BMW enthusiasts and tuners gathered for the 2012 Bimmerfest event yesterday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.
Some early photos from the 2012 M Festival at the 24 Hours Nurburgring race. The MotoGP M6 safety car was revealed at the event, where it led the M Corso parade. The F13 M6 coupe was shown at M Night.
The 6 Series Convertible M Sport may already be a pretty eye catching car, but this owner wanted to make doubly sure that he would be noticed by ordering his car in Atacama Yellow Individual color.
Starting as of July 2012 production, the next generation Navigation Professional system (609) will be available on the 5 Series Sedan, 5 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series Sedan and ActiveHybrid 3. Although the link above doesn’t mention the F30, it will also be available on the F31 touring and should be available on the F30 3 series as of July.
This new system offers faster processing and an enhanced design over the current system and incorporates several great new features:
• Streamlined radio/media menu structure
• Improved navigation submenu structure
• Advanced Real-Time Traffic Information
• Weather information in navigation map
• POI enrichment*
• GoogleTM autocomplete*
* requires BMW Assist Convenience Plan.
More details and images inside.
BMW may have produced the MiniE and ActiveE (electric versions of the Mini Cooper and the 1 Series Coupe), but EV West, a California conversion shop decided to electrify a more performance based nameplate - the M3… the E36 M3 to be exact.
EV West took a 1995 BMW M3 and replaced its 6 cylinder 240hp S52 engine with a NetGain DC electric motor and Evnetics Soliton Shiva motor controller, packing 420 totally green horsepowers!
For its first real test, this M3 will compete in “electric” heat of this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado (also known as the “90th Race to the Clouds”). It will be competing against 6 other electric cars in its race heat, but none are based off a conventional car like … CONTINUED
New render of the upcoming BMW 4 Series Coupe (F32), which is said to be highly reflective (percentage) wise of the actual appearance of the final F32 coupe design.
The F32 is due to be revealed in the first half of 2013 and should come as a 2014 model year.
One of the more exciting items from the full BMW M Performance Parts catalog for the F30 3 series are the M Performance Brakes. These are Brembo 4-piston aluminum fixed calipers on the front axle and 2-piston aluminum fixed calipers on the rear axle. They come in red, yellow, or orange and feature the M logo on the calipers.
The internally-vented lightweight sports rotors measure 370 x 30 mm (diameter x thickness) on the front axle and 345 x 24 mm on the rear axle. Unlike the M Sport brake discs, the M Performance brake discs are cross drilled for better grip and grooved to reduce water film build up. The BMW M Performance sports brake system is only approved in combination with at least 18″ aluminum … CONTINUED
“A company is like a human being. As long as it goes in for sports, it is fit, well-trained, full of enthusiasm and performance.” These were the words of Robert A. Lutz, BMW AG Board Member Sales, back in 1972. They were the words christening the youngest subsidiary of BMW AG at the time, BMW Motorsport GmbH. Today the company is called BMW M GmbH. But it is just as fit, well-trained, full of enthusiasm and performance as it was 40 years ago.
The early 1970s were the dawn of a new age for BMW: A new, young Board of Management under Eberhard von Kuenheim had set out to strategically power and pursue the ongoing success of the Company. This included the construction of a new head … CONTINUED
The all new 2013 M6 coupe (F13) will take on safety car duties for MotoGP this season, becoming the latest BMW M model to do so after the M5 and 1M Safety Cars.
The MotoGP M6 safety car will debut at the 24 Hour Nurburgring race this weekend and will lead the M Festival M Corso parade event.
The first half of the MotoGP race season will continue seeing the use of the F10 M5 and 1M safety cars, but the F13 M6 coupe safety car will replace the 1M halfway through the race season. Expect the M6 safety car to receive similar modifications as the M5 and 1M - siren, Akrapovic exhaust system (whose name is seen on the M6 below) and aerodynamic enhancements (front carbon … CONTINUED
