At a driving event at the BMW Group’s Miramas test track in France, the BMW i presented a prototype of its second production vehicle, the BMW i8. BMW i is synonymous with visionary mobility concepts and a new definition of premium quality that is strongly focused on sustainability. Following the world debut of the first production model, the BMW i3, the BMW Group’s next step will be to extend this revolutionary answer to the future challenges facing personal mobility to the sports car segment in the BMW i8. This plug-in hybrid model is the most progressive sports car of our time, extending the basic BMW i philosophy of sustainability to a new vehicle segment.
The BMW i8 fulfills the promise of The Ultimate Driving MachineTM in … CONTINUED
We have posted even more technical details on the 2014 M5 and M6 Competition Package, including actual changes in spring rates, damping rates, stabilizer rates, steering ratios, torque/power output, and other details.
The F82 M4 and F80 M3 prototypes have now shed a significant amount of camouflage, revealing more than ever.
In the collection of photos and videos below you’ll see a Frozen White M3, Alpine White M3, and a silver M4 coupe. By dropping some of their camouflage and being fitted with more final equipment/parts, we can now see (for the first time or better than before):
Carbon Fiber Seats
Carbon fiber front seats can be made out in the photos as the F80 M3 drives by the camera. Although its CF weave can’t be seen, the carbon fiber back of the seats are clearly reflecting light and it’s easy to tell that the seats are of the single piece ‘racing’ variety – without separate headrests. Remember, BMW … CONTINUED
These F80 M3 prototype car specs from VIN checks undertaken a few months back [see original story on s55 engine specs] reveal a potential new exclusive BMW M color coming for the upcoming M3 and M4.
One of the M3 prototypes was spec’d in Yas Marina Blue (named after the Yas Marina Circuit, home of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, and where BMW recently held its M6 M Power Experience for customers). However, as we’ve yet to spot any M3 or M4 prototypes wearing a new blue color, we don’t yet know if it would be a light, medium or dark blue.
The M3 prototype in Yas Marina Blue was spec’d with a Silverstone II interior. The M3 VINs also revealed that a Sakhir Orange leather … CONTINUED
Here is a set of photos of the most revealing M4 prototype yet, together with a great video of the M4 being tested hard at the Nurburgring.
Geek out with us and follow this analysis by a BIMMERPOST member in which he predicts the upcoming F80 M3 and F82 M4 s55 engine RPM redline, by way of a technical sound analysis.
He began testing a couple of dyno recordings and fairly quickly found an E92 M3 video and V12 Aston with 6800 rpm redline. He recorded the sounds (just from crappy Youtube videos) and then did a Fourier transform to get the spectral content. E92 M3 frequency peak at redline should be 560 Hz, I measured 570 Hz. V12 Aston is 680 Hz theoretical, 688 observed. In both cases “the” peak was actually the second peak not the first. Those results are within about 2%. The method absolutely can work.
Moving on the the … CONTINUED
The upcoming M235i Coupe will beat the 1M Coupe around the Nurburgring, so says Klaus Froehlich, Senior Vice President Brand and Product Strategies at BMW. In speaking to Autoexpress, he states that:
“I have just signed off the M235i’s M Sport performance kit, which will include a proper limited slip differential – LSD. I’m just working out whether to make this an option on all models.
The M235i is as close a spiritual successor to the 2002ti that we’ve had. My initial benchmark was that it will be faster than the BMW 1M Coupe around the Nurburgring, which it is.
The 4 Series body is stiffer than the 3 Series’, and the 2 Series is the same over the 1 Series. The handling of the 1M was too … CONTINUED
Have a look at the best videos yet of the 2014 F80 M3 undergoing track testing at the Nurburgring. Why are they the best yet? Because they are being pushed to the limits, which has been rare in the videos we’ve seen prior to this.
Listen to that S55 engine!
BMW M4 Concept Car will be unveiled at Pebble Beach in August.
M4 is more the car to convince seeing as it dispenses with history in order to forge a new beginning with a new icon.
The car will be unveiled at Pebble Beach and then flown back to Germany where it will be displayed at the IAA in Frankfurt in September.
Both M3 and M4 are being presented at the NAIAS in Detroit along with the production BMW X4.
