1972 Bmw 2002 Tii on 2040-cars

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Bangle urges auto design shakeup, says industry not innovating

Controversial designer Chris Bangle, the man behind the notorious E65 BMW 7-Series "Bangle Butt," has some rather sharp criticism for the current crop of automotive designers in an upcoming full-length interview with Automotive News Europe. The preview, posted on Automotive News, details parts of the interview, with the always vocal Bangle lamenting the state of modern automotive design.
"Even concept cars today simply anticipate the next production model coming down the line. Is this innovation? No. And at the end of the day this is what's preventing car design from moving into a new era." Controversial as Bangle's design philosophy may be, we can't help but think he has a point. His so-called "flame surfacing" at BMW and other stylistic elements had a huge influence on modern automotive design, although as the years have passed, there hasn't been much innovation on the same scale.
Interestingly, Bangle also mentions that he's been courted by a few manufacturers that wanted to install the American as the head of their design teams. He's flatly rejected them, telling ANE, "It's not something you can do part time, you have to do it with all your heart and soul or you're going to get it wrong."

We'll finally see the BMW M2 in Detroit

Despite being unveiled in October, the world will finally get to meet the BMW M2 at the Detroit Auto Show. The entry-level M coupe brings 365 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque from the M TwinPower Turbo engine, as well as an active rear diff and lightweight components. We'll also get close-up looks at the intense exterior design, which seems to have opinion divided opinion concerning its front fascia. The X4 M40i will also storm Detroit, its inline-six M Performance TwinPower Turbo with 355 hp and 343 lb-ft is also making a world debut. This isn't a proper M version of the X4, but there's been heavy revision throughout the crossover-coupe, and it gets special 19-inch wheels to stand out. Elsewhere of note on the stand will be the 330e and 740e plug-in hybrids that we first met in Frankfurt, and the i8 with laser lighting. The press release below has more. BMW M2 AND BMW X4 M40i TO MAKE WORLD DEBUTS AT THE 2016 NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW IN DETROITAdditional Featured BMW Vehicles include: BMW 330e, BMW X1, BMW 7 Series and BMW i8, among others.18.12.2015 - The BMW M2 and X4 M40i will make their world debuts at the 2016 North American International Auto Show on Monday, January 11, at the BMW Stand at 10:05 a.m. in Detroit's COBO Center (One Washington Boulevard Detroit, MI 48226). In addition, BMW will feature the new, BMW X1, BMW 7 Series, the plug-in hybrid BMW 330e, the high-performance BMW i8 and the all-electric BMW i3 among other BMW models at the BMW Stand. English, German and Spanish speaking BMW representatives will be available for interviews throughout the day.Making its highly anticipated world debut, the 2016 BMW M2 features the renowned BMW M Performance complimented by a sleek interior and exterior design. A newly developed M TwinPower Turbo technology 3-liter, 6-cylinder engine produces 365 bHP and 343 lb-ft of torque, catapulting the high performance vehicle from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. Inspired by its motorsport history and enhanced by BMW EfficientDynamics technology, the BMW M2 sets the pace in its segment when it comes to agility, driving feeling, directional stability, steering precision and controllability at the limit, without any compromise in everyday use. The 2016 BMW M2 will be available in US showrooms in spring 2016. Pricing will be announced shortly. BMW M2 Press Kit.The BMW X4 M40i also will make its world debut in Detroit.

2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe

Is This A Great Idea For An M Model?
The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is already an issue of large debate. The essential business case for the car is that it's more distinctive than a straight 5 or 6 Series, and has much of the sense of space and luxury of a 7 Series. It has the wheelbase of a 5 Series, the relative width of a 6 Series, and an exterior length close to the standard wheelbase 7 Series. And, as we reported in our drive of the 640i Gran Coupe in May 2012, the 6 Series Gran Coupe costs pretty much the same as the 7 Series, engine trim for engine trim. The sedan (coupe?) is therefore a proposal clearly meant for an extremely particular clientele. There's no news yet on how well exactly the 6 Series Gran Coupe is selling in its chief markets, but we are curious. The Germans frequently tend not to break out their sales figures that way, mixing sales of the Gran Coupe in with the two-door 6 Series.
And, so, we have now arrived at the inevitable point where the M version must be introduced. Say howdy to the $113,000 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe (actually $115,195 for starters with all of the taxes added). That's $4,650 more than the also highly priced M6 coupe. Let the vehement debates begin. The upcoming 2014 Audi RS7 should be priced right at this level as well, and the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG (perhaps with an S iteration in the next allotment we get Stateside) should go for roughly the same.