BMW M5 vs Tesla Model S and BMW M3 vs Tesla Model 3 Performance

This is a bit of an interesting test from Business Insider, whose Mathew DeBord recently conducted two comparison tests between BMW and Tesla. We’ve seen a lot of M3/Model 3 Performance comparisons as of late, with the results being a bit mixed and/or controversial. However, we haven’t really seen any BMW M5/Model S comparisons. This one has both.

In this new article from BI, the all-new F90 BMW M5 takes on both the Tesla Model S P90D and P100D, for good measure. While the Model S is a bit old now, its P100D is still the fastest accelerating sedan to 60 mph in history, doing the deed in about 2.3 seconds. That’s enough to require a Hicks Maneuver from its driver. The BMW M5 is all-new and not too shabby itself, doing the same sprint in 2.8 seconds.

Both of which are also all-wheel drive, while the BMW M5 can switch off and become rear-wheel drive at the push of a button. I guess some software would be able to do the same for Tesla but, as far as I know, there’s no such capability in the Model S.

The Tesla Model S is faster, in either spec, but it’s the M5 that’s more fun and more exciting. It’s also the much sharper car to drive and far better through some twisty bends. All while not sacrificing much in the way of comfort.

As for the second test, the Tesla Model 3 Performance is the newcomer while the BMW M3 is the old dog. The M3P (Model 3 Performance) is a dual-motor EV just like the Model S P100D, making it all-wheel drive and very fast. Claimed 0-60 mph time is 3.5 seconds, which is seriously quick in its segment.

The BMW M3 is a bit different, as it uses a turbocharged I6 engine and is only rear-wheel drive. So 0-60 mph takes about four seconds flat with its dual-clutch transmission. Much like the M5/Model S comparison, the BMW is the more raucous of the two cars. Though, it isn’t as charming in its hooliganism as the M5 is.

We won’t spoil the winners of the tests because they’re quite interesting and you should read the article for yourself. However, we can say that, when you put fuel economy and green image aside and just focus on driving dynamics, the cars are closer than they might seem. Regardless of your viewpoint.

[Source: Business Insider]

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VIDEO: Evolve tests CSF Intercooler on BMW M2 GTS

A while back, Evolve Automotive made a BMW M2 GTS of sorts, by fitting an M2 with some of the aerodynamic bits from an M4 GTS and bumping up its power. There’s one little problem with bumping up its power and that’s heat. BMW M2s are already known to get a bit of heat soak when running hard and part of the reason for that is that they seem to run the same intercooler as a more standard 2 Series. So Evolve decided to give their BMW M2 GTS project car a new one.

In this new video from Evolve, we get to see the new CSF intercooler get installed and then the car get put on the dyno. The entire point of the new intercooler is to keep temperatures down, so as to give the car more power while also maintaining power throughout its rev range. Where the standard car’s intercooler would allow the engine to get hot and lose a bit of power, the new CSF one does not. It’s much larger and more efficient than the stock BMW one.

After running the BMW M2 GTS on the dyno with both intercoolers, we get to see the graphs and the difference between the two. While not vast, there’s certainly a difference between the CSF one and the standard one. The former helps the engine stay cooler and thus allows it to create more horsepower throughout its rev range. Depending on the gear and rpm, it made anywhere from ten to twenty horses more than with the stock intercooler.

So if you have a BMW M2 and you’re going to tune it, or even leave it stock, it’s worth investing in a new intercooler. It will give it more power while also letting it run cooler and gain some extra longevity.

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SPIED: BMW i4 caught testing again in snow

Just today, Volvo announced the new Polestar 2, a Swedish rival to both the Tesla Model 3 and the upcoming BMW i4. Ironically, some new spy photos have released of the latter doing some camouflaged testing in the snow (We don’t own them but see them here). So let’s take a look and see what we can find out.

While the Polestar 2 looked cool and interesting, this BMW i4 looks quite sleek and pretty. To be honest, it doesn’t look all that different from a BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and that likely won’t change much by the time the design is finalized and not wearing camouflage. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Several car companies are making their electric cars look like normal cars, most notably the Audi e-tron and Chevy Bolt. It’s a strategy that seems set on luring traditional car buyers over to electric vehicles. Making EVs seem normal makes the transition easier, I suppose. So seeing this new BMW i4 driving around looking like a 4 Series Gran Coupe without exhaust pipes isn’t too surprising.

BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept

It looks good, though, with a low, sporty stance and a sleek roofline. While there’s little detail to make out, it seems as if its front end looks similar to the one seen on the next-gen 4 Series we spied a little while back. So it will likely have the same design language as the new 4 Series, just with some EV flair.

No specifics have been given on the BMW i4 and what sort of electric motors/batteries it will have when it finally comes to production. That said, BMW claims that it will have two electric motors — one at each axle — and class-leading 0-60 mph times, whatever that means. It’s also said to have up to 435 miles of total electric range.

We’ll have to wait a long time to see it, though, as it’s not slated to hit the road until 2021. Sure, that’s only three years from now but it better pack over 400 miles of range in that time because the rest of the industry is heating up and BMW will need to really deliver with the i4 to not get left behind.

[Source: Car Scoops]

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Video: School in BMW M Town Looks Incredibly Awesome

School for most people was either a great experience or a dreadful one. Depending on how you got along with your colleagues, your experience might vary by quite a lot. However, I have a hunch that if every kid went to school in BMW M Town, there would be a considerably larger amount of petrolheads out there and maybe the manual gearbox would still be alive on certain models. But before I digress, let’s see what the latest video shot in M Town is all about.

As you probably already know, things are a bit different in M Town. People are usually all petrolheads and they love spending time in their cars, mostly either drifting or driving fast. We’ve seen how they like to pick-up their coffee and things are looking absolutely fabulous by my standards. I mean what’s better than to go do some donuts in the morning while you grab a cup of coffee, without anyone giving you a nasty look?

In this latest episode, we get a glimpse of how a school would function and look like in BMW M Town. Our protagonist arrives at said school in a beautiful BMW M5 Competition dressed up Macadamia Metallic paint to pick up his son from the principal’s office. On the way he notices a couple of things. From the history class, where kids learn all about the first BMW M3 and how it came to be, to the arts and crafts section where they get to design their own cars and play with clay.

In the end, having arrived at the principal’s office, our good man learns about the hiccups his son has gone through as he apparently doesn’t know how to write or something along those lines. That’s when it immediately hit me: the reason why the poor kid can’t seem to get his lines straight. You’ll soon find out as well. Check out the video posted below.

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Video: Hoovie Gives Us an Update on His Cheap BMW E60 M5

We all love the BMW E60 M5 and its screaming S85 engine. Some would venture as far off as to say that’s the best engine the M division ever made but then again, those statements would only be true if we were talking about a brand new unit. Other than that, if you’re just a regular owner who actually likes to drive his M5 you might have an issue with the 5-liter V10, which is not necessarily known for its reliability.

Hoovie bought one a while back and, in his typical fashion, he went for the cheapest he could find, sold by a Honda dealer for just $6,500. To me, that price tag was just a simple sign that fixing that thing would probably cost at least as much as the purchase price. Nevertheless, even with such a predicament looming, Hoovie would still be spending around $13,000 which would be what you’d expect to spend on a car with similar numbers on the odometer and in a similar state.

The first thing to fix was the transmission, which is known to be faulty of M cars of that age. The SMG gearbox was a bit troublesome back in the day and, luckily for him, he found a complete unit for just $2,700, thus replacing everything in the process. While that should’ve taken care of most issues, it looks like now, the car’s dashboard lights up like a Christmas Tree every time he goes over 4,500 RPM.

That’s indeed a big issue because you just can’t drive an E60 M5 below 4,500 RPM all the time. It defeats the purpose. It’s basically torture when you know the S85 engine can rev up to an astounding 8,250 RPM. According to his buddy, there might be an issue with the crankshaft sensor and I believe it. As a BMW owner myself, I had to replace that damn thing a couple of times already, as it just seems to fail after a while. When it’s completely gone, your car will simply not start so I guess his M5 is not there yet. One thing’s for sure, I can’t wait to see how this car shapes up and how much it will end up costing him.

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Polestar 2 is a Swedish BMW i4/Tesla-Fighting Android

If you haven’t heard of Polestar, you check some of our coverage on the Swedish brand here. Essentially, Polestar is the performance sub-brand of Volvo and it’s been teasing electric performance cars for the past year or so. Its most recent EV is the Polestar 2, an all-electric high-performance sportback-type-thing and it’s here to take on cars like the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3.

The Polestar 2 was teased a little while back but it’s finally been revealed. Now that it’s here, we can see that it’s a bit oddly shaped, as it looks like a traditional sedan that’s been jacked up a bit and given a sort of liftback tailgate. It looks good but it’s a bit odd. Though, it’s handsome in a chunky, high-tech sort of way.

Looks aside, the main specs of the Polestar 2 are impressive. A 78kWh battery should give it around 275 miles of range, which is more than the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace and every Tesla Model 3 except for the range-topping one. As for the base model Tesla Model 3, that has only 260 miles of range but does cost a bit less than the Polestar 2’s eventual base price of $45000, starting at $42,900. However, the Swede will only come in a Launch Edition flavor for the first year of its life, which will cost $63,000.

Sending power to its wheels will be two electric motors, one at each axle, that will combine for about 402 hp (300 kW). According to Polestar, it will get from 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds but no specifics were given. Don’t let its EV nature and pedestrian specs fool you, though, the Polestar 2 is designed to be a proper weapon. As-standard Öhlins dampers and Brembo brakes, along with a performance-minded chassis, should make the Swede very fun to drive.

Even more interesting is the fact that the Polestar 2 is the first vehicle to be equipped with Google’s automotive Android system. So its entire infotainment system runs on this new Android setup and it looks really slick and easy to use. We’re very curious to see how that works because Volvo is only one of several brands that have signed on with Google to use this new system, Audi being one of them.

This new Polestar 2 is a very interesting car. It comes from a very new brand but seems like a cohesive, well thought out EV package that packs performance, handling and impressive range. We’re still in the dark about most of the BMW i4’s details except for the fact that it will be a four-door liftback like the 4 Series Gran Coupe, so we can’t compare the two. But there’s no question that this new Swede will be a formidable competitor in the segment. We’ll see it officially at the Geneva Motor Show.

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