Ordinary Guy. Super cars
The BMW 8 Series is making a triumphant return to our roads after a two decade holiday. We knew it was coming and like all modern launches, seemed to go on forever. The M8 race car made its debut before the road. That might seem odd, but this new car is a big deal for BMW. As you’ll see, both the launch models are M Performance cars, so there’s bound to be more on the way. BMW 8 Series The new car, first showed concept form at the Concours D’Eleganza Villa…
Read MoreThe BMW X2 is fine looking compact crossover (or SUV, if you will), taking on the likes of Audi’s Q2. BMW X2 sDrive 20i The BMW X2 is one of those cars that leaps out at you. It has the profile and stance of a paper plane laid carefully on a bench top but is actually a high-ish riding crossover. Built as part of BMW’s pincer movement on the compact SUV segment, it supplements the X1 in this wildly popular part of the market. The sDrive 20i is a front-wheel…
Read MoreThe dust has barely settled on the new BMW M5’s launch, but Bavaria has already delivered the M5 Competition. Unlike previous years, this isn’t a pack – the M5 Competition is a model in its own right, just like the M2 Competition. The new beastie features more power, torque across a slightly wider rev band and a host of detail changes. Engine and Transmission The M5 Competition features the same 4.4-litre V8 but with 460kW (625PS). That’s 19kW (26PS) up on the standard car. The 750Nm torque figures stays the…
Read MoreBMW’s M2 Competition is here and it’s probably more than we could hope for. BMW M2 Competition No sooner had BMW’s rip-snorting M2 hit the roads we wondered what it would be like if it was closer to the M4 spec. As the bigger M3/M4 reaches the end of its life, BMW faces a bit of a hole in the go-fast line-up. Whenever a new 3 launches, the variants take a while to trickle through, the Ms coming close to last. So, as the M4 and M3 CS takes the…
Read MoreSteve Wakeford is a member of The Redline team and this is the first of his column, Second Opinion. Now that the 1 Series M is no longer with us (a moment’s silence, please…thank you), BMW has decided that the recipe was worth repeating. And that’s a good thing. Actually, it’s a very good thing. Not a lot more than an M140i gets you entry into the wonderful world of proper ‘M’ BMWs – and when you consider what else you can get for that sort of money, the M2…
Read MoreI’ve been wanting to a M140i vs M2 comparison even since Munich’s riotous two-door joined the range a couple of years ago. The M2 is an absolute rocket and its ever-so-slight change in chassis philosophy made it a barrel of laughs the M4 never quite was. Until the M4 CS, of course. We’re still rubbing our hands in anticipation of the M3 CS. M140i vs M2 The BMW M140i is a bit of an unsung hero in the range. Idiots sniff at it not being a “real M car” –…
Read MoreThe BMW M4 CS is exactly what the M4 needs to be. I need to take you on a little journey here. Just a short one, don’t worry. Some years ago, BMW released the M4, which replaced the M3, which itself was replaced by the sedan-only M3. The M4 replaced the V8 M3 Coupe which was a cracker of a car. High revving, naturally-aspirated and if you chose, a bit of luxury. And it looked amazing in the right colour and with the right wheels. There wasn’t a lot wrong…
Read MoreThe BMW X4 is about to metamorphose into its second generation and like its family-focussed X3 brother, there’s an X4 M40i and M40d on the way. BMW has released the “all-new” X4 which often means a new set of lights and extra equipment. Not this time, it really is substantially new. It’s lighter, has a lower centre of gravity and now has two performance variants. The new X4 shares much of its front end of the X3 but goes all swoopy out back, mirroring the relationship between the X5 and…
Read MoreThe 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour was a classic race, which given the event’s ability to serve up surprises, is certainly saying something. The Redline was given access to the Steve Richards Motorsport (SRM) team garage and we watched the race unfold, starting on Saturday afternoon and concluding at the race’s end on Sunday. Disqualified from Qualifying We arrived at possibly the most awkward moment you might imagine – in the lull between qualifying and the Top Ten Shootout, the SRM #100 car was excluded. A discrepancy in the boost pressures…
Read MoreOkay, yes, that’s a weird headline and it does feel a little like BMW M5 day here at The Redline given this morning’s M5 drifting-related news. But I quite liked this story for two reasons. I like BMW M5s I like Heritage Fleets Heritage fleets aren’t anything new. I was lucky enough to visit the Ford Heritage Collection in January 2017 and oh my giddy aunt, I thought I was going to pass out I had so much fun. The Ford fleet is packed full of goodies, right from the Model…
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