bmw

Alpine supplies tech to OEMs

Alpine announced partnerships with GM, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The maker of car audio equipment will be supplying technology to the three OEMs in three very different ways.

Starting with the most robust system, Alpine Electronics of America announced it is supplying head units to a global Mercedes-Benz program. Alpine head units are now available as standard, midlevel and premium equipment on the Mercedes-Benz SLK, SL, E-Class, CLS, A-Class, B-Class, M-Class, R-Class, GL, and G-Class vehicles in North America, Europe, Japan, China, Russia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

The premium system, on display at the 2009 … Read more

2010 BMW Z4 (photos)

BMW gives the Z4 roadster a substantial update for the 2010 model year, with many components borrowed from other models. The cloth top is gone, replaced by a retractable hard top. New engine choices are available, as well as some impressive performance components taken from the M3. We particularly like the exterior styling, a big improvement over the previous slab-sided beast.

See photos of 2010 BMW Z4 at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

More 2009 Detroit Auto Show coverage.

2008 Car Tech Awards: And the winner is...

CNET Tech Car of the Year for 2008

2009 Nissan GT-R

In December we invited you to vote for the 2008 Tech Car of the Year from our five nominees. Well, no upset this year, as our staff judges agreed with the voting public: the 2009 Nissan GT-R is our Tech Car of the Year. Nissan has been putting top-notch cabin tech into its Infiniti models, and applied the same gear to the GT-R. But that's only the beginning, as you can almost feel the circuitry running through the GT-R's advanced suspensions and road-holding systems. Likewise, the engine is a pretty impressive piece of engineering, bringing in supercar acceleration from a V-6, not to mention the new double-clutch gearbox.

The GT-R has some faults, such as the overly stiff ride, which isn't really mitigated by the Comfort setting for the suspension. And we had some staff disagreement about that double-clutch gearbox: Brian Cooley found problems with using it in traffic, while Wayne Cunningham felt it worked very smoothly. But we couldn't deny the tech tour de force that the Nissan GT-R represents.

… Read more

Chrysler: America's Bimmer, Benz?

DETROIT -- If Chrysler LLC can survive its financial crisis, it will emerge as a boutique enterprise along the lines of Germany's premium carmakers, co-President Jim Press said in an interview last week.

He suggested that Chrysler could show the way to a sustainable model for a smaller U.S. auto industry.

"If there's one company in America that can build high-craftsmanship, innovative vehicles, it's Chrysler," Press said.

Chrysler will build vehicles that have premium features but are affordable to consumers. Press said the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup signals the company's direction.

"… Read more

December: A great time for fast cars. No, really.

As I write this, the temperature in the City of New York hovers around freezing, though it's expected to be warmer and wetter by the time this post gets published. Not the right conditions for high-performance driving, to be sure, but that won't stop enthusiasts from planning for better weather.

Eager drivers in the area have several new options since this time last year. The Monticello Motor Club, for example, is a 4.1-mile racetrack (a road course, of course, not a mere oval track) that opened last July in Monticello, NY. It's just 90 minutes by … Read more

New BMW Z4 revealed

BMW has released details and photos of its upcoming refresh of the Z4 Roadster, which is scheduled to bow at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

The latest victim of BMW's awkward naming scheme, the Z4 sDrive30i features the same 3.0-liter, inline-six engine as the current model, outputting the same 255 horsepower. The more powerful Z4 sDrive35i uses twin turbochargers and direct injection to breathe 45 more ponies into the same 3.0-liter block for a total of 300 horsepower. Connecting the engine to the wheels is a six-speed manual transmission or, in the case of the Z4 sDrive35i, … Read more

Vote for the 2008 Tech Car of the Year

As the year winds down, we look back at the cars we've reviewed in 2008, and try to figure out which one qualifies as the Tech Car of the Year. To that end, our staff has boiled the choices down to five nominees, and, as in past years, you can vote for your favorite. These nominees represent the best cabin and performance tech available in a production car today. To make the list, they also have to exhibit at least one over-the-top tech feature. Check out the nominees, vote in our poll, and discuss your choice. The final winner … Read more

Microsoft's Surface to drive BMW customization

BMW has been among the leaders in high-tech car innovation, occasionally even jumping too far ahead of what its older customers preferred to use.

So it should be no surprise that the German carmaker wants to lure in potential customers with another cool high-tech tool.

The BMW Product Navigator, which employs Microsoft's Surface computer, lets potential customers hand-pick options, then see a computer-generated video of their future car in action.

By placing mini discs on the computer table, customers at dealerships can add features like wheels in designing their customized BMW. Users can also use Microsoft's multitouch Surface … Read more

Video: 2009 BMW 335d

BMW's not real big on hybrids. The company is willing to wager its bread-and-butter car in a diesel bet. Brian Cooley takes a look at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

See all coverage of the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.