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BMW’s F15 X5 M50d is an impressive machine – and you can now buy a decent example for just £25,000. Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various A proper Marmite car, BMW’s X5 M50d certainly divides opinion. But there’s no doubt it’s a seriously capable and sophisticated bit of kit. The car’s triple-turbo diesel six-pot produces 375hp and 546lb ft, enabling it to smash the 0-62mph dash in just 5.3-seconds.
With a screaming 5.0-litre V10 under the bonnet and room for the family, the E60 M5 is just about the most insane super saloon money can buy. It's not a sensible purchase, and a bad one could break you, but it's an incredibly special car and one that's well worth experiencing at least once in your life. Words: Elizabeth de Latour Photos: Matt Richardson The V10 Super saloon profiledE60 M5 An in-depth look at the sensational V10 saloon.
So it’s finally arrived, the third car to bear those hallowed letters – CSL. Unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este the G82 M4 CSL will no doubt be quite the performer but I can’t help but feel a trifle conflicted about the car. On the one hand I’m delighted that BMW is still prepared to put the effort into producing halo machines like this but I’m not quite sure that its execution is as good as it could have been.
This month we examine the issues surrounding Piezo Injectors on BMW's N43, N53 and N54 engines. Words & Photography: Andrew Everett Ahot topic at the moment is that of the infamous Siemens VDO Piezo injectors fitted to direct injection BMW engines (and others) since late 2007 – these will be the four-cylinder N43 1.6 and 2.0 engines, the six-cylinder N53 and the N54 twin turbo six that arrived in late-2006 as the first proper direct injection BMW engines.
Can a car with the status of the McLaren F1 really be considered a giant-killer? Yes it can, when you consider the circumstances it was born into. The supercar wars raged throughout the Eighties, fuelled by the demands of wealthy market speculators who often traded their appreciating-asset supercars without actually driving them. But the cars needed credible high performance, so the technology came straight from the track.
Adam and his father Gordon are huge supporters of the E21. Adam bought his 1980 US-specification 320i in early 2019 – before he passed his driving test – and it proved the incentive he needed to grab his licence. Now 26 and 62 respectively, the father and son team are enjoying everything the classic BMW scene has to offer. Reader’s Rides“Scotland does have a classic car scene, it’s not easy to find what you’re looking for but this E21 turned up on eBay in storage 15- minutes from where we live.
The life and times of the second-generation BMW 3-Series, a car which single-handedly invented the market we named after it. Words: Andrew Everett 40 YEARS OF BMW’S E30 3-SERIES FACTS, FIGURES, HISTORYIt has been said of late that BMW as a company is in a tailspin, caught off-guard by Tesla and begging the question what exactly is a BMW these days and what exactly does it do?
Rapid, luxurious and economical, BMW’s F06 640d M Sport Gran Coupé is also great value. Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various Sleek, elegant and purposeful, BMW’s F06 Gran Coupé looks expensive, but you can now buy a decent 640d M Sport from as little as £13,000. More balanced than the 6 Series Coupé, and much more fun than a 5 Series, the 640d is both fast and frugal. It also sounds great (for an oil burner) and handles sweetly for such a large car.
Had BMW set out to create a superior mainstream hatchback from scratch, it would surely not have made such a poor fist of it as the Compact. A serious attempt at efficient packaging would have dictated a transverse engine and front-wheel drive. Back to basics, no less. Or forward to Rover. No, the Compact is the product of commercial opportunism, not mould-breaking design. In making a pig’s ear from a silk purse, BMW is guilty of regression, not advance.
I must admit that when it comes to art I’m no world authority on the subject. I like some, can take or leave plenty of it and also indulge in some serious head scratching trying to understand why some folk are prepared to pay so much for something that you couldn’t pay me to hang on my wall. I wouldn’t say I’m a philistine, just not an aficionado either.
BMW’s striking G29 Z4 M40i comfortably delivers M car performance with the reassurance of a manufacturer warranty. Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various. Market Watch BMW Z4 M40i G29MW’s G29 Z4 M40i is the nearest thing you can buy to a contemporary Z4M Roadster. And with M car performance, impressive handling, rakish good looks and a plush spec it delivers in all the key areas.
The dual-clutch was the technology that killed the flabby old torque converter auto, right? Not so fast, hoss. Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, or ZF to most of us, had other ideas. The company that was originally formed to produce gear wheels for Zeppelins developed a compact eight-speed transmission with four planetary gearsets, three clutches and two brakes that could shift gears in as little as 200 milliseconds with a beautifully oiled slickness that suddenly made DCTs seem clunky.
When the word ‘skunkworks’ is attached to a car, you know you’re in for something special. It usually means an engineering passion project too unorthodox for mainstream backing. And that’s the case with this week’s Cult Hero, the BMW Z3 M. “It’s an unbridled, rewarding and rare sports car that delivers an unforgettable drive.
Sports Saloon F30 335i M Sport Saloon Practical, fast, tuneable, and great to drive. This generation of BMW’s 335i is arguably the best – and it is affordable too... Six-cylinder petrol 3 Series have always held a bit of a soft spot in our hearts and the F30 in 335i guise is undoubtedly one of BMW’s finest. And in an era when diesel 3 Series started to predominate the 335i found itself a more exclusive choice, bought more by private buyers than fleet managers.
Market Watch Diminutive, but definitive, BMW’s seminal 2002tii Coupé is an appealingly affordable classic. Words: Guy Baker Photography: Various 2002tii Coupé Few classic cars are more recognizable than BMW’s ground-breaking 2002, and the 1971-1975 2002 tii Coupé is the best of the breed. Simple to look after and great fun to drive, the rear-wheel drive tii offers greater reliability than a 2002 Turbo – and far better value. With good examples guaranteed to appreciate.