on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 BMW X5 priced from $53,725*

A month after the official curtain was dropped, BMW has seen fit to release pricing information on its new 2014 X5 crossover. The X5 sDrive35i, which is the first rear-wheel-drive version of the X5, will begin at $53,725 (*including $925 for destination and handling) while the traditional all-wheel-drive X5 xDrive35i will begin at $56,025. Both feature BMW's well-regarded 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo N55 engine with 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.
The 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35d (Have these convoluted names confused you yet?) is priced at $57,525 with its 3.0-liter diesel engine (255 hp and 413 lb-ft), and, finally, the TwinPower Turbo V8-powered X5 xDrive50i (445 hp and 480 lb-ft) will start at $69,125. Buyers looking to customize their X5 experience can choose from the Luxury Line, xLine or M Sport packages, plus Ivory White and Mocha Interior Design Packages. Regardless of which engine is chosen, the X5 will come equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
For comparison, the 2013 X5 xDrive35i started at $48,425. That means the price has increased by over $5,000 despite not including standard all-wheel drive or by $7,600 when comparing apples to apples with similar six-cylinder engines and power to all four wheels. The V8 model increased by $4,000 and the diesel, interestingly enough, dropped by $100.

BMW names new head of M division

BMW's performance division has been run by Dr. Friedrich Nitschke since 2011, developing, among other products, the new M3 and M4. But soon the good doctor will be retiring, and BMW has just named his successor.
Taking Nitschke's place as chairman of BMW M GmbH will be Franciscus van Meel (pictured at right), who until recently served as managing director of Audi Quattro GmbH - the rival outfit that makes Ingolstadt's performance models, including the R8 supercar and RS line of performance models.
Van Meel will join BMW on October 1, presumably to learn the ropes from Nitschke before the 59-year-old executive steps down at the end of the year. Back in January, Audi named Heinz Peter Hollwerweger as head of Quattro GmbH and reassigned van Meel to its Beijing R&D center, a role which evidently didn't suit him as well as creating Autobahn-storming German muscle cars.

Porsche 911 tops a list of must-have classics, but No. 2 is more of a surprise

No surprise here: In Europe, the Porsche 911 is the most sought-after classic car. Surprise here: Slip-streaming the 911 in the most sought-after chart compiled by the Car & Classic marketplace is the Ford Mustang. Using the Google search engine as a means to pick the winners, as well as the average prices achieved on the “Car and Classic” website, the venerable 911 was tagged 1.45 million times per month according to data stretching back 15 years. The number of 911Â’s sold though the C&C marketplace was 21,141, at an average price of 58,409 pounds, or $74,300. FordÂ’s pony car, still a popular choice for buyers in Europe, placed second on the list with 1.2 million monthly searches. The average sales price over 15 years was 31,107 pounds ($39,570), and the number of older Mustangs sold reached a total of 8,332. Models that also finished among the charted top 10 include the Land Rover Range Rover, the Corvette, the ultra-classic British favorite Jaguar E-Type and the BMW 3 Series. “Whilst a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS could set you back the best part of GBP500,000 ($636,000), there are many more affordable models, which bring the average sale price of a 911 on Car & Classic to GBP58,000 ($73,800) – the third highest average selling price of any make and model on the site,” explained Dale Vinten of Car & Classic. According to the site, the Jaguar fetched the highest average selling price: a whopping 89,000 pounds, or $113,000. But thatÂ’s peanuts compared to a Series 1 Roadster in excellent condition, said Vinten. For that, “you can expect to spend up to GBP250,000 ($318,000), A Series 2 or 3 will cost less, as they are not as desirable, but in decent condition you can expect to pay around GBP40,000-GBP50,000. Even a barn find 1969 E-Type Series 2 Roadster can set you back to the tune of GBP33,000 ($42,000)." Launched in 2005, Car & Classic is among EuropeÂ’s most popular classic car clearinghouses. It also runs a stand-alone auction site.