2008 Bmw M6 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

BMW i3s traction control tech going in all BMW, Mini cars

The BMW i3s is essentially a warmed-up version of the i3 electric car we all know and love. The performance boost isn't huge — just 14 horsepower and 15 pound-feet of torque — but it also gets a new suspension, wheels and tires as well as an improved traction control system. We found the car to benefit from all the updates when we drove it for our First Drive Review, but now BMW has offered up more details on just how the traction control system of the i3s helps make it better to drive. The company says it'll expand the technology to all future BMW and Mini models as well. The i3s's system is calibrated to help it to pull away quickly from a stop, making full use of the instantaneous torque offered by the electric motor. It also improves stability when accelerating out of corners, when using regenerative braking and, of course, when the road conditions are less than ideal. The results are palpable, and with the other improvements the i3s definitely feels stronger off the line, as we found on our drive. It's also about a half-second quicker to 60 miles per hour, at 6.8 seconds. The secret is in the response time of the stability control, which BMW claims is 50 times faster than the conventional system. This is made possible by moving the control process into the powertrain itself, rather than a remote unit. This reduces the signal path and, thus, the response time of the traction control system. BMW's Head of Chassis Development, Peter Langen, said of it, "With their high levels of torque and instantaneous responses to every movement of the accelerator, electric motors already make significantly higher demands on driving stability systems than conventional power units." While engineered to make the most of the electric motor, BMW says the shorter cycles of this traction control system show promise for internal combustion vehicles as well. As such, we'll begin to see the improved technology applied across the BMW and Mini lineups going forward. Related Video:

BMW M3 and M4 leak ahead of Detroit debut

Images of the overhauled BMW M3 sedan and M4 coupe have leaked ahead of a debut at next month's Detroit Auto Show, along with option sheets and some specs.
Both wear the standard hallmarks of BMW's M division. There's a subtle power dome in the hood, along with the requisite M3/4-branded strakes on the front fenders. The front and rear fascia are more aggressive than what we've seen in the 3/4 Series M Sport package, as well. Split-five-spoke wheels mean the neither car will stand out in the family portrait and those gold calipers, meanwhile, signify what has been rumored for some time - the M3 and M4 will be getting carbon-ceramic brakes.
The cabin is home to the standard suite of M accoutrements, including a new steering wheel and more heavily bolstered seats. Special trim, including carbon fiber, will be available to further set these cars apart from the standard models.

2015 BMW X6 M First Drive [w/video]

Please forgive my bluntness, and allow me to cut to the heart of the X6-dissenter argument right at the top. Yes, BMW will sell you a 2015 BMW X5 M that is the motive twin (I assume) of the X6 M you're here to read about, that is also cheaper, roomier, and more conventional in appearance. For many of you – especially the old guard that hears the descriptor "Sports Activity Coupe" and proceeds to unlock the gun cabinet – that's all you need to hear. Because, although the fickle community that consumes and comments on internet car culture seems to be fine with typical-looking SUVs and wagons packing performance-enhancing goodies, the idea of slanting the back of one turns them right off. And yet, BMW continues to sell the things; more than 250,000 units have be delivered in the X6 series' history. As if that weren't proof of concept enough, blood-rival Mercedes-Benz has unleashed the GLE, a coupe-like crossover of its own, complete with AMG pedigree. All of this brought me to Austin, TX, home of Hill Country, The Circuit of the Americas and the 2015 X6 M launch. On both road and track I found a car that was more powerful and blithely capable than ever, while also being exactly as weird to drive as it is a concept to comprehend. Given that the X5 M exists, and offers styling that is more like normal for the SUV genre, both the lovers and the haters of the X6 M are likely to be focused on the way it looks. Here, the 2015 model isn't very much changed from the original, meaning you aren't liable to change sides on the styling debate for this refresh. The '15 model has a slightly fewer black accents on the exterior, along with revised front and rear fasciae and vented (and chromed) front fender gills. The car is almost two inches longer than the existing model, but is near enough the same size in every other direction that you'd have to study the specification sheet to know different. Inside the X6 M that I tested was a beautiful, fully optioned cabin that boasted gripping sport seats and BMW's wide, easy-to-read infotainment screen. The leather-wrapped everything and carbon-fiber trim were both well executed, and my hands rejoiced at the feeling of the thick-rimmed, serious-looking steering wheel. Veterans of the current M5 or M6 will see a lot that looks familiar here, but to my eyes that's high praise. The most impactful changes aren't visual but visceral.