2015 BMW X3 – Wallpapers

BMW X3 | February 6th, 2014 by Horatiu Boeriu 0 

Download 2015 BMW X3 high-res wallpapers Yesterday, BMW debuted the facelifted 2015 X3. The F25 X3 LCI prices in the US will start at a …

Download 2015 BMW X3 high-res wallpapers

Yesterday, BMW debuted the facelifted 2015 X3. The F25 X3 LCI prices in the US will start at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $39,325 for the X3 sDrive28i (new offer: rearwheel drive). The X3 xDrive28i (with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive) will have an MSRP of $40,725, while the top-of-the-line X3 xDrive35i will have an MSRP of $45,825.

A new offer of BMW Advanced Diesel power in the X3 xDrive28d is available as well. The all-new X3 xDrive28d with BMW Advanced Diesel technology will start at $42,825. All prices include $925 Destination & Handling fee.

The new BMW X3 cuts a visually more powerful figure with its new, modified twin-circular

headlights (LED headlights are optional), a more eye-catching kidney grille, new front and rear bumpers, and exterior mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators – all of which shine a figurative spotlight on the signature BMW X model design features. A high level of perceived quality also defines the interior of the new BMW X3.

Chrome applications, a center console with automatic climate control system in a high-gloss

black-panel display, and new cup holders with a sliding cover for the center console underline the vehicle’s premium appearance. New exterior colors, upholstery designs, interior trim strips and light-alloy wheels enable even more refined individualization. The new xLine allows owners to lend greater emphasis still to the dynamic and robust SAV character of the BMW X3. And the Smart Opener for the automatic tailgate further enhances the already impressive functionality of the BMW X3.

SOURCE : [ BMWBLOG ] 

Review: ALPINA BMW XD3

BMW X3 | January 9th, 2014 by Horatiu Boeriu 2

Car Magazine test drives and reviews the new ALPINA BMW XD3. At the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, ALPINA unveiled their first tuned SUV: ALPINA XD3 …

Car Magazine test drives and reviews the new ALPINA BMW XD3.

At the 2013 Geneva Auto Show, ALPINA unveiled their first tuned SUV: ALPINA XD3 BiTurbo.

Under the hood, the XD3 uses a a straight-six, aluminum 3.0-liter engine with two turbochargers, common-rail direct injection and variable turbine geometry. It has a maximum output of 350 horsepower (257 kW) at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) reached between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm.

The engine is mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission specifically engineered for this model.

Fuel consumption is rated at 6.8 liters per 100 km or 41.5 MPG, with CO2 levels kept in check at 180 g/km.

In a typical ALPINA upgrade the XD3 gets a more aggressive exterior design with a new front



bumper, wider skirts, electronically-adjustable dampers, 20-inch Alpina Classic wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport low-profile tires, custom exhaust manifold, stainless steel exhaust system with dual double-ended tailpipes.

But how does it drive? Let’s see an excerpt from their review:

So, is it a fast car?

The XD3 is at once startlingly quick. From the X3 35d’s twin-turbo straight-six they’ve wrung an extra 37bhp (making 350) and 50lb ft of torque (for a whopping 516), and the latter makes the mid-range delivery borderline scary.

A whole second has been melted from the 0-62mph time, allowing you to arrive at the horizon 4.9sec after departure, and if you stay pinned you’ll see a rumoured 158mph, which is 9mph up on boggo. Exactly what you need from an upright school run chariot, naturally.

SOURCE  : [ BMWBLOG ]  

BMW M4 Clear Construction Model

At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, BMW showcased an M4 clear construction model. The “see-thru” M4 gives us a look at the chassis and lightweight …

At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, BMW showcased anM4 clear construction model. The “see-thru” M4 gives us a look at the chassis and lightweight materials and techniques used to design the new M4 Coupe. An all-embracing lightweight design concept keeps the cars’ weight to just under 1,500 kilograms.

Back in 2013, Norbert Siegl – M3/M4 Program Manager, Engine – and Albert Biermann – VP, Engineering M – told BMWBLOG that the weight-loss regimen had been in place for the development from the start, the goal being to meet or beat the weight figure for the E46 M3, i.e. sub-1,500 kg or 3,300-ish pounds. The other point they were eager to press is that these new-gen cars took more inspiration from the racing GT2/4 and GTS street model of the E90/E92/E93 fourth generation.

Low weight and a high level of structural rigidity are the M4 provides an ultra-dynamic driving experience. In the double-joint spring strut front axle alone, the use of a lightweight aluminium construction for components such as control arms, 

wheel carriers and axle subframes saves five kilograms over a conventional steel design.

READ THIS: 2015 BMW M3/M4 First Taxi

The roof, roof center bow support, front fascia, rear fascia, trunk liner pieces, and
front strut brace are all in CFRP to save weight and add rigidity to the whole.Here is a photo gallery that shows the “insides” of the BMW M4 Coupe:

SOURCE : [ BMWBLOG ]

Java Green 2014 BMW M6 Coupe Competition Package

“Think amphibian” was the advice given to BMWBLOG by Century West BMW’s General Sales Manager, Chris Marino, when he rolled out an exclusive Dakar Yellow …

“Think amphibian” was the advice given to BMWBLOG by Century West BMW’s General Sales Manager, Chris Marino, when he rolled out an exclusive Dakar Yellow BMW M5 just last week.

Green, was an easy-enough choice, but we had no idea it would be applied in such dramatic fashion to a Competition Package-equipped BMW M6 Coupe.

And Century West BMW has once again delivered an exclusive and exotic BMW coloring scheme. And from what Marino tells us, this is believed to the first of its kind on the market. “When I think of a BMW coupe, I think of it in a racing environment like Laguna Seca or Monterey—this thought graduates my thinking to the racing-livery colors of green and blue. Since we already did an M6 Coupe  in Laguna Seca Blue, the progression to green on a coupe was natural for me,” Marino tells us.

Fully loaded, this magnificent 570 hp monster comes equipped with Night Vision, Carbon Ceramic Brakes, Competition Package, and Bang & Olufsen High-Fidelity Sound System. “If this were going to be a track car, I would have ditched all but the Carbon Ceramic Brakes,” says Marino, “The buyer I see in this car is not going to be discriminating and will want everything.”

Marino, and Century West BMW, have repeatedly succeeded in distinguishing themselves as buying into BMW Motorsport tradition as well as an innate ability to bring-to-market some of the most exclusive assembly-produced BMW cars.

customer-request. “From my understanding, there isn’t much limitation in terms of what you can request of the factory, if you are taking delivery in Europe.” Marino hopes to be able to demonstrate a proof-of-concept model to the BMW folks and that U.S. customers will have more options in ordering.

Does Marino have any other “skunkworks” projects in the hopper?

“Yes, of course”. He tells us—but without a hint this time. “Very soon.”

SOURCE : [ BMWBLOG ]

BMW Makes Big Splash at Amelia Island – Photo Gallery

This past weekend marked the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the BMW brand was represented with some very important models. The Amelia Island Concours …

This past weekend marked the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the BMW brand was represented with some very important models. The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, nestled just south of the Georgia-Florida state line and just north of Jacksonville, has become one of the premier events in the U.S., along with Pebble Beach,  for car auctions and car shows allowing patrons to see anything from a McLaren P1 to a 1950′s Chrysler concept car to a Porsche 956 all the way back to a turn of the century Packard – all under an elegant, picturesque setting of the front green of the Ritz Carlton hotel flanked by both the sandy dunes of the Atlantic and moss-laden oak trees and marsh.

For 2014, BMW made a big splash both on their turn out and their own display as well as privately held collections. The Gooding auction kicked off Friday with a 1958 BMW 507 going under the gavel for a hair over $1.8 million while a BMW M1 closed out for nearly $400,000. As day turned to night, I was lucky enough to attend a dinner comprised of an audience far more capable behind the wheel than I. A quick scan of the room revealed the likes of racing greats such as Bobby Rahal, Brian Redman, Derek Bell, Sam Posey, Jochen Mass, and the affable, hilarious David Hobbs. BMW threw a terrific dinner in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton honoring Hobbs and his time with BMW. By way of an interview conducted by Sam Posey, Hobbs took the audience back to the Golden Era of racing with his stories piloting 320i Turbos and M1′s – doing so many times with outrageous humor and wonderful story-telling.

The following morning, I scoured the grounds of the Ritz, along with a few thousand other people. Most notably, walking towards the front entrance of the hotel I noticed a low slung, electric blue wedge. Sure enough, an i8 in Protonic 

Blue was lounging underneath a handful of palm trees in the company of an Austin Yellow M4 and Hellrot E30 M3 – quite the legacy to measure up to – but the i8 certainly looks to be up to the task. Certainly it was no accident that the i8 was parted adjacent to a 1978 M1!Moving onto the golf course, BMW was represented on Saturday morning by a decade-spanning field. The BMW contingent was comprised of a flock of E9′s (some CSLs and some CSI’s) all of the group speckled in colors like Fjord Blue, Polaris Silver and Chamonix White. A trio of racing CSL’s led the pack with winners of the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring and

1976 24 Hours of Daytona best representing the brand’s racing legacy. Tucked away in the pack were other gems such as a mint 850CSi, an E21 320i presented by BMW Classic, and a mashup of numerous M cars.


SOURCE : [ bmwblog ] 

Photoshoot: 2014 BMW M6 Coupe in Sakhir Orange

BMW M6 | March 8th, 2014 by Horatiu Boeriu 2

BMWBLOG just returned from California where for two weeks we have tested the 2014 BMW M6 Coupe. Painted in the beautiful Sakhir Orange color and …

BMWBLOG just returned from California where for two weeks we have tested the 2014 BMW M6 Coupe. Painted in the beautiful Sakhir Orange color and featuring the Competition Package, the M6 Coupe has proven to be the best companion one could hope for.

Over 2,000 miles, the 2014 BMW M6 Coupe delighted us with its athletic capabilities, sublime elegance and head-turning design that makes the premium coupe stand out in a sea of high-end cars that one can see daily in the Los Angeles area.

And to top it off, the Competition Package made things even more interesting during spirited driving along the coast and on the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. The 575 horsepower Competition Package comes with a series of upgrades to the chassis and ride settings.

The M engineers have revised the suspension and damping systems, the stabilizer bars have also been more tautly tuned. In the BMW M6 this adjustment has resulted in a lowering of the car by around 10 millimeters. The Competition Package also has stiffer front axle while the Active M Differential offers improved traction.

All of these upgrades and the super aggressive Sport+ mode put a smile on our face on every corner and turn we have encountered.

With a price sticker at over $120,000 and its 575 horsepower, the 2014 M6 Coupe steps into

the territory of high-end sportscars and its design and M-engineering make it an interesting buy, even for those that have several cars in their garage.

Stay tuned for the full test drive review and in the mean time enjoy the beautiful photography!

source: [ bmwblog ]

Ke$ha Leaves Rehab After Two Months: "Life Is Beautiful"

Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Ke$ha is officially on the mend. Two months after checking into an undisclosed rehab facility for an eating disorder, the "Timber" singer, 26, has checked out, she intimated on Twitter late Thursday, March 6.

PHOTOS: Stars who've battled eating disorders

Using her rechristened Twitter account "Kesharose" (a more positive moniker than the previous handle "Ke$hasux"), the entertainer first shared a snapshot from inside a plane, suggesting an arrival. "Happy to be back! Feeling healthy & working on tons of new music," the songwriter later told her 3.5 million followers. She was photographed arriving in L.A. looking, as promised, happy and healhty.

Kesha returns to Los Angeles after checking herself into rehab at the beginning of the year.
Credit: AKM-GSI

PHOTOS: Kesha and other stars' shocking red carpet looks!

"I can't thank my fans enough for all the love & support u have given me," she added, sharing a string of heart/love emoticons. "life is beautiful. I'm so blessed to have u all."

PHOTOS: Stars who've battled mental health issues


Known for her irreverent, fun-loving party anthems, Ke$ha made the unexpected announcement about her rehab entry on Jan. 3. "I'm a crusader for being yourself and loving yourself, but I've found it hard to practice," she told Us Weekly in a statement at the time. "I'll be unavailable for the next 30 days, seeking treatment for my eating disorder...to learn to love myself again, exactly as I am."

source :  [ usmagazine ]

Chrissy Teigen Bares Breast, John Legend Naked for His "All of Me" Video: First Look Photo!

See a first look photo of John Legend naked in bed with fiancee Chrissy Teigen exposing her breast on the set of the "All of Me" music video.Credit: Courtesy Nabil

Take that Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke! It looks like "Blurred Lines" and "Wrecking Ball" will be a thing of the past once John Legend's new "All of Me" music video is released. The 34-year-old singer and his fiancee Chrissy Teigen are baring it all on the set of his new video.

PHOTOS: Topless stars

Legend retweeted a NSFW photo director Nabil shared on Twitter Thursday, Sept. 12, writing, "'Love your curve and all your edges.' Pic from the video shoot (slightly NSFW) @chrissyteigen @nabildo."

PHOTOS: Stars go nude on Twitter

In the graphic black-and-white video still, Legend is lying shirtless in bed with his naked 27-year-old wife-to-be propped up on her side next to him exposing her breasts. A white sheet strategically covers the rest of their presumably naked bodies. The Sports Illustrated model also retweeted the photo, risking getting kicked off Twitter for nudity. She wrote, "I figure you can't be suspended from a retweet."

"All of Me" is the third single from Legend's fourth studio album, Love in the Future, which was released on Aug. 30.

PHOTOS: Stars without underwear

Tell Us: What do you think of the sneak-peek photo from Legend's upcoming video?

source :  [ usmagazine ]

Emily VanCamp Talks Dating Revenge Costar Josh Bowman: We "Keep It All Very Separate"

CELEBRITY NEWSMARCH 7, 2014 AT 9:30AM BY RACHEL MCRADY

• 
• 
• 

Emily VanCamp talks about her off-screen relationship with Josh Bowman in the cover story for Elle Canada.

Emily Thorne struggles to maintain the guise of a normal, happy marriage while plotting to avenge her father's murder, but her off-screen counterpart, Emily VanCamp, has no problem with genuine love and honesty. The Revenge star has been in a relationship with her costar Josh Bowman for more than two years. 

PHOTOS: Emily and Josh's romance

The quiet, private Canadian actress, 27, opened up in a rare interview with Elle Canada about her relationship with the British hunk. 

“Josh and I keep it all very separate," VanCamp said of her personal and professional life. "I barely talk about him in interviews, to be honest."

PHOTOS: Costar couples

It makes sense that the two ABC stars would keep their characters at arms length. They are currently married on the show, but at each others throats after Daniel (Bowman) shot Emily on their wedding night. As of the Jan. 19 episode, master manipulator Emily is currently staying with the Grayson family by blackmailing her bitter hubby. 

Costars Emily VanCamp and Joshua Bowman are married on Revenge and dating in real life.
Credit: Brian To/WireImage

"It’s just really funny in the moments when we’re playing these absolutely absurd things," VanCamp mused. "I call him ‘wife-beater Daniel.’ It’s hard for my family to watch. It’s also hard for them to see me in that light. But we’re actors. None of that lives in any of us. Thank God!”

PHOTOS: Celebrity TV and movie wedding dresses

The soft-spoken Brothers and Sisters alumna doesn't seem to have a problem with leaving her aggressive, conniving character at the door.

“I’ve always been very good at lettin my characters go at the end of the day," she said. "For almost three years now, I’ve been playing with these heightened emotions —- someone who’s so much more tortured than I could ever be, with so much more anger than I could ever have. At a certain point, it does start to weigh on you physically and mentally, and suddenly you’re not coping with things as well. I think it’s emotional exhaustion. It’s definitely something I’m trying to catch and change as much as possible when I really feel that it’s getting me down. I started meditating this year, which was hugely helpful. You have to let this all out.”

Source :  [ usmagazine ]

Photo Comparison: 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class W205 vs. BMW 3 Series F30

The new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class was unveiled today. The W205 C-Class will compete with the BMW 3 Series F30, Audi A4 and Lexus IS. The …

The new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class was unveiled today. The W205 C-Class will compete with the BMW 3 Series F30, Audi A4 and Lexus IS. The brand sold 2.4 million units of the previous model and they have high expectations for the even more refined W205 model.

2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a more upscale and refined big brother to the entry-level CLA, and with design lines close to the S-Class.

In the new design language all the design elements are integrated. Each line flows into another to make the cars feel modern and clean but also more sculptural. The new design features a line that begins within the headlight and drops as it crosses the body toward the rear, and continues all the way towards the rear taillight wrapping around the vehicle.

The new Mercedes C-Class can also be ordered with a central star in thegrille, and then receives a significantly younger-looking package.

Inside the new C-Class gets a complete makeover. The new cabin is more inviting and reflects the design of the exterior. The central console is dominated by a large screen. Rather than a touchscreen, the entire system is operated by a touchpad placed where the driver would typically find a shift knob.

It also offers a Head-Up Display, plus numerous security systems and electronic assistants, full-LED headlights and the first air suspension in the premium midsize.

More aluminum and high-strength steels make the new generation up to 100 kilograms lighter than its predecessor, although the rigidity of the body has been increased and the sedan is nearly ten centimeters longer. At just 4.69 meters, the C-Class is about six centimeters longer than the 3 Series.

Base C300 4Matic models in the U.S. will have a 2.0-liter turbo four developing 235 hp and 273 lb-ft. The C400 4Matic will have a 3.5-liter turbo V6 with 329 hp and 354 lb-ft. Both engines are mated to a standard seven-speed automatic gearbox.

In Germany, the new Mercedes C180 with 156-hp gasoline engine starts at 33,558 euros. The second model available at market launch, Mercedes C200 with 184 hp, has a starting price of 36,414 euros. The C220 BlueTec diesel launches with a base price of 38,675 euros.As always, we put together a photo comparison between the two contenders.

SOURCE: BMWBLOG