2008 Bmw M3 on 2040-cars

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BMW X7 rumored to get BMW's best interior, 130,000-euro price

Spanish outlet Motor.es has some info on the coming BMW X7, the sport activity vehicle that will take the Munich brand to the penultimate SUV segment. Unnamed sources said BMW has been working on both the X7 and the future Rolls-Royce all-terrain vehicle for almost two years, and that in BMW guise it will ride on the CLAR (CLuster ARchitecture) platform that will make an appearance later this year under the new 7 Series. The Rolls-Royce, on the other hand, will get its own aluminum spaceframe. The two vehicles will share components, though, which are now being tested. Running gear and engines will borrow from the X5 and X6 tool chests, with rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations mooted and engines ranging from the TwinPower 3.0-liter six-cylinder to an uprated version of the 6.0-liter V12 in the 760iL. The 4.4-liter V8 is mentioned as the middle child and perhaps the base for an X7 M, should one be made. A plug-in hybrid offering could swipe the unit from the X5 xDrive40e PHEV, good for 55MPGe in that current application. The interior, we're told, will be the nicest seen on any BMW, said to surpass that of the new 7 Series. We'll have to wait two years to find out how close all of that is to the mark, but the tidbit that might need some salt sprinkled on it right now is the predicted price: Motor.es says 130,000 euros in Europe, to start. That's not the first time a sky-high price has been predicted, but a leap that far beyond the six-figure mark would readjust all of our expectations for the vehicle when an X5 cost 53,700 euros in France and an X6 costs 70,900 euros. Other outlets predict US pricing to start from around $60,000; the X5 costs $53,900 here, the X6 is $59,600.

BMW M235i Racing restores our faith in 'M'

Based on the upcoming BMW 2 Series and aimed at amateur and semi-professional racers, the 2014 BMW M235i Racing is a stripped-down, race-spec coupe ready to take on the Nürburgring in the VLN Endurance Championship race series against cars from Audi, Porsche and Toyota.
Obvious in the image above (click to enlarge), BMW has given the M235i Racing the wide-body treatment with a track that has been stretched by 3.5 inches. Under the hood, the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder receives a power boost from a stock 322 horsepower up slightly to 333 hp, while other modifications include a full FIA roll cage, a racing fuel tank and a limited slip rear differential.
The M235i Racing replaces the M3 GT4 as BMW's factory racer, and it will be priced at 59,500 euros (close to $80,000), which is about as affordable as a factory-prepped racecar can get. The full press release is posted below, but we can't wait to see this car in action next year.

The List: Best of proving grounds

Proving grounds are where automakers and enthusiasts alike go to push their vehicles to their mechanical limits. The Rubicon Trail, located in the Sierra Nevada, is the ultimate off-road test, while Germany's Nurburgring is a grueling 13 mile road and track course. Jessi and Patrick visit both iconic proving grounds in this "best of" compilation of The List. If you like what you see, stay tuned to watch the full episodes, or click here to go directly to our episode archive and pick out some of your own favorite moments of The List to revisit. The List #0004: Conquer the Rubicon Trail The List #0073: Drive the Nurburgring Have an RSS feed? Click here to add The List. Click here to subscribe to The List in iTunes. Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick. BMW Jeep Off-Road Vehicles Racing Vehicles The List Videos Original Video