G-Power Storm defines conspicuous consumption

If you’re a Wall Street executive, you know that time is money. Can’t stand being driven to work at the pedestrian speeds a regular BMW 760iL is capable of? Have a chauffeur with an FIA Superlicense and need to keep his skills sharp? Stress no more, mister baron-of-the-boardroom, we know how you’re spending your next quarterly bonus.

Let’s say you had an inline four motor with gear driven dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. Let’s say that motor revved to 14,200 RPM; wouldn’t it be cool to cut away part of the valve cover and watch the cams in action at redline?

BMW thought so, so they filmed the above video as part of the S1000 RR’s development testing. Enjoy it guilt free, because it’s really science you’re watching here, not motor porn.

Source: Autoblog

Take one BMW S1000 RR, add tire spikes and haul it to the middle of a frozen lake. Much hoonage ensues.

The S1000 RR is BMW’s first attempt at building a world class superbike. Known for their conservative sport tourers, BMW built the S1000 RR to compete in World Superbike. How different is it from their usual fare? How about a 14,500 RPM redline and 193 horsepower in a bike that weighs in at 450 pounds wet? I’m guessing the terms “flying brick” and “Gummikuh” (rubber cow) no longer apply.

Source: Autoblog

Chris Pfeiffer is a better rider than you. He even has the title of “World Stunt Champion”, and BMW pays him to fly around the world and ride motorcycles. Life doesn’t get too much better than that.

Automobiles, like everything else evolve over time. Shapes change, designers come and go and technology and engineering move forward. Cars that were cutting edge just 20 years ago are now outdated and antiques. Take a look at the above photo and see what I mean.

Source: http://i.imgur.com

2011 BMW M3

Not too much new on the 2011 BMW M3; the taillights have been reworked, the front facia is a little bit different and both manual and DCT versions receive an Auto Start Stop Function, said to reduce fuel consumption and emission levels by as much as 8%. Yawn.

The real news is the Competition package available for 2011, which includes a 10mm drop in the suspension, lighter 19×9” wheels and a traction control (EDC) sport mode developed specifically for Competition Package M3s.

As soon as I hit the lottery, I’ll be in to put mine on order. Save one in blue for me, OK?

Source: Jalopnik

Adam Wickstead sent in pics of his very lustworthy 1973 BMW 3.0 CS. Built by Karmann for BMW, the 3.0 CS featured a 2985cc motor with dual carbs good for 180 horsepower. The CS line helped to establish BMW as a driver’s car, largely due to their success in European Touring Car racing.

The BMW M5: there have been four renditions of it dating back to 1986. The original idea behind it was simple – take a mid-size sedan, add some sport tuned suspension, brakes and one hammer of a motor.

Over the last few years’ values in the collector car market have gone up and down more times then Oprah’s scale. Cars that were once in the six-figures are now in the five-figures with more market flux to come. Buyers who are new to the market can easily become confused and it is very easy to get taken advantage of by sellers who are less than honest.

I get emails constantly inquiring as to what cars to pick up as future collectibles. I also get asked my opinion on what the best bang for the buck is amongst these automobiles. After doing a bit of research, I’ve put together a list of automobiles that I would classify as having “Future Collect-ability”. These are cars that can be purchased right now and are priced between: $8,000 – $20,000.

Crossover, Cross Tour, SUV, 4×4, POS, Urban Utility Vehicle… manufactures have come up with an endless amount of ways to set themselves apart from the competition. Try and picture it for a moment… 7 or 8 marketing executives all sitting in a conference room somewhere, all staring at and easel with stank coffee breath. Up on the board are dozens of acronyms that are supposed to reflect the name of the companies newest product. It’s a laborious process and one that I’d imagine is a nightmare to be a part of.