Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante to take on BMW M8 Convertible

We’ve already seen the BMW M8 Coupe in person, completely un-camouflaged. Unfortunately, we can’t share with you how it looks but we an say that it looks great. Even more exciting than that is the prospect of a Convertible version, so you can drop the top and listen to that V8 song even more. When the BMW M8 Convertible eventually makes its debut, it’s going to be one of the best looking, most high-performance convertibles on the market. It won’t be alone, though, as the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante is now here to take it on.

In terms of looks, the BMW M8 might look great but it certainly won’t be as pretty as the DBS. That will remain true with the convertible versions, as the DBS Superleggera Volante is simply beautiful. It’s tough and athletic looking, while also managing to be beautiful and graceful. Like Brie Larson at any Marvel premiere.

While the M8 looks great, it’s much more of a tough and angry looking car than the DBS, which is prettier. While we have no doubt the Convertible version will look awesome, we’d be genuinely shocked if we preferred its look over the jaw-dropping Aston.

On paper, the Aston should take the win as well. With a 715 hp 5.2 liter twin-turbocharged V12, the drop-top Superleggera is a monster. All of that twelve-cylinder fury is sent to just its rear-wheels via an eight-speed auto ‘box. However, Aston Martin quotes 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, which is the same time it takes the BMW M850i Convertible, which makes do with just 523 hp. Also, after watching a recent episode of The Grand Tour, we learned that the M850i Coupe can hang with the DBS Superleggera Coupe and even beat it in wet conditions.

The BMW M8 Convertible will only make a bit over 600 hp, which might seem peasant-level compared to the Aston. But it will be all-wheel drive and we’ve seen how strong Bavarian horses seem to be. So while we fully expect the Aston to be quicker than claimed, we also expect the M8 to be just as quick and for about half the price.

While these two cars aren’t really going to be cross-shopped, as customers that can afford the Aston likely won’t go for a BMW, it’s interesting that the BMW M8 Convertible will have a genuine shot at taking the Aston Martin down, head-to-head.

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Video: M2 Competition Second in Motor Magazine’s Performance Car of the Year

The praise for the excellent work BMW did on the M2 Competition just doesn’t seem to stop. This has been going on ever since the car was launched and it also happened for the original M2, to be fair. Both cars have been praised for roughly similar reasons. They impress the most when it comes to the thrills you get behind the wheel, being offered in a compact and extremely fun package. The guys from Motor Magazine, over in Australia, almost named the M2 Competition the best performance car of 2019 in their annual rankings.

The magazine subjected 11 cars to the test on and off the track and came up with a list that includes two BMWs and one of them on the second overall position. The BMW M2 Competition was regarded as the best by three judges, one judge placed it on the second place while one judge considered it was fit only for fifth place. The average meant the M2 couldn’t claim the number one spot, finishing second.

All the cars were put to the test on the track and thus we have lap times for all of them. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS was the fastest at 1:24.0 followed by the Mercedes-AMG GT C with 1:27.3, Audi R8 RWS at 1:28.5, BMW M5 Competition 1:30.8 and BMW M2 Competition 1:31.0. The other cars included in the comparison were the Chevrolet Camaro 2SS, Audi RS4 Avant, Ford Mustang GT, Alpine 110, Renault Megane RS280 and Hyundai i30 N.

The winner, as you probably expected from the moment you read its lap time, was the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. It managed to impress the judges more than the BMW M2 Competition and the BMW M5 Competition, that came in third. Even so, the fact that BMW is the only car maker with two nominees in this year’s list shows just how good M cars still are today.

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BMW i3 Spirit to Live on Through Other Vehicles

The BMW i3 is turning 6 this year and that’s getting close to the usual 7-year production cycle of BMWs and other cars in the industry these days. The thing is, BMW never officially confirmed what the future holds for its first and, so far, only pure electric vehicle. Various officials have, however, hinted at a prolonged production cycle for the i3 and we think it may actually work on the EV, as it was rather unconventional from the get go.

Even though it was launched so long ago (six years are an eternity in the automotive realm) the i3 is still offering amazing tech. It is the cheapest car you can buy today with a carbon fiber chassis and it is almost completely recyclable, not to mention made with renewable energy sources. Therefore, we could easily see it in production for a couple more years, especially since it got some serious upgrades so far.

Speaking about it to the people over at Autocar, BMW product management boss Peter Henrich said the i3’s spirit will live on on a variety of cars in the future, even if it is pulled out of production. “Do we need one specific successor to bring the i3’s spirit and technology into multiple other vehicles?” Henrich said. “That is what we will be thinking about.” And that’s definitely easier to do than create a successor for the i3.

After all, the technology from the i3 is already helping develop new cars. The electric motor and the batteries have been improved thanks to research done on i3 models already on public roads. Furthermore, the materials used inside the car and the whole philosophy behind it can easily be infused in cars like the i4 and iNext and I think they will feel familiar to some extent to those driving them, all due to the i3.

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Motor Trend: BMW X7 40i 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds

Motor Trend got their hands on the new BMW X7 40i for an extended test drive which also included their usual instrumented tests. According to the US magazine, the large and quite heavy SUV (5,300 lbs) managed to run from 0-60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, “that’s 0.4-0.5 seconds quicker than the 2017 Mercedes GLS 450 and GLS 550 SUVs we’ve tested (the new 2020 GLS gets updated engines) and much quicker than other eight-cylinder competitors including the 2018 Infiniti QX80 (6.3 seconds) and 2018 Lexus LX 570 (7.0 seconds).”

Furthermore, they also compared the X7 40i to the 2018 Lincoln Navigator and the 2015 Escalade, both reaching 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. You can see our BMW X7 review here as well.

The BMW X7 xDrive40i uses the new B58 inline-six engine delivering 335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. At the time of its launch, BMW said that the X7 40i will get you from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, so clearly those numbers were conservative.

Here is an excerpt from my previous review:

“My first impression was that the power output is borderline with what’s acceptable in a car of this size, since the 5,000 lbs heft can be felt more than in the 50i model. The X7 40i takes a bit longer to launch, but as soon as higher torque (max torque from 1500rpm) kicks in, the drive becomes more spirited. It’s essentially the same B58 engine characteristics from other models, so it has a great sound, lineal power delivery across the band and pulls hard when you floor it at higher speeds.”

Another test ran by Motor Trend was the standard quarter mile – 14.1 sec at 97.4 mph for the X7 40i. Even more impressive from our point of view is the stopping distance – from 60 to 0 mph in 105 ft. The X7 uses an updated xDrive system with the torque being split based on the driving conditions, speed and mode selected. If you’re into hauling a small boat with you, then you can also take advantage of the X7’s towing capacity of 7,500 pounds.

While the X7 was not built for speed, but rather for comfort, it’s still refreshing to see that BMW engineers have worked hard to ensure this large SUV is still part of the “Ultimate Driving Machine” family.

 

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We take the New BMW X5 for a photoshoot in Romania

2020 BMW G80 M3 Sedan spotted near the ‘Ring

With just a few months before its unveil, the 2020 BMW G80 M3 is going through the final testing stages. And since no testing can be completed without intensive runs at the Nurburgring, a heavily camouflage G80 M3 prototype was spotted there earlier this week.

The new M3 is hardly a mystery, we’ve seen several reports from us and others talking about the new powertrain and power options, and more recently, we’ve even seen parts of its rear end.

Just like the leaked images, the spy photos seen here show the rear wheel arches being flared out, similar to those found on the current F80 BMW M3, though not quite as extreme. Still, it will have a wider wheeltrack than the standard M3 and will get some blistered out arches to accommodate it.

The test mule features the M-style mirrors, along sports quad exhausts, and a rear spoiler.

Under the hood, this M3 will pack the brand’s new S58 engine, making about 470 hp with a Competition model making over 500 hp. That will make this the first M3/M4 to produce over 500 hp from the factory. Even the hardcore M4 GTS only made 492 hp.

This will also be the first BMW M3 to offer all-wheel drive and it will also be the first M3 to offer two different drivetrains. There will be a rear-wheel drive model and an all-wheel drive version of the standard M3 (Competition will only be all-wheel drive).

[Source: IG @wilcoblok]

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Photo Gallery: Rolls-Royce Phantom Gets Wald Treatment

The guys from Wald International have a long lasting relationship with cars made by Rolls-Royce. The Japanese tuner has been modifying anything from the Dawn to the Wraith and especially the Phantom. The time has come for the latest Phantom model to receive some TLC from Wald and things look … interesting. It’s pretty obvious from the get go that a tuned Rolls-Royce is not to everyone’s liking but some might find it interesting nonetheless.

For the eight generation Phantom, the kit a bit more conservative than what we’ve grown used to seeing from Wald. Up front the car’s fascia gets a new bumper and an integrated spoiler along with larger air intakes. There’s some chrome thrown in there for good measure as it looks like this material is widely associated with luxury in a lot of places around the world. The same material is used on the sides of the car just under the side skirts.

Round the back you’ll notice a new bumper altogether with a modified lower fascia made out of mesh. There’s not much more happening back there but you’ll notice some other changes as well if you check out the entire package. For one, the wheels are now I13-Fs from Wald, measuring no less than 24-inches in diameter. The matte black finish is also from Wald International, the car originally being finished in a different hue.

Nonetheless, you should know that Rolls-Royce can paint your car in any given color you can imagine, including matte/frozen finishes. Tinted windows, smoked headlights and even a blacked-out Spirit of Ecstasy complete the stealthy look of this Phantom that is sure to attract a lot of curious looks when driving down the street. There’s no mention of anything being changed under the hood or inside the cabin, so we’ll assume this is just an exterior kit.

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