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On Location in California with BMW and Mini

A mid-winter escape from frigid Michigan to drive a trio of new BMW and Mini products? It'd be a busy couple of days, but you can't argue with Southern California in February. The temperatures in LA, where we drove the Mini Cooper S Convertible, hovered in the mid-80s, and it was solidly in the 70s further north, at Monterey, where we drove the M2 and X4 M40i. The highlight of the trip was Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which is a rewarding track to drive in a street car. The M2 was a blast there. The canyon roads above Malibu in the Mini were a close second, but even the lazy drive down the PCH to Big Sur was a blast. More important is the California state of mind we were in when driving all three of these cars. I've spent a lot of time in this state, and it has a complicated relationship with the car – and there's also a huge difference in attitude between the greater Bay Area and Southern California. Ample sun and twisty roads clash with image-consciousness, eco-consciousness, and brutal urban gridlock, and each BMW dealt with that paradox admirably, in its own way. Take a quick jaunt to California with me and check out the locations and experiences that helped form our impressions of these vehicles: the 2016 BMW M2 First Drive, the 2016 Mini Cooper S Convertible First Drive, and the 2016 BMW X4 M40i Quick Spin.

BMW X4 M40i caught production-ready

It seems like BMW is pretty committed to this whole X4 thing. Aside from the current xDrive28i and xDrive35i, we've captured a round of spy photos showing what our spy shooters tell us is a more dynamic M40i model.
The higher-performance hunchback follows in the footsteps of BMW's other sub-M cars like the M235i. In fact, much like the high-po 2 Series, the M40i is expected to make use of a 3.0-liter, turbocharged six-cylinder, developing 365 to 375 horsepower.
Aside from that, the rest of the X4 M40i fits the brief of other near-M models, with a more aggressive body kit, larger wheels, firmer suspension and brawnier brakes. Expect some mild tweaks inside, too, including sportier seats and an M-specific steering wheel.

2014 BMW X5

Is Better Than Ever Still Good Enough?
By now, all but the staunchest of traditionalists have moved past the shock and horror of seeing their favorite automotive brands branching into categories and segments that break with their previously accepted norms. In other words, you and I don't really care all that much if the BMW M3 is powered by an inline six or a V8, or whether it boasts a turbocharger, just so long as the end result is an awesome car. Similarly, we don't get all hot under the collar seeing that same M3 share space on the showroom floor with a brace of SUVs and crossovers... or, as BMW continues to insist, Sports Activity Vehicles.
Time, as they say, heals all wounds, and the BMW X5 has been around long enough, having first seen the light of day in 1999, that anyone offended by its existence has since gotten over it. Plus, the X5 is a legitimately nice vehicle to drive, offering such desirable qualities to family men and women as seating for up to seven, all-wheel drive and a commandingly tall view of the road. For the enthusiast set, the X5 serves up a taut chassis and powerful engine options.