Engines supplied with the new 7 Series should be able to handle the extra kilos supplied by the protection elements. Especially regarded is the 407hp (300kW) 4.4-litre V8 twin turbo in the 750i/iL models, as well as the 730D delivering 540Nm of torque and a top speed of 246km/h.
The 7 Series Security will join the other Security-badged BMWs such as the 5 Series and X5.
Reliable sources state that BMW will debut the new Z4 next month in both a roadster and coupe configuration.
The new Z4 Roadster will feature a folding hardtop this time instead of the previous soft one. BMW claims that the use of lightweight materials will help keep the weight off of the Z4.
The Z4 Coupe will come with a stiffer and lowered suspension to continue to give the Coupe version the serious performance credibility that BMW aims for with the model. The Coupe will also have distinguishing design cues to differentiate it from the roadster.
Engines will max out with top performing inline 6 cylinders, as is usual for the Z series, but BMW is also studying a possible M version that may adopt a V8 powerplant from the M3.
Also coming down the pike is the Z2 hybrid. The Z2 will be a compact roadster that will feature the new BMW eDrive technology in development right now with the MINI-E (a full electric vehicle with a 150 kW/204 hp electric motor that churns out 220 Nm of torque).
It seems BMW is serious about continuing to create roadsters and coupes in this segment.
Could this be the official, true-life image of the new Porsche Panamera? Yes, according to Dutch publication AutoTelegraaf. A Monday embargo on the images and possibly details has supposedly been broken by Auto Motor und Sport and more details should be available this Sunday night.
Panamera is a four-door coupe from Porsche that is aimed to compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz CLS, the upcoming Audi A7 2+2, BMW CS concept-based 2+2 coupe and Aston Martin Rapide. It's a hefty customer this Panamera, measuring 16.3ft (4.97 metres) long, 6.3ft (1.9m) wide and 4.66ft (1.4m) tall. The wheelbase is quantified at 9.6ft (2.9m). Curb mass approaches two tonnes.
As a package it will feature the most advanced and passenger-car focused technologies, such as an electronic air suspension, PDK gearbox, an LSD for good traction, and current interior comforts. The Porsche Panamera is obviously a Porsche, which means no sparing of thought when it comes to engine power.
Initially the two variants available will be an S model and a Turbo, the former kicking out 400bhp (300kW) from its 4.8-litre V8 and the Turbo launching upwards of 500bhp (373kW), thanks to a twin-turbo system running through its gut. V6 petrol power should join the two later, packing around 300bhp (223kW), while hybrid power comes at a later stage. If Porsche terminology is anything to go by we can also expect Turbo S models too worth over 600bhp (447kW). Although diesels have been ruled out, there cannot be 100 percent certainty on the issue; Porsche did once say the Cayenne would not offer diesel as an option. Today it's a different story.
An estimated 20,000 units are planned for sale at the start, with production going on to 50,000 per year depending on demand. Sales of Panamera begin in the US, Europe and Asia in 2009.
What makes the M more special than the X6 V8 Twin-Turbo? Well, as far as appearance goes the typical M side vents and dual-exhaust on each side.
As we mentioned many times before, some say that the BMW X6M will be powered by a 5.0-liter V10 with 373kW and 520Nm of torque, even though we believe that a twin-turbo engine will be more suitable for the job. The 4.4 V8 Twin-Turbo can be the ideal choice since the car already weighs around 5,000 lbs and placing a heavy V10 engine in it, would not make much sense.
Everything is being kept under the table as of now, so unfortunately no other details are available, including pricing.
What we learned today is that BMW are delaying Z4 press release due the sDrive trademark registration issues in US market. Our sources confirmed two weeks ago that the launch was scheduled for the first week in November and everyone, including us, got excited.
According to Eny from GCZ (connected with BMW), “the model designations has finally been officially registered this Tuesday (11/11) yet BMW AG are still waiting to obtain official letter (registration certificate) from USPTO, and then press release can be issued.”
So, in the mean time, what can be better than some new spy photos of the BMW Z4.
The E 63 AMG shows off its big brakes with cross-drilled discs and a lowered suspension, as well as those four huge round tailpipes. Also a new front bumper with larger air intakes should be a major attraction. That 6.2-litre V8 is expected to keep its place under the hood, producing well over 550 bhp in line with current German power king Audi RS6's 573 horses.
The folks over at 9ff have a serious addiction to speed. They spent the best part of a year developing the original 987 hp GT9. A monster of a machine that they managed to beat down the track at a death defying 409km/h, a good 2km/h faster than the Bugatti Veyron but just shy of the world production car speed record currently held by SSC Ultimate Aero which stands at 411.71km/h(255.83mph).
Now the German Tuner has released the first image of the GT9 R which boasts a massive power output of 1120 horsepower(835.18kW) and 1050Nm (774.34lb-ft) of toque. No further details have been released yet, but with the Essen Tuning Show coming up at the end of the month, a betting man may have a flutter at more juicy details surfacing around the said time.
Sports car fans are in for a real treat! Audi is planning a striking new mid-engined machine – the R4. The newcomer will be based on an entirely new platform and sit above the TT in Audi’s range, offering buyers a driver-focused two-seater with a starting price of around £35,000.
From the picture we can see the A5 Sportback will feature a high waistline and low, sloping roof, while the front should remain identical to the current A5 Coupe it is based on.
It is also clear it will have five doors but the sporty, raked, hatchback rear-end will ensure it looks much sleeker than an Avant. The coupe-hatchback will have a more spacious cabin than the standard A5 too which will help the new Audi stand in a niche all of its own.
BMW’s next-generation 6 Series coupe and convertible, expected to be introduced in 2011, have been spied in early testing. Though heavily camouflaged, the convertible in our photos looks to be longer and lower than the current car, with considerably tighter overhangs front and rear. It’s hard to see the exact lines of course, but the new 6 Series has a smoother, more streamlined look.
The vehicle spotted testing in Germany has a cloth soft top, but closer examination suggests that this may also be part of the camouflage. The wrapped decklid gives the impression that this is a convertible, so the next 6’er just might sport a retractable hardtop, to compete with Mercedes’ SL.
Here's another series of spy shots on the coming E-Class. These are of the coupe version, which will be a very important model for Mercedes since they have discontinued the CLK badging and essentially turned the CLK into this E-Class Coupe.
German automakers are very reserved in their styling and prefer the concept of (very gradual) evolution rather than revolution in updating models. This shot reveals that philosophy in action. But the car does appear to have a greater curve along the horizontal length of the body and a more muscular hunch above the rear wheels.
The E-Class Coupe will likely come with, amongst Mercedes standard lineup of engines, Mercedes' latest 204 hp turbodiesel Bluetec, an AMG version with the 550 hp V8, and may also include the BlueHybrid that Mercedes is developing.
The new E-Class sedan will be introduced at the Geneva Motor Show next March. Other variants, including this coupe, will likely only be first unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show next September.
Inside, the new dash shows a sport three-gauge pod and a revised center stack that's less complex than Mercedes' current setup. There's still a lot going on, but the navigation system's information screen has been moved up to the top of the dash, providing better visibility and a less cluttered appearance.
No longer named CLK, the new generation E-Class coupe, although still based on the C-Class platform, is expected to arrive in 2009 with the C207 designation. The E-Coupe convertible (A207) will follow a year later with a retractable hardtop unlike the current C209's soft top.
We've got some excellent spy photos of the Porsche Panamera's interior, courtesy of Teamspeed.com.
The pictures appear to have been shot from the passenger seat, and show that the four-door Porsche's got a very familiar-looking five-pod instrument panel. It also appears to have a 911-style left-hand ignition key. The center console is festooned with buttons, hinting at the high equipment levels that will no doubt be available when the Panamera enters the market against some very worthy competitors from Aston Martin, Mercedes and Maserati. During 2009, expect most Panameras to be high-content, high-profile V8 models, with the less expensive V6 coming along once Porsche's luxury-sport sedan has established itself as a worthy competitor to the Mercedes CLS and Maserati Quattroporte.
More photos can be found at the Teamspeed website.
