February 2013 ~ Autooonline Magazine

2/10/13

BMW M8 Supercar

2/10/2013 BMW, BMW 8-SERIES, BMW i8, BMW M, bmw m1, BMW M8, BMW M8 Supercar, m1, REPORTS, super car, supercar No comments

In fact the M1, which was produced for BMW by Lamborghini between 1978 and 1981 in just 456 units, is still the only supercar and, at the same time, the sole mid-engined model to sport the blue propeller.

This may change if M division boss Friedrich Nitschke gets his way. According to Car magazine, Nitschke has proposed a new supercar that will be based on the underpinnings of the upcoming i8 hybrid coupe.

The i8, which will go on sale next year, is powered by a mid-mounted 1.5-liter three-cylinder that drives the rear wheels and an electric motor powering the front ones, for a combined output of 349HP and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.6 seconds.

That’s quick but hardly supercar material. For the proposed M8, the four-cylinder would be replaced by a twin-turbocharged V8 with around 600HP. The M8 would lose the i8’s batteries and electric motor and, with it, 200 kg (441 lbs) from the hybrid’s 1,480 kg (3,263 lbs) weight, and thus it would be significantly lighter than rivals such as the 1,458 kg Ferrari 458 Italia.

Way back in the 1990s, another proposal for M8, based on the 8-Series and powered by the same V12 used in the McLaren F1, never made it past the prototype stage. Four years ago, BMW unveiled the M1 Concept (pictured above) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original; despite rumors to the contrary, it remained just a concept. Here’s hoping that the third time will be a charm…

BMW 3-Series GT

2/10/2013 : BMW, BMW GT, BMW 3 SERIES, BMW 3-Series GT, GALLERIES, GENEVA MOTOR SHOW, NEW CARS 1 comment

The 3-Series GT adopts the two-piece tailgate design that debuted in the 5GT, admittedly managing to make it look less ungainly. According to info from British publication Autocar, the changes made by BMW's designers and engineers are more than skin-deep.

That’s because the GT is around 200 mm longer than the 3-Series Touring on which it is based, with 110 mm of that increase being accounted for by the stretched wheelbase. It’s also around 80 mm taller and 20 mm wider measuring 1,510 and 1,830 mm in height and width respectively and its 520-lt trunk is 20 lt larger than the Touring’s (with the rear seats up).

The bigger dimensions will offer a more spacious cabin. According to insider info, the rear-seat passengers will have as much as 70 mm extra legroom at their disposal, while the driving position has been elevated by 60 mm to increase visibility.

Although we’ll have to wait for the official announcement for the full engine line-up, we anticipate that it will mirror that of the existing 3-series versions with a wide range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines combined with six-speed manual or 8-speed auto transmissions and rear- or all-wheel drive.

Audi TT Black Edition

2/10/2013 Audi, Audi TT, Audi TT Black Edition, Coupe, NEW CARS, Roadster, tt, UK No comments

Prices for the TT Coupe and Roadster Black Edition Amplified Black range from £31,365 OTR to £36,360 OTR.

The optional package costs £700 and it includes a choice of four metallic or pearl effect colours named Glacier White, Misano Red, Daytona Grey or Samoa Orange, and if the latter is chosen, the interior inlays are finished in the same shade, while in all other cases, inlays are in matt brushed aluminium.

Also included in the Amplified Black package is a black-finished front lip spoiler, black door mirror housings, black TT RS-style fixed rear spoiler, black 19-inch ‘Rotor’ design alloy wheels, a black diffuser insert and blacked out exhaust tailpipes.

Two engines are available with the double black package, the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol with 211PS linked to either front-wheel-drive or quattro all-wheel-drive and the 2.0-litre TDI with 170PS mated to quattro drive only.