Mid-Size Sedans Topic Hub

2015 BMW M3 in 64 New Photos From Road America + Options and Colors Guide

Updated 11.7.14 Quick caveats about these new photos: Only about half are from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin — with the rest from a German track drive event. There are a handful of M4 shots in here as well. PREVIOUS Building a new M3 is remarkably simple – the main choices you need to ponder in advance are: – Manual transmission or M-DCT transmission? – Willing to stump for $8000 carbon brakes? – Willing to upgrade the wheels to the 19-inchers (to avoid looking like a 320i rolling on mini skateboard runners). Besides that, the rest of …

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Nov 07, 2014 Read more

Updated With Pricing: 2015 Toyota Camry Preview

UPDATED 9.3.14 With Pricing Prices are here for the new Camry! 2015 Toyota Camry – Pricing The Camry LE receives a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $22,970 while the SE will carry a base price of $23,840. The XSE and XLE models will carry identical MSRP’s of $26,150 for models equipped with the four-cylinder and $31,370 for the V6 versions. Pricing for the Camry Hybrid will start at $26,790 for the LE model, $27,995 for the SE, and $29,980 for the premium XLE. The MSRP for the 2015 Camry does not include the delivery, processing, and handling (DPH) fee …

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Sep 02, 2014 Read more

Update1 Photos and Video – 3.7s 2014 BMW M5 Jahre 30 Hits 600HP Horsepower, Adds Active M Rear Diff

Updated 8.23.14 with real-life USA debut details. We are trying out a new YouTube intro/branding clip ahead of all the videos — and have the current BMW M6 with M Performance exhaust as the audio overlay (for the time being…). This is relevant to the BMW M5 Jahre 30 edition because it shows what this engine can really sound like with an aftermarket addition. It also shows that the Pebble Beach audio recording of the Jahre 30 is not nearly as vivid. In fact, the Jahre 30 sounds really terrific in person, with much more engine rumble and hum …

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Aug 23, 2014 Read more

BMW ConnectedDrive Only for Geeks? Nope! Meet The Drift-O-Matic 235i and 650i Gran Coupe

Many of us have seen the old version of automated cars — the ones with robotic inputs for the gas and brake pedals, plus a strange rig to actually move the steering wheel left and right. This is a decidedly manual type of setup. Part of the big push toward electrically-operated steering is energy efficiency, of course. But the other big part is in automation of the actual control inputs. BMW looks like it has gotten pretty far up this self-driving path — to the point where it is demonstrating cars in a high-speed drift scenario! Surely a scary thrillride …

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May 09, 2014 Read more

BMW Debuts Solar Carport and Triples Carbon-Fiber Output at Hydro-Powered Washington Factory

The BMW i strategy is full-steam ahead — literally. Hydroelectric power in Washinton state is making it the global carbo-fiber manufacturing hub for the BMW Group, with an extra $200-million investment announced today. This will double the facility’s output and will help BMW meet strong i3 and i8 demand, as well as support the supply chain for the expected new BMW i models. i5 and i2? i4 and i1? It really could be anything. No announcements or even concepts have indicated which number BMW might be next on the i-Makeovers list — so it really is anyone’s guess. But considering …

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May 09, 2014 Read more

2015 SuperCoupe Design Shootout – Lexus RC F vs. BMW M4 vs. Audi RS5

Executive supercoupes are hot as f*** right now. A duo of new entrants from BMW and Lexus really up the ante on Audi’s 2014 RS5 and the forthcoming C63 AMG Coupe that is expected relatively soon on the horizon. Other competitors are plenty in this segment, including the 2014 CTS-V Coupe from Cadillac, the Infiniti Q60 IPL and even the Camaro ZL1 — but these three are ripe for a design shootout because their performance and target markets are so completely mirrored — even more so than performance, the case may be. The M4 and RC F are not even …

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May 08, 2014 Read more

Road Test Review w/ Pricing and Specs – 2014 Mazda3 Grand Touring

We were amazed with the all-new 2014 Mazda3 from the moment we laid eyes on it – especially the slinky and low-slung sedan variant that just arrived this Spring to Mazda dealers nationwide. After some joyful driving of the loaded 2014 Mazda3 s Grand Touring model, it is clear that the praise we shared in the “2014’s Smartest Compact” article was not sufficient. This might be the best car on the market in general, with no caveats for size or price. It is that good. I am struggling to convey how outstanding a machine it is in all regards — …

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May 07, 2014 Read more

Gone in 3.7s – 30th Anniversary BMW M5 Adds 25 Horsepower, New Steering and New Active M Rear Diff

Well this is interesting! The ’30 Jahre M5′ edition is actually a bit more than a run-out special ahead of an expected revamp and the long-rumored addition of xDrive to the next M5. Adding power, a new steering setup and a new controller for the Active M Differential not only improves sprint times down to 3.7-seconds to 60MPH — it is also promised to improve the overall handling balance of the ultimate super saloon car. Worth noting is that the current M5 is not exactly lacking in dynamic poise or power. But the game is moving forward on BMW’s M5 …

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May 07, 2014 Read more

2015 BMW M3 – Configurator Buyers Guide to Options, Colors, Wheels and Best Equipment

Building a new M3 is remarkably simple – the main choices you need to ponder in advance are: – Manual transmission or M-DCT transmission? – Willing to stump for $8000 carbon brakes? – Willing to upgrade the wheels to the 19-inchers (to avoid looking like a 320i rolling on mini skateboard runners). Besides that, the rest of the options book really writes itself. The level of customization inside with various leather colors really shames the exterior paint finishes available — which seem pretty limited upon first glance. Other options that seem like must-have items? – Adaptive suspension for $1000 – …

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May 04, 2014 Read more

NASCAR Meets Road Course?! Video of Stock Cars at Mitty 2014 + 100 Track Photos

One cannot really escape NASCAR if you are outside of a New York-LA-Chicago type of city, and especially if you are a Yankee who wakes up one day in the South. Stock Car racing is everywhere, and I am climbing down into the abyss. Overall, the cars are pretty fun to watch being driven at max attack around Road Atlanta’s challenging road course. For one, it has numerous tight corners. Second, the cars in this Stock Car class include everything from Impalas and relatively recent Charger NASCARS … all the way back in time to the Chevy Monte Carolo and …

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May 01, 2014 Read more

2015 Toyota Camry Redesign Delivers Greater Chassis Strength, Wider Stance and Full LED Style

By Special Contributor Anthony Alaniz Look out in your driveway. Go look. We’ll wait. Did you see it? The best-selling car in the country? It’s very possible you have one, two, maybe even three Toyota Camrys lounging out there in front of your house. Since 1983, 10.2 million Camrys have been sold. It is the best-selling car in America for a reason—though the reason is still unbeknownst to us. The Camry exudes beige and boring like a badge. So, it should come as no surprise that the Camry has received an update for 2015 for the ever …

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Apr 24, 2014 Read more

Building My 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 – Buyers Guide to Colors, Wheels and Must-Have Options

If you only read this one sentence– there are only two major CLA250 options you need to check to make your new Merc (said as: ‘Merk’) the coolest kid on the block: — Sport pack: $2,200 – New sills, front and rear bumpers, and overall styling enhancement versus the standard car — Bi-xenon + LED pack: $850 – Halogen headlights? No thanks! These also bring cool LED accents front and back. The CLA250 is fresh off the boats this year, and looks amazing in the flesh. It really does. With a $29,900 price attached for the base models, …

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Apr 23, 2014 Read more

2015 Chrysler 200 Aims For the Middle, But Design and Cabin Undeniably Much-Improved

By Special Contributor Anthony Alaniz There is little doubt that the forthcoming 2015 Chrysler 200 is important. The mid-sized car segment has been virtually void of any credible Chrysler product for some time—lest we forget about Eminem and that commercial. As maligned the Chrysler 200 is, it is hard to forget the 200 first appeared on showroom floors just a few years ago as a 2010 model, replacing the worst-car-on-the-market Sebring sedan. See a pattern here? For 2015, Chrysler has finally found the fire necessary to produce something competitive, or at least inoffensive and of a quality high enough …

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Apr 21, 2014 Read more