All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

BMW Z3 V12 shown in museum

Recently, BMW has unveiled some outstanding prototypes, and now the time has come for BMW to open the doors of its museum and show some of the prototypes that never went into production. One such is the BMW Z3 V12 which was built with the intention of testing whether the car is capable of withstanding the V12 engine taken from the BMW 850 CSi.

This is not the only model from the BMW range that attracts attention in the museum. There is also the E34 M5 convertible which was produced in only two copies and never went into mass production because it was thought that it would affect the sales of the 3 Series convertible. Based on the M5, M6 and M8, this concept doesn’t seem too radical, but it really was in its day. It was the first car with variable convertible top compartment.

BMW E34 M5

The E34 M5 was the last hand-built M model, and was powered by an inline-6 ​​engine with 266 hp (196 kW) while power was sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.

There is also the BMW M8 Prototype which, unlike the modern M8 model, is powered by a V12 engine with 640 hp (471 kW). The engine was based on the one used by the cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and unfortunately the prototype never went into production. The current BMW M8 is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 617 hp (454 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.

BMW M8 Prototype

The BMW museum also contains other models that entered mass production, as well as those that remained only prototypes. Enjoy the video.

Source: BMW M via YouTube

News, Tuning

BRABUS B30 PowerXtra and BRABUS D30

While we wait for Mercedes-AMG to unveil the most powerful version of the recently introduced new generation C-Class, Brabus has decided to present the BRABUS B30 PowerXtra and BRABUS D30. These are two upgraded models from the current range, the Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic and the Mercedes-Benz C300d.

Several carbon elements give the car a new elegant look, but also increase stability and better handling. Also, thanks to the new sports springs, it is now an additional 30 millimeters closer to the ground, which makes driving more exciting. Brabus equipped both C-Class models with a new front skirt insert, front flaps, rear spoiler, which increased downforce. There is also a new exhaust system with immaculate black chrome tips.

Inside, the BRABUS Masterpiece interior brings comfortable sports seats in black and black-red combination that can also be seen on the door panels, carbon door sill trims with illuminated BRABUS logo, aluminum pedal pads, and other sporty accessories such as BRABUS door latch pins. Also, Brabus allows each owner to customize the interior according to their own wishes.

BRABUS D30 is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 310 hp (228 kW) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. It reaches 62 mph in 5.6 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

BRABUS B30 PowerXtra is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 300 hp (221 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. It reaches 62 mph in 5.8 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Power is transmitted to all wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission.

Source: Brabus

EV, News

BMW i3 HomeRun Edition

Every now and then we hear about car manufacturers retiring cars with internal combustion engines, but the time has come for an electric car to become a thing of the past. So soon? BMW has decided to produce a limited number of i3 HomeRun Edition. Only 10 will be produced.

The B-segment car was first presented as a concept in 2011, and went into production in September 2013. Since then, 250,000 cars have been sold, and the BMW i3 HomeRun Edition is the latest edition. It will be offered in two body colors and a lot of standard equipment. These include adaptive LED lights, sliding glass roof, leather-trimmed interior, Harman Kardon audio system, etc.

The car is powered by an electric motor with 184 hp (135 kW) and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) of torque. It reaches 62 mph in less than seven seconds with a top speed of 99 mph (160 km/h). Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

In the middle of last year, the BMW i3 was withdrawn from the American market. The reason for this is that it did not achieve the sales expected in the US. Since 2015, sales of this model have been gradually declining, so that in 2020, slightly more than 1,500 units were sold. The car was replaced by the BMW i4 eDrive40 with a more powerful electric motor.

Source: BMW