2022 Bmw X4 M Competition on 2040-cars

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BMW says yes to 1 Series M successor, no to M6 Gran Coupe with xDrive

If you're anything like us, the first half of that headline made you smile. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe was, without a doubt, one of our favorite cars from the past few years, and according to a BMW Blog interview, Dr. Friedrich Nitschke, head of the company's M division, has confirmed that a successor is in the works.
"We haven't made a decision yet, but the 1M coupe was so successful, that in my opinion, I am absolutely sure we will build a successor," Nitschke told BMW Blog. Currently, BMW only offers the M135i version of the new 1 Series hatch in Europe, which Nitschke says is "not a pure M car."
Moving elsewhere in the M range, BMW Blog asked about the M6 Gran Coupe that recently debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show. The obvious competitors for this car will be higher-power versions of the Porsche Panamera and Audi RS7, but while both of those offer all-wheel drive, the M6 only sends power to its rear wheels.

BMW expands Takata airbag recall nationwide, 140k 3 Series affected

Following the urging of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW has expanded its recall of vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators to cover the entirety of the United States, rather than just high-humidity areas. That means there are about 140,000 owners of 2004 to 2006 model year BMW 3 Series coupes, convertibles, sedans and wagons (that means owners of both E46 and E90 3ers should take note). It's unclear if this recall includes the high-performance M3 Coupe and Convertible. With the expansion of its airbag recall, BMW joins Honda, Mazda, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in moving from a regional to a nationwide recall of vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. According to Reuters, BMW claims none of its vehicles have been subject to the potentially harmful airbag deployments.

Next-gen BMW M5 spied on Munich roads

BMW is still hard at work developing the next-gen M5 around the company's home base in Munich. Unfortunately, the Bavarians are keeping the super sedan plastered with camouflage, which makes picking out the details rather difficult. There are some tiny tweaks from the previous spy shots, though. Obviously, these are still early development vehicles, so it's hard to know whether these changes are in any way meaningful. Up front, this M5 still has an air intake stretching all the way across the lower portion of the bumper. The earlier shots showed this piece with a uniform width, but the designers added a little flair this time by lifting the center portion slightly for a more attractive look. Comparing the two examples in profile, the suspension has seemingly been lowered on the latest one to tuck the tires closer to the fender lips. Most parts have carried over, though, including the massive, cross-drilled brake rotors and quad exhaust tips poking out from the rear. The next M5 should have no problem backing up its mean looks, though. All indications, including earlier spy shots, suggest that the high-performance sedan will gain all-wheel drive, at least as an option, and power will be around 600 horsepower. While about the same as the current 30th anniversary edition, the future 5 Series will reportedly follow the lead of the latest 7 Series by going on a big diet thanks in part from a new, lighter platform.