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BMW celebrates 30 years of M5 with 600-hp super sedan

It's been 30 years since BMW rolled out the first M5, and while displacement and cylinder count may have fluctuated over those past three decades, output has only increased. The first-generation E28 M5 packed a 3.5-liter inline-six with 252 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. The second-gen E34 model that followed added an extra 100 cc (and later 200 more) to produce 310 hp and 266 lb-ft. The E39 followed with a 4.9-liter V8 churning out 394 hp and 369 lb-ft, replaced by the award-winning 5.0-liter V10 in the E60 with its 500 hp and 380 lb-ft before BMW rolled out the latest model with a 4.4-liter V8, its twin turbos making up for the two dropped cylinders and 600 cc of displacement to produce 560 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque. But even that's being left in the dust by the new special edition you see here.
The 30th Anniversary Edition BMW M5 packs that same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but cranks the output up to a nice, round 600 horsepower and a solid 516 lb-ft of torque to go with it. That makes it more powerful, not only than any M5 that's come before it, but also any of its rivals. The Jaguar XFR-S and Audi RS6 Avant (the latter only available as a wagon and not in North America) both lag behind this ultimate of Ultimate Driving Machines; only the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG trumps it on torque (but not on power), with 531 lb-ft in stock form and 590 in the S-Model.
As a result, the 0-60 time drops from a quoted 4.2 seconds in the stock M5 to a scant 3.7 in the 30th Anniversary edition (just one tick behind that twistier E63 S). The special M5 also comes with the Competition Package as standard, as well as a dedicated control module for the Active M Differential, a special Frozen Dark Silver matte finish, 20-inch alloys and black chrome badges. Special badges abound inside as well, where you'll also find black leather and Alcantara upholstery and aluminum trim. There'll even be a dedicated one-day course offered to owners at The Thermal Club in Palm Springs, CA, to further sweeten the deal.

2015 BMW M4 Convertible will give the best bad hair days

BMW officially unveiled the 2015 M4 Convertible at the Javits Center in New York this morning. The droptop, which will slot in next to the M4 Coupe in BMW's performance line, offers infinitely more headroom, fresh air and sunshine for those that want a little more great outdoors and tousled hair with their M experience.
Visually, the M4 convertible is similar to the coupe, and carries on the hardtop's athletic stance with a long wheelbase, short front overhang, aerodynamic mirrors and in the case of this showcar, optional yellow-painted brake calipers. The car's expressive, angry face is perhaps the most notable aspect of its styling, screaming "get the hell out of my way!" with its signature twin-bar kidney grille, trio of air intakes and squinty LED headlights. Inside, the convertible employs three-temperature neck warmers (for chilly top-down days), an absurd amount of "M" logos and a wealth of luxury and technology features.
The rear-wheel-drive convertible uses the same engine as the coupe: a high-revving, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six producing 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed M dual-clutch transmission. BMW says the car can make a 0-60 sprint in just 4.4 seconds when equipped with the manual.

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault e.dams wins Formula E Marrakesh ePrix, S. Korean Tesla store opens this month

Renault e.dams has won the 2016 Formula E Marrakesh ePrix. The win at the season's second round gives the team a strong lead with 74 points. ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport and Mahindra Racing are tied in second place with 36 points. Renault e.dams driver Sebastien Buemi took first place in the race, with teammate Nico Prost finishing fourth. "We know we have an efficient car and we had to take advantage of that after we started further back on the grid than we wanted," says Buemi. "I was able to extract everything I needed from the car and it shows the team is working really well, so it's been a very positive start to the season." Read more at Green Car Congress, or from Renault. Navigant Research has ranked the EV charging companies. Of the 12 companies providing public charging networks and services, Navigant has named The New Motion, ChargePoint, and EV-Box as "leaders" in the field based on market share, breadth of products, and market adaptability. Following that group of three are a group of "contenders," including Chargemaster, Fortum, Innology SE, Greenlots, Clever A/S, EVgo, POD Point, and SemaConnect. Trailing those is Car Charging Group in the "challengers" category. Read more at Green Car Congress. BMW has entered the second phase of its ChargeForward program to study advanced EV charging. In partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company, BMW is inviting i3 and i8 owners in the San Francisco Bay Area to apply to participate in the second phase of the smart charging project, which aims to test technology that optimizes charging for the benefit of the electric grid. "By managing charging when a BMW i or iPerformance vehicle is plugged in – wherever the vehicle is plugged in – BMW can ensure that vehicles are efficiently charged to meet driver's communicated mobility needs while helping the grid reach greater levels of efficiency and sustainability," says BMW's Manager of Connected eMobility, Cliff Fietzek. Read more from BMW. Tesla will open its first Korean retail location this month. On November 29, Tesla plans to open a store in Starfield Hanam, South Korea's largest mall, in Gyeonggi Province. Tesla has also finished ground construction of a Supercharger station in the mall's parking area. Tesla is working to open another store in Seoul's Gangnam District, as well as charging stations around the country. Read more from The Country Caller.