2001 Bmw Z8 Red With Red/black 2 Tone Only 6200 Miles on 2040-cars

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134K BMW 5 Series recalled for taillight issue

BMW is voluntarily recalling 134,100 cars due to a faulty ground terminal in the taillight bulb carriers, causing the sudden failure of brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights. The recall covers 2008 through 2010 5 Series models produced between March 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009, and includes everything from the 528i to the mighty, V10-powered M5. It's unclear if this recall is limited to sedans or extends to the 5-Series Touring.
There have been no reported cases of injuries, fatalities or crashes associated with the taillight issue. BMW will be issuing recall notices to affected owners in the coming weeks, asking them to report to dealers so that the bulb carriers on the taillights can be replaced. All repairs are, naturally, free of charge. Scroll down for the official recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BMW to offer carbon fiber wheels in a year or two

The Citroën SM sat on the first set of production glass fiber and resin wheels in 1972 when parent company Michelin developed the exotic hoops in order to take the SM rallying. It wasn't until 2008 that we got the first all-carbon-fiber wheel for passenger cars in the form of a prototype model from Weds Sports in Japan that remained a prototype. Australian company Carbon Revolution followed that a year later with its CR-9 all-CF wheel, first introduced on the Shelby Ultimate Aero and now available for independent purchase for about $15,000 per set. BMW could be the first OEM to offer entire wheels in carbon fiber reinforced plastic in two years.
The wheels - either all-CFRP or using a CFRP rim and alloy spokes - were shown off during BMW's Innovation Days in Munich and are products of the development work done on its i-branded cars. The full-CFRP wheel is 35-percent lighter than a forged alloy wheel, the hybrid alloy and CFRP wheel is 25-percent lighter, making for a decent drop in unsprung rotating weight. As demonstrators during a tech day the wheels aren't yet in the pipeline for production and EU approval, but an article in Auto Express claims that they could be on the market as soon as two years from now.
Other possible parts include a full carbon fiber steering wheel and propeller shaft, the latter of which is coming as a single-piece component on the new M3 and M4. BMW is also talking up its use of secondary carbon fiber - waste material from i3 and i8 production - that can be used for items like IP support structures, seat frames and spare wheels in place of traditional metals like aluminum and magnesium. There's an excerpt of the Innovation Day press release below with more details.

BMW M4 to debut in Detroit, lose manual transmission

BMW took the wraps off its M4 Concept at Pebble Beach last weekend, and many speculated that the highly anticipated production version of the sleek new two-door sports coupe would debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this year. But a well-placed source tell Autoblog that the E92 M3's successor won't arrive in Southern California this November. Instead, the German automaker will wait until the Detroit Auto Show in January for its first official reveal.
An all-new 3.0-liter inline-six with twin turbochargers is expected under the hood, and it should provide about the same horsepower as the current 4.0-liter V8 (rated at 414 horsepower), but with much more torque that arrives lower on the tachometer. The lightweight engine is said to have an impressively high redline, which is unusual for a turbocharged engine.
Unfortunately, Save the Manuals members aren't going to like this next bit of news. After four generations of three-pedal M3 models, our source says the upcoming F82 M4 will arrive with a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) as standard equipment - with no manual option - just like the latest iteration of the track-ready Porsche GT3 (few have complained about the automaker's PDK after driving the latest sports car from Stuttgart). In exchange for some moans, groans and gripes from enthusiasts, BMW's DCT mounted aft of the M4's inline-six will provide quicker acceleration and improved fuel economy.