The ALPINA B5 Bi-Turbo Touring has a top speed of 200 mph

ALPINA has launched the brand-new B5 Bi-Turbo Touring, a supercharged BMW 5 Series, which is the fastest production estate car on sale. Prior to the ALPINA B5 Biturbo Touring, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S Estate was the fastest production wagon.

While the B5 Touring has retained the basic proportions of the original BMW 5 Series Touring, subtle changes have been made to the bodywork. The car has a new front bumper, multi-spoke wheels and quad-exhaust outlets at the rear end.

ALPINA’s refinements continue inside the cabin, with Nappa leather throughout and blue ambient lights. There’s also a range of customizable trim colors and wood finishes for those looking for a more personalized cabin.

Buyers have two exterior colors to choose from, ALPINA Blue and ALPINA Green, along with the full range of paint options offered by BMW.

The ALPINA B5 Biturbo uses a revised version of the same 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8 that you’ll find in the BMW M550i. Except it gets new turbochargers, a new intake, new pistons, revised cooling and an ECU tune, among many other things, so it makes 600 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. That’s the same horsepower figure as the all-new BMW M5 but the ALPINA packs more torque. All of that power is sent through an eight-speed automatic, that’s also been revised by ALPINA, to all four wheels.

According to ALPINA, the B5 Biturbo Touring can top out at 201 mph. For comparison’s sake, the Ferrari 458 Italia topped out at 202 mph.

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Pretty Actions 30% Storewide Sale!

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! I am finishing up a new action to post here tomorrow, but until then I wanted to let you know that Pretty Actions (a sponsor of my site) has everything in their store 30% through today! The Fairyland collection looks really cool. You can read all about the specials below.

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SAVE 30% OFF THE ENTIRE STORE! USE CODE "EASTER30" FAIRYLAND Collection The FAIRYLAND Collection includes Fairy Wing Overlays, Fairydust Brushes and tons MORE! Add a beautiful and whimsical touch to your images with our new FAIRYLAND Overlays and Actions Collection. This collection will help you create an enchanting Fairyland portrait complete with fairy wings, sparkling fairy dust, sun rays and so much more using this beautiful new collection from Pretty Photoshop Actions. Calling all child, senior and portrait photographers - prepare to be charmed & captivated all at once!  When it comes to creating the perfect fairyland portrait, this collection has it ALL! ★  15 Photoshop Fairy Dust Brushes ★  12 Photoshop Fairy Wing Overlays ★  15 Photoshop Sunray Overlays ★  5 Photoshop Sunglow Overlays ★  10 BONUS Photoshop Firefly Overlays ★  Fairy Light Brush Action ★  Fairydust Applicator Action ★  Fairydust Add-On Actions ★  Sunray Applicator Action ★  Fairy Wing Applicator Action ★  Firefly Applicator Action ★  Compatible and fully optimized for Photoshop CS3-CS6, Creative Cloud, and PSE 11-18 Full details on the FAIRLYLAND Collection HERE SHOP THE FAIRYLAND COLLECTION  LUXE Newborn Collection Enhance your beautiful newborn images with the LUXE NEWBORN Complete Workflow Collection for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements! This beautiful collection includes EVERYTHING you need for newborn editing including tools to remedy those super challenging newborn sessions.  Use the 60 essential workflow tools to effortlessly retouch, color correct, and quickly create precious "baby fresh" newborn images your clients will adore! ★  9 Fresh Starter Actions ★  5 Blanket Brushes ★  12 Skin Brushes ★  4 Bonus Brushes ★  11 Soothing Enhancers ★  8 Matte Pastel Enhancers ★  4 B&W Actions ★  3 Workflow Actions ★  4 Finishing Actions ★  Compatible and fully optimized for Photoshop CS3-CS6, Creative Cloud, and PSE 11-18 Full details on the LUXE Newborn Collection HERE SHOP THE LUXE NEWBORN COLLECTION FOG & RAIN Collection Add ethereal dreaminess to your images with our Fog & Rain Overlays and Actions Collection.  Instantly transform an ordinary image into a mysterious atmospheric scene using photoshop overlays created from REAL smoke images for the most authentic effect! Create mood and drama using natural fog and smoke overlays in a wide variety of styles: choppy, organic, puffy and wispy options.  Enhance the sense of mystery and depth with one of the included rain overlays.  With over 100 different weather elements, we've got you covered! ★  23 Choppy Fog & Smoke Overlays ★  22 Organic Fog & Smoke Overlays ★  27 Puffy Fog & Smoke Overlays ★  14 Wispy Fog & Smoke Overlays ★  15 Rain Overlays ★  5 BONUS Lightning Overlays ★  Fog Applicator includes add-on actions to help you create the perfect look! ★  Rain Applicator ★  BONUS Lightning Applicator ★  Compatible and fully optimized for Photoshop CS3-CS6, Creative Cloud, and PSE 11-18 Full details on the FOG & RAIN Collection HERE SHOP THE FOG & RAIN COLLECTION  RETOUCH & MAKEUP Collection Our Pretty Photoshop Actions Pretty Retouch & Makeup Collection is a comprehensive editing suite for all your portrait retouching needs. Our retouching actions allow you to fully customize your look. We've included soft, natural skin smoothing options, as well as, professional level retouching using frequency separation techniques. All-in-one, Color Correction and "magic" actions help you save time and dramatically speed your workflow. ★ 68 Retouching, Color Correction, and Makeup Actions ★ BONUS "Eyelash Brushes" + Applicator Action ★ Compatible with Photoshop CS3-CS6; Creative Cloud; and PSE 11-18 ★ Clean Edit Actions to help you take your image from start to finish with just this collection ★ Instruction guides and video tutorial links show you how to install and use the actions Full details on the RETOUCH & MAKEUP Collection HERE SHOP THE MAKEUP & RETOUCH COLLECTION

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Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

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WRAPsody – a Creative Car Art Competition for BMW fans

Another U.S.-based BMW dealerships is hosting an unofficial BMW Cart Art competition. In late 2017, Illinois-based Laurel BMW hosted their own wrapping contest which was later unveiled at the 2018 Chicago Auto Show. Now Winslow BMW of Colorado Springs has partnered with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to offer “WRAPsody”, a Creative Car Art Competition for car fans.

The BMW Art Car collection itself represents mobile works of art celebrating the connection between art and technology – the world’s most outstanding artists, the Ultimate Driving Machine their canvas.

Winslow BMW of Colorado Springs invites design entries for the ultimate art wrap to be highlighted on a BMW i8 Coupe and showcased as the official Pace Car of the Parade of Champions at the conclusion of the 96th Running of the Race to the Clouds.

Entries are being accepted until midnight, Tuesday, May 15.

For full competition rules and prize information, including acceptable file formats for entry submission, visit www.winslowbmw.com

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BMW hints at no future for its i3 electric car

The i3 electric car was BMW’s first foray into the world of electrified vehicles for mass production, and the quirky hatch served as a great learning platform, thanks to its unique carbon fiber construction and battery technology. By some metrics, the i3 is considered to be a successful model for the Bavarians, but there are many pundits that see the i3 as a missed opportunity to properly challenge the “cool kid of the town” – the Tesla.

The Bavarian brand will go through a pretty significant change in the coming years. By 2025, the lineup of BMW cars will be drastically different from the lineup we know today. By 2021, the BMW iNext Concept will become a production car, along with a Tesla Model 3-fighting BMW i4. An iX3 will be launched first though, as the first crossover from BMW with a fully electric drivetrain.

But the future of the i3 might not look so optimistic. According to our sources, the i3 will most likely not have a successor, a hint similar to the one given at the 2018 New York Auto Show by Stefan Juraschek, head of electric powertrain for BMW AG.

“These cars are very unique [i3 and i8],” Juraschek said. “These two cars were not [developed] as a family that we can expand in different [ways] or maybe five or 10 derivatives.”

BMW is overhauling its core platforms to accommodate combustion, electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Those next-generation architectures will be ready for production vehicles after 2021, Juraschek said, and the componentry for electric vehicles will be grouped into a modular kit compatible with the architecture.

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Rolls-Royce may be electrified due to demand

On the eve of the 2018 New York Auto Show, British luxury maker Rolls-Royce spoke to the media about the possibility of a future electrified Rolls-Royce.

“At the end of the day, we are also thinking that Rolls-Royce may be electrified because there is demand from local markets, especially in China,” Stefan Juraschek, BMW Group’s head of electric powertrain, told Automotive News last week at the New York auto show. “Looking around China, if you want to be in the market, you have to think on electrifying different brands.”

The company is currently exploring how to position its vehicle portfolio to meet growing demand for electric vehicles. China is one of Rolls’ largest markets and one with tough regulations on emissions.

A decision on an electric Rolls has not been made, Juraschek said. BMW Group is developing modular kits for electric motors and batteries to enable its brands to produce combustion, EV and plug-in hybrid models as demand warrants.

Rolls explored the idea of an electric luxury car back in 2011 when it unveiled an electric concept, dubbed 120EX. The 6.75-liter V-12 was replaced by a massive 71-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery housed within the aluminum spaceframe. Rolls-Royce used large-form NCM pouch cells, or lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese-oxide to be exact.

The battery outputs 850 amperes at 338 volts to two electric motors linked to a rear transaxle. The single-speed gearbox takes each motor’s 145 kilowatts (194 horsepower) and sends up to 388 horsepower to the rear wheels. Given its electric nature, the two motors will have up 590 combined pound-feet of torque on demand. The 0-60 mph time is quoted as being under 8 seconds, and there’s a governed top speed of just under 100 mph. A quite impressive performance for such a massive vehicle, around 3,000 kilograms.

The driving range is said to be up to 124 miles. In order to charge the battery, a three-phase charger would need 8 hours, while a single-phase (presumably 220/240V) would take 20 hours. Wireless charging was being trialed as well.

All those figures and tech have changed significantly since the concept days.

One candidate for an electric Rolls-Royce is the Phantom, but the company said a model like this won’t arrive for another few years.

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Video: G80 BMW M3 Spotted Out on the Nurburgring in Prototype Guise

The news that the current BMW M3 will go out of production in Europe a lot sooner than anyone expected hit us like a freight train. It’s nonetheless true and it’s mostly due to the stringent environmental laws the EU has been enforcing in the last few years. The S55 engine will be replaced altogether by a new one, known internally as S58 and yes, it will be powering the new G80 M3 which was just spotted on the Nurburgring for the first time, doing hot laps in prototype guise.

From the looks of things we’re in for a wide and low car, as we’ve been getting used to. The tires also look quite generous in width, especially compared to the outgoing model, probably being around 285 or 295 caliber in standard guise. That hints at a higher horsepower and torque figure as it has been rumored for a while now. The new engine will be based on the B58 3-liter straight six mill and will have over 470 PS, according to our German source.

The first car to get the new powerplant will be the new BMW X3 M, followed closely by the X4. A couple of unanswered questions do remain though. Will the new M3 still be available with a manual gearbox? Will it have all-wheel drive? The answer is most likely no to both those questions at the moment.

According to various sources, BMW will keep offering the M3 in RWD guise only but the manual gearbox might be dropped due to low demand compared to the 7-speed DCT unit. However, if the car will come out with all-wheel drive, it will most likely be using the same system as on the new M5 and will therefore drop both the manual and the dual-clutch gearboxes in favor of an 8-speed unit.

At least we now know that the M3 will still be using a 3-liter straight six engine, judging by the sound the car makes in the video below. There was some talk at one point about using a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine in combination with an electric motor for a hybrid setup. It seems like that’s no longer an option. Furthermore, the new M3 will be unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show which means we still have about a year and a half to wait until we get to actually see it in the metal.

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