2014 Bmw 3-series on 2040-cars

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BMW broadens engine bolt recall to nearly half-million cars worldwide

Almost one month ago, we reported on a BMW investigation into a potentially defective bolt that lived in the company's VANOS variable valve timing system. At that point, the potential recall was seemingly limited to Chinese-market cars; the company was filing a recall application with Chinese officials.
Today, Bloomberg is reporting that the engine bolt issue has expanded into a recall for several world markets, involving some 489,000 vehicles. BMW was able to verify that report to Autoblog, while also providing a great deal more detail about the issue and vehicles affected.
The recall affects vehicles powered by N55 inline six-cylinder gasoline engines equipped with VANOS and Valvetronic technologies. 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series and 5 Series Gran Turismo, X3, X5, X6 and Z4 models from the 2010 to 2012 model years are included, as is the 2012 6 Series.

BMW may be planning AMG Black Series competitors

Word has it BMW has its heart set on giving the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series a run for its money in the US. According to BimmerBoost.com, the German automaker has been making more and more noise about offering a number of specialty models aimed specifically at enthusiasts. While at the Detroit Auto Show this year, the BMW PR machine revealed 2013 will be "an interesting year" and that buyers can expect one or two products aimed specifically at swiping buyers from the clutches of the C63 AMG Black Series. The news came courtesy of Automobile writer Marc Noordeloos' Twitter machine.
Noordeloos reportedly interviewed several executives familiar with the M models while in Detroit, and says the M division would like to offer hardware like the M3 CSL, GTS or CRT to buyers here in the States. That sounds great to us, but saying something doesn't make it true, and manufacturers rarely find it in their hearts to bring money-losing machines to our green shores. Still, that won't stop us from crossing our fingers.

2014 BMW 328i xDrive Gran Turismo

"The Ultimate Driving Machine" has been BMW's tagline for nearly 40 years. Launched in the 1970s, the marketing campaign was a stroke of genius by ad firm Ammirati & Puris, as the phrase helped differentiate the imported Bavarian cars from their fellow European rivals by subtly pointing out that Mercedes-Benz and Audi were offering luxury models, while BMW was selling sporty and youthful driving dynamics. The campaign worked - some would argue that stands among the most effective ad campaigns ever - and countless Baby Boomers embraced the brand's fun-to-drive image by taking delivery of the company's new models.
BMW still boasts that its vehicles are "The Ultimate Driving Machine" four decades later, but the brand is very different today. It offered just a few model lines in the mid-1970s, and only a handful of vehicles within. In 2014, the automaker offers an exhaustive range comprised of nearly a dozen lines with almost 50 different models. To survive and thrive, BMW has decided it must massively broaden its appeal.
One of the latest arrivals to BMW's ever-growing stable is the 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo. The five-door hatchback is best thought of as a smaller version of the company's 5 Series Gran Turismo built on stretched 3 Series platform that, in the case of this test car, shares the running gear of the 328i xDrive sedan. On paper, the five-passenger vehicle checks all the proper boxes with regards to performance, utility and economy. But does this family-focused 3 Series still deliver driving dynamics that qualify it for the title of Ultimate Driving Machine?