Tag Archives: new car

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Should You Buy or Lease Your New BMW?

Whether you’re a veteran BMW owner or about to add your first one to your collection, there’s always one question that comes up when you head to the dealership — should you buy or lease your new BMW? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both purchasing options so you can make the best decision for you. 

Pros — Buying

If you’re a fan of modifying your daily driver, buying your car means that you can do just that without violating your lease agreement. You can also drive it as much as you like with no mileage restriction. Purchasing instead of leasing — especially with luxury brands like BMW — also gives you the option to acquire equity the longer you own it, which you may be able to borrow against. 

If you have the money or credit to purchase your BMW outright, buying can be a great choice. Plus, it can save you money on insurance, which offers benefits like roadside assistance and auto medical coverage. If you own your BMW for more than three years, your insurance costs tend to drop. 

Cons — Buying

Permanent ownership isn’t for everyone. If you don’t buy your car outright, you’re looking at an extended loan period. Most leases last for 36 months or three years, while purchasing loans often extend 60 months with varying interest rates. These factors mean you could end up paying quite a bit more than what the car is worth. 

It’s also more difficult to upgrade your vehicle to the newest model, so if you absolutely need to have the latest toys in your garage, buying isn’t the best decision. 

Pros — Leasing

Leasing is another option for getting your hands on a new BMW, and it has its own benefits. If you like to upgrade your car every couple of years, leasing gives you that opportunity — you can trade your current ride and switch to a new model at the end of your lease period. The BMW warranty will protect you if something goes wrong or needs maintenance. Most BMW warranties cover all necessary repairs for three years. 

If you’re not planning on keeping a BMW permanently, leasing gives you flexible possibilities for ownership. Without loan interest, you’ll pay less in the long run. 

Cons — Leasing

If you lease, you have limits on what you can do with your vehicle. You can’t make any modifications without violating your agreement, and you’re only allowed to drive a certain number of miles every year. You also need to have excellent credit to qualify. There are often a lot of fees associated with leasing, and if you run into financial hardship, it’s difficult to cancel without a negative strike on your credit. 

Making the Right Choice

Both buying and leasing have their positives and negatives. The right choice for you will depend on numerous variables, from how far you need to drive to what your income looks like. You’ll also need to consider whether you’re looking for a long-term investment or something shorter. Talk to your BMW dealer to see which selection is best for you. 

Racing

BMW M2 CS Racing Now Available for Motorsport Drivers

Fans of the Ultimate Driving Machine will attest that BMW’s boastful motto was born from success at the racetrack. Those early racing BMWs, 20002s and 3.0 CSLs, are remembered today through the M2 CS, Munich’s most compact, track-hardened two-door from the current lineup of driving machines. And now, weekend warriors and professional race teams can source their race cars direct from the BMW factory.

The M2 CS Racing, launched November 6th, is a factory-developed race car competitively priced to compete with like offerings from Porsche, Mercedes, Ford and other competitive marques. For BMW, it’s the newest flag-bearer of their storied past, picking up after the successful M235i racing which was launched in 2014. 

Same Great Look, New Race Flavor

The formula for a car like the CS Racing is fairly straightforward. Strip out the car’s interior to make it light. Harden the suspension to give it track-appropriate sharpness, and add the requisite technology to provide telemetrics and data logging to inform racing strategy. Along the way, BMW has breathed on the already-fast 7-speed dual-clutch transmission to make shifts even more instantaneous and added a mechanical limited-slip differential with dedicated cooling. 

The CS Racing use the same M4-derived S55 straight-six as its roadgoing brethren, however, the engine’s state of tune limits it to between 280 and 365 bhp to comply with the regulations of the various classes where the M2 might compete. An upgrade to deliver 450hp, the output of the current CS road car, is said to be in the works. Those new to racing will be happy to learn that the CS Racing keeps ABS and driver stability aids that will make the car easier to keep on the blacktop when testing the limits of adhesion. 

Where to Watch the M2 CS Racing

Customers waiting anxiously to get their new track toy can expect to take delivery of the CS Racing in 2020. The car completed testing at tracks in Miramas, France and Portimao, Portugal, and has seen track duty in the hands of factory racers Junior Beitske Visser and Jorg Weidinger who campaigned the car in the VLN Endurance Championship Nurburgring series. 

In addition, expect to see the car campaigned in the TC America, Blancpain GT World Challenge and potentially even American Le Mans’ most junior class, GTD where the CS Racing’s (relatively) affordable price might make it attractive to privateer racers on a budget. However, were it to compete in an American Le Mans race the M2 CS would potentially share track time with the big-brother M8 GTE, a 600 horsepower monster that factory-backed teams will field in the same series. 

Where the CS Racing will be a sure success is in the world of club racing where BMW continues to enjoy a strong following. The combination of strong handling dynamics, powerful and tunable boosted six-cylinder engines, and a rapid-fire dual-clutch transmission in a rear-wheel-drive package will never lose the support of purists who grew up driving this type of car and want to continue the experience in a modern BMW coupe. 

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5 Things to Love About the Official BMW X7 Pickup Truck

In October, BMW released a rendering of a pickup truck that — if we’re being honest — didn’t look all that great. Still, it was a new direction for the brand that’s normally known for its luxury sedans, but the new X7 pickup is moving the manufacturer squarely into truck territory.

The concept isn’t rolling off assembly lines just yet, but we’re already excited to see what this might mean for the brand. Let’s take a look at some of the best things about this new BMW pickup truck.

1. It’s Designed by Students

This isn’t a prototype that comes off one of BMW’s many assembly lines. Instead, it was designed and built by students in Munich that are enrolled at the brand’s vocational training center.

Yes, you read that right — the BMW pickup that you’ve been dreaming about since the concept art was revealed in October was built by students, and it looks amazing. Plus it only took them 10 months to complete the job.

Of course, this means that there are only one of these concepts right now, but we can cross our fingers that this will change soon.

2. It’s Based on the X7 SUV

BMW took a page out of Cadillac’s book with this design. Instead of creating a totally new pickup truck, they used the existing frame of an X7 SUV, removing the back row of seats and replacing it with a bed that’s big enough to fit an F 850 GS motorcycle.

This means that you’ve got plenty of room for all your passengers, plus a ton of storage space in the back for whatever you’re hauling, all wrapped up in the comfort and luxury that BMW is known for.

3. It Weighs Less Than the SUV

Carbon fiber takes the place many on of the body components in this prototype, including the roof, rear doors, and cargo bed. This actually takes 440lbs off the weight of the production model X7 SUV. If the pickup becomes an actual production model, this will likely help improve its gas mileage.

4. It’s Gorgeous

Just look at these pictures — for a truck that started its life as an SUV, it is downright gorgeous. The cargo bed is lined with handcrafted teakwood similar to what you’d find on a Rolls-Royce, and it’s painted in BMW’s Tanzanite Blue.

The contrasting colors — dark blue exterior and honey stain on the teakwood — was actually inspired by the color scheme used on luxury yachts.

5. It’s Packing Power Under the Hood

The SUV that eventually became the X7 Pickup was a pre-production prototype that was due to be scrapped before this project began. It’s equipped with an xDrive40i engine — a 3.0L turbocharged six-cylinder engine capable of generating 335hp and 330 foot-pounds of torque.

Forever a Prototype

Much to our disappointment, BMW isn’t planning to launch a line of luxury pickup trucks, despite how gorgeous this one looks.

Maybe, if the luxury brand sees how many fans are interested in purchasing one of these models, they’ll change their mind but for now, the X7 pickup will remain a prototype, and for the moment, out of reach.