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Editorial, Information

BMW Unveils the M850i Night Sky, With One Surprising Element

Who doesn’t love a beautiful Bimmer? Exciting news then that BMW Group has unveiled their latest model, the M850i Night Sky, and it is truly, out of this world.

Beyond looks, we all know just how functional BMW vehicles are. As it turns out, this one is just a little more functional, in ways you may not have ever expected. It’s also downright stunning, with a one-of-a-kind design and composition that we will likely never see again… like ever.

Image via BMW Press

For Starters, the M850i Has 3D Printed Components

The vehicle is constructed of parts made through additive manufacturing — the fancy term for 3D printing. Its design was a planned effort meant to coincide with a rather exciting meteor shower that took place recently. In a way, the shower also played a role in deciding what materials were used.

Within the last couple of weeks, Earth passed through the orbit of a longstanding asteroid named 2003 EH. Several meteorites from the asteroid actually landed on the planet’s surface. They were scooped up and used to print components of BMW’s new model. Yes, the M850i has actual meteorites embedded within. How badass is that?

Image via BMW Press

Through a convergence of aluminum and meteoric rock materials, the M850i is rocking — pun definitely intended — 3D printed side mirror caps, brake calipers, as well as air intakes and a center mesh plate.

Throughout the vehicle, the Widmanstätten pattern was also used to give the model an added layer of galactic style. In short, Widmanstätten is a 3D octahedral pattern or structure that can be found in iron meteorites. It also looks fantastic when used to accent the center console of a vehicle.

The M850i’s exterior is also adorned with a custom paint job. All the paint was applied by skilled hands, as an even gradient starting with a brilliant San Marino blue near the bottom and fading into a deep black near the top.

Tinsel and bronze pigments were also used in the first coat. This gives it a captivating and unique look, remarkably similar to what you see on the horizon just after sunset — pockmarked with distant lights.

Not Just a Looker

Image via BMW Press

The M850i Night Sky is nothing to scoff at either. It was modeled after the M850i xDrive Coupe and is propelled by the same 530 horsepower twin-turbo V8 with top speeds of up to 155 miles-per-hour.

It looks great, offers incredible performance, and likely feels great to sit in, especially when the engine is running.

Unfortunately, there’s no mention of price, nor who might have commissioned the vehicle to add to their fleet. It’s entirely possible it will serve as nothing more than a concept forever to grace just our eyes with its true inner and outer beauty.

Even so, one could bet an endless supply of meteoric rocks on the fact that if it did have a price, well, very few of us would be able to afford it.

Now, let’s all collectively turn our attention back to the beautiful photos of this vehicle and drool over it for a few minutes more. It’s the least we can do for something so truly wondrous.

Information

BMW’s X2 Is Fun, But Nothing New

The BMW X2 is the new luxury subcompact SUV from BMW. It’s biggest strengths are that it’s fun to drive, has a sleek exterior design and has lots of brand flashiness for the hardcore bimmer fan.

It’s a little light on room for cargo and passengers, and overall, it doesn’t have a lot to make it stand out from the competition.

Here’s what to expect from the X2:

  • Engine: Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 2.0 L/122
  • Horsepower: 220
  • Transmission: Automatic
  • Drivetrain: All-wheel drive
  • Miles per gallon: 21 mpg city and 31 mpghighway
  • Seats: Five
  • Base price: $40,000

Design

The X2 is meant to be a sports activity coupe, but it doesn’t really look it from the outside, especially from the front. Inside, the smaller dimensions are more noticeable. The legroom is similar to that of the X1, but there’s less headroom. It also doesn’t have a lot of cargo space — a maximum of 50.1cubic feet.

BMW made some changes when designing the X2. Its traditional kidney grille is wider and the bottom. The car’s C-pillar also has a huge BMW badge, which is atribute to the CS coupes of the 60s and 70s.

In all, the X2 features 20 BMW logos across both the exterior and interior.

Performance

Performanceand handling are some of the X2’s strong suits. It features a 2.0-literturbocharged I4 engine with 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Itfeatures an eight-speed automatic transmission.

You get front-wheel drivestandard but can also get all-wheel drive. You can also opt for the M Sport Xpackage, which has an upgraded suspension and revised shift mapping.

The X2 handles excellently around turns and on twisting back roads. If you turn onSport mode, you’ll feel a bit more weight to your steering and a bit of a quicker throttle response. The brakes feel a bit sticky, though, making commuting in traffic a bit uncomfortable.

You also get a fair amount of road noise in the cabin, because of the run-flat tires. Car and Driver measured 67 decibels at 70 mph.

Tech

TheX2 offers the typical BMW suite of iDrive infotainment features and an 8.8-inch touchscreen that you can also control using the center console. One downside of X2’s tech offerings is the fact that it only has one USB port. You can, however, upgrade to wireless charging as an option. You can also add AppleCapPlay, although that will cost you $300. There’s no option for Android Auto.

You’ll also have to pay extra if you want the driver assistance tech that comes with many other vehicles — even less expensive ones. If you want forward collision and lane departure warnings, you’ll need to add a $700 package.

Adaptive cruise control will cost you $1,000. Unfortunately, there’s no option for blind-spot monitoring.

Final Verdict

The BMW X2 is a decent subcompact crossover. There aren’t any significant drawbacks, but it’s benefits aren’t enough to make it stand out from the pack. It’s $40,000 base price isn’t bad, but you’ll likely want to add some features to get enough functionality to make it worth the purchase.

If you’re a BMW fan looking for a subcompact crossover and you prioritize performance and handling, you’ll enjoy the X2. For everyone else, it’s a solid option but not anything spectacular.

Information

BMW Reveals 2020 M340i

BMW has teased us with the reinvention of the 3-Series for a while now, and while they did reveal the 2020 seventh generation 3-series in October, we’re more excited about the new sporty version of this car.

The car giant just revealed the M-variant for this new 3-Series – the M340i. Let’s take a closer look at what this sporty little BMW will bring to the table, and when you can expect to find it at your local dealership.

Image: BMW

Some Stiff Competition

The new M340i will be equipped with a 3.0L Turbo in-line 6 cylinder engine. It’s actually the the same engine that sat under the hood of the sixth generation M340i, but it’s undergone a makeover to pull even more horsepower and torque out of the German engineering.

This particular engine style puts it in direct competition with two other luxury cars in it’s class – the S4 by Audi and the C43 by Mercedes, which both have a 3.0L straight six engine.

The M340i falls squarely in the middle when it comes to horsepower, with it’s newly tuned engine generating 382 horsepower. For comparison, the Mercedes generates 385hp and the S4 brings up the rear with 354 hp.

All the Bells and Whistles

In addition to the engine, the M340i is equipped with all the bells and whistles. One thing that might disappoint BMW purists is the fact that the only transmission option currently available for this model is an 8-speed automatic.

It does come equipped with optional all wheel drive. While it doesn’t make up for the lack of a manual transmission, it is a pretty decent consolation prize.

Other standard equipment includes an electronically controlled differential, and M Sport brakes with a 13.7 inch rotor and 4 piston calipers in the front. Rear brakes are reduced to a single piston caliper.

The suspension in the new M340i has been upgraded too, using a new technology to minimize the amount of road bumps that you feel behind the wheel. The front shocks work to absorb rebound, while the rear shocks can alter the compression as needed.

Of course, if you want all the bells and whistles, you can choose the optional electronically controlled adaptive shocks for an additional cost.

Even the exterior has gotten an upgrade. While it doesn’t look much different than the previous generations of this model, the body shell is lighter and stiffer, decreasing the car’s overall weight by roughly 120 pounds.

BMW hasn’t released any pricing information for this new 3-Series sports car yet, but it should be making an appearance in BMW showrooms across the country in July of 2019 to be ready for the 2020 model year.

We should be seeing price information in the coming months, ahead of the car’s official release. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this new M340i though, just to test out that new suspension.

While the lack of a manual transmission might make some drivers balk, BMW definitely tries to make up for it with all the bells and whistles that they’ll be including as standard equipment on this sporty new model.