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Looking back at 84 years of BMW roadsters

Today BMW is a top player in the luxury vehicle market, but it wasn't always so. With origins as an airplane engine builder early in the 20th Century, it broke into the automotive industry when it bought Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928. That German manufacturer was licensed to build the Austin Seven under the name Dixi DA-1, which could be had in a roadster body style. In 1929, BMW dropped the Dixi name, and by 1936, it was building a car it designed in-house, the 326 sedan. That was followed by the company's first roadster of its own design, the swoopy two-door 327 of 1937.
XCAR picks up there, and gives a history of BMW's iconic roadsters starting with the 327, ending with today's Z4, and covering everything in between - including the beautiful post-war 507 of 1957 and the funky, plastic-bodied 1989 Z1.
The video, which we've included below, is a good history lesson and a great chance to see a bunch of classic BMWs, spanning 84 years, all driven back to back within the safe confines of a racetrack. When you have a spare 20 minutes, go ahead and take some time to watch it.

BMW 5 Series future: 3-cyl engines and 600-hp M5

What if we told you the next BMW M5 would crest 600 horsepower? You probably wouldn't be too surprised, considering the steady increase in output that's accompanied each preceding generation. Now, what if we told you that the next BMW 5 Series would be available with a three-cylinder engine? Yeah, that'd be a surprise. But it may be a reality, according to a new report from Car. In its roundup of information on the next-gen BMW 5, code-named G30, the Brit mag predicts the new sedan will arrive in the summer of next year riding on an all-new platform that trims nearly 180 pounds of body fat through the use of high-strength steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. That platform, called the CLAR, which is short for Cluster Architecutre will give birth to not only a new 6 Series, but (for some reason) a 5 Series Gran Turismo and a Touring model, which won't likely be sold in the US. It will also underpin the 7 Series, eventually. Under hood, the lighter 5er will be paired with a new 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbodiesel for the entry level 518d. This is the same three-pot oil-burner found in the 2 Series Active Tourer and Mini Cooper D. Of course, considering how little of BMW's actual engine range is sold in the US, we very much doubt the 518d will make it across the pond. More likely candidates for the US market include a range of a 2.0-liter, four-cylinders, such as the 272-horsepower 528i, and potentially a four-cylinder diesel. Naturally, there will be six-cylinder mills, found on the 530i, 530d, 540i and M550d. At the very top of the range, of course, will be a 600-hp M5. There will even be a range of hybrids and plug-in hybrids that are sure to further annihilate the formerly logical BMW nomenclature. Car expects the new 5er to arrive next summer, which we'd wager would lead to a debut at either the 2016 Geneva Motor Show or perhaps next year's Auto China, in Beijing. Featured Gallery BMW 5 Series Next Generation Spy Shots News Source: CarImage Credit: CarPix Rumormill BMW Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Luxury Sedan

BMW crushing ActiveE EVs, saving all batteries

It's unlikely to spark a movement and a movie, the way a certain EV1 did a decade ago, but anyone who's seen Who Killed The Electric Car? will likely cringe at this bit of news. Despite the fact that crushing and recycling old vehicles is standard operating procedure in the auto industry, when EVs are involved, it's always a touchy subject. The next phase will see "all of the lithium-ion batteries being repurposed for Battery Second Life research projects." So, what's the news? Well, the image you see above, which comes from the spotting of 16 smashed BMW ActiveE EVs on flatbed trailers on California Route 91 near Los Angeles, CA. EV advocate Chelsea Sexton told Green Car Reports, "It's all very deja vu, right down to [BMW's] DriveNow promotion as a don't-look-behind-the-curtain distraction – recall GM touting EV1s being donated to museums and universities? – and VINs spray painted on the sides, allowing former drivers to identify their own cars." BMW's take on this is that the ActiveEs were always meant to have a limited lifespan, and their time has come. As spokesman Dave Buchko tells AutoblogGreen, "The learning begun with the ActiveE will transition to the next phase with all of the lithium-ion batteries being repurposed for Battery Second Life research projects." (You can read his full statement below.) Originally, there were 700 ActiveEs leased to Electronauts (give or take). Yahoo! Autos points out that the ActiveEs were originally imported into the US as "pre-production" cars, which means they can't be sold, they can only be used for carsharing projects or re-leased. Eighty of those ActiveEs recently found a second life as vehicles in BMW's DriveNow carsharing fleet in San Francisco (bringing the total of ActiveEs in the program to 150) and "some have also been returned to Munich for additional research markets," Buchko said. The big picture here is that no one should be sad to see these cars go. Yes, they may have had some life left in them, but the rules say their time is done and everything is being done to crush responsibly in accordance with the law. Like Plug In Cars says, we're in a completely different era now than we were when GM crushed all those EV1s a decade ago. Instead of marking the end of a plug-in vehicle program, sending the ActiveEs away to be recycled is a symbol of the evolution and growth of BMW's i Project.