Nürburgring Sports Car Pileup: In-Board Camera Captures the Second Crash on Film

It was only a matter of time before the first video concerning last weekend's much talked about Nürburgring crash popped-up on the internet.

The 15-minute long clip comes from an in-board camera mounted to look out the rear window. The driver of the car passed through the construction section moments after the first crash happened, but just before the BMW M3 Sedan 'Ring Taxi came smashing into the cars in front of it.

You'll have to speed up the video to around 9:50 to see the damaged cars and wait until about the clock shows 10:20ish to watch the BMW 'Ring Taxi collide in your upper right-hand corner.

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Posted on 12.03 / 0 comments / Read More

Dude, I Drive a BMW: Sarcastic Video Take on Bimmer Owners

There are [insert brand here] drivers, and then there are [insert the same brand here] drivers. Naturally, we've all heard the stereotypes and jokes about people that own cars sporting the famous badge that looks like a propeller blade set against a blue sky – but which as it turns out, was actually created to represent the colors of the Free State of Bavaria.

A group of young people decided to visualize some of those stereotypes and create a video parody about BMW owners. Some of the sketches work better than others, but overall, we gather that the clip is worth two-and-a-half minutes of your time.

Watch the video after the break and tell us if you think in the comments section.

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Posted on 09.02 / 0 comments / Read More

Massive Sports Car Crash on the Nordschleife, BMW's M3 'Ring Taxi Involved

A fun track day at the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit turned into a nightmare for eight drivers this past Sunday.

The vehicles involved in the crash included a BMW E30 3-Series, a BMW E36 3-Series, a BMW E92 M3, a Chevrolet Corvette Z06, a pair of Vauxhall VX220 / Opel Speedster roadsters, a Porsche 911 (964 series) and the official BMW M3 'Ring Taxi.

According to a police report, the drivers came from several European countries, while the accident apparently took place in two phases.

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Posted on 14.13 / 0 comments / Read More

Fanatec Develops Realistic BMW M3 GT2 Racing Game Steering Wheel for Clubsport Base

We have more good news for racing game enthusiasts as following Thrustmaster's announcement on the authentic replica of the Ferrari F1 steering wheel, German-based Fanatec revealed a new BMW M3 GT2 rim.

The realistic steering wheel will be sold separately as an add-on for Fanatec's upcoming Clubsport base, which is compatible with PC and Sony PS3.

Fanatec presented the new rim at the 25th anniversary festival of the BMW factory in Regensburg together with touring car champion Dirk Adorf.

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Posted on 07.30 / 0 comments / Read More

New BMW M3 Sedan Video Scooped: Are these the Sounds of a Turbocharged Six?

By now, you have probably heard that the upcoming 2014 BMW M3 in both four- and two-door formats will do away with the current model's atmospheric 4.0-liter V8 and gain a turbocharged six-cylinder engine.

Most seem to agree that the most likely candidate is an M Division modified version of one of BMW's 3.0-liter straight-six units with either two or three turbos.

However, there are some rumors circulating around the net that BMW is developing a new force-fed V6 engine for its next M3 models. The speculation is based on a recent design filling for a twin-turbocharged V6 made by the Bavarian company at the German patent office. BMW has not commented on the matter.

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Posted on 08.10 / 0 comments / Read More

SCOOP: All-New 2014 BMW M3 Sedan Caught and it's Packing a Twin-Turbocharged Straight-Six

Our spy photographers have finally spotted the brand-new BMW M3 saloon more than a year before its introduction sometime in the first half of 2013. Those that are more interested in the two-door model will most likely have to wait, as the M3 Coupe is currently planned to follow later on.

There's still some debate whether BMW will shuffle up its nameplates, as some sources suggest that the next 1-Series coupe will be renamed to the 2-Series, and the 3-Series Coupe into the 4-Series, meaning the M3 Coupe could become known as the M4. However, none of this has been officially confirmed yet.

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Posted on 09.14 / 0 comments / Read More

Video: Lamborghini Aventador vs Gallardo Spyder vs Ferrari 360 Modena

If it where any other type of cars, we'd probably skip this vide altogether, but it’s not every day that you see a spanking new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 getting ready to eat sprint race a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder and Coupe, a Ferrari 360 Modena Spider and the tail of the bunch, a BMW M3 Coupe E46.

Of course there's a matter of who's driving the Italian supercars and what condition they're in, but it looks like the Aventador and the LP 560-4 Spyder pretty much smoked the rest.

Click past the break to watch the short clip for yourself.

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Posted on 16.42 / 0 comments / Read More

CLP Automotive Builds a BMW M3 GT Replica with 600HP for the Road

German tuners have no problem taking their projects to the extreme. One such example is CLP Automotive's tuning proposal for the latest BMW M3 Coupe called the Interceptor that attempts to replicate the look and feel of the M3 GT racecar that recently participated in the 24 hours of Nürburgring where it finished in second place.

CLP Automotive begins with a wide body kit that adds blistered front and rear wheel arches together with matching rocker panels and bumpers, a new hood with additional vents and a central dome, plus a large fixed rear wing.

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Posted on 09.14 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW Marks Returns to DTM with New M3 Coupe Concept Racer

New DTM racing cars are like public transportation: you wait for ages and then , all of a sudden, three or four buses appear at the same time. Just yesterday we posted Audi’s new entry into the German Touring Car Championship or, as it’s more commonly known, DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters). Today, BMW pulled the wraps off its new own DTM racer based on the coupe version of M3.

And mind you, unlike Audi, BMW revealed the M3 in the flesh clad in carbon fiber and looking quite menacing with its matte paint, flared wheel arches and aerodynamic package.

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Posted on 07.46 / 0 comments / Read More

UK Insurer Parts the Most Unreliable and Costly Car to Fix

In an article on a BMW-faced Honda Accord we found for sale on Craigslist back in 2008, we wrote that in a perfect world, our ultimate car would be “designed by Italians, engineered by Germans, built by Japanese and marketed by Americans”.

So, what’s the worst car one could imagine? Well, if we played around with the above statements, we’d say one designed by Japanese, engineered by Americans, built by Italians and marketed by Germans.

But UK insurance firm Warranty Direct had something a little bit different in mind. Instead of playing the origin card, the company decided to check out its database of 50,000 live policies on cars aged five years on average to part the UK’s most unreliable vehicle that would break down every other month and cost an average of £2,050 (equal to US$3,270 - €2,330) to fix each year.

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Posted on 08.34 / 0 comments / Read More

2011 24-hour Nürburgring Race: And the Winner is….

Porsche triumphed in the 2011 24 hours of Nürburgring, with the 911 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr crossing the line after 156 laps and 3,958.968 km (2,462.044 miles), a new record for the legendary endurance race in the demanding Nordschleife.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR first led the race at Saturday evening, at 23:25, and then its drivers held on to it for the following 16 hours and 35 minutes, or 108 laps.

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Posted on 06.03 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW Faces Problems at 24h Nürburgring Qualifier, M3 GT No7 Crashes

The first qualifying session for the 24 hours of Nürburgring did not go exactly as planned for Team BMW Motorsport, as the number 7 M3 GT driven by Dirk Muller crashed in the Karussell two hours into the session. Prior to that, the car was 8th overall, with Dirk Werner lapping the Nordschleife at 8:32.302. Read more »

Posted on 09.25 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW Launches Lighter and More Powerful New M3 CRT Special, Limited to 67 Units

This is BMW’s new hardcore M3 sedan, the CRT, which stands for Carbon Racing Technology. To be produced in a limited run, the M3 CRT was unveiled during a pre-race BMW M event ahead of this weekend’s Nürburgring 24-hour race.

The special edition model combines the body style of the M3 sedan with technology from the M3 GTS coupe, topped off with the use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) to further reduce the car’s weight.

BMW said the M3 CRT represents the worldwide debut of a new production process for carbon-fibre reinforced plastic components in the automotive industry, adding that we will see the same materials on the upcoming i3 EV hatchback and i8 hybrid sports coupe, due to enter volume production in 2013.

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Posted on 08.28 / 0 comments / Read More

VIDEO: Automobile Mag’s Take on the BMW 1 M Coupe vs M3 Debate

From the moment BMW introduced the new 1 M Coupe, it was more than evident that the smallest member of the Bavarian firm’s M family would be compared with the brand’s most illustrious product, the M3 Coupe.

Automobile Magazine’s West Coast Editor Jason Cammisa voiced his thoughts on the 1 M Coupe versus M3 debate in a rather amusing way during his first drive of the sports car in California.

The skinny? “If you want an M badge, go ahead and buy an M3. If you want what an M3 could be, buy one of these things [the 1 M Coupe]”. Follow the break to watch the full video.

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Posted on 14.13 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW to Debut New 2012 M5 Saloon at The Goodwood Festival of Speed

The all-new 2012 BMW M5 sports sedan will be making its first public appearance at The Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place in the UK between July 1 and 3, the German automaker announced today.

The most powerful production version of the M5 series to date comes with a high-revving 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 pumping out 560hp from 5,750-7,000rpm and 680Nm [501.5 lb-ft] of torque from 1,500rpm. It goes on sale this fall.

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Posted on 07.56 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW Launches New 2011 Frozen Black Edition M3 Coupe for North America, Costs $21,000 More!

BMW has dropped information on a new limited edition version of its M3 Coupe for the North American market. The 2011 BMW Frozen Black M3 Coupe will be available in a limited production run of 20 units for the USA, each priced at a hefty $79,650 (~€55,500), not including a $875 destination charge.

So what does a $21,000 premium over the standard M3 Coupe get you other than a very happy salesperson and an even merrier dealer? Well, in typical BMW fashion, not much as the special edition M3 Coupe is a cosmetic package with some minor mechanical upgrades.

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Posted on 11.55 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW Introduces M3 Carbon Fiber Limited Edition, but Only for China

Chinese customers love a good limited edition model and BMW tries its best to keep them happy. Not long ago, BMW had released the China market-only M3 Matte Edition and M3 Tiger Edition. During the BMW M Legendary Experience event held in China last week, the Bavarian automaker lifted the covers off yet another special M3, the Carbon Fiber Limited Edition of which only 111 examples will be built at a price of 1.23 million yuan (approximately US$189,800 at today’s exchange rates) a piece. Read more »

Posted on 06.03 / 0 comments / Read More

Fiat’s 0.9-Liter TwinAir Scoops the “International Engine of the Year 2011” Award

And the big winner of the 2011 edition of the coveted International Engine of the Year is…Fiat’s 0.9-liter twin-cylinder gasoline engine also known simply as the TwinAir. A jury comprised of 76 journalists and industry experts from 36 different countries were convinced by the 875 cc unit's low emissions, high fuel economy and impressive output for its size, awarding it four awards: “Best New Engine 2011”, “Best Green Engine 2011”, “Best Sub 1-Liter Engine” and the “International Engine of the Year 2011” overall award. Read more »

Posted on 10.16 / 0 comments / Read More

VIDEO: More Powerful and Lighter BMW M3 Sedan in the Works

During the M5 Concept and M3 Pick-Up presentation held by BMW's M division in Munich, the Bavarian carmaker also showed the M3 Sedan Concept, a more powerful track-focused version that could signal the return of the CSL badge, albeit in four-door trim.

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Posted on 08.22 / 0 comments / Read More

Video Tour of the Unmade BMW M Cars Including the M3 Tourer and Compact, Ur-Roadster and M5 Cabriolet

It is by far, the most sacred place for a BMW M fan. We’re talking about the BMW M Division’s underground facility where the company stores copies of all the production cars and prototypes it has ever built, including a variety of never before seen in public vehicles. In a surprising but much welcomed move, the German automaker recently opened the doors of the special M garage to the members of the press and select enthusiasts revealing an array of models that most had only heard about.

We already brought you a video of the wild M8 Coupe with the 580-horsepower V12 engine that was eventually used on the McLaren F1, but now we have several videos showcasing the entire lineup of M cars.

These include the E46 M3 Touring (BMW for station wagon), the E36 M3 Compact powered by the same 321HP straight-six from the M3 Coupe of the time, the E34 M5 Cabriolet with open-top seating for four, an M3 powered E30 ute and possibly the strangest creation yet, the so called Ur-Roadster. The latter is said to have been developed after the Z1 with power being delivered by the E30 M3’s 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine.

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Posted on 13.38 / 0 comments / Read More