2006 Bmw X5 4.4 White On Brwn Lthr Fully Loaded Navi Panorama Roof Sport Pkg on 2040-cars

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BMW names new head of M division

BMW's performance division has been run by Dr. Friedrich Nitschke since 2011, developing, among other products, the new M3 and M4. But soon the good doctor will be retiring, and BMW has just named his successor.
Taking Nitschke's place as chairman of BMW M GmbH will be Franciscus van Meel (pictured at right), who until recently served as managing director of Audi Quattro GmbH - the rival outfit that makes Ingolstadt's performance models, including the R8 supercar and RS line of performance models.
Van Meel will join BMW on October 1, presumably to learn the ropes from Nitschke before the 59-year-old executive steps down at the end of the year. Back in January, Audi named Heinz Peter Hollwerweger as head of Quattro GmbH and reassigned van Meel to its Beijing R&D center, a role which evidently didn't suit him as well as creating Autobahn-storming German muscle cars.

BMW recalling nearly 570,000 1 Series, 3 Series and Z4 models over electrical issue

BMW is recalling roughly 570,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada due to faulty battery cable connectors that can fail, causing the engines in these cars to stall. Of the nearly 570,000 affected vehicles, just over 504,000 are here in the US.
The affected vehicles include 1 Series coupes and convertibles (both 128i and 135i) from the 2008 to 2011 model years; 3 Series sedans, coupes, convertibles and sport wagons (both 328i and 335i) from the 2007 to 2011 model years; and Z4 roadsters from the 2009 to 2011 model years.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "the connector for the positive battery cable connector and the corresponding terminal on the fuse box may degrade over time," which can eventually lead to a break in the electrical connection and a loss of power in the vehicle. If the car loses power, the engine can stall, which could possibly lead to a crash. The Detroit News reports that BMW knows of one minor collision in Canada as a result of this problem, but no injuries.

BMW X5 driver repeatedly fails to understand big rig braking distances

Nobody should be shocked that a big, heavy vehicle like a semi truck takes a longer distance to stop than the average passenger car; it's just basic physics. However, this BMW X5 driver seemingly has a major problem grasping the concept, and it results in some serious damage to the back of his SUV.
The whole incident is very confusing to watch. The BMW doesn't even seem to have a reason to slow down before the semi slams into the back of it at fairly high speed. But to make the situation even weirder, the crashes just keep happening again and again.
To give the BMW driver a little credit, he appears amazingly calm when surveying the damage afterward. But you have to wonder what this guy was thinking when trying a harebrained move like this. Check out the video to watch the carnage unfold.