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Alpina bringing new B4 Bi-Turbo Cabrio to Geneva

Interested in picking up a new BMW 4 Series with a turbo six? You've got options: you can get the 435i with 300 horsepower or spring for the M4 with 425 hp. But if it's the convertible model you want, we're afraid you'll be limited to the latter as the M division can't help you (at least not for the time being). But that's where Alpina comes in.
The aftermarket tuner closely associated with BMW offers the B4 Bi-Turbo (at least in Europe) with that same 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six massaged up to 410 horsepower that starts to pose a threat to the M4. What's more is that the Alpina's 442 pound-feet of torque eclipses the M4's 406 lb-ft, to say nothing of the 435i's 300.
Best of all, Alpina just confirmed via Facebook that it'll offer the B4 in convertible form, bringing the resulting BMW Alpina B4 Bi-Turbo Cabrio to the Geneva Motor Show. We'd expect the weight penalty to knock it slightly off the coupe's quoted 4.1-second 0-60 time, but not by much. If only BMW were to bring this one Stateside like it does with the B7 sedan.

VW Golf R pitted against BMW M235i in enthusiast's choice battle

Most people don't have two, open spots in their garage to fit a practical daily driver and a fire-breathing performance car for the weekends. That's what makes vehicles like the latest Volkswagen Golf R and BMW M235i just about perfect for the average person. Both of these Germans can lope around as a commuter 90 percent of the time and be perfectly comfortable. However, when you want to walk in the door with a big smile on your face, you can take the back roads home and get a real thrill from them.
In his latest short video, Chris Harris from Drive tests these surprisingly comparable German performance cars. Both of them offer buyers in the neighborhood of 300 horsepower, with the BMW winning out with 320 hp. However, the Golf R gets standard all-wheel drive, which is now an option on the M235i. Harris has quite positive things to say about these Europeans, but you're going to have to watch the video to hear just what he thinks.

Even 'Ring taxi drivers need to respect the Green Hell

The Nürburgring Nordschleife has the reputation as one of the most difficult tracks in the world to master - deservedly so. With 14 miles of roadway and about 160 corners over a massive amount of elevation change, the amount of grip can change from turn to turn. As the driver of the famous BMW Ring Taxi learned this weekend after a shunt into the barricades, the 'Ring can bite unsuspecting pros just as easily as amateurs.
The video of the incident below shows the M5 oversteering right into the wall as a phalanx of Porsche models arrive behind it. According to Bridge to Gantry, a website that specializes in news about the 'Ring, the taxi's passengers were picked up by another Ring Taxi and driven off with a fantastic story to tell their friends back home. "The accident happened at low speed, there were two passengers in the car, but no one had at any injuries," said BMW spokesperson Cypselus von Frankenberg to Autoblog via email.
The crash also closed track for over an hour to clean up and to haul the stricken BMW away. When a driver making a living from driving lap after lap at the Nordschleife has a crash even as seemingly minor as this one, it just goes to show why the course has the nickname 'The Green Hell.'