Road and Track compares the 2013 M5 against the Cadillac CTS-V. Will the M5 redeem some of the losses that the E60 M5 took against the latest CTS-V in the last years of the previous M5’s life cycle? See inside.
The top luxury brands are increasing the incentives/discounts on older models in their battle for the top U.S. sales leader. According to data researcher Autodata Corp., BMW has increased incentives 6.9 percent this year, while Mercedes Benz raised discounts 11 percent and Lexus boosted discounts by a whopping 54 percent.
For the year, BMW trails sales leader Mercedes by less than 2,000 cars sold (through May), and leads Lexus by over 16,000 units sold. All three manufacturers’ sales have outpaced the U.S. light vehicle market’s 13 percent gain for the year. BMW year over year sales are up 14 percent through May.
BMW wrested the top U.S. sales leader position from Lexus last year after Lexus occupied the top spot for 11 years. Lexus concedes that it’s unlikely … CONTINUED
A great set of real life comparison photos between the F30 and F10, by Paul Tan.
Although the general styling of the newest 3 series and 5 series is now more consistent and shares more styling cues than the previous generation E90 and E60, there are still significant differences (in particular the front end) between the two designs as these photos highlight.
Here’s the tale of the tape for the F30 and F10:
F30
Height - 56.3 in
Length - 182.5 in
Width - 71.3 in
Wheelbase - 110.6 in
F10
Height - 57.6 in
Length - 192.8 in
Width - 73.2 in
Wheelbase - 116.8
Autoblog.nl takes the AC Schnitzer F10 M5 with its upgraded 620hp / 790Nm (582lb-ft) torque and pits it against the standard factory F10 M5 in an acceleration and top speed run test. Check out the video inside.
South African Car Magazine Shootout episode pitted the BMW 1M versus the Audi RS3. Quattro grip versus M Power verve. See the results inside.
In the latest episode of Head 2 Head (by Motor Trend), Jonny Lieberman compares the BMW 328i with its N20 240hp 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine versus the Mercedes C250, also powered by a turbo 4 cylinder (1.8L turbocharged I-4 with 201 hp).
Which car redefines the segment according to Lieberman? View the video inside to find out.
Chris Harris compares the M3 GTS against the Porsche GT3 RS and Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series in two criteria: track times and hooliganism. Sounds like a fun review already! We won’t spoil the results, so see for yourself below.
Specs of the 3 cars:
M3 GTS
450 HP (4.4L V8)
326 lb-ft torque
0-62: 4.4s
3,278 lbs
GT3 RS 4.0
500 HP (3.8L flat 6)
339 lb-ft torque
0-62: 3.8s
2,998 lbs
C63 AMG Black Series
510 HP (6.3L V8)
457 lb-ft torque
0-60: 4.2s
3,770 lbs
Watch the new turbo 4 cylinder 528i take on the old 6 cylinder 528i in a head to head race and dyno, conducted by Classic BMW.
The 2012 528i features the N20 turbo 4 cylinder engine which is quoted at 240hp/260lb-ft torque, 0-60 in factory quoted 6.2sec and is 15% more fuel efficient.
The previous F10 528i was powered by the N52 6 cylinder engine which had 240hp/230lb-ft torque and ran from 0-60 in factory quoted 6.6sec. And although the two engines are factory rated at the same 240hp, on this particular dyno, the N20 engine vastly outpowered the N52 engine - 240hp vs. 208hp at the crank.
The result seen here is obvious based on the factory quoted numbers alone, but seeing a visual of the speed/acceleration difference … CONTINUED
Road and Track undertakes a head to head comparison of the 2012 328i (F30) versus the Mercedes C250 Sport. What do they find?
The F30 is on the varsity team when it comes to performance. The 2.0L N20 engine pulls strongly without breaking a sweat, the shifts from the 8 speed automatic transmission are nearly telekinetic, and the chassis is great. The steering is lauded for having the right amount of resistence, offering great feel for what’s happening with the tires.
Overall, the BMW’s dynamic prowess and effortless performance won Road and Track over. View the video review inside.
