Autoblog

• Mercedes tries to burst Shuanghuan's tiny Bubble, gives up
  

  Filed under: Coupes, Economy, China, Euro, Government/Legal, Hatchbacks, BMW, Mercedes-Benz

  
  
  Mercedes decided to sue Shuanghuan Automotive for copyright infringement for its Bubble microcar (called the Noble in China), claiming it was a copy of the smart fortwo. BMW then decided to bring its own case against Shuanghuan, citing the Shuanghuan CEO as a blatant facsimile of the BMW X5 (that's the CEO on the wall in the above picture). Mercedes got the Bubble banned from display at a couple of auto shows, BMW won its copyright infringement lawsuit in Munich, and Mercedes sued the Bubble's importer, Martin...
  



• MINI E: An American sellout?
  

  Filed under: Economy, Green, Hatchbacks, BMW, MINI

  
  
  Click above for a high-res gallery of the MINI E's unveiling
  
  
  Is the new MINI E sold out? If by "rented through," yes, it looks like you may have missed your opportunity to be a beta tester for BMW's new electric Cooper.
  
  BMW is leasing around 500 of the diminutive hatchbacks at a cost of $850-a-month (including insurance) for one year in the New York/New Jersey metro area as well as Southern California, and according to a new Bloomberg News story, applicants for the program have outnumbered the cars by more than a 4-to-1 ratio,...
  



• Spy Shots: BMW 5-Series Touring
  

  Filed under: Spy Photos, Wagons/Estates, BMW

  Who needs a 5-Series PAS when you've got one of these? The next BMW 5-Series Touring is out testing, and despite the fact that it looks as long as a football field and it's buried under cladding, it doesn't look awkward or ungainly - something that cannot exactly be said for the coming Mercedes E-Class wagon.
  
  The BMW wagon isn't expected to debut until the latter portion of 2010, but there are hints that the car will get the 400 hp, twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 - perhaps for an M Touring assault on Mercedes' E63 AMG wagon? The family carrier is...
  



• VIDEO: BMW gives sneak preview of new X6 M
  

  Filed under: Videos, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW

  
  
  Click above to watch video after the jump
  
  
  The BMW X6 remains something of an enigma, specifically, why does it exist? Nonetheless, it does and BMW is working on additional variants including a two-mode hybrid for release later this year and an M version. We don't have much detail yet on the X6 M, but BMW has put a video up on YouTube with Bernd Limmer from M GmbH demonstrating a prototype. The X6 M will evidently have a higher output version of the current twin turbo V8, probably hitting the magic 500 hp mark. The...
  



• Rumormill: BMW 135i "SuperSports" model coming in 2010
  

  Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, BMW, Rumormill

  
  
  Click above for a high-res gallery of the BMW 1 Series tii concept
  
  
  According to a report originally posted at Germancarzone and then repeated at BMW Blog, a certain Bavarian automaker is currently working on a new performance version of its 1 Series. Although it wouldn't be called an M1 -- since that moniker is reserved for supercar status -- the so-called 135i SuperSports would get a bunch of improvements, consisting mostly of lightweight body panels, a decontented interior, as well as an upgraded suspension and brake package. Power is said to come from the latest version of...
  



• CES 2009 Preview: FLIR helps BMWs detect pedestrians
  

  Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Safety, BMW

  
  
  FLIR, the maker of BMW's night-vision system, will be at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week showing off its PathFindIR thermal imaging camera. The company says its system isn't confused by oncoming headlights, works well in cold weather and can even see through fog, dust and smoke.
  
  FLIR also says its camera is based on the same technology used by the military to provide a 36° field-of-view of the road ahead.
  
  We plan to check out the company's claims in the 6 Series...
  



• Ex-Cowboys' 1991 BMW 850Ci one-off for sale in Texas
  

  Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Auction Action, BMW

  
  
  Click above the view a gallery of this custom convertible BMW 850i
  
  
  Long before the retro-licious Z8 and the modern 6 Series, BMW's range-topping sport coupe was the 8-Series. Characterized by its distinctive shark nose and available with a choice of eight- or 12-cylinder engines, the 8-Series was sadly never offered as a convertible. But it would have made a smart-looking roadster, as one customer was evidently determined to discover.
  
  Commissioned by Erik Williams, offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys back in their glory days, this one-of-a-kind 1991 BMW 850i convertible is now up for sale by a...
  



• Report: BMW finally green-lights 5-Series "Progressive Activity Sedan"
  

  Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Crossovers/CUVs, Hatchbacks, BMW, Rendered Speculation

  Call it V5, 5-Series GT, 5-Series Fastback, Progressive Activity Sedan... call it what you will. Whatever moniker you give it, BMW has evidently crossed the Rubicon and there's no turning back. As expected based upon BMW's previously leaked roster of 2009 reveals, the 5-Series -based hatchback has been approved. Called "one of the bravest designs ever signed off by BMW," it is BMW's take on everything-all-the-time: a flexible, luxury GT.
  
  Although it is being referred to as a 5-Series family member, the car is actually expected to arrive on the same platform as the...
  



• Give this 550-hp V10 Hartge BMW Z4 a home
  

  Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Convertibles, Auction Action, BMW

  
  
  Click above for image gallery of Hartge's V10-powered BMW Z4
  
  
  Here at Autoblog, we cherish the simple things in life. Like a cold beer on a hot afternoon, spending the holidays with family or stuffing an oversized engine into a little sportscar. It's a time-honored tradition, and this example is no less worthy than any that has come before.
  
  Evidently unsatisfied with the S54B32 inline-six powering the top-of-the-line Z4 M, one European enthusiast dropped in the 5.0-liter V10 from the M5 and M6 into his little Z4. But even the stock 507 horses from...
  



• Bid farewell to BMW's legendary M inline-six
  

  Filed under: BMW

  Click above for a high-res pic of the S54B32
  
  
  Say what you will about their design department, but BMW is known for producing some of the most amazing engines on the market. Especially the Bavarian automaker's stoic M division, whose current V10 engine has won its fair share of awards and then some. The same goes for the S54B32, Bimmer's internal code-name for the 3.2-liter iron-block straight-six which the company is now preparing to retire after seven years in production.
  
  Over its lifetime, the 3.2 provided motivation for such performance icons as the E46 M3, the Z3-based M roadster and breadvan, and the Z4 M, as well as the...