They have tonnes of new images, photos, info for more cars that you can think of, plus more goodies for all the BMW models.

And if you don’t want any darn solid ideas, you should not check out their BMW gallery portfolio over at this link.

KBS Motorsports has been responsible for turning many a member’s ride here into a dream ride, and have been not just great sponsors to work with, but a responsive and reliable partner for the community.

Congrats to Kelvin and his team!

Some people say that when you fall in love, the emotions and the feelings you hold dear will stay with you for the rest of your life. Cynics however will point to you that falling in love in the first place is irrational and a silly idea. These cynics will probably live out their staid lives never having driven a car quite like the new Z4. Again, this new generation of roadsters from BMW have divided the motoring world into 2 camps. You either fall in love, or don’t.

I personally belong to the former, i simply adore the new Z4 based on the styling alone. Classic BMW roadster proportions and a classic beltline around the car, you sit low and back with the powerful long front bonnet pushing out the shark-like nose towards the horizon.

It might be an evolution of the previous Z4 designs but the new car just oozes instant classic the moment you set your eyes on it. With design hints harking back to the beautiful BMW 507s from generations before. It looks even better then the over-the-top-retro Z8 homage. If the 507 evolved till today, here’s how it will look.

This generation of the Z4 also sees the introduction of a hard-shell split folding roof. Unlike most applications, the implementation of a hard-top does not detract from the overall styling efforts. It looks great with the roof up, 20 seconds later, it’ll look stunning with the roof stowed away.

The interior has been given a total new redesign for this generation, the controls are now all angled towards the driver like BMWs of before and the circular dials of this Z4 cleverly incorporates all your climate control buttons and switches. The dashboard has also been trimmed in leather. Getting in, you realise how low you actually sit, not as close to the rear axles as before but still near enough to hunker you down for some engaging drives.

Start the engine and the car rumbles into life, all 3 litres of turbocharged straight-6 power under the command of your right foot. It’s alot more refined here when compared with the older car. Everything just feels a little better. I would have preferred a beefier steering wheel rim though. I just loved the chunky steering rim on the previous Z4M.

Initial impressions of the car on the move are all pretty good, with the roof up, it feels like a coupe, superb sound insulation, minimal noise and vibrations and the car feels really rock solid on the road. You do get to choose from 3 different characteristics of the car via a switch on the central tunnel. BMW calls it “Drive Dynamic Control”. “Normal” which is self explanatory, “Sport” which tightens the car up slightly for a more spirited drive and finally, “Sport+” which makes the car alot more responsive, with the steering and adaptive M suspension becoming tauter, and the sport automatic transmission reacting even quicker.

One solid shove of the throttle convinced me just how special this car is.

The engine in this car is really a gem, with shorter pipes, hot gases get shot out of the rear pipes even quicker then in a 335i and creating beautiful music along the way. With the new dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox in place, upshifts are almost instantaneous coupled with the resounding backfire bark everytime you move a cog up. It is just sooo very addictive with the roof down. I have a confession to make here, i have not spent a longer time with any other car ever. Throughout the few days i had it, all i did was go for drives just because… well, look at it, she looks like she wants to be driven.

I went in search of some of my favourite driving roads which lead me from one end of the island to another, but the truth was, the journeys in between were just as enjoyable. This Z4 is so usable on everyday roads that normal journeys taken allows you to feel just as joyful behind the wheel. When you do find the right roads however, the sDrive35i is one crazy fast machine, it is very very easy to drive really fast in this car, whereas the older Z4 was a harder-edged machine which rattled your senses(in a good way), this new Z4 has been somewhat buttered over the knife’s edge. You can cover the same roads as rapidly, but you just won’t break a sweat doing it. The previous Z4 left your palms all white, this one allows you to be a little more relaxed. Some say the BMW has softened the car, it pretty much depends on what your definition of soft is. Yes, the ride is better and yes it doesn’t feel as raw as the previous Z4M does. But for most, it’s not the softy they think it is. The suspension still takes in the corners with minimal roll and the car keeps pushing you to go in harder and faster with each curve. Go in too hard though, the front pushes slightly wide and understeers a little, back off the throttle slightly and you get your line back. Throttle down just after the apex, the rear end squats and 300 horses torpedo you out of the turn. It’s very easy to do. In the older car, even with the traction control on, you had to be on your toes if you want to drive fast, the rear end would still wiggle you about if you’re not careful. In the new Z4, you can carry the car through turns in a nicely fashioned rhythm.

It isn’t really a soft car, BMW has not made the Z4 soft, rather, they have somewhat given the car a different flavour. Almost like taking the driving feel of the old Z4 and giving it a coating of butter, it’s all very smooth.

The old Z4M was pretty raw and many found it hard to accept, this new Z4 allows more people access to the capabilities found in the older car, in a more refined package.

Personally, i’ll be honest and say i prefer my to have my palms all sweaty in the older car, i personally like my cars raw. But too add to that point, in the previous Z4M, driving it slowly and around heavy traffic is a definite bummer. The new car is just so much more usable day to day and it takes care of the occasional spirited drive almost just as well. If we were talking about food, the old car is a meaty raw slab of steak, the new Z4 though, is more like a fillet mignon. Silly but simple way to differentiate the two. Or maybe i’m just hungry.

To finish off, i do love this car alot, i love what it can do, i love the way it sounds, the way it looks and especially the way it makes me feel. One thing i hate? I can’t afford it.(Yet!)

I would really like to showcase the cars here, but there are just too many images to share.
I hope you don’t mind clicking on this link to view. You will NOT regret it. Promise.

After the frantic running around at Makuhari Messe for the Tokyo Auto Salon on Day 2 of my Tokyo trip, i planned Day 3 of my Tokyo trip to be slightly less hectic.

JR-ed my way to Yokohama station and transferred over to Shin-Yokohama. It was lunchtime now so some food was in order!

Tempura rice bowl… Burp!


Slowly trudged my way along the tracks and passed by a Porsche showroom / storage facility (The showroom is a couple of blocks ahead). Until finally, I reached my destination!!!

Studie Yokohama! (pronounced Study, not Stoo-dy) Having seen pictures on the net and in magazines and only having read about it, to see it live in person is a truly special experience.

Who/what is Studie? To keep it short and sweet, Studie is a Japanese tuning house specializing in BMWs. They do pretty much everything from simple aesthetic enhancements to some really wild and crazy BMW builds. (You can always check out their website here) The Yokohama shop is where the boss, Bob Suzuki is at and the showroom really feels alot more like a home then a place to view automotive parts. Artworks decorate the space and there are areas for customers to sit around and/or read the latest magazines.

I’ve always liked the cars that came out of Studie and always wanted to have my own future home to be modeled after their Yokohama showroom. Here’s some pictures to show you why…

This is what greets you when you walk through the doors. That E30 M3 sitting up front sure gets your attention right? It’s probably the 2nd coolest (THE coolest will be shown later) setups for Gran Turismo ever!




Even the best-times leaderboard consists entirely of BMWs.


Behind the E30, is an array of delectable parts.

Just along the sides of the entrance lie…

A Vorsteiner bonnet…

A Z3 kiddy ride…

And an M10 racing engine…

All flanked by a selection of AC Schnitzer wheels!

How about some Yokohamas for your BMW?

Not feeling the Yokos? There’s always Breyton or G-Power


Or the everlasting assortment of BBS’.

The entire 1:18 Art Car range is featured here.

3D Design gauges sitting pretty

This Frog’s name is Speedy (He sits just next to the E30 Gran Turismo racer)

A working lift sits towards the rear of the showroom…

Right next to the exhaust systems.



Having artwork, personal memorabilia and a lounge area really makes you like making this place your home.

Even the chess pieces are made of car parts

Just before i left, they gave me a set of Studie Yokohama stickers! And i bought the Studie “Das Foto” book and had it signed by the staff

The man himself, Yasuaki “Bob” Suzuki invited me to visit the workshop/factory area just out the back and of course i agreed.

That’s a 318is there, Japan still has quite a strong following for the 318is.

A genuine Alpina B3, but sporting an M3 front bumper instead of the Alpina item.

An E28 M5 waiting to enter the workshop. And with that, i said my goodbyes and made took leave from the showroom. But, that’s not the end!

Just across the road is the carpark for Studie! With some cars well worth showing!


A set of 1 series’ cars, with the 130i hatch sporting quad pipes.




A red and loud E46 M3 with flared wheel arches, a rollcage and a monstrous rear spoiler

We were born to run!

What’s that at the back? An Alpina B3 Biturbo! A bright green Z4M Coupe and the new E89 Z4 all begging to be driven. (Never got the chance though… darn)





Check out the wild and crazy bodywork on this Z4M




And a well done up new Z4

Here they are sitting side-by-side.

A Mini sitting in the back





The carpark also has cars for sale. Studie/Base! serving as their used car selling arm.
This E30 M3 was getting a wash. It’s for sale too.

That’s my roundup for my visit to Studie Yokohama! If you think the cars here look good, those at Studie Tokyo will make you go wild!

Varis M3 looking pretty wild and track-ready.

E46 M3 racer at the Kumho tyres stand, usually accompanied by the lovely ladies.

Racing Dynamics’ RDsport RS46 at the Pirelli stand. My first real life encounter with a Racing Dynamics car. Looks awesome. Love those RD wheels!

BMW Z4 by Active sporting a crazy paint job and wheels

Wald International’s 5 Series Touring. Badass looking Touring.

Evosport’s M3 sporting carbon body parts and an array of goodies lined up-front

Vorsteiner had an M5 on show with a beautiful bonnet and some lovely looking wheels

3D Design had their 135i and sexy Z4 on display. Love their Brombacher wheels. Stunning on the Z4 especially. Both the cars sporting a blue/silver stripe along the sides. I would have another encounter with their 135i in a few days time. Look out for it!

Absolute’s M5. Check out that F1 style rear brake light!

Awksher had a beautiful blue M3 on show. This car was sporting G-Power badges so one can only guess at what lies under that bonnet.

Work wheels had an E90 320i on show featuring a stonking Wald kit.

And finishing off the BMWs of TAS2010, Masamotorsports had a 6 series on show in Hamann style with a full flat-black wrap. Not really my favourite as i think flat-black wrapping has been overdone.
That’s all for the BMWs of TAS2010. Look out for a future post where i go in search of an even more crazy collection of BMWs whilst in Japan! You really wouldn’t want to miss it. If you want to read about my “Automotive Pilgrimage” to Japan, drop by my blog: http://garage36.blogspot.com

It looks like the rumours are true. BMW is going ahead with an M-badged 1 Series, according to a report from Autocar. The two-door coupe will use BMW’s famed 3.0-litre straight six petrol engine, but instead of employing one turbo like the 5 Series GT it will revert to a new improved twin-turbo system.

Power is said to be around 260kW (350bhp) and torque should hit the 500Nm mark if the new Z4 sDrive35is (450Nm) is any indication. The rear wheels will drive things as expected with the help of a limited slip differential. The fast-changing double-clutch gearbox is likely to be the standard transmission. Performance possibilities include a 0 – 60mph time of 5.5 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph (250km/h).

“I want to set a clear signal that our products are financially accessible,” M Division boss Kay Segler is quoted as saying. “With the modular production processes in place at BMW, it is possible to create performance cars that customers can not only dream about owning but also realistically afford.”

To that effect an entry price of about £38,000 (US$61,000) is expected when the car hits UK streets in 2011. Fuel-saving measures such as stop/ start technologies and brake regeneration will be included.

The outside is likely to feature kit such as a deeper front spoiler, chunkier sills and four chromed M-style tailpipes.

What remains to be confirmed is the name. BMW traditionalists will be loath to call it the M1 since that name is so sacred in BMW history.

Meanwhile….

Unfortunately, those who want a wagon variant will have to look elsewhere. No new BMW M5 Touring is planned for production at this time, according to CAR magazine.

Soruce: Worldcarfans

Racing Dynamics, otherwise known as RDSport in the USA. The Italian tuner that specializes on BMW products, has released a teaser photo (chop) and preliminary specs on the 535i R35 and the 550i R50S that will both receive a bevy of performance and styling mods.

While Racing Dynamics has not yet released specific details on the engine upgrades, the tuner said that the 535i R35’s 3.0-liter inline-six with the twin-scroll turbocharger will receive an extra boost to produce 410HP and 383lb-ft torque for an estimated 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint time of 5.3 seconds, or 0.7 seconds faster than the standard 306HP 535i.

The range-topping 550i with the R50S package will deliver an output of 620-horsepower versus the factory model’s 407HP 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8.

In addition to the engine mods, the Bavarian sedans will also benefit from a custom made exhaust system, a high performance braking system, a new rear-locking differential and a retuned and lowered suspension with new gas struts for the front axle and gas-pressurized shock absorbers for the rear.

The package will be rounded off with new 21-inch lightweight alloy wheels, an aero kit and various options for the interior including special trim inlays.

More details are expected to be released within the next few weeks.

Via: F10post & BMWblog