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BMW 8 Series revival not coming anytime soon

If you thought the BMW Gran Lusso Coupe concept that was shown at Villa d'Este a few months back was a preview of a new BMW 8 Series, prepare to be disappointed. According to a report from the UK's Autocar, BMW officials have "rejected suggestions" that a production model based on the concept was coming. To be fair, though, would you expect them to just acknowledge it?
The Brits seem to be thinking the same, as the story went on to quote BMW research and development chief, Herbert Diess, who claimed, "We're looking into the possibility of production, but a decision is still a way off." Diess also points out that it's far too early for anything to be confirmed, seeing as how the concept only debuted about 10 weeks ago.
The well-received Gran Lusso was penned by Pininfarina and motivated by a brawny, twelve-cylinder engine. If it were to enter production, it'd likely sit at the top of BMW's gas-powered offerings, and would compete against the Mercedes-Benz CL AMG and Bentley Continental GT.

2014 BMW 2 Series configurator drifts online

Monday marked the official, live unveiling of the 2014 BMW 2 Series. Not a company to rest on its laurels, BMW has unveiled the online configurator for the replacement to the much-loved 1 Series. Potential customers can select from either the 228i or go all-out and get the M235i. We shouldn't have to explain which car we've been building all day.
As a recap, a base 228i starts at $32,100 not counting a $925 destination charge. It includes 240 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque and, when optioned with the six-speed manual rather than the eight-speed automatic, a perfect 50/50 weight distribution (the 8AT balances at 50.3 in front and 49.7 in back). The M235i, meanwhile, starts at $43,100 (although you can't actually buy one for that, because the configurator forces you into a $1,450 Dakota leather interior). It offers up significantly more grunt, with 320 hp and 320 lb-ft from its 3.0-liter, turbocharged straight six.
Click over to the configurator and play around.

BMW unveils 2016 X5 M and X6 M super CUVs

The second-generation BMW X5 M and X6 M have officially made their arrival for the speed-obsessed, crossover-loving masses that aren't willing to turn to Mercedes-AMG or Land Rover Special Operations.
While the new models retain their 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8s, power has increased from 555 horsepower to 567 ponies. Torque is up more significantly, climbing from 500 pound-feet to 553 pound-feet. The extra twist is slightly less accessible, with peak grunt arriving between 2,200 and 5,000 rpm, rather than the earlier model's 1,500 to 5,650. Still, we'll take the ten percent increase in torque as a net win.
The big powertrain switch sees the old X5/6 M's six-speed automatic replaced with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission from BMW M. This new gearbox feeds power to an xDrive all-wheel-drive system that can variably shuffle up to 100 percent of power to either axle. In conjunction with the force-induced thumper under the hood, this powertrain arrangement allows both M models to hit 60 miles per hour in just four seconds. That's a mightily impressive stat in a 5,000-plus-pound vehicle.