2012 BMW

2012 BMW

Along with the X3, the 6-series is the oldest BMW on the market. Launched at the Frankfurt auto show in the fall of 2003, the current car has carried on for seven years, supported by a convertible version launched in 2004 and a very modest face lift in late 2007. Now it's time to move on, and this is what we believe the next-generation 6-series will look like. It will be launched in late 2010 or early 2011 and draw heavily from the Gran Coupé concept car BMW unveiled at the Beijing auto show earlier this year.

Stylistically, the next 6 will be less bulky than the current model, which—back in 2003—was the second Bangle-fied blow absorbed by BMW loyalists after the portly 2001 7-series. With LED running lights and BMW’s characteristic air intakes below the headlights, the next 6 will launch with styling elements that undoubtedly will prove less controversial than the outgoing model's protruding posterior. It will look leaner, tighter, and more aggressive than the current model.

Power initially will come from BMW’s 300-hp, turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and 400-hp, twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8. Europe will get a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel likely rated around 320 hp, but we doubt it will be offered in the U.S. We will, however, get another M6, which—like the next M5—will be powered by a high-output version of the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 rated as high as 580 hp. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a manual-transmission option. The current-generation V-10 M5 and M6 were launched with the automated SMG transmission only, but U.S. customers forced BMW to hastily add a six-speed manual—a lesson unlikely to be forgotten soon. If this engine portfolio sounds awfully similar to that of the 5-series, that's because under the skin—as has been the case since the 6-series debuted in the late ’70s—the 5 is the 6's closest sibling, even though the coupe poses as a sportier, slightly downsized 7-series.

Just as it does with the current model, BMW will offer a coupe and a convertible, and we expect the latter to keep its traditional fabric roof. But this time around, there likely will be a third variation: a sedan—which inevitably will be dubbed a "four-door coupe"—to compete with the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Judging from the four-door Gran Coupé concept, it will be beautiful enough to make us forget the 6’s stylistic sins of the recent past.

2012 BMW 650i Convertible

2012 BMW 650i Convertible

Having seen the 6-series coupe concept in Paris just a few weeks ago, we’re in no way surprised by the styling of the 2012 650i convertible. What is a bit of a surprise is that BMW chose to display the 6-series coupe concept in L.A., showing only images of this production car during its press conference at the show. Now, the car has appeared in the metal at the 2011 Detroit auto show.

Looks Greatly Improved, Top Still Goes Down

As previewed on the coupe concept, the somewhat ungainly 6-series has evolved into a well-tailored grand tourer, taking more than a few aesthetic cues from the recent 5- and 7-series redesigns. Changes from the concept are few and subtle, aside from the differing roof executions, of course. The front and rear fascias have been toned down a bit, with the biggest difference being the exhaust finishers that route below (instead of through) the rear valance. All of the lighting elements—adaptive xenon headlights and LEDs for all other functions—have been redesigned for real-world use, and, this being a convertible, the CHMSL has been moved to the trunklid.

As on the previous 6er droptop, a flying-buttress top is used here, as is an independently opening, power rear window. Lowering the roof is said to take 19 seconds, while raising it again requires 24. As with the previous model, the roof can be operated at vehicle speeds of up to 25 mph. Color choices for the cloth roof are black and beige. The car’s wheelbase and length grow by about three inches and it’s 1.5 inches wider than the outgoing model. As with the 5-series, the 6 gets an aluminum hood and doors, with reinforced plastic being used for the front fenders, tonneau panel, and trunklid.

Ought to Go Pretty Fast

The 50i suffix on this car means BMW’s increasingly ubiquitous 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 lives below its sculpted hood. Output is rated at 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque—just as in the 5 and 7 sedans—increases of 40 hp and 90 lb-ft over the outgoing 650i’s naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8. The V-8 comes with a standard six-speed manual or a ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic; interestingly, BMW’s release on the car claims the former is “quite popular with North American enthusiasts.” We’re awfully proud. BMW projects 4.9-second 0-to-60-mph times for 650i convertibles with either transmission. The U.S.-market 6-series also will join other new BMWs in including a clutched alternator to help efficiency.

As for other powertrains, we expect M versions of both the coupe and convertible to rejoin the lineup a year or so in the future. Power will come from a higher-output version of the twin-turbo eight, with as much as 580 hp. The next M6 should get a dual-clutch transmission and, hopefully, retain a three-pedal option.

Chassis Tech and Classy Tech

Another unsurprising inclusion is BMW’s Driving Dynamics Control system, which lets drivers choose between four driving modes to tailor throttle response, power-steering assistance, the adaptive suspension, and transmission behavior (for auto-equipped models). Tweakability aside, our hope is that the electric power steering is an improvement over the 5-series sedan’s; the setup’s lack of feel and communication contributed to a 535i’s last-place finish in a three-way comparison test. Optional items—which then can also be fiddled with through DDC—include active roll stabilization and four-wheel active steering.

The interior is a slightly more driver-focused iteration of what’s found in the 5- and 7-series. There’s a separate binnacle hood in front of the driver, and the standard iDrive controller is integrated into an armrest for the helmsman that sweeps away and into the dash. The center stack is dominated by a huge, 10.2-inch screen that can show, among other things, images from a standard rearview camera that’s hidden under the hinged roundel badge on the trunklid—it swivels when the camera isn’t needed to keep the lens free of raindrops and schmutz.

The 6’s front seats are said to use lightweight construction, and BMW claims improved headroom in all four spots. (The latter refers to top-up motoring, mind you. BMW hasn’t moved the troposphere.) An optional package bundles automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, blind-spot detection, cameras on the front and sides, parking sensors, and a new, three-dimensional color head-up display. Active cruise control and night vision can be added as well, but shouldn’t be.

This new 650i convertible will go on sale in the spring of 2011 as a 2012 model, wearing a base price of $91,375. We expect the production-ready 6-series coupe to appear at an auto show in the not-too-distant future, and we're told it will trail the convertible to market, arriving later in the year. The 650i will be built in Dingolfing, Germany, alongside—no surprise—the 5- and 7-series.

2012 BMW 650i Coupe

2012 BMW 650i Coupe

BMW's top-of-the-line coupe has always been among the firm’s most highly desirable cars. However, things kind of went downhill after the first 6-series, the E24. The 1990s saw the excess of the 8-series, which launched with a V-12—and the accompanying astronomical price—and therefore walked away from much of the 6-series customer base. Then came the E63 6-series, which virtually defined the “Bangle Butt,” perhaps the industry's most obnoxious posterior.

That's history now. Longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, the new 6-series is sleek and beautiful in a timeless way. From the aggressive shark nose down the sculpted body sides, past the Hofmeister-kinked C-pillar and all the way to the wide, low rear, the 6 boasts near-perfect proportions. It is finally a worthy aesthetic successor of the first-generation 6. Inside, it features a beautifully sculpted dashboard and center console, a tremendous departure from the strange mixture of baroque proportions and sober surface treatments that defined its predecessor's interior.

Eat it, World: U.S. Only Market to Get a Manual

Just as in the 6-series convertible, power comes from BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8, which makes its usual 400 hp. (Europe also will get a a 315-hp inline-six under the hood of the 640i, as well as a possible 640d powered by a 3.0-liter diesel inline-six.) Most markets will get only a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, but a six-speed manual will also be available in the U.S. BMW says that the 0-to-60 dash will take just 4.8 seconds, and the artificial ceiling is set at 155 mph. Fuel-economy figures won’t be released until later this year, but don’t expect the 6 to be a miser. With that same engine and eight-speed auto, the 5-series is rated by the EPA for 17 mpg city/25 highway. The manual drops the 5’s ratings to just 15/22.

The 6-series portfolio is not complete yet. An M6 is coming, and will pack a version of the 650i’s turbocharged V-8 making around 600 hp. And there will be a four-door 6 as well, which will compete with the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Pricing for the coupe has not been announced yet, but should stay close to that of the outgoing model, which started at $79,325. We’d be OK with even a moderate price increase: When was the last time you could, with a straight face, praise a new BMW for its timeless beauty?

2012 Ford, 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

2012 Ford, 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Jim Farley, Ford’s group VP of global marketing, didn’t have to fly to California for the debut of the Mustang Boss 302. No one told him to. He came anyway. “I’ve been driving my own Mustang right through the past two Michigan winters thinking about this project,” he says. “From a business standpoint, the Boss 302 shouldn’t have happened. But it happened. My dream for the car was that it would make a lot of money for a guy street racing. It should be a car that winds up on YouTube doing something illegal. I’ve been waiting 20-plus years to launch a car like this.”

The decision to resurrect the Boss 302 was made in the darkest days of the recession. Is Ford brave or what? Especially since it’s so rare that offspring are able to match the feats of  legendary forebears, as Charlie Sheen can attest.

To eke out of the Mustang GT’s engine a bonus 32 horses, Ford created a new intake manifold with runners resembling velocity stacks. Different cylinder heads were deployed—stronger alloy and altered ports—with each head undergoing 2.5 hours of CNC massaging. The camshafts offer increased lift, the intake valves are larger, the bearings are race-spec, and the baffled pan holds 8.5 quarts of synthetic oil.

The result is 444 horsepower at 7500 rpm, a happy medium between the Mustang GT’s 412 horses and the Shelby GT500’s 550. The Boss’s V-8—unlike the brutish Shelby’s—doesn’t so often overwhelm its chassis. In fact, what you first notice—and this is very BMW-ish—is that the Boss’s engine, driveline, and suspension draw virtually no attention to each others’ eccentricities. It lends the package a gratifying sense of unity that inspires confidence.

This V-8 is so vigorous and charismatic that its likeness ought to be carved on Mount Rushmore. The engine revs nearly as quickly as you can flex your right foot, feeling as if it displaces maybe three liters. What’s more, despite all that cam, it idles as smoothly as a Camry.

Sans traction control, launching the Boss takes some practice, although never has practice been so fun. Sidestep the clutch with too many revs, and you’ll trigger axle tramp followed by a cumulous cloud of Pirelli particulates that will only swell in size all the way through second gear. The trick is to slip the clutch from about 3500 rpm, then mat the throttle when the axle says, “Yeah, I’m feelin’ settled and relaxed back here.” The result is 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds—0.3 second quicker than the GT (or a Camaro SS) and only 0.2 second behind the jackhammer GT500. Once that live axle is placated . . . well, here’s the telltale statistic: From 5 to 60 mph, the Boss loses not an inch to the GT500 and is but 0.1 second behind a BMW M3. The accelerative kick flings sunglasses and coins and pens in the center bin backward against a plastic wall, sounding as if they’ve just hit the bottom of a ventilator shaft. Through the quarter-mile, the engine pulls like a Tennessee mule—no valleys, no holes—slingshotting the Boss 0.4 second ahead of the GT and only 1 mph behind the M3.

All of this is accompanied by a mellifluous, resonance-free exhaust note that is an unlikely aural confluence of, say, Lexus
IS F and Roush/Yates Sprint Cup engine. It’s a four-way exhaust—two sewer pipes astern and one per side exiting just in front of the rear wheels. A restrictor plate in each side pipe lends the Boss federal pass-by legality, but the baffles can be unbolted in less time than it takes to read this review. It’s lucky that the rumble is so rich, because the engine is seriously loud at idle.

The Boss’s suspension has likewise benefited from a lavish labor of love. Compared with the GT, it boasts stiffer springs, a fatter rear stabilizer bar, new bushings, and 19-inch Pirelli P Zeros that, at the rear, are mounted on 9.5-inch-wide wheels. What’s more, each shock offers five settings that are adjustable via screwdriver, creating the possibility of very strange chassis behavior at the hands of very strange owners. Again, is Ford brave or what? And experimenting with dampers is educational, fun, and will make you feel like Parnelli Jones’s crew chief.

The steering rack is electrically assisted and can be toggled to comfort, standard, or sport modes. We preferred the standard setting, even at the track. The other modes did nothing more than alter effort. No matter. The steering was ever accurate, progressive, and informative, with peerless interstate tracking.

At the front, four-pot Brembos clamp 14-inch vented rotors. The pads are near-race-spec compounds, although they don’t squeal, and the brake lines have been hardened to prevent expansion. On the road, pedal feel proved sublime—fairly hard but bang-on linear—and it was a cinch to modulate braking right on the threshold of the ABS. Fade? None that we encountered either during testing or during nine-tenths lapping around Laguna Seca.

As a dance partner in the hills, the Boss eagerly goes all bossa nova, laying down its prodigious power with surprising smoothness. The chassis felt remarkably balanced, usually neutral, leaning toward power oversteer only in the tightest turns. Despite its super-quick transient responses, it never felt nervous. This Mustang is so agile, so responsive to delicate inputs, that it makes the GT500 feel like a FedEx truck. The Boss’s grip almost always exceeds the driver’s courage, so feel free to ignore our lateral-grip figure, recorded on a skidpad dusted with sand. What’s more, the ultra-short-throw shifter was an ally, although its gates are so close that a clumsy upshift from second will sometimes collect fifth.

Ford has forever treated its Mustangs as blue-collar contrivances of unprepossessing heritage. The cockpit thus remains dour and rudimentary, despite the synthetic-suede-wrapped steering wheel and the machine-turned aluminum trim. The acres of coarse, pebbled-plastic surfaces, in particular, would be (and have been) rejected in far less expensive machines, notably in Ford’s own Focus. The gaping voids between the tops of the rear tires and the rolled fender lips are eyesores. The steering column doesn’t telescope. And the brake and accelerator pedals should be closer together.

The base Boss fetches $40,995, and there is only one major option: a Torsen limited-slip differential and Recaro seats (packaged together and costing $1995), plus the so-called TracKey. If you’re headed for the track—and why wouldn’t you be?—then all three are mandatory. In total, 4000 examples will be assembled, which isn’t even half of the original Boss’s two-year production. That sum includes 3250 base Bosses and 750 Laguna Seca editions.

We expected the Boss 302 to be little more than a marketing exercise in nostalgia, a somewhat more brutal, slightly faster GT, with alluring graphics but primitive predilections. It isn’t. Nose to tail, this feels like a whole new equine—thoroughly sorted, conscientiously massaged, the object of considerable forethought and ambition. As automotive resurrections go, this is a knockout that venerates the original Boss while embarrassing it objectively and subjectively in every meaningful measure. What this is, is the best Mustang ever. Continued..

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Only a month after the unveiling of the 550-plus-hp 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, word is leaking out that Ford will substantially advance the muscle-car wars with a 2013 Shelby GT500 making a pants-bursting 600-plus horsepower.

Our well-informed sources say the stratospheric output figure, which could be as high as 620 horses, is the result of boring out the current 5.4-liter V-8 to 5.8 liters and swapping the existing Eaton M112 supercharger for the same firm’s more-efficient and quieter TVS unit. This supercharger, with its four-lobe rotors, is the blower of choice for the Audi S4, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and, interestingly, the Camaro ZL1.

The 5.4-liter in the current GT500 makes an already pretty absurd 550 hp. The car rips to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.4. Based solely on the horsepower increase, we estimate that the 2013 model will drop almost half a second through the quarter, for a 12.0-second run. As it is already traction limited, we don’t see the 0-to-60 number changing much. We do, however, anticipate that it’ll be a straight-up bitch to launch consistently, at least without the addition of a launch-control system. If it isn’t limited to 155 mph, as the current car is, the 2013 GT500 should be capable of topping 190 mph.

Like all 2013 Mustangs, the GT500 will sport a body altered with the goal of looking somewhat less retro and more modern and edgy, according to sources. And, yes, we do take “modern” to imply the addition of LEDs to the head- and taillight assemblies. You won’t see any of the new bodywork in the spy photos here. This powertrain mule caught today in Dearborn wears familiar bodywork (and 2011 Mustang GT headlights) but rides very low over a set of current GT500 Performance package wheels. What won’t change is the basic rear-suspension design. That’s right: This most insanely powerful of Mustangs will keep its live axle. It’ll just be a little, er, livelier.

The new model is, of course, still a long way off. Hell, the 2012 ZL1 that it’s intended to battle won’t go on sale for another 11 or so months. Expect the 2013 GT500 about 10 months after that, leaving you plenty of time to save your dollars. You’re going to need about 60,000 of them to buy one.

Benz, 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Benz, 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Even in the realm of high-performance rock-star cars, few can rival the profane, knock-your-teeth-out mayhem that is the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Yes, the phenomenal BMW M3 offers a more cohesive all-around experience than the Benz, but the Merc is no slouch dynamically, and besides, its soundtrack is pure aural sex. And now you can get that same goodness in the newest addition to the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the C-class coupe. The two-door C63 AMG will debut at the New York auto show in April.

Like Sedan, Like Coupe

If you read our story on the recently updated Mercedes C63 AMG sedan, the coupe’s specs will sound familiar—the powertrain is the same, regardless of door count. As in the four-door, the rear-wheel-drive C63 coupe’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 pumps out 451 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque; the optional Development package increases horsepower to 481 (torque remains the same). For 2012, the coupe joins the sedan in featuring Benz’s seven-speed MCT automatic transmission, which swaps in a single wet clutch where the torque converter would normally go. Drivers can select from an Efficiency mode, or turn up the volume to Sport, Sport+, or Manual, modes in which gears are held onto for longer and downshifts are rev-matched. In the E63 AMG, where this transmission also finds a home, we found the gearchanges to be near-instantaneous, so we have high hopes for its performance in the already-no-slouch C63.

Let’s talk about that performance. Mercedes estimates that the C63 coupe, like the new C63 sedan, will take care of a 0-to-60 sprint in 4.4 seconds (4.3 with the Development pack). We think that’s just conservative Teutonic nonsense. The last two C63 sedans we clocked each ripped off 3.9-second 0-to-60 runs. One had the Development pack and the other didn’t, but both used the older-style automatic gearbox that’s now been replaced. It’s possible that the new MCT transmission could shave another tenth of a second off the 0-to-60 time, especially with its Race Start launch-control function, but we’ll find out for sure when we can load it with test gear and hit the track. When we do, we’ll also see about keeping Benz honest on its claim of an electronically limited 174-mph top speed for the Development pack version.

The C63 coupe features an AMG sports suspension with retuned springs and shocks and larger anti-roll bars; the layout is multiple links all around. The track is wider than the regular coupe’s by 4.3 inches up front and 3.2 in the rear; yes, the track increases are huge, but a wickedly modified front suspension and fat rear tires will do that. The brakes also are, naturally, upgraded from those you’d find on a non-AMG C-class coupe. The hot two-door has 14.2-inch rotors up front and 13.0-inchers in the rear.

Sizzle to Go with the Steak

If the bacchanalia exhaust burble isn’t enough to alert onlookers that the C63 coupe is, in fact, harboring a dynamite-testing facility under the hood, Mercedes has made alterations to the two-door’s exterior as well. Up front, the AMG coupe sports a special blacked-out lower air intake, while the horizontal strips of LEDs on the lower side air outlets are repositioned from their spots on the non-AMG coupe. A new aluminum hood features two lengthwise bulges, and to cap off the front-end face lift, the standard C-class coupe’s two-wing grille is swapped for a blacked-out piece with a thin chrome line stretching across.

Despite the engine’s 6.2 liters of displacement, the front fenders are festooned with the now-familiar “6.3 AMG” badge that nods to Benzes past. Around back, the C63 has a black air diffuser and quad, chrome-finished exhaust pipes. The standard wheels are 18-inch alloys painted titanium grey—they’re not the wheels shown on this car—but hedonists will be able to upgrade to something bigger. On cars with the Development pack, a carbon-fiber spoiler tops the trunklid and brake calipers are painted red.

Based on these initial manufacturer shots, we certainly like the look of the C63 coupe, but its styling enhancements over the normal C-class coupe are almost too stealth. A car like this should look nasty—perhaps the rumored C63 AMG Black Series will remedy this—but of course, final judgment will be reserved until we can see the AMG-tweaked coupe up close.

Okay, Fine, Creature Comforts

The C63 AMG coupe is well equipped, coming standard with a panorama sunroof, heavily bolstered sport seats, a 4.5-inch color instrument cluster display, automatic headlamps, and the usual suite of iPod, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity. Unfortunately, Benz’s updated-for-2012 COMAND nav system is an extra-cost option. In addition to the power-boosting Development pack, other add-ons will include a variety of the company’s latest safety gadgets, like Adaptive Highbeam Assist and active curve illumination, blind-spot sensors, and a lane-drift monitor. Buyers can also spend their cash on keyless go and, for an actual performance gain, a limited-slip differential.

For the fashion-sensitive, carbon fiber or several types of wood can be optioned in place of the standard aluminum trim in the interior, and various one- and two-tone leather seat colors are available, too.

The C63 AMG coupe hits dealers in September. The company should release pricing before then; for now we expect it to come in slightly higher than the sedan, which hasn’t yet been priced for 2012, but stickered at $61,175 last year. That’s far from chump change, but a lot less painful than having your teeth knocked out.

We’ll also add that now might be a good time to prepare yourself for another comparo involving the M3 coupe. Just sayin’.

2012 Audi Q3

2012 Audi Q3

What it is: A diminutive luxury SUV that is smaller than the Audi A4–based Q5.

Why it matters: The Q3 is Audi’s entry into a new segment; it will compete directly with BMW’s upcoming X1 SUV.

Platform: Based on the Volkswagen Tiguan and approximately the same size, the Q3 is nevertheless lower and sportier. Audi Drive Select, the brand’s adjustable chassis-control system, will be optional.

Powertrain: A 2.0-liter turbo engine producing 211 horsepower will be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Front-drive will be standard, with all-wheel drive as an option.

Competition: Three upcoming 2011 models—BMW X1, Land Rover LRX, Mercedes-Benz BLK.

Estimated arrival and price: Debuts in the fall, likely starting at $30,000.