Behind the Scenes with Seth Thomas
Behind the Scenes with Seth Thomas While most people are enjoying the holidays, BimmerWorld driver, Seth Thomas, is ready for the 2007 racing season to begin. Thomas hopes to win his first driver's title in the Speed World Challenge Touring Series in his BimmerWorld BMW E90 325i. In 2006, BimmerWorld was the only team to run the new E90 chassis and they spent a great deal of time testing and developing the car. Although they encountered many gremlins along the way, Thomas finished 12th overall in driver's points in his #38 BimmerWorld Performance Friction BMW 325i. Thomas is a natural on the track and he certainly has what it takes to help BMW reclaim the manufacturer's title. While competitive, his laid back personality and great sense of humor makes him popular in the paddock. I stopped by Seth's home town of Cumming, GA to learn more about this young energetic driver.
Spies first to break real images of the new BMW 5-Series
While Daimler-Chrysler has already launched a restyled Mercedes E Class, BMW's facelifted 5-Series and M5 are scheduled for released in spring 2007 only.
Here are for the first time photos showing undisguised prototypes of the facelifted 5-Series during a test drive in Munich. One photo is showing the remodeled M5 with different air intakes in the front skirt, different headlights and upgraded dashboard and interior design. The remaining photos show the standard 5-series, which is also getting new air intakes in the front skirt and a smoother rear skirt and a new automatic shift lever.
Photos include:
1 photo (1296H1) of the restyled M5.
3 photos of the restyled standard 5-Series.
2 photos of the interior and dashboard.
2008 BMW V-10 M6 Cabriolet Convertible, 500-hp
It's possibly my favorite car because it makes so much sense. I am still amazed at the lack of hype this vehicle receives. The V10 BMW M6 is a car overlooked by many because buyers often prefer the BMW M3 or the M5 and are not aware of its existence. FYI, BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke or Bavarian Motor Works in English. Many owners are too lazy to Google the acronym and find out what they're actually driving so now there's no excuse. Okay, back to the car. The BMW M6 (convertible included) is a four seater, although it's not built for full size humans (backseat), it owns the Mercedes SL and other contenders in the room category.
The V10, 5.0-liter BMW M6 droptop packs 500-hp and it also has the convenient seven-speed sequential manual gearbox also known as SMG.
Top Gear: Chrysler 300C SRT8 vs BMW M5
Top Gear took the Chrysler 300C SRT8 and raced it against a BMW M5 E60. The Chrysler 300C SRT8 is based on an old Mercedes E-Class and has a 6.1 liter V8 engine that produces 425 horsepower. It costs much less than a BMW M5 but can it hold up to the big beast that has 2 more liters? Watch the quarter mile drag race between the Chrysler 300C SRT8 and BMW M5. Read Article .
Aussies developed BMW with a bed
Why not? In Australia, Ford sells the F6 Tornado, Pursuit and Super Pursuit under the Ford Performance Vehicle (FPV) banner, hauling ass as well as anything else. BMW doesn't offer anything even close, so what is a Bimmer enthusiast to do when he has to stop at The Home Depot for garden supplies? Certainly not put them in the X5!
There is always someone out there who solves problems such as this before they actually become an issue. In this case, a bloke named POWERCHIP from the M5Board has taken a BMW E39 M5 and is converting it into what he calls the M5 UTE. It seems that after talking to Shane from Southern Rod and Custom in New South Wales Australia it looked like his dream car might just come true.
The yearlong transformation of this great sedan into the M5 UTE is truly amazing.
2005 Chevrolet Aveo SVM (Special Value Model) from North America
"So you're telling us all that BMWs, Jaguars and the rest are CHEAP to maintain in Europe, but not in America? And I guess you forgot the part where BMW gave the South Carolina state police an M5, but why would you want to research anything."
I didn't say that European cars were cheap to maintain in Europe. I'm sure they're not cheap to maintain anywhere! I think that (and this is a supposition on my part) owners of European cars here in the U.S. likely pay more for parts and service than those who live in Europe. The fact remains that American cars as a rule are cheaper and easier to service than European cars. As for the BMW's in South Carolina, I must humbly admit that I did not know about that. I found your comment on that intriguing, that is before I was annoyed by your sarcasm.
BMW M6 Coupe defies the laws of friction
Bayerische Motoren Werke really didn't have to build the new M6. The in-house performance elves at its M subsidiary already have a full cupboard of "M'm! M'm! Good!" versions of the 3 coupe and Convertible, Z4 Roadster and Coupe and, up until now, the ultimate M car: the 5 sedan-based M5.
As the cooking 6 Coupe is based on the standard 5 sedan, the M6 is fashioned from the oily (and not so oily) bits of the M5 uber-sedan.
There's the same 500-horsepower, 360-pound-feet-of-torque V-10 engine that revs like the Formula One engine that inspired it. There's the same no-clutch-pedal, seven-speed sequential manual transmission and gear ratios and the same all-aluminum suspension that reads the tarmac better than a road's scholar.
So, then, why a hyper-performance version of what most critics would already agree is a very nice performing car in the grand touring 650i Coupe? And what delicacies does the two-door M6 bring to the driving enthusiast's table that the four-door M5 hasn't already delivered beyond the all-too-obvious coupe form?
Like the M5, once you and a friend (you really wouldn't put anyone you care for in the back seats) are snuggly ensconced in the M6's generously wide cockpit, you're greeted with a similar variety of variable electronic doodads for the transmission, suspension and engine.
First Ford Shelby GT rolls off the line headed to Barrett-Jackson
We just told you about how "Hot Wheels" Amy Boylan has managed to turn Shelby Auto around, and here is one of the fruits of her labor: The first production 2007 Ford Shelby GT. As we told you a while ago, the Ford Shelby GT is essentially the consumer version of the rental-fleet-only Shelby GT-H. It will be the third Mustang in the Shelby Mustang family along with the Hertz edition and the 500-horsepower Ford Shelby GT500. And this newest Shelby 'Stang is set to follow in their footsteps. This first GT, CSM No. 07SGT0001 will follow its big brother GT500, by crossing the block at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Event on Saturday, January 20th. Just like the GT500, all the proceeds will go to the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation. In case you don't remember, that first GT500 sold for $600,000 back in January.
Production Dodge Avenger shows up online
Upon first seeing the Dodge Avenger Concept ahead of the Paris Motor Show this year, the first thing we wondered was how this design would translate into a production model. The concept was equal parts flash and production ready pieces, so we couldn't say for certain what the car would look like without the show trim and large wheels. Now we know. A pair of shots showing a preproduction version of the Dodge Avenger was posted by Auto Motor und Sport today, and for the most part the underlying design of the concept car is present. Of course, without the deep front chin spoiler, faux rear air diffuser, deck spoiler and bold five-spoke wheels the production car looks rather tame. The big fender bulges, however, escaped from the cutting room floor in tact. We've said in the past based on our viewing of the Avenger Concept that we liked the styling more than the Chrsyler Sebring, and that's still our stand, however those fender flares are going to make most wheel/tire combos look puny and the upkink in the window line near the C-pillar looks like it will create a sense of claustraphobia for rear seat passengers.
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