupe, in effect a cut price version of the performance machine. Priced from $125,000, a hefty $30,000 less than a standard M3, they've basically removed all of the features that someone more interested in the dynamics is not going to miss or want for that matter. Still included however are the Bi-Xenon lights, the pro navigation system, Bluetooth and USB audio interface, along with the storage and lights package, front and rear parking sensors and the light weight carbon fibre roof (you wouldn't want to lose the latter). Changes to the interior include cloth and leather upholstery as well as Titanium Shadow interior trim as standard. Gone are things like the CD stacker, adaptive headlights, comfort access and the no cost option sunroof. You might however miss the heated seats and Harman Kardon sound system. In addition there is also revised pricing to options available across the M3 range, which add to the enthusiast appeal of the M3 such as the Competition Package, M Drive and Electronic Damper Control. The Competition Package, which must be ordered in conjunction with M Drive and Dynamic Damper Control, is $1800 ($600 saving), M Drive is $2700 ($700 saving) and Dynamic Damper Control, $3300 ($700 saving).  

...the next model is almost ready.We know turbo charging is inevitable, but how about three of them? Jawohl, a tri-turbo 3.3-litre inline petrol six good for some 330kW. Numerologically auspicious, then, in addition to bloody fast. Here early in 2014 for about $150k.

The M-enhanced version of BMW’s svelte 6-Series Gran Coupe has been one of the worst kept secrets of the year, with barely disguised prototypes, teasers and official comments all making it obvious a new M car was in the works. Now, BMW has finally revealed its new 2014 M6 Gran Coupe, ahead of a sales launch early next summer. Like the latest versions of the M5 and M6 coupe and convertible duo, with which it shares a platform, the M6 Gran Coupe follows a familiar path of performance tuning. Up front is a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V-8 engine rated at 412 kilowatts and 678 newton-meters of torque. Power is sent rearward, first to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and then to a unique limited-slip differential before reaching the rear wheels. The special differential, dubbed the Active M Differential, is an electronically controlled multi-plate limited-slip differential programmed to optimise traction, stability and sporting character. The locking force within the differential is varied continuously between 0 and 100 per cent. In addition to the data provided by the car’s electronic stability control system, the Active M Differential’s control unit also takes into account the position of the accelerator pedal, the rotational speed of the wheels and the car’s yaw rate. Every driving situation is therefore analysed so that any loss of traction on one side of the car is identified early and the degree of axle lock adjusted as required. The engine, too, is a marvel of engineering. It produces about 10 per cent more output than the old M V-10, but the real story is torque, which is up 30 per cent and delivers its peak rating from 1,500 all the way up to 5,750 rpm. The rev-limiter is set at 7,200. The key to the engine’s prowess is a pair of turbochargers nestled in the V between the two cylinder banks in a reverse-flow layout. This layout results in an unusually compact engine where the intake is moved outboard and the exhaust inboard. The lengths of intake and exhaust tracts are also shorter, helping to reduce pressure losses. The engine is also aided by direct fuel injection, a relatively high fuel to air compression ratio of 10:1 and BMW’s Valvetronic valve timing technology. Other performance specs of the latest M car include aluminium-intensive suspension, reinforced chassis mountings, electronically-controlled shock absorbers, speed-sensitive hydraulic power steering and M-specific stability, anti-lock braking and transmission programming. At its peak, the M6 Gran Coupe will rocket to 97 km/h from rest in just 4.1 seconds and easily reach its electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. To bring it back to rest, the car gets massive 15.7-inch brake discs up front and 15.6-inch discs at the rear. These are composed of steel and aluminium and are gripped by six-piston fixed callipers painted blue metallic and featuring the M logo. They’re housed within a unique set of 20-inch forged wheels.