BMW M Diesels

If you live in the states you’re not going to have to worryabout replacing a diesel injector or a diesel turbocharger for your new BMWM550d, because this car not going to be available for sale in the U.S.  Also not available is the other M Diesel carsthat BMW just announced; the X5 M50d, and the X6 M50d. You can go ahead and addthese vehicles to a long line of sweet rides available to rest of the world,but not available to us.

Ok… I have calmed down. I am no longer upset, and haverealized that even if I had the opportunity to buy one of these, I couldn’tafford it anyways.  So, instead ofwhining about not having one of these great cars, let’s discuss what makes themso great. Each one has all-wheel drive and is powered by what BMW callsPerformance Twin Turbo technology.  “TwinTurbo Technology,” Ha! These cars actually have three turbos.  Two smaller turbochargers deliver responsivepower down low in the rpm range, and then there is a bigger turbo that addstop-end thrust. The engine is a 3.0-litre inline six, which has 381-hp.  The M-Diesels will all go from 0 to 62-mph inless than 5.4 seconds, and gas mileage will range from 36.7 to 44-mpg.

The cars also get the M treatment on the outside of thevehicles too.  This includes side mirrorsand vent bars with a grey metallic finish. The exhaust is highlighted with trapezoidal tips, there is high-glossshadow line trim, and alloy wheels ranging from 19 to 20 inches.

No pricing was announced, and the vehicles will be debutedat the Geneva Motor show in March.

Same Car, New Features? BMW Rolls Out Upgrades

So you’ve been saving up money for a few months to get yourself an iPhone, an Android, or whatever your choice may be. You finally get it in your hands, and BAM, they unexpectedly release a newer, better version just weeks later. What the heck! Although this has become a common (and annoying) theme in technology today, you have to admit it’s becoming increasingly easy to update your old products to get new features. This week, this is exactly what BMW drivers were able to do with their In Dash Navigation and Center Console Display Unit.

On Tuesday, BMW owners with 2009 and later models turned on their cars to a new, updated BMW Online system. Some of the new features they can now enjoy include viewing recent news, weather, local fuel prices, Google search access, and a better overall display. Seems like a pretty cool deal to me, although I’m not sure how safe Google-ing is from behind the wheel. This all happened automatically and even better, for free. Now that I think of it, I don’t even need to plug my phone in to update it, add music to it, or transfer my pictures to my laptop. At the rate technology is progressing, it’s encouraging to know that it’s not so hard to keep the products we buy up to date. I can hardly turn on my computer without having to update some piece of software.

It’s great that BMW has rolled out this new upgrade, and I hope other companies with the same capabilities follow suit. Oh, and I’m definitely not getting into any long lines on the next apple release date. They released the software upgrade for free just a week after their latest iPhone was released, and who needs Siri anyways?

The International Superstars Racing Series

In 2004 the world saw the birth of the superstars racing series. This is a series that does not allow turbochargers or superchargers but is based all on big V8 engines. Not only V8 engines but GT cars that are 2 or four door with rear wheel drive. This year has seen something which not many believed could happen…Maserati has won with the Quattroporte.

It’s not a huge feet for any car to win a racing series but the cars that are here have always been the tops. Cars like the BMW M3 and Jaguar XFR are track built monsters made to crust the lap times and the opposition. The Quattroporte is more of a relaxed sports car but it has proven that it has what it takes.

The Quattroporte EVO is a widebody….very widebody version of the normal car that can be seen on the street and has been tuned to for the life at the track. This series is where GT car manufacturers can test and prove their “metal” as it is. The likes of BMW, Porsche, Audi and even Chrysler with the 300C they all put their best foot forward in this primarily Italian racing series. This series has been expanding its locations for the last few years and it has to be said when Road America is finished it would be nice to see it there.