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Cultural Appropriation Some countries are more heavily influenced by culture and tradition than others, and brands often leverage this to promote products and drive profit. The automotive industry is one of the sectors that typically does this well, creating one-off or special-edition models to celebrate culture and tradition. February is a significant month for Chinese culture, as this is the time when they gear up and celebrate their version of the New Year, or as we know it, the Lunar New Yea

The BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class have long been two of the best luxury SUVs you can buy. In the U.S., they’ve consistently been best-sellers for the brands as they sit at a size and price point many American buyers find appealing. Often used as family vehicles, safety is a top priority when shopping for a X5 or GLE, but which one is safest? We’ve compared them based on the latest ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). While both 2026 models can be considered safe,

In January, the 2026 World Car of the Year awards finalists were announced, and now those finalists have been whittled down to the top three in each category, including overall World Car of the Year. For 2026, BMW and Hyundai are the top performers, with multiple mentions, but the finalists also include offerings from Mercedes-Benz, Lucid Motors, Volvo, Chevrolet, Kia, and Mazda. Two Chinese vehicles also make the final round, though neither is offered in the United States. Without any further a

With the reveals of the iX3 crossover and i3 sedan out of the way, BMW is now preparing to go up a size with the iX5, or electric X5. Thanks to new spy shots from the Autoblog photographers, we now know that the most powerful version, tipped to get the M70 badge (not M60 as previously assumed), will have new rubber from Michelin, rubber that isn't yet available, even on the quickest supercars. The sidewalls reveal that the tires are Pilot Sport S 6, the latest evolution of the road-going range,

Oliver Zipse is being replaced as CEO of BMW by Milan Nedeljković, and he's been at the helm of the automaker through some of its greatest hits, but before he leaves, he's telling the world about one more important car, teasing new images of the next 3 Series Touring, or station wagon. The shadowy imagery shown could be of either the gas car or the i3 Touring, the all-electric wagon that will precede the combustion model, though he says both are important. Zipse was speaking during the company's

Those of us who are solar-powered and despise the cold but are forced to live in it during this time of year may be cursing the winter, but it's giving premium Euro automakers a chance to prove that their upcoming products are capable in all conditions. Among them is BMW, and our spies have caught the Bavarian brand's smallest crossover enduring the snow and ice of Sweden. The third-generation U11 (short-wheelbase) BMW X1 arrived in 2022, and that means it's almost due for its mid-life update, o

BMW was among the European carmakers hit hardest by tariffs in 2025, and its latest financial results make that impact clear. In its annual report, the company revealed a 6.7% drop in group earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), alongside a 15.9% decline in its automotive EBIT margin, a key measure of operating profitability. While BMW avoided putting a precise figure on the damage, analysis from Automotive News helped fill in the gaps. €1.4 Billion Lost to Tariffs

A New Benchmark for In-Car Voice Assistants BMW is taking a decisive step toward redefining how drivers and passengers interact with their vehicles. Beginning in 2026, the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant will be expanded to include Amazon’s latest Alexa+ AI architecture, marking a major milestone in human-vehicle interaction. The system will debut in the new BMW iX3, making BMW the first automaker to integrate this next-generation conversational AI directly into a production vehicle. BMW see

It Started as a Joke Dubbed as the fan-favorite on the Nordschleife, BMW's 2025 April Fools' Joke has just entered into the history books as probably one of the best jokes ever made – and raced. Fans asked, BMW delivered, and M Motorsport should be extremely satisfied with the result. This year's 24h of Nürburgring was rather star-studded with four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on the grid. He did well, leading the pack for most of the 24 hours and racing alongside a fellow Mercedes te

Off to a Great Start While we're not expecting it to sell in the same numbers as the X3, the iX3 is already generating strong buzz for BMW. The electric crossover has garnered over 50,000 orders even before it reached showrooms in Europe, and its reach is slowly but surely expanding worldwide. That said, we could expect those orders to grow soon. BMW has announced it has added an entry-level version of its EV crossover, making it more accessible to a wider audience. Complementing the 50 xDrive i

Doing its Part Perhaps it was inevitable, but a 3 Series without a Touring version sounds heretical. Granted, it was the i3 that was shown first, but BMW assured the world that even that is getting a station wagon version. After all, it's pretty much a crime not to offer the more practical version in Europe. During the launch of the i3 Sedan, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said there will be more variations of the car, with the Touring being the first of its kind. A shadowy figure of the long-roof model w

A New Era for Alpina BMW and Alpina may be closely related, but the latter has been an independent automaker in its own right from the start. However, that all changed when BMW bought the rights to the company in 2022. The move was made to ensure the survival of the brand, and it's not because Alpina isn't making enough money. If anything, Alpina is doing too well for what's supposedly a small-volume manufacturer. As a result, it could no longer skirt the emissions regulations it has long tried

The first-ever iteration of a new variant in the automotive world needs to be good to win over its intended target base, and based on what we know so far, the first BMW iX3 M will be seriously impressive and do the M Division proud. Spied in Northern Sweden, undergoing winter testing, this development mule for the 2027 iX3 M is showing off aggressive bodywork, beefy brakes, and a sporty cabin, and insiders say it'll have loads of power, sharing its basic setup with the first-ever electric M3 sed

The first-ever all-electric take on the brilliant BMW M3 sports sedan is only due to arrive next year, but BMW has already been building anticipation by sharing tidbits on what to expect. BMW M boss Frank van Meel recently shared a post on Instagram showing that the electric M3 (which we'll call iM3 but has not been confirmed to carry that name) will share one design detail with the BMW M Hybrid V8 Le Mans endurance racer: yellow daytime running lights. Clearly, BMW is implying that the know-how

This week, BMW announced arguably its coolest G-series car yet: a 2027 BMW M3 CS with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. But why is it only being offered in the U.S. and Canada? What makes us worthy of such a focused means of experiencing the manual transmission when the rest of the world missed out? Jay Hanson, a spokesperson with BMW's Product and Technology department, explained to BMWBlog that the U.S. is arguably the M division's most important market, and what an automaker's most

While the obscenely heavy (5,368 lbs) 717-horsepower G90 BMW M5 has enormous kidney grilles, at least they're not longer than they are wide, like on an M3. And with the 2027 Life Cycle Impulse, or facelift, the so-called supercar in a suit may be even better dressed, thanks to some Neue Klasse design influence. Spy shots captured in Germany reveal revised headlights and taillights, and there may be some changes to the front bumper and its grilles, too. It's tough to be certain exactly how much w

Despite the popularity of its SUV lineup, BMW’s 3 Series sedan has seen steady sales through the first three quarters of the year. Just like last year, the company has sold over 21,000 of them over this period, as a smaller but consistent percentage of buyers remain loyal to the classic sedan. Now deep into its seventh generation, the 3 Series is still one of the top contenders in its class, and if you want one, BMW is running a few appealing lease deals this month. These apply to both the 330i

Where Have All the V12s Gone? Back in the day, nearly every luxury automaker had a V12 engine to put under the hood of its flagship vehicles. Today, most have been replaced by downsized turbo engines, electric motors, or hybrid powertrains. There are still a few holdouts, but that number is dwindling by the day. One automaker that has given up on 12 cylinders is BMW. For 35 years, a V12 stood atop the 7 Series' engine options list, but that all changed with the current-generation model. Now, the

Certainly Not the Worst If we ask you to rank the generations of the BMW 7 Series, most will inevitably put the E38 model at the top. We can't blame those who would place it at number one, and if you ask us, it does deserve its status. There are those who have their own favorite generation, of course, but the E38 will almost always draw admiration and respect. However, we did come across a reel that ranked the generations, and someone placed the E32 right at the bottom. We respectfully disagree,

BMW is taking another step toward a more automated future by testing humanoid robots on a European production line for the very first time. The first batch of robots is being deployed in April at BMW Plant Leipzig, located in Germany, where a small group of machines is being integrated into real manufacturing work. In its official press release, BMW says the project is meant to bring what it calls “Physical AI” into everyday vehicle production while studying how the technology could scale across

A Longtime Rivalry For over 40 years, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been butting heads in the compact executive sedan space. At first, it was 3 Series versus 190E, but the last 30-odd years have been 3 Series versus C-Class. Whether it's with entry-level models or all-out performance versions, those two cars are always bound to rub fenders. In today's more electrified era, the two cars are still locked in a rivalry. BMW has drawn first blood with the i3, but Mercedes-Benz will soon reveal its hand

Building on the iX3's Foundations Building an eco-friendly car isn't just about zero emissions. The thing is, a lot of energy is used in vehicle assembly, from the supply chain to the materials used. With that, BMW says it has been continuously improving how it builds cars with a smaller carbon footprint. Granted, BMW's been doing that for decades, starting with the E36 3 Series, but we can see more of its efforts with the current lineup, particularly with the iX3. The German automaker repeatedl

Coming Soon: The Next-Gen BMW X5 As it is, the current X5 is already approaching its seventh year in production. For those familiar with BMW's life cycles, that means the next-generation model is just around the corner. The crossover had been spied before, and an alleged leaked photo of it is currently floating around the web. The 2027 range was also leaked a few months ago, and the redesigned X5 appears to be part of it. Further hinting that its world premiere is drawing closer is the fact that

BMW’s historic assembly plant in Munich, the company’s oldest in the world, is undergoing a massive transformation that will see it convert from an internal combustion engine plant to an all-electric one starting in 2027. The automaker has confirmed that the factory will start series production of the BMW i3 all-electric sedan from August 2026. This will mark the start of the rollout of the Neue Klasse within BMW Group’s global production network, the carmaker said in a press release. The BMW i3

The G87 BMW M2 is no stranger to special editions, and the latest is the rarest yet, with just 10 units being produced—but America can't have any of them. It's called the M2 Coupe RR Edition, and it's been revealed by BMW South Africa alongside a new S 1000 RR M2 Edition and M 1000 RR M2 Edition. Yes, as strange as it sounds, BMW has created an M2 inspired by its superbikes and a pair of superbikes inspired by its compact sports coupe. Let's take a closer look. BMW M2 RR Edition Gets Updated Loo