Tag Archives: video

VIDEO: The BMW R18 is One of the Coolest Motorcycles on the Road

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know the first thing about motorcycles. The extend of my motorcycle knowledge begins and ends with the fact that they have two wheels. When it comes to motoring, I much prefer doing it with four wheels. I have nothing against bikes, nor do I disagree with bikers that they provide a more visceral experience than cars. However, I’ve just never had the desire to ride them. Fear does come into play a bit but it’s not the main reason for my lack of interest. That said, there are some bikes that I just find to be icy-cool and the BMW R18 is one of them.

In this new video from Auto Trader UK, we see Rory Reid test out the new R18 and he shows off how BMW has made a German Harley-Davidson.

There are actually some bikes I like and they’re all vintage BMWs from the 1950s and 1960s. Which is why I think the R18 is so damn cool, as it looks like them. That’s no coincidence, as the BMW R18 was designed to look like those vintage bikes and its retro styling works.

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Most people associate BMW bikes with high-speed superbikes but the R18 is not such a bike. Instead, it uses a massive 1.8 liter (1,800 cc) V-twin engine, with a whopping 91 horsepower and 116 lb-ft of torque. Not only that but it makes a killer, smooth and sophisticated burble. It’s like a Harley with manners. Lovely.

It’s also a comfortable bike, with an ergonomic seating positing and comfortable seat. Though, its vibrating V-twin engine can cause some bum numbness over time. There’s also a curious lack of options for such an expensive bike. For instance, there’s no fuel gauge, which seems problematic, and no navigation, which is sort of odd for a cruiser. That said, the BMW R18 seems like an excellent, stylish cruising bike. Check it out.

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VIDEO: Joe Achilles tests Michelin Cup 2 Connect Tires on his BMW M2 Competition

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BMW M2 Competition test drive review 120BMW M2 Competition test drive review 120

Of all the BMWs on sale, the one most likely to see track duty is the M2 Competition. Sure, cars like the M340i and M5 are great on track but who is realistically going to take those cars to a track day? Very few. It’s the BMW M2 Competition that’s going to see track time. So if you’re an M2 Comp owner and want to have some fun in your car, you’re going to need the right tires. In this video from Joe Achilles, he tests out Michelin Cup 2 Connect tires on his very own M2 Comp on track.

Like all things in today’s world, the Michelin Cup 2 tires are connected tires, so they can connect to a mobile app that gives you a readout of what they’re doing. So, as you can see in Achilles’ video, you can have your mobile phone mounted somewhere in your car with the Michelin app up, as it displays all the necessary info about your tires. For instance, the app told him that three of his tires needed a bit of deflating before heading out on track. Also, the app gave him an exact tire temperature readout for each corner, allowing him to know when they were up to temperature enough to push them hard.

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As always, the BMW M2 Competition also looks like a riot on track. I’m personally jealous of Achilles, as he owns the M2 Comp, so he can track it whenever he wants. I have to wait until BMW press events. Still, the M2 Comp is a genuine riot on track, even though it’s scared the hell out of me a few times.

This video does show that tire technology can be extremely helpful for any enthusiast that actually wants to push their BMW on a track day and get the most performance out of it. So if you’re an M2 Competition owner and want to really see what your car can do, make sure you invest in the right tires.

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SPIED: BMW M4 Convertible Seen Testing at the Nurburgring

The BMW M4 Convertible is the only version of the M3/M4 left to be seen doing some camouflaged testing. We’ve already even seen the BMW M3 Touring, which was only announced five minutes ago. Yet we’ve seen very little of the M4 ‘Vert so far. Now, though, some new spy video has been released, showing off the upcoming G83 BMW M4 Convertible doing some top-up testing at the Nurburgring.

One of the first things you might notice is its roof. Like the standard 4 Series it’s based on, it obviously has a fabric roof, rather than a folding hard-top. This new roof will make the M4 lighter than a hard-top wood, while also lowering the center of gravity. After seeing the weight figures of the new M4, it can use all of the weight loss it can get.

Like the standard BMW M4, the M4 Convertible seems to handle pretty tidily around the ‘Ring. Its turn-in seems sharp enough and it looks like it’s well-balanced through the corners, without too much understeer. It also looks like it manages its weigh well, as it can change direction rather quickly for a heavy car.

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Oddly enough, the G83 BMW M4 Convertible is one of the new M models I’m most excited to drive, personally. Reason being is that the last M4 Convertible I drove was quite horrid, if I’m honest. The F82 BMW M4 was a great driving car, especially in Competition-spec. However, the last F83 M4 Convertible I drove was awful. Its chassis had the rigidity of soggy bread, which caused it to rattle and shake over anything but absolutely perfect roads, as well as flop around through corners. So I’m personally very curious to check this new G83 BMW M4 Convertible out to see if it’s improved.

Thankfully, BMW has improved significantly in that department. The BMW 8 Series and Z4 are both bank vault-solid, even with their folding soft-tops down. So hopefully that know-how translates over to the new BMW M4 Convertible, as the last one was just a stiff chassis away from being great.

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VIDEO: See How the New MINI Compares to a Classic Mini

MINI is brand that’s entirely retro. While some brands make a car or two as a throwback to classic cars (See: the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Alpine A110), the entire MINI brand is a throwback to the original Mini. After purchasing the rights to the Rover Group, BMW acquiring the Mini brand along with it. So the suits in Munich set out to revive the brand, with Chris Bangle as the Head of Design and Frank Stephenson as the lead designer on the new MINI.

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In terms of style, there’s not question that BMW and its design team knocked it out of the park, as the revived MINI was a perfect blend of modern/retro styling. However, how does it actually compare in terms of driving dynamics? After all, the classic Mini is known for being one of the most fun cars to ever hit the road.

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This new video from TFLC, we get this interesting comparison which shows off just how much has changed since the 1950s. Or the 1990s, for that matter, as the classic Mini was almost unchanged from its original design for over 40 years.

It’s an interesting video because it really shows off just how clever and unique a lot of the classic Mini’s design details were. It was a car developed out of necessity, so it’s actually quite ingenious. What’s fascinating about the new MINI, though, is that it not only kept a lot of the original car’s quirky attitude but was able to offer it at a more premium level. BMW what was thought to be impossible and that’s sell a compact car at a premium price and make it work.

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You can also see just how spacious both cars are on the inside. The new one is just as impressive as the old one, in that regard. Sure, the new car is much bigger but it’s still compact for modern cars and it also has to fit far, far more equipment. It has a much bigger, much more complicated engine, ten times the safety equipment, crash zones and airbags.

So when you consider what the new MINI needed to accomplish, its interior space, performance, handling and fun-to-drive is just as impressive as the old car’s and it’s hard to understand that until you see them back-to-back. Still, the classic Mini is the more enjoyable car to actually drive.

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VIDEO: E53 BMW X5-Designer Frank Stephenson Talks BMW 4 Series

Frank Stephenson is one of the more respected automotive designers in the industry and has penned some of the most iconic cars of the past few decades. For instance, the return of the MINI Cooper was his design, as was the original E53 BMW X5. He also penned the Ferrari F430, Maserati MC-12 and McLaren P1. So the man knows his way around a pen and paper. Which is why our interest is piqued when he starts talking about the new BMW 4 Series.

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Without question, the 4 Series is BMW’s most controversial design. Its new kidney grille is the most outlandish it’s ever done and it seems as if it was slapped on at the last second. It’s been called everything from interesting to flat-out ugly but I’m not sure there’s a single enthusiast that finds it pretty. So what does Stephenson, a life-long designer, have to say about the new design?

To be honest, he’s far more complimentary than a lot of other critics. He obviously doesn’t love the new grille but there’s actually a lot about the new 4er’s design that he likes. There’s also a lot that he doesn’t like, outside of the new grille. So it’s really interesting to hear a designer talk about what he thinks BMW got right and got wrong.

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For instance, he really likes the shape and the proportions of the car and thinks it looks good from the side. He also commends BMW for taking some risks at the back end of the car and reminds enthusiasts that stagnation is equal to death in the world of automotive design, so risks must be taken. At the front, it’s not all doom and gloom, either. Stephenson seems to appreciate the headlights quite a bit, claiming they have an almost sinister look.

Though, he does have some choice words about the grille. He’s not as harsh as others but he’s certainly confused by the choice to put such a grille on the 4 Series, especially when it’s so different looking than the rest of the car. Stephenson’s opinions are worth listening to, so check the video out.

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VIDEO: How to Upgrade Your F80 BMW M3 iDrive Screen

One of the pitfalls of buying an older car is that you’re getting older technology. After seeing some of the new tech in modern BMWs, it might be tough to go backward and get some older tech in cars that are only a few years old. However, there are some ways to get around that old tech and retro-fit some of BMW’s newer tech into an older car. For example, this video shows you how to upgrade the iDrive screen in an F80 BMW M3 or F82 BMW M4 (or any F-series car, to be honest).

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Essentially, this upgrade replaces the stock iDrive screen in the F80 BMW M3 with the larger one found in newer BMWs. The newer screen isn’t some aftermarket part with questionable reliability or quality, either. It’s a factory BMW part that you can actually source from BMW. So it will not only work perfectly but it also looks cohesive and like it fits the car. It’s also not only larger but is a touchscreen unit, so it adds touch-capability to your F80 M3 (or whatever other F-series Bimmer you have) that didn’t previously have it.

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It’s not a super complicated install, either. Admittedly, it’s a bit risky as you have to physically modify the new screen to fit. Its brackets are a bit too big and so too is the plastic housing for the screen. So it needs to be cut back a bit, in order to fit properly. Considering the new screen is not cheap, that might give some owners a bit of anxiety, especially because you can break the new screen if you’re not careful. That said, once it’s done, it’s almost plug-and-play.

After the screen is installed, you need to adjust the car’s code before plugging it back in. That’s not a problem, honestly, because OBD coders are not only common today but they’re easier to use than ever before, thanks to mobile app integration. So you just plug the coder into the OBD port (which is something you should invest in anyway, as they can be incredibly useful), connect to it with your phone and just go through different setting and check some different boxes. All of which are listed in this video.

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Once that’s all done, you plug the screen in, turn the car on and voila, it’s done. Now you have a larger, clearer touchscreen iDrive unit that not only looks better than before but adds better usability. So your older car doesn’t seem as old anymore. It must be said that this should only be done on cars out of warranty. Replacing the iDrive screen is certainly going to void your factory warranty. But if your M3 is no longer under warrant, have at it.

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VIDEO: Watching this E36 BMW 3 Series Paint Restoration is Therapeutic

Watching any type of type of instantaneously gratifying work is constantly incredibly healing. Whether it be painting a wall surface, power washing a driveway or describing a cars and truck, seeing those instant outcomes, of something obtaining cleaner or far better looking, always makes people really feel excellent. If you’re one of those individuals that really obtain off on that sort of thing, enjoy this video of an E36 BMW 3 Series Convertible obtaining comprehensive.

Continue Reading Below As an enthusiast of the E36, I’m always intrigued by videos of people making them nicer. Especially when they aren’t M3s. I possessed a standard E36 3 Series and also it’s been the only Bimmer I’ve ever before actually possessed myself (there have actually been numerous in my family members over the years, though), so I love watching videos regarding routine 3ers. In this video, we get to see a 3 Series Convertible go from looking like a twenty six year old cars and truck to one appearing like it could be in the showroom of a dealer.

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E36 BMW 325i Violet 33 830x553

Honestly, however, the very best part of this video clip is the reality that the E36 is painted in

Boston Green, one of one of the most underappreciated E36 3 Series colors. Everyone bears in mind the remarkable M3 colors, such as Dakar Yellow and Techno Violet, but the regular 3er’s Boston Green was an excellent color. I ‘d enjoy an E36 BMW 328is Coupe in Boston Green with a black inside as well as a hands-on gearbox. What a maker. At the start of this video, the E36’s paint is in fact in decent shape, simply with the common surface scrapes as well as swirl marks you ‘d expect from an auto its age. At the end of the video, it looks like it requires a home window sticker label and a service warranty. View this old Bimmer, in a great shade combination, come back to cope with simply a buffer and also some compound. It’s splendidly restorative throughout a time of fantastic tension.

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