Tag Archives: BMW

News

BMW Turns Seoul Into a Moving Canvas

BMW isn’t just parking cars at Frieze Seoul—it’s staging a rolling art show. From September 3 to 6, the Gangnam district’s COEX convention center will host 120 galleries from 30 countries. Amid the canvases and sculptures, the most intriguing piece might just be on four wheels: a BMW i7 wrapped in the brushstrokes of Korean avant-garde pioneer Lee Kun-Yong.

This collaboration is more than an eye-catching publicity stunt. It’s the centerpiece of a year packed with anniversaries—30 years of BMW Korea and 50 years of the BMW Art Car Collection. Since 1975, the Bavarians have invited artists from Alexander Calder to Andy Warhol to turn their machinery into moving masterpieces. Lee now joins that elite roster, using his iconic Bodyscape method—paint applied through deliberate movements of his own body—to extend the dialogue between art and motion onto BMW’s flagship electric sedan.

The result? A full-size EV transformed into a mobile canvas. Lee’s design doesn’t just sit pretty; it moves, interacts with space, and echoes the interplay between driver, machine, and environment. “I firmly believe that art can be the bridge between different objects, different people, and even different perspectives,” Lee says. And in Seoul, that bridge has four wheels and a 101.7-kWh battery pack.

On September 4, Lee will push the collaboration even further with one of his rare live performances, creating a fresh canvas inspired by his work on the i7. For Lee, movement isn’t about speed—it’s about perception and interaction. A philosophy that feels surprisingly at home with the hush of an EV gliding through city streets.

But BMW’s cultural footprint at Frieze Seoul doesn’t stop at static displays. The automaker will host the third edition of Frieze Music Seoul on September 5, headlined by R&B star Crush. The event, born out of BMW and Frieze’s partnership in Los Angeles back in 2019, blurs the lines between sound, space, and art, much like Lee’s i7 blurs the boundaries between vehicle and canvas.

Meanwhile, BMW will offer VIPs shuttle service throughout the fair—because what’s the point of an art car if it can’t move? Guests will also find the BMW Lounge displaying miniatures of 18 Art Cars, a pocket-sized reminder of a half-century of artistic experimentation on wheels.

For BMW Korea, all of this is more than good optics. South Korea has become the brand’s fifth-largest market, and in both 2023 and 2024, BMW ranked first among imported brands. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025, BMW Korea promises a year of events under the banner Joy of Driving. Innovation for Tomorrow.

Frieze Seoul 2025 is just the opening act. The company’s Art Car World Tour will bring its 20-piece collection to audiences across the globe, ensuring that the conversation between art and automobile—critical, euphoric, or both—keeps evolving.

For now, though, the spotlight is on Seoul, where a Korean master has turned the Bavarian electric flagship into something more than transport. It’s not just an EV. It’s not just a painting. It’s a Bodyscape with a charging port.

Source: BMW

NEW CARS

2026 BMW i5: More Range, More Style, Same Price

BMW’s 5 Series has always been the brand’s sweet spot: practical enough for a family, sharp enough for a canyon run, and classy enough for the valet line. Now in fully electric form, the i5 sits at the center of that ethos. For 2026, it doesn’t reinvent itself—but it doesn’t need to. Instead, BMW has given its midsize EV sedan more driving range, a fresh coat of Frozen Portimao Blue paint, and some subtle cabin upgrades. And the kicker? The price hasn’t moved an inch.

Familiar Lineup, Familiar Power

The i5 returns in three familiar flavors. At the entry point sits the rear-drive i5 eDrive40, with 335 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, good for a 5.7-second sprint to 60 mph. Add xDrive all-wheel drive, and output rises to 389 horses and 435 lb-ft, trimming half a second from the run to 60.

The star of the show remains the i5 M60 xDrive, which is essentially BMW’s way of saying “we can make an electric 5 Series feel like an M car.” With 590 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque from dual motors, it rips to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. In our earlier testing of the M60 Touring (sadly not offered stateside), we found it both blisteringly fast and impressively composed. Powertrain specs don’t change this year, but range does.

More Miles Between Plugs

Range improvements are modest but welcome. Thanks to new silicon carbide semiconductors and revised wheel bearings, BMW estimates up to 310 miles on the eDrive40—an increase of up to 15 miles over 2025. The xDrive40 now stretches to 278 miles, while the M60 remains capped at about 253 miles. Charging speeds also stay put: 11 kW on AC power and up to 205 kW with DC fast charging. That means a 10–80 percent top-up in roughly half an hour—not segment-leading, but competitive.

Inside the Upgrade

Interior tweaks for 2026 bring small but meaningful luxuries. A Harman Kardon sound system and lumbar support are now standard. Gloss black trim and revised ambient lighting with BMW’s crystalline “Interaction Bar” class up the cabin, though they’ll probably collect fingerprints faster than you can say “detailing spray.” New leather combos debut too: an Atlas Grey/Dark Violet scheme that looks fantastic and a Taupe/Atlas Grey option that looks… less so.

Otherwise, the i5 remains a modern tech haven. BMW’s iDrive 8.5 continues to pair a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with a 14.9-inch touchscreen. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as are voice commands and app connectivity. The Premium Package is the real sweet spot, bundling a head-up display, interior camera, and key driver aids, while the Driving Assistance Professional Package adds partially automated highway driving and gaze-based lane changes—a trick borrowed from the flagship i7.

Still a Solid Value

The best news? Pricing is unchanged. The i5 eDrive40 starts at $67,100, with xDrive adding $3,000. The M60 sits at $84,100. That keeps it well positioned against rivals like the Genesis Electrified G80 and Lucid Air.

Yes, there are flashier EVs out there. But with its blend of refinement, performance, and now a bit more range, the 2026 BMW i5 remains the most well-rounded choice in the luxury midsize EV sedan class. Think of it as the 5 Series you know—just with more electrons and fewer trips to the gas station.

Source: BMW

News

BMW’s First Full-Fat Electric M3 Spotted: Codename ZA0

BMW M has long thrived on one thing: combustion fury. From the sonorous S14 four-cylinder in the E30 M3 to today’s twin-turbocharged inline-six in the G80, the formula has been clear—fast revs, raw sound, and that elusive balance between muscle and precision. But the brand’s future won’t be fueled by premium unleaded. Enter “ZA0”—the codename for the first-ever all-electric M3, a car that could redefine Munich’s most iconic performance badge.

The First Real M Without Pistons

While BMW already offers electric M Performance models, ZA0 is the first true M car with zero tailpipe emissions. Think of it as the next chapter in the M3 lineage—just without the burbling inline-six. Recent spy shots caught the prototype hammering around the Nürburgring, and while it’s still cloaked in the brand’s trademark swirl camouflage, the car is starting to show its hand.

The front bumper sheds a little disguise, revealing lower air intakes—not for feeding turbos, but for cooling electric motors and battery packs. The reinterpreted kidney grille, influenced by the Vision Neue Klasse concept, looks sealed but may hide active flaps to balance cooling and aerodynamics. Close the shutters, and you extend range; open them, and the car breathes harder during hot laps.

New Materials, Old Tricks

One of the quirks of this test mule is its possible use of flax-based composites. BMW has been experimenting with natural fibers to replace carbon fiber, and the M division is already claiming a 40-percent reduction in CO₂e emissions compared with traditional carbon roofs. The swirly prototype might be hiding just that—a natural-fiber roof where carbon once reigned.

Other details: unfinished taillights, missing M-style mirrors, and riveted camo panels hiding bodywork lines. At the back, a subtle lip spoiler recalls the current M3’s proportions, though BMW is clearly working hard to keep the final design under wraps.

Big Shoes, Bigger Tires

The EV M3 doesn’t ride on dainty eco-rubber. Earlier prototypes were seen with Michelin Pilot Sport 5s, mounted on 20-inch rear wheels. Behind them lurk massive brakes—another reminder that this isn’t a softened i4 M50 but a purpose-built M car. Flared fenders and a hunkered stance further confirm it. Don’t let the bulky test bumpers fool you; the finished product will be sleeker and more aggressive.

The Twin Futures of the M3

For those who can’t stomach an M3 without a straight-six, relief is coming in the form of the G84, due around 2028. It’ll carry a reworked version of the S58 inline-six with mild-hybrid tech to meet emissions rules. Word is it’ll be xDrive only, automatic only, and potentially the last combustion-powered M3 ever. That makes today’s G80—with its six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive—the final bastion for purists. Buy now, or forever hold your peace.

Why This Matters

BMW’s M division has always prided itself on adapting—whether it was turbocharging in the F80 era or all-wheel drive in today’s G80. The jump to electric power is simply the next evolution. If ZA0 can deliver the response, balance, and driver engagement that define an M3, then history won’t repeat—it’ll recharge.

One thing is clear: the M3’s DNA isn’t going away. It’s just learning to hum instead of roar.

Source: BMWBlog