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BMW CS reinterpretation proves retro can be sexy [w/video]

Designer David Obendorfer doesn't work for BMW, but perhaps the German automaker should give him a call. His CS Vintage Concept shows a singular ability to understand the brand's classic style and reinterpret it for today. He isn't some amateur, either. Obendorfer has an industrial design degree and has been penning the interiors and exteriors of yachts from the Officina Italiana Design for five years, which counts luxury shipbuilders like Riva and Sanlorenzo among its clients. His website shows a real passion and knack for modernizing '60s and '70s European cars, too.
Obendorfer prefers to reimagine classic automotive styles. "Retro cars are not copies of their predecessors or renovated specimens, rather they are carefully studied reconsiderations, strongly rooted in contemporary style," he tells Autoblog. For the CS Vintage Concept, he worked to update the looks of the seminal BMW 2000CS and its E9 chassis while placing them on a modern platform. Obendorfer's inspiration comes from his belief that the later CS models' design is partially responsible for defining BMW styling, with its shark-nose front and four round headlights.
The CS Vintage Concept's shape starts with a jutting hood and a quartet of LED headlights, but the whole design really comes together in profile. The Hofmeister Kink at the rear pillar with the BMW Roundel is a nice nod to the originals, yet the proportions still find the perfect fusion of classic and modern. The interior is minimalist, with a vast expanse of wood for the dashboard at first glance, but the latter opens to expose the car's infotainment system.

BMW M5 turns 30, celebrates sideways

BMW has a secret, and it's not telling. The brand's M Power blog is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the M5 and is taking a look back at previous models of its Autobahn-storming sedan, but it says that it will end "with a surprise." The celebration kicks off with a short video showing the latest M5 making some smoky donuts.
The original M5 debuted in 1985 and was the company's most expensive model at the time. Still, it packed a 3.5-liter six-cylinder generating a claimed 282 horsepower (286 PS), which was rather potent in its day. The company touted it as the world's fastest production four-door sports sedan at the time.
BMW won't reveal the surprise until it has chronicled all five generations of the M5, but it wouldn't be shocking to see an anniversary edition model appear sometime later this year. Scroll down to check out the video of the muscle sedan celebrating its birthday the only way it knows how.

BMW X1 testing is underway

It was just a few weeks ago that we got our first glimpse of the next-generation BMW X1, riding around on a flatbed. Now, we have the first batch of images of the small crossover moving under its own steam.
Like the previous round of photos, BMW's psychedelic camouflage is on hand to obscure sheetmetal details, but our intrepid spies still managed to discover a bit about the new X1. It's internal code-name will be F48, and it will sit on the same platform as the next-generation Mini and the BMW 1 Series GT. And for those keeping track at home, those are both front-drive platforms.
The reasoning for the X1's new layout, though, is understandable. Front-wheel drive is more space efficient and affordable, which are kind of big deals to customers. The next X1 won't be limited to its front wheels, though, as BMW's xDrive system is almost a certainty on higher-end trims.