bmw

Jeff Koons' Art Car to race 24 Hours of Le Mans

BMW announced on Monday that the 17th Art Car created by Jeff Koons will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, June 12-13, 2010.

Koons, who is most known for his public sculptures and whimsical themes, will transform a BMW M3 GT2 into a burst of color.

The Koons art car will carry on a long-standing tradition of famous artists, including Lichtenstein and Warhol, who have used BMWs as canvasses since the 1970s.

Koons has been traveling back and forth to Germany since February to work on the 17th BMW Art Car. The artist has worked with … Read more

Poll: Best car from New York?

New York is the last major auto show of the season, and most automakers have already launched new models and concepts in Europe, Los Angeles, and Detroit, leaving little for the Big Apple. But a few automakers, notably Hyundai, hold back, using this otherwise quiet show to stand out from the crowd, and other automakers show off either cars that will play well in New York or special trim levels.

We went through our coverage from the show and found eight significant new cars. With a couple of exceptions, these cars are not particularly sporty or luxurious, tending more to the affordable and practical, the kinds of cars that actually make sense for a daily commute.

Check out the cars and vote for your favorite. … Read more

Europeans consider luxury small cars for U.S.

NEW YORK--U.S. leaders of Europe's luxury brands say the time may be right to offer premium-badged small cars here.

BMW is considering selling a front-drive car slotted below the 1 series in this country. Mercedes may offer its next-generation B class in the United States.

Audi and Volvo say they're watching the trends and considering similar vehicles.

The small BMW has been approved for production, although timing is unclear. It will break from the company's rear-drive tradition by sharing a platform with the front-drive Mini.

"We have a couple of challenges in front of us,&… Read more

BMW brings back the is

NEW YORK--For years, BMW designated sportier versions of its 3-series with the "is" suffix. That designation returned with the Z4 sDrive35is earlier this year, and comes back to the 3-series as the 335is at the 2010 New York auto show. The 335is gives BMW buyers an option for a sportier car than the standard 335i without going all the way up to an M3.

Rather than fit the 335i with a bigger engine, as with the M3, BMW tuned the engine software for more output, increasing horsepower from 300 to 320. Similarly, torque is increased from 300 to … Read more

'Top Gear' questions Prius eco-friendliness

I had a few ideas about how to end this week's look at the Toyota Prius. I could have continued presenting videos on the many neat features that Toyota is pioneering with the Prius. Usually on Fridays, I like to bring something a little more entertaining to the table, so I decided against that approach and came up with a video that I didn't know existed.

Most media reports praise the Prius and tend to proclaim Toyota's hybrid car flag-bearer as the most eco-friendly and economical car that money can buy. But Jeremy Clarkson, star of the … Read more

In Europe, the hybrids are coming

GENEVA--As hybrids gained ascendancy in the U.S., Europe showed little interest, with diesels proving more popular. But if the 2010 Geneva auto show is any indication, that preference is about to change.

Toyota showed two hatchback hybrids, one under its own brand and one as a Lexus, with both building on the successful Prius power train. BMW and Audi both showed luxury hybrid sedans as concepts, with feature lists that show them ready for production, and Volkswagen announced a hybrid version of its Touareg SUV.

Chevrolet is growing its presence, and brought its Volt to the show, while Opel'… Read more

Group promotes savings with open-source software

For about a year, a group of heavyweight automotive and technology companies has been working on a way to hasten development of in-vehicle entertainment systems. Their solution: share basic software development using the open-source Linux operating system.

Among the nearly 50 members of the group, called the Genivi Alliance, are automakers General Motors, BMW AG, Nissan Motor, and, as of February 17, Renault SA. Suppliers include Visteon, Delphi Automotive, and Continental AG.

The Genivi (pronounced jah-NEE-vee) Alliance is focusing on developing "middleware"--the layer of software that allows various kinds of information and entertainment applications to work together … Read more

The 2010 Audi Ice Driving Experience event

So recently we've gotten a look at BMW's xDrive all-wheel traction control system, both in theory and in action. Not surprisingly, German manufacturer Audi thinks its vehicles run and handle better on snowy and icy roads to the point that the company is hosting an event known as the Audi Ice Experience; it's a racing-track-based high-performance practical driving education event that's been around for more than 20 years now. And today we've got video from the most recent Experience held this year in Finland.

The Audi Ice Experience is a winter-specific course that is usually … Read more

A closer look at BMW xDrive technology

All-wheel traction control systems can make a trip on snowy and icy roads an easier time on you and your car. On Monday we got a brief glimpse of the innovative BMW xDrive traction system in action, and in today's video blog we dive into the deeper details of the technology involved and how BMW xDrive works.

For those of you just joining the conversation, BMW's xDrive is an "intelligent" electrical all-wheel traction control system that through Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) sensors can redistribute power between the axles depending on what is felt on existing road … Read more

A look at BMW xDrive

I was on the phone with my mom yesterday, and she was telling me that she made the trek from Ohio to New Jersey to visit my brother. Apparently, she was not aware that the East Coast was about to get hit again with yet another blast of snow, and according to Mommy Dearest, Jersey got smacked with 20 or so inches in this latest winter storm, and they had to drive through it. (No offense, Mom, but better you than me).

Even though it's technically March now, Old Man Winter has still got a lot of the U.… Read more