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AC Schnitzer ACS4 Sport packs 510 hp under a subdued carbon fiber bodykit

One of the interesting things about the Geneva Motor Show is the breadth of the European auto industry that it covers. Beyond just the stands from major manufacturers and boutique marques, the event also hosts the regions top tuners. Among them this year are the BMW specialists AC Schnitzer, with myriad upgrades for the M4. By the time the company is done, the coupe gets renamed the ACS4 Sport. The M4 is already a potent machine with its 431-horsepower, turbocharged inline-six, but for customers willing to spend the money, more performance is always possible. AC Schnitzer's engine upgrade takes power up to 510 hp and 476 pound-feet of torque, and buyers can also add a new exhaust with carbon-fiber-surrounded tail pipes barely protruding from the rear. The company offers two suspension kits, as well. The first lowers the BMW by 1.0-1.2 inches in front and 0.4-0.6 inches in the rear. However, for drivers who really want to scrape the ground, an adjustable racing option drops the front by 1.2-1.6 inches and the back by 1.2 inches. Of course, AC Schnitzer's buyers also want to show off their cars' added performance, and the company is ready with a host of carbon fiber pieces. Up front, there's a new front spoiler, splitter and side flicks, and the rear is available with a diffuser, roof spoiler and fixed rear wing. A wide variety of wheels finish off the sporty look, including the brand's AC1 BiColor twin-spoke design offered in forged or standard versions. Get a full look at the German tuners fairly tasteful upgrades in our gallery from the show floor, above. ?"Man, Machine & More" – The M4 by AC Schnitzer Aachen-based tuning experts open new dimensions in the field of Motorsport power Man, machine & more - The tuning experts at AC Schnitzer have given the BMW M4 with Motorsport power a further kick of energy. Once again, the Aachen-based tuning specialists have shown that there's no upper limit to power and sporting performance. To build up the muscle power of the BMW M4, AC Schnitzer has provided a performance upgrade containing of an additional control unit which increases the performance from 431 to 510 hp, and from 550 to 645 Nm. Scope of delivery of every AC Schnitzer performance upgrade includes always a two years guarantee which can be upgraded up to three years. After a visit to the Aachen workshops, the powerful energy combustion developed with the AC Schnitzer "Efficient Performance" know-how is also revealed in the exhaust of the M4.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is the world's first front-drive Bimmer [w/videos]

While BMW has been showing concepts for its Active Tourer for over a year, they never seemed entirely real. Why would BMW, a company that has built its image on sporty, rear-wheel drive sedans, move into the five-door, front-wheel-drive market? The answer is still not entirely clear, but the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is very real. It launches in Europe later this year and is rumored to come to the US in 2015.
To brand purists, a front-wheel drive BMW may seem anathema to everything the company has built, and the production Active Tourer has clearly been built to provide drivers with a luxurious but utilitarian package first and foremost. It is 170.9 inches long and rides on a 105.1-inch wheelbase, but despite its compact dimensions, its high roof allows for 16.53-cubic-feet of cargo space with the rear seats up or 53.33 cubic feet with them folded flat. Its general appearance is nearly identical to the previous concepts, except with a blunter nose and cleaner lines. The front end wears BMW's traditional dual circular headlights and naturally, while the profile incorporates the company's traditional Hofmeister kink into the greenhouse's rear pillar. The interior has been designed to be especially useful with a sliding rear seat, adjustable rear backrests, fold-flat backrests and optional features like an automatic tailgate and panoramic sunroof.
Unlike both previous concepts, none of the Active Tourer models at launch use hybrid power. For Europe, the hatchback is going on sale with three engine options. The basic version is the 218i Active Tourer with a 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder with 134 horsepower that we just previewed in the 2014 Mini Cooper - good enough for average fuel economy of 48 miles per gallon in the EU cycle when equipped with a six-speed manual. The next step up is the 225i Active Tourer with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 228 hp and offers 39-mpg average fuel economy. Finally, there is the there is the 218d Active Tourer with its 148-hp, 2.0-liter turbodiesel and 57 mpg average fuel economy on the EU cycle. A six-speed manual is standard on all of them, but there is a six-speed automatic option for the 218i and eight-speed automatics available for the 225i and 218d. All-wheel drive will be available on future models.

Mini has become the Rover that BMW always wanted

BMW has been working for 20 years to build a successful line of British cars, and on the evidence of the second-generation Mini Clubman, it may have finally done it. That means it's time for all of us to get used to the fact that Minis aren't going to be that small anymore. Case in point is this new Mini Clubman, introduced last month and conspicuous by its size. Many of us who've pointed to BMW's stewardship of Mini as an example of retro done right bemoaned the Countryman subcompact SUV – a concept actually ahead of its time. The Coupe and Roadster, perhaps rightfully, deserved (and received) an eye roll. But now there's a so-called four-door hardtop that went on sale this year and this forthcoming, six-door Clubman that approaches the compact hatchback class in size. These vehicles actually look like practical moves at keeping buyers from defecting to larger cars made by someone else, rather than vain attempts at maximizing investment in a set of parts. And in an interesting twist, Mini is turning into one of its ancestors – minus the feeling of inevitable doom. Many of us were led to believe somewhere since Mini's relaunch about 15 years ago that the brand would be a stepping stone into the greater BMW fold. But in reality, it's done exactly the opposite, creating a parallel brand for those not willing to embrace the BMW image, but leaning heavily on British nostalgia. That was sort of the reasoning used when BMW pulled the Rover Group of England away from a fruitful partnership with Honda in 1994 and absorbed it all. In the consolidate-or-die '90s, it made sense. BMW had a small, but successful, line of sedans. Rover had no success outside of Western Europe (its last US attempt at selling cars, the Sterling, ended three years earlier). Yet its Land Rover line of SUVs was just right for the time and the 35-year-old Mini still had image-conscious clout. With every passing day, the brilliance of BMW's move to abandon Rover in 2000 seems brighter. Even ditching Land Rover made sense in the long run (and probably saved Jaguar in the process). With every passing day, the brilliance of BMW's move to abandon Rover in 2000 seems brighter. During a chat with Mini USA VP David Duncan this summer, it became clear the Mini of the past is probably gone. A small, city-sized Mini is not necessarily off the table, but larger and more profitable models are coming first.