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BMW M4 pitted against i8 in drag race

Germany's Auto Bild has set up a very intriguing drag race to settle not just an inter-brand rivalry within BMW but a question of the old school versus the latest tech. The BMW M4 is a leader among the traditional sports coupes with a turbocharged inline-six spinning the rear wheels, but the M has to tackle the cutting-edge i8 with its turbocharged three-cylinder augmented with electric drive. See what happens when they go head to head. Even on paper, the race looks quite close. The i8 weighs about 300 pounds less than the M4 and also slightly nudges it out on net torque at 420 pound-feet versus 406 lb-ft. Also in some shots, the pavement looks just a little bit damp here, which would benefit the i8's all-wheel drive setup. However, the M-car has a healthy horsepower advantage with 425 hp against the hybrid's 357 hp. The race commences after a short introduction. Watch and see whether the traditional tech or latest layout wins the day. Related Gallery 2015 BMW M4 Coupe: First Drive View 38 Photos Related Gallery 2015 BMW i8: First Drive View 62 Photos News Source: Auto Bild TV via YouTubeImage Credit: Related images Copyright 2014 Michael Harley, Drew Phillips / AOL Green BMW Coupe Hybrid Performance Videos drag race race bmw m4

2015 BMW 228i Convertible

BMW history is littered with small, four-seater convertibles that offer style, spirited performance and driving flexibility. These days it's the 2 Series range, not the 1 or the 3, that carries on the droptop-driver's-car tradition, and the 2015 228i Convertible will the first flavor of it to hit US shores. With prices starting in the upper $30k range, conservative but attractive exterior styling and just enough interior comforts and amenities to feel like a true-luxury player, the 228i makes a strong initial case for itself as either a first or second vehicle. Concurrent with my First Drive of the 2015 BMW X6 M, the Germans brought along their new 2 for testing along some pretty mellow Texas driving routes outside of Austin. With roads that ranged from sweeping country lanes to small town streets, and weather changing handily from cold and misty to bright and warm, I got a good sample of what the new open-top 2 can do. Drive Notes I'll admit to getting behind the wheel of the 228i convertible with a bit of a bias: the old 1 Series line, including the droptop, was amongst my favorite BMW models in years. In terms of overall character, this 2 Series has mellowed a lot versus the chuckable, cheerful 1er. The steering response isn't quite so whip-fast, and the longer wheelbase means it's less willing to rotate overall. Of course, the 2, especially in convertible form, does feel better suited for the stereotypical small, premium convertible driver, too. Ride quality over our mostly smooth-road drive route was placid and controlled, and steering still felt steady and weighty on center and with lock added in. The car also offers really well-sorted protection from wind buffeting and noise, both with the top raised and lowered. I drove topless on the highway and on surface streets, and was impressed at how cozy I felt with the wind deflector erected and the windows up. Cold-weather convertiblers should do well with this BMW (especially when the xDrive AWD car launches, later in the year). Erect the folding soft top – a feature that's available at speeds up to 30 miles per hour – and the NVH experience is transformed. BMW says that the top-up wind noise has been reduced "by half" versus the 1 Series – a fact that I had no trouble believing after the first few seconds. Wind rush is basically eliminated with the roof raised, and the car becomes a downright conversational space thusly set up.

Mercedes fights off late BMW surge to claim 2013 luxury sales crown

The king is dead - long live the king. Mercedes-Benz is now your new US sales champion in the fiercely competitive luxury market, deposing the champ BMW, which has enjoyed annual supremacy for the past two years.
Thanks in no small part to the dynamite launch of the new, affordable CLA-Class, not to mention a redesigned E-Class and hot-selling S-Class, Mercedes moved 33,007 units in December alone, while sales in 2013 were up 14 percent, to 312,534. BMW, meanwhile, managed to sell 309,280 units in 2013. It was far from a sure thing for the Stuttgart-based brand, though, as BMW managed to nearly halve its rival's sales lead heading into the last month of 2013.
"We saw record sales, flexed our muscles across the entire product line from top to bottom and brought the customer experience to an all-time high," said Steve Cannon, Mercedes USA's CEO. While we don't have individual figures, it seems at first blush that the CLA was really the car that pushed Mercedes over the top.