2004 Bmw Z4, Convertible, Clean Car Fax, 2nd Owner, Click "description" Below on 2040-cars

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BMW X4 opens up alongside its boxier brother

It doesn't seem so long ago that BMW (not to mention Audi, Volvo and a handful of other European automakers) weren't in the crossover market. But it's been over a decade since BMW began producing the first-gen X5, and in the fourteen years since, the Bavarian automaker has steadily expanded its portfolio to include the X1, X3 and X6.
The next to join the family will be the X4, which is essentially to the X3 what the X6 is to the X5. That is to say, basically the same vehicle, only with an (arguably) more stylish but less utile roofline. Previewed in concept form at the Shanghai Auto Show half a year ago, the X4 has been snapped by our plucky paparazzi in the past, but this is the first time we've seen inside.
Not only that, but the prototype in question was spotted next to the current X3 on which it is based, which gives us ample opportunity to see the differences between them. Of course, that still primarily comes down to the slantback profile, because otherwise, the two are essentially the same inside and out. Or at least they will be: many of the differences between the two are expected to port over to the X3 when it's refreshed next year, including some subtle interior upgrades - just not the roofline.

BMW i8 fully revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut

It may be early in the morning here in the US, but in Germany, the first day of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing. BMW took advantage of the early start and showed off its long-awaited i8 plug-in hybrid sportscar, a two-plus-two, swan-wing-doored coupe, to the Frankfurt crowd.
We drove a BMW i8 prototype back in August, so many of the things we're reading today are clarifications on our initial suspicions or speculations. Underhood sits a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine. On its own, it churns out a respectable 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which is then channeled to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. An electric motor, meanwhile, sends 131 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a two-speed automatic to the front wheels.
With all-wheel drive at its disposal, the total system power sits at 362 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, and allows the i8 to scamper to 62 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. That excellent performance is offset by an estimated fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon, though, making this a fast and efficient vehicle. Charging is impressively fast on the i8, with a full charge coming from a 110-volt outlet in under four hours. A BMW Charging Station will trim the charge time down to 1.5 hours.

2013 BMW M3 Coupe Lime Rock Park Edition

Sic Transit Gloria
I like difficult cars. I like turbo "moments," dramatic weight distribution, low-grip, peaky power delivery, and overly quick steering, along with ultra-short wheelbases and any number of other non-racecar-perfect dynamic foibles. I love the newest generation of BMW cars and engines - all turbo'd up with tons of torque and power everywhere in the rev range, too. But what I think the enthusiast community will miss when this 2013 M3 Coupe becomes the 2014 M4 Coupe - replacing its idiosyncratic, small-displacement, revvy V8 for something like a triple-turbo, directly injected, inline six-cylinder powerhouse in the process - is the work it takes to drive the car fast and perfectly. Sometimes small flaws just make things better; my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, and all that.
The idea of this E92 M3 going away then, magnified by the loss of the M3 badge for the coupe, is at best bittersweet for me. This generation of M car is already surpassed in terms of raw thrills by the better-than-ever Mercedes-Benz C63, a car that doesn't ask its driver to sacrifice low-end grunt or the very latest in amenities in return for stellar backroad performance. Yet any time I've been lucky enough to lap a track in the M3, it has quickly become clear that the Bimmer is the better on-edge tool. With the freedom to wring the neck of the 4.0-liter V8 and room to exercise the lovely balance of the car, the E92 is hard to match (even six years after its debut).