2015 BMW M135i REVIEW

The great thing about BMW is that despite a fairly sober reputation – albeit for building excellent driver’s cars – head office still signs off mildly ridiculous products. The M135i is one of those. It’s a small hatchback, considered a family car in countries with rather less room to move than we have, with a whopping great engine. The 1.5-litre triple is flung out, replaced by Munich’s tremendous 3.0-litre turbo-petrol straight six. It also gets some attention from BMW’s M subsidiary, purveyors fast car pedigree like the M3 and M5…. Read more

2016 BMW M5 NIGHTHAWK REVIEW

BMW’s M5 is an automotive icon in its own right – the big fast Bavarian autobahn-crusher is the consummate all-rounder, blending a high level of luxury with astounding performance. The twin-turbo monster isn’t what you’d call cheap, though – the standard car used to cost a fair bit more than the Audi competition. Now with the stripped out M5 Pure landing at $185,000, BMW whipped out the spreadsheets and had some fun with the specification to produce the Nighthawk and White Shadow editions while at the same time cutting the… Read more

NEW BMW 1 SERIES IS BETTER IN AND OUT

A BMW for under forty grand? Not so long ago, that was a ridiculous idea, and even if the sticker had the magic 3 in the tens-of-thousands column, the market assumed you had to spend another ten grand to get an AM radio. Now, we’re used to the idea, and BMW’s upgraded F20 1 Series comes with a sharpening of the standard features list. The 118i replaces the 116i as the cheapest of the BMW line-up (not counting Mini, obviously) and in Urban Line still squeaks under $40,000 before on-roads,… Read more

BMW 1 SERIES 2004 – 2015

2007 BMW 1 Series coupe

All BMWs are aimed at those of us who love to drive, so the smallest vehicle in the range, the 1 Series uses sporty engines driving the rear wheels. Owners tell us that even heavy-duty commuting is more enjoyable than in other cars they tested before buying a 1 Series. Rear-drive certainly gives the 1 Series excellent chassis balance and smile-to-the-face driving – but it steals cabin and boot. There’s good legroom in the front seats, though foot-width is restricted by the large gearbox housing. However, it’s probably better to… Read more

STRIKING NEW BMW 7 SERIES

Traditionally, the top-end models from the big three Germans marques have taken a conservative route in their styling, leaving the smaller models in the lineups to experiment with new ideas. The just launched all-new BMW 7 Series has surprised everyone with its sleek, innovative shape. Take a look at the complex front and the positively avantgarde bling in the lower surfaces of the doors, bling that sweeps up into the front guards. The large inbuilt exhaust outlets do their share in the strong appearance. Fascinatingly, there are even traces of… Read more

2015 BMW 125I M SPORT REVIEW

The overall competency of the car market means that there are few reasons to really get stuck into criticising a car, whether for a laugh or for good reason. The second-generation BMW 1 Series created an open goal for car lovers – it was almost unfeasibly ugly. Which is a great shame, because underneath that terrible snout was a fine car. The recent mid-life update for the BMW F20 1 Series has ironed out the worst of it while also bringing a bit of a light going-over on the dynamics,… Read more

AUSSIE DESIGNER MAKES HIS MARK WITH NEW BMW X1

It’s not unusual for a vehicle’s designer to attend new models launches when their cars arrive in Australia. So it was when the latest BMW X1 was revealed in Coffs Harbour accompanied by its Munich-based designer. Often the designer’s presentation is delivered in broken English, sometimes even with a translator. Not so this time around because the fresh-faced designer not only spoke perfect English but did so with an Australian accent. At the age of just 29 Calvin Luk is one of the rising stars of the car design field…. Read more

BMW 650I GRAN COUPE – BEAUTIFUL, DISCREET AND GIGANTIC

With BMW’s numbering scheme having gone a bit doo-lally over the past few years it’s hard to know what’s what unless you’ve done your research. The 6 Series nameplate was plastered on the rump of a questionable-looking GT over a decade ago and is now also to be found on the rear of a four-door coupe. Uh-huh. Doesn’t really matter, though, because once you’ve waded through the explanatory notes and found the 6 Series Gran Coupe, you’re in for a treat. A beautiful BMW with impeccable manners and stealthy grace…. Read more

BMW 3 SERIES OFFERS INCREASED VALUE

It’s now 40 years since the launch of the 3 Series name tag on the small-medium BMW car. Early this month [SUB October] the 10 millionth 3 Series was sold. Obviously the 3 Series is extremely important to the company in the never ending sales war, not only with its German rivals, but also with Jaguar and Lexus. Midway through the life of the gen-six model changes have been made to the 3 Series in Australia. These not only include styling alterations and major mechanical improvements, but also offer significantly… Read more

BMW’S 220i IS THE REAL DEAL

BMW 2 Series in convertible format is a pure BMW in the eyes of those who love the upmarket German marque. That’s because it has rear-wheel drive and is offered with a straight-six engine (though the test car reviewed here was a four-cylinder). Though it shares its ‘2 Series’ numbering system with some new BMW models that have a transverse engine and front-wheel-drive we can assure keen drivers the 220i convertible and its coupe brothers have a differential just where you want it – between the rear wheels. STYLING The… Read more