There have been many reviews of the now-top spec 435i, but very few, if none, of the smaller 428i, which makes up the bottom of the range for BMW’s US customers. However, don't think that it’s not worth considering, because with 240 hp and zero to sixty in 5.7 seconds, it’s far from being a slouch.
You will miss the creamy sound and power delivery of the bigger six-cylinder engine, but as CNET’s Brian Cooley finds out, there’s still a lot to like, though you do still need to tick a lot of options boxes to get the full experience.
I wonder if anybody will actually buy one of these with no options, have it a stripped out as possible and with a manual gearbox, with the only extra needing to be added being the excellent M steering wheel? Probably very few.
The appeal for a car equipped in that way is further dulled by multiple reports that newer BMWs have lost the sharp sporty edge to a degree, and while they are still satisfying to drive briskly, the driver satisfaction factor has gone down.
Check out the full review, in video form, after the virtual jump.
When it snows, people tend to “forget” to clean snow off their cars, with many of them thinking it’s perfectly normal to drive around with half a meter of snow on the roof of the car. Well, it’s not normal at all, it’s disrespectful to the other drivers and just plain dangerous, as it affects visibility.
As you can imagine, cars driving around while covered with snow are a frequent sight in Russia, and they cause their fair share of accidents. So what can people do to avoid that from happening?
Well, an example can be seen in the video posted below, where a motorist takes the matter into his own hands when he sees that the car in front has its taillights completely covered by snow.
The video may start exactly like a classic Russian dash cam crash incident, but if you are patient (for about 40 seconds or so), you’ll discover that it's actually funny.
The Volkswagen Polo may have sufferedvery discreet styling changes for its first facelift, but the supermini’s traditional shape hides many mechanical and technological updates.
The restyled Polo features new Euro6 engines, as well as infotainment and assistance systems trickled down from the larger VW Golf. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System is offered as standard, while other technologies, including the Driver Alert System, Front Assist with City Emergency Braking and Automatic Cruise Control are offered optionally.
There's also the optional Sport Select suspension and the new electro-mechanical steering system and the modular infotainment system.
Find out what other new features the VW Polo brings from an official video featuring product chief Christoph Ehmen.
Eco-friendly cars come in many different shapes and sizes nowadays, and the new Elio Motors P4 is at the ultralight, but conventional end of the spectrum, even with the tandem two-seater arrangement. Set for a 2015 launch, the model now has over 8,000 reservations displayed on the manufacturer’s home page.
Its appeal is not solely reliant on its ultra-efficient running base idea, but also its low acquisition price – it will start at $6,800.
Its makers claim it will be able to top 84 mpg US on the highway, which equates to 100.9 mpg UK or 2.8 l/100km; city driving will bring that down to 49 mpg US or 58.9 mpg UK/4.8 l/100 km. The engine that powers it is a straight-three of naught point nine (0.9) liters capacity with 55 hp and the gearbox has five speeds and can either shift itself or with human input.
The problem of safety was a key concern throughout the development process and the Elio is expected to achieve a maximum rating when it goes through testing. If it does go through the whole battery of tests, one imagines it will do really well in the small overlap crash situation, which will just shave off its left tire and completely avoid the fuselage-like body.
As its name suggests, the P4 is the fourth prototype and by far the most modern and best looking to date. It even has something akin to a proper interior, though those early 1990s Honda gauges have really got to go before this hits production and be replaced by liquid crystals or diodes.
Check it out in the gallery and videos posted below.
This has to be one of the most unusual ideas we’ve seen lately: Mercedes-AMG and the Destroy vs. Beauty clothing line have decided that burnouts – more specifically, the shape left by rubber on the asphalt – have something artsy about them.
The two partners say each burnout is unique and thus worthy of being printed on fashion items. Participants at the AMG Driving Academy use AMG vehicles to perform the burnouts, which are reproduced with the help of a special material that goes under the rear wheels. The burnout prints are then used to adorn handbags and T-shirts.
The products can be then purchased at selected AMG Driving Academy events and will also be available in the AMG Showroom in Affalterbach soon. Confused? Well, scroll down to see what this is all about in the video demonstration with a Mercedes CLS 63 AMG.
The original BMW M6 (sold as the M635 CSi in Europe) was the range-topping model of the 6-Series E24. Built between 1983 and 1989, it’s one of the most iconic BMWs: the shark nose, perfect proportions and sweet straight-six engine make it one of the most desirable BMW models ever made.
Obviously, the E24 BMW M6 you want are from the last years of production, such as this 1989 BMW M6 on eBay. The seller says the car is in “overall very good condition” and the photos seem to support his statement.
The car is described as mechanically sound (check the video posted below to hear the engine) and rust free, with all chrome having a matt finish. The interior appears to be in pretty good condition as well, except for a tear in the left rear seat and a small crack on dash. The rest of the car’s original M cloth upholstery is said to be in great shape.
The engine is a 3.5-liter S38B35 six-cylinder unit developing 256 horsepower, 26 hp less than the Euro-spec model because of the catalytic converter. Still, it’s a fast car even for today’s standards, covering the 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint in around 6.8 seconds.
The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, and the car features new cross drilled brake rotors with Pagid Ceramic brake pads, new H&R sport springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, 18-inch AC Schnitzer alloy wheels by OZ Racing and more.
The odometer reads 70,306 miles (113,146 km), so this BMW M6 should provide many years of joy to its future owner. Bidding last time we checked was at $17,900 (€13,250).
