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Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 2008 Suzuki XL-7
Junkyard Gem: 2008 Suzuki XL-7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jan 2024 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Janet Guthrie's full-throttle life honored by NASCAR Hall of Fame
Janet Guthrie's full-throttle life honored by NASCAR Hall of Fame originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jan 2024 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1947 Dodge Custom Club Coupe
Junkyard Gem: 1947 Dodge Custom Club Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jan 2024 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsIt’s impossible not to appreciate what BMW has done with the M3 Touring. The super wagon is not only powerful and fast but also practical, spacious, and luxurious. The G81 is the ideal all-arounder, as long as you can live with the polarizing kidney grille and can afford to pay the steep asking price. We have yet to see a build that didn’t look good, and this long-roof M3 is the chef’s kiss.
Painted in Dravit Grey, the M3 wagon features the black 826 M set of staggered wheels, measuring 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear. It’s not completely standard, as the daytime running lights now have a yellow look to echo race cars and recent special M road-going models such as the M4 CSL, M3 CS, and the ultra-rare 3.0 CSL. The expectation is that BMW might produce an M3 Touring from the factory with the yellow DRLs, as an M3 CS Touring could hit the market as early as 2025.
The interior oozes a classy ambiance with Merino leather, boasting a Tartufo finish that extends onto the bottom half of the dashboard. This G81 build goes beyond its feature-rich specification, as the exhaust system has been modified to accommodate an aftermarket midpipe, unlocking a few more decibels. The engine’s music is notably enhanced, delivering an improved soundtrack right from the moment you fire it up, even with the flaps closed.
BMW offers an alternative to the standard exhaust with its M Performance upgrade that also sounds significantly more aggressive. It makes extensive use of titanium to shave off about 7 kg (15 lbs) compared to the regular setup. However, the layout of the quad tips is a bit unusual since they’re stacked vertically and brought closer to one another near the center of the diffuser.
As the M3 Touring is essentially a wagon version of the G80, it shares compatibility with numerous aftermarket parts designed for Bavaria’s Audi RS4 Avant competitor. BMW is currently in the process of implementing changes for the G81, with a mild Life Cycle Impulse expected to arrive as early as this year. The hardcore CS variant, mentioned earlier, will be based on the LCI model and is likely to be available for about a year, starting at some point in 2025.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
As long as your bank account can handle it, BMW offers a vast array of personalization options for the M4 Coupe. This high-end build is a prime example of how someone with deep pockets can go wild with the configurator and spend a not-so-small fortune on the performance coupe. A German dealer in Wuppertal has kindly allowed us to share these images of a stunning G82 decked out with numerous upgrades.
Made famous by the limited-run M5 CS, the Frozen Deep Green matte paint from the Individual catalog looks great on the M4 Competition. Another feature this car has in common with the four-door rocket is the striking gold finish of the wheels. This is a 1000 M set from the M Performance Parts catalog, providing a striking contrast to create an even more eye-catching coupe. A subtle carbon fiber body kit rounds off the list of tweaks on the outside.
As for the cabin, whoever configured this brand-new car decided to go with a daring specification considering we’ve rarely seen green cars with the Silverstone/Black interior. Since this is a hotter Competition version, power is routed to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. You can only get the manual on the base M4. The CSL was also auto-only, much like the CS coming later in 2024.
Speaking of the CS, the hot derivative is likely to come in a special spec considering last year’s M3 CS Sedan had some extra personalization goodies over the standard model. You won’t be losing the rear seats on the M4 CS since the special edition won’t be as hardcore as the two-seater CSL. Another difference between the two will be the adoption of xDrive instead of sticking to a rear-wheel-drive layout.
But before the M4 CS sees the light of day, BMW is expected to give the regular M4 a mild Life Cycle Impulse very soon.
Source: Procar Automobile GmbH M-Stützpunkt Wuppertal
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
With emissions and sound regulations getting stricter in Europe and other parts of the world, cars sound duller as the years go by. Thankfully, the aftermarket scene is always ready to address these bottlenecks by unlocking those extra decibels you would expect from a performance car. Such is the case with Akrapovič and its titanium exhaust system for the M2 G87.
Launched last year, the beefy quad-pipe setup stars in a new promo video in which the compact M car signs its inline-six tune. Not only does it make the car sound better, but it also shaves off 7.3 kilograms (16 pounds). That makes it roughly a third lighter than the standard exhaust. In addition, it delivers an extra 5 hp and 13.5 Nm (10 lb-ft) from the twin-turbo 3.0-liter “S58” engine.
M2 owners don’t necessarily have to opt for a custom exhaust to make their cars sound meaner because BMW offers an optional M Performance exhaust. However, you might not like how it looks since it has pairs of vertically stacked tips positioned near the center of the diffuser. Akrapovič sticks to the usual placement but spruces things up with carbon fiber finishers shaped like a hexagon.
The aftermarket exhaust is compatible with M2s fitted with the gasoline particulate filter (GPF/OPF) and can be combined with other goodies from the Slovenian tuner. There’s also a large carbon fiber rear wing available, along with a high-gloss or matte diffuser made from the same lightweight material. Akrapovič offers carbon side mirror caps and its Sound Kit system allowing owners to alter the sound coming from the exhaust while inside the car.
How does it work? It’s essentially a receiver to control the actuators that open or close the valves by using a smartphone app. When you’re driving away early in the morning, using the quiet mode will make sure your neighbors won’t be bothered by the sound of the six-cylinder engine.
Source: Akrapovič / YouTube
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
While beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, we can all agree that the new BMW X2 brings a massive visual improvement over its predecessor. The F39 was more along the lines of a jacked-up hatchback, whereas the far more stylish U10 finally lives up to its Sports Activity Coupe (SAC) status. It looks particularly fetching in M Performance guise, as seen here with an all-black X2 M35i.
Photographed at a dealership in the United Kingdom, the range-topping version of the new BMW X2 is painted in Sapphire Black and has the darkened Shadowline headlights. Substantially larger than the old model, the new coupe-SUV can be fitted with 21-inch wheels, including this two-tone set contrasted by brake calipers in red as the only splash of color.
As seen in the mechanically related X1 M35i, the sleeker version has the M-specific quad exhaust system and side mirror caps that were once reserved for actual M cars. We can say the same thing about the “M” letter on the kidney grille, and there’s another one on the engine cover. With its new wave of M Lite models, it seems that BMW wants to narrow the visual gap to the real M cars.
The X2 technically fits below the X4 in BMW’s vast lineup, but there will come a time when it’ll serve as its indirect replacement. We’re hearing the X4 will be retired after this generation, although a fully electric iX4 on the CLAR platform is reportedly in the works. In the meantime, the German luxury brand is selling both, likely until late 2025, when the X4 G02 is rumored to retire.
Sharing its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with the X1 M35i and the future M135i and M235i, the X2 M35i has 296 horsepower in Europe and 312 hp in the United States and other regions with more relaxed emissions regulations. BMW sells the hot crossover exclusively with xDrive and a dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission. Regardless of country, that four-pot is good for 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque.
An adaptive M suspension is standard on these cars, but you will have to pay more for the M Compound brakes. This X2 M35i didn’t have them as the beefier setup comes with gray calipers. It uses four-piston calipers with 385-mm discs at the front axle and single-piston calipers hugging 330-mm discs at the rear. These upgraded brakes are lighter and are derived from M cars.
We’ll remind you the new BMW X2’s market launch is scheduled for March 2024.
Source: tim1king / Instagram
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com