Tag Archives: BMW

News

Britain’s Dealer Happiness Index: Who’s Winning, Who’s Losing, and Who Should Be Worried

If you really want the truth about a car brand, don’t ask the marketing department. Don’t ask the influencers. And definitely don’t ask the guy in the pub who once drove a diesel Passat “that pulled like a train.”

Ask the people who live and die by the product: the franchised dealers.

This year, Britain’s retail networks have spoken—loudly, candidly, and sometimes with a tone that suggests they’d rather be anywhere else. Their collective verdict paints a surprisingly dramatic picture of who’s thriving, who’s stumbling, and who might need to start thinking about pulling the eject handle.

The Big Winners: Lexus Leads, Kia Surges, BYD Impresses

According to the dealer rankings, Lexus, Kia, BYD, Omoda, Suzuki, and BMW top the leaderboard in that exact order. It’s a group that blends dependable luxury (Lexus), relentlessly consistent value (Kia), and China’s fast-moving electric juggernaut (BYD) with newer disruptors like Omoda.

These are the brands whose dealers sleep easier at night. They like the product. They like the margins. They like the customers walking through the door. And, crucially, they like the support they get from HQ.

The Basement Dwellers: DS Hits Rock Bottom

At the sharp end of misery, the worst-performing brands are Alfa Romeo, Fiat, SEAT, Abarth, Citroën, and at the absolute bottom—DS.

Dealer grumbling here covers everything from profit margins to warranties to product perception. The French premium experiment seems to be running out of goodwill. One could imagine Stellantis executives staring at these results and wondering how much longer DS can cling to the UK market.

Margin Madness: Kia, Mercedes, and Toyota Score; Land Rover Stumbles

Profit margins are the lifeblood of a dealer’s survival. According to the survey:

  • Best new-vehicle margins: Kia, Mercedes, Toyota
  • Worst: Audi, Ford, and dead-last Land Rover

Yes, you read that right—Audi dealers, purveyors of high-priced premium metal, say their profits are among the weakest in the country. That’s like a Michelin-star chef complaining the kitchen ran out of salt.

Something’s not adding up behind the four rings.

Product Value: Omoda and Dacia Thrill, Audi and DS Deflate

“Value” is often code for “Customers leave happy and we don’t have to beg them to buy.” Dealers claim:

  • Most satisfied with product value: Omoda, Kia, Dacia
  • Least satisfied: DS, SEAT, Audi

Again, Audi finds itself on the wrong side of dealer sentiment. The brand moves high volumes and commands premium prices, yet retailers insist the value proposition isn’t landing. Whether that’s pricing, equipment, or perceived quality, the frontline feedback is unambiguous.

EV Satisfaction: BYD, Kia, Renault Shine; Nissan Tanks

This may be the most startling result of all.

  • Strongest approval for EV lineup: BYD, Kia, Renault
  • Weakest: SEAT, Nissan, Mazda

Nissan’s inclusion here is perplexing. This is the brand that practically invented the mainstream EV with the Leaf, pioneered affordable electrification, and is gearing up for a new British-built Leaf and Juke. And yet its retailers sound more apprehensive than enthusiastic.

BYD, meanwhile, earns praise not only for its EVs but also for the frequency of its new model introductions. In dealer-speak, that’s code for “We always have something fresh to sell.”

Support Matters: Lexus Dominates, Citroën Falters

Dealers say Lexus is unbeatable in tech support and parts availability—a reputation the brand has quietly cultivated for decades.
At the other end, Citroën sits last, a position no network wants to see next to its name.

Group Patterns: VW Group Chaos, Stellantis Struggles

There’s a pattern emerging that’s difficult to ignore:

  • VW and Skoda: Doing well
  • Audi, Cupra, SEAT: Lagging badly

This internal inconsistency mirrors the chaos of the wider Stellantis empire, where:

  • Jeep, Peugeot, Vauxhall dealers: Generally content
  • Fiat, Citroën, DS, Abarth: Deeply unhappy

For DS and Abarth in particular, the writing on the wall is getting hard to miss. The UK market may simply not be buying the dream.

So What Does This Mean for Buyers?

Behind every score is a signal: how easy a brand is to own, how well-supported its cars are, and how stable the buying experience will be over time.

If you want predictable satisfaction and a well-oiled dealership experience, Lexus, Kia, and BYD look like the safest bets.

If you prefer to avoid frustration, shrinking dealer faith, or slow support networks… well, the bottom of the list makes its own argument.

The dealers have spoken. Now it’s your move.

Source: Auto Express

Sale

The First BMW M Car Ever Built Is Up for Sale — and It’s a Legend Hiding in Plain Sight

If you ask a room full of BMW diehards which car deserves the title of “first M car,” prepare for a debate worthy of motorsport royalty. Some will swear by the mid-engine M1. Others will cite the South African 530 MLE from 1976. But peel the license plates away from the equation, look strictly at the origins of BMW Motorsport GmbH, and the real pioneer appears: the BMW 3.0 CSL.

And not just any CSL — the first one ever built, chassis E9/R1, the very machine that kicked off the M division’s 50-year dominance in performance engineering. That car is now offered for sale.

A Prototype Turned Motorsport Milestone

The 3.0 CSL arrived in 1973 as a homologation special of the elegant E9 coupe, just one year after BMW formally created its Motorsport division. Twenty-one lightweight CSLs were constructed for racing programs, but only eleven were run by the factory-backed team. E9/R1 was the earliest completed car—BMW Motorsport’s first real test bed.

Built between late 1972 and early 1973, this car served as a development mule during some very cold winter months, with legendary drivers Hans Stuck and Harald Menzel rotating behind the wheel. If BMW Motorsport had a first classroom, this was the chalkboard.

The car is now listed by UK dealer Dylan Miles Ltd on Classic Driver, with the price—expectedly—left blank. For something this historically loaded, the number is probably easier whispered than printed.

Where the Batmobile Was Born

If the CSL is iconic, the “Batmobile” CSL is mythical. But even that legend had humble beginnings. E9/R1 was originally raced without the outrageous aero package because homologation rules prohibited BMW from running parts not yet approved by the FIA.

Once the green light came, engineers scrambled to equip the CSL with its towering rear wing, deep chin spoiler, and boxy extensions. The transformation into the legendary “Batmobile” began right here, with this exact chassis as the starting point.

A Life After Competition

After its time with various racing teams, E9/R1 was pulled from competition and passed through the hands of several BMW collectors. A meticulous restoration brought the car back to its pre-Batmobile specification, and it made a high-profile return at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

A few months later, the CSL reappeared—this time wearing the full Batmobile bodywork—at Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance at Blenheim Palace. In both forms, it drew crowds like a magnetic field.

The CSL Legacy Lives On

BMW itself paid homage to the CSL’s significance when M celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. The ultra-exclusive, 50-unit modern 3.0 CSL—based on the M4 CSL—packed 560 horsepower, a manual gearbox, and bodywork sculpted as a modern love letter to the Batmobile. With an unofficial price of around €750,000, it became the most expensive new car BMW has ever sold.

And yet, that still may not eclipse the value of the original.

What’s a First-of-Its-Kind M Car Worth?

With a provenance that includes Motorsport GmbH’s earliest days, testing by legendary drivers, the genesis of BMW’s most famous aero kit, and a beautifully documented restoration, E9/R1 stands alone.

A modern CSL commands three-quarters of a million euros. But the car that made BMW M what it is today?
Don’t be surprised if it sells for far, far more.

After all, they only made one “first M car.” And this is it.

Source: Classic Driver

News

Next-Gen BMW 3 Series Preview: Engines, Design, and What to Expect in 2026

BMW’s next-generation 3 Series is inching ever closer to production, and with a November 2026 launch on the horizon, the puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place. While much of the hype centers on the Neue Klasse–inspired exterior and a high-tech interior brimming with digital wizardry, the real story lies under the hood.

Sources indicate that BMW is readying the B48TÜ3, the latest evolution of its venerable 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This unit will form the backbone of the upcoming 320, 330, and 330e models, combining efficiency and performance for everyday drivers. At the top of the lineup, a revised six-cylinder—the B58TÜ3—will power the next M350, continuing BMW’s tradition of inline-six excellence. For context, the B58TÜ3 will make its debut in the G70 7 Series LCI next July, delivering 286 horsepower and 295 lb-ft in the 735, and a hefty 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft in the 740. It’s clear this same engine will anchor the sportier M-badged 3 Series replacement.

Early spy shots from 2025 offer a tantalizing glimpse at the G50’s exterior. Even beneath heavy swirly camouflage, the Neue Klasse design language is unmistakable. The grille stretches wider, seamlessly merging with slimmer, laser-like headlights that echo the Vision Neue Klasse concept as well as the upcoming BMW i3. While these lights may still be prototype hardware, the overall shape is expected to carry over to production largely unchanged.

The hood remains long enough to accommodate the six-cylinder engine, which aligns with BMW’s confirmation that the next M3 will retain an inline-six layout. Along the sides, flush door handles and clean, minimalist surfaces signal BMW’s move toward more understated forms. At the rear, temporary taillights obscure many details, but subtle refinements and thinner lighting signatures are visible, complemented by a discreet integrated spoiler. Notably, visible exhaust tips will become increasingly rare outside of M Performance and M models, as BMW shifts toward cleaner aesthetics.

Electrification continues to shape the lineup, with the fully electric i3 (NA0) sharing the same overall silhouette as its gasoline counterpart, save for a shorter front overhang. As BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk noted earlier this year, distinguishing ICE from EV models will soon come down to subtle proportions rather than radical styling differences.

Production plans are already in motion: the G50 3 Series sedan is expected to be built in Dingolfing, while the NA0 i3 electric sedan and the NA1 electric wagon will roll out of Munich. Both ICE and EV variants are slated to begin production simultaneously in November 2026, marking a significant milestone in BMW’s dual-path strategy.

With a Neue Klasse aesthetic, high-tech cabin, and a refreshed engine lineup, the next-generation 3 Series promises to honor its legacy while embracing the future—sporty, efficient, and unmistakably BMW.

Source: BMW