All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Tuning

BMW Series 7 (G11) with wide carbon fiber body kit

At the 2015 International Motor Show Germany BMW revealed the sixth generation of the Series 7 (G11) which was the first car lineup of BMW to be based on the CLAR platform. It was produced until 2022 and was not modified as often as other models of the Bavarian manufacturer. However, tuner AT26 Design received a request from a Latvian owner to make his car better.

Tuner started the project in 2018 with a completion time of 24 months. The result is a wide carbon fiber body kit, and inspiration was found in the car designs of the Japanese company Rocket Bunny. In order to satisfy all the wishes of the owner, the process started with sketches, followed by scanning of the bodywork and the production of a plastic model. The final product was made of carbon fiber, which was easier to work with than if some other material had been used.

Ultimately, the car’s body kit included fender flares with integrated vents, lip spoiler, front splitter, side skirts, rear spoiler and diffuser. All components are done in contrast with the gray body, and the result is a wild look.

Under the bonnet of the BMW 740d is a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder twin-turbo engine with 406 hp (303 kW), instead of the standard 320 hp (239 kW). Power is sent to all wheels via an 8-speed automatic Steptronic transmission. Also, the tuner equipped the car with a special set of Z-Performance 22-inch wheels instead of the standard 19″ wheels.

When it comes to the price of the upgrade, we can say that the owner did not pay much. The total value of the parts installed on the car was 23,000 euros, which is not too much.

Source: AT26 Design

Gallery:

BMW Series 7 (G11) with wide carbon fiber body kit
News

The Future of BMW M3

The demand for electric cars is increasing, however, most European car manufacturers are struggling with competition. This forces most of them to continue offering cars with ICEs. Mercedes-Benz and Škoda have announced that they will continue to develop ICE and hybrid cars in the future, but what is the future of sports cars with an internal combustion engine? Will BMW follow the same path and what is the future of one of their most desirable models, the BMW M3?

BMW has embraced the idea of launching an electric M3 under the announced Neue Klasse platform. However, it seems that the Bavarian company will keep the existing 3.0 twin-turbo six-cylinder engine (S58) in the new generation, codenamed G84, which will arrive in 2027 or 2028. This means that the recently refreshed M3 and M4 will remain on sale for sure until 2027.

BMW previously announced that the Neue Klasse platform will be able to handle up to 1000 kW (1360 HP), which means that the electric M3 will be slightly more powerful than the gasoline version. However, sales of the M3 are expected to be good in the future as well.

At BMW, they are not even thinking about a hybrid version of the BMW M3, because the new generation will be adapted to the new Euro 7 standard.

Source: BMWBlog

News

Dacia has the most loyal customers

The Romanian car manufacturer Dacia, as part of the Renault Group, has been recording outstanding results lately with more cars delivered than Renault. It’s an extraordinary result, but one study shows that this car manufacturer has the most loyal customers.

According to Dataforce research, almost 80 percent of current Dacia customers in Germany would buy their car again. Also, indicators show that the percentage of their loyal customers is 20 percent above the average in the auto industry.

“Dacia manages to attract exactly those customers who keep coming back. It’s something almost no one else can do,” said Marc Odinius, CEO of Data Force.

Tesla is in second place with 75 percent of customers returning to the American brand, while Mazda is in third place. At the same time, Tesla is the brand with the most loyal customers in the electric car segment, ahead of Volkswagen and BMW.

In 2023, Dacia revealed the third generation of the model that has the most loyal customers, the Dacia Duster. The car will be available for a larger number of customers and the entry model will cost around 20,000 euros. Also, Dacia recently premiered the Spring model, and announced that the new Dacia Sandero will be offered as an EV.

Source: Dataforce