Car and Driver Reviews the 2013 Alpina B7

This very well spoken review of the 2013 BMW Alpina B7 speaks for itself.

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Winter Tires Or 4 Wheel Drive?

First question you may ask is why do we have Skoda Yetis on a BMW website? Because we are going to be watching a video of identical Skoda Yeti's with the same engine compete in a snow challenge.  One of the Yetis is Front Wheel Drive (Like the MINI) with winter tires... The other Yeti has four wheel drive (like xDrive) with standard all seasons tires, they will compete in an acceleration, braking and a grip test to see which of these two Yetis will fair in the snow. Watch the video below or click read more for the results of this test.


Summary of Results
The 4 wheel drive Yeti with regular tires accelerated faster.
The Front Wheel Drive Yeti with Winter tires stopped a lot sooner
Winter tires generated 35% more grip.

Verdict: 4 Wheel drive allows you a accelerate faster in the snow, Winter tires allows you to stop faster and provide more grip.

- Skoda Yeti is a small activity vehicle not available in North America and some parts of the world.

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Interesting: BMW Isetta in Drag

Here we have it, a BMW Isetta Dragster with 730 Horsepower. Actually a supercharged Chevy V8 502 Cubic inch is stuffed into this tiny 1959 Isetta 300 Body with a 2 speed manual transmission and the suspension from the BMW M3. RMAuctions give you a chance to own it for between $75,000-100,000. Click read more for a gallery of this 12.4ft Isetta Dragster and one picture of the Stock Isetta.

A Stock BMW Isetta

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New Production 4 Series Spyshots

These are 4 new spy shots of the production 2014 BMW 4 Series Coupe under final testing, from these new spyshots it appears that the full LED headlamps won't make it to the production model, perhaps it will make an appearance as an optional package. The new BMW 4 Series is going to be a great looking car, the I am willing to bet that performance won't disappoint either. Check out 3 other pictures after the break.

Photos Credit : AutoEvolution

2014 BMW 4 Series M-Sport Rendering

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BMW i Selects Schneider Electric as Strategic Partner for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment

The Concept i3 charging from a custom made BMW i branded EVSE. Will this custom wall box be available?

BMW i announced today they have formed a partnership with Schneider Electric and The Mobility House to provide electric vehicle charging equipment for BMW i customers.

From The Mobility House website:

Munich. BMW i is continuing its strategy of customer-friendly electric mobility consistently. These now have a far-reaching partnership with Schneider Electric and the Electric Mobility Services The Mobility House (TMH) was closed. The agreement includes services such as testing the house wiring at the customer site, supply and installation of the charger (wall box) as well as maintenance and other services. Future owners of BMW i3 and i8 can connect their vehicle safely and quickly charge it at home or at work. The partnerships support the overall goal, at launch of the BMW i3 customer-friendly and efficient charging options offer by allowing a convenient store in the garage. The BMW i3 will be the first electric car in the market, which was conceived from the beginning as such. The launch is planned for late 2013. Alexander Efthimiou, Director of Product Management drives kits and e-mobility project, said: "With BMW i, we adopt a holistic approach to electric mobility. Our offer will not be limited to the sale of the BMW i3. In our numerous global pilot experiments with electric vehicles, we have been listening carefully and offer from launch of the BMW i3 under the umbrella term of "360 ° ELECTRIC" solutions for all customer requirements of future electric motor home, such as. Also an easy access to public charging infrastructure The professional installation of the wall box to load the BMW i3 and i8 at home is in our view one of the key factors for the successful market introduction of electric vehicles. We are pleased with Schneider Electric and The Mobility House found the two internationally experienced partner in the electric mobility in implementing our strategy to have. " "With this partnership, Schneider Electric offers all BMW customers with an efficient, customer-friendly and sustainable charging infrastructure," said Philippe Delorme, Executive Vice President, Partner Business, Schneider Electric. "BMW and Schneider Electric share the same vision for electric vehicles, and we are confident that this collaboration includes the right way." Raffeiner Thomas, CEO and founder of The Mobility House is convinced: "With BMW i electric vehicles to customers globally to a serious alternative. The consistent focus on a holistic approach to electric mobility will not only set in Germany necessary, important momentum and accelerate the uptake of electric mobility. With BMW as a partner, we set this target to the different markets and provide customers with tailored solutions for electric mobility from one source. "

For the MINI-E program BMW chose Clipper Creek EVSE equipment and moved on to use equipment from AeroVironment for the ActiveE program. The switch to Schneider Electric demonstrates how the electric vehicle charging equipment is still in it's infancy and how manufacturers are still trying to figure out who to partner with. I'm sure BMW put a lot more effort into sorting out who would offer their customers the best products and services this time around since they will finally be offering a production EV to the public as compared to the relatively small pilot programs of the MINI-E and ActiveE. Instead of a couple hundred customers that need EVSE equipment, they will be catering to tens of thousands of new customers every year.

There is no word yet as to whether BMW i will be offering a custom designed wall charger as seen in the picture (presumably made by Schneider Electric) or if that was just for show and BMW i customers will use the standard EVSE's that Schneider Electric currently offers.

The one thing I like about the current EVSE they offer is the option to wire it to a 240V plug and install a 40amp 240V outlet in your garage. This allows you to unplug the unit and take it with you. You can then install a similar 240V outlet at a destination you frequent, say like your parents house and you wouldn't have to buy another EVSE, you would just take it with you when you visit.

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2013 BMW Scale Model Collection Photoshoot

We have an assortment of 1:18 to 1:43 Scale models of BMWs in various colors available at our Gift Boutique, which makes a great gift or a fantastic decoration for any room. This just in, we just recently received 2013 F30 BMW 3 Series and F10 M5 1:18 Scale models. The intricate 1:18 scale models features opening opening front and rear doors, realistic engine bay, and even the trunk is carpeted! Highly detailed interior even has little seat belts and buckles. And there's more, we also have the F30, Concept Efficient Dynamics and the classic BMW 507 in 1:43 scale. Have a look at our photo shoot inside. If you live in the area, drop by and check out our selection.

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2014 BMW Z4 Facelift at The Detroit Autoshow

The 2014 BMW Z4 Life Cycle Impulse at the 2013 Detroit Autoshow. The differences to the outgoing model is subtle, The new LED Corona rings the BMW lettering on the LED lines on top, the new surround for the side indicators and fresh 17 and 18-inch alloys and in the interior, deep gloss black surrounds for the air vents and the iDrive display. (Have a look at the gallery and video after the jump)

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