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After years of research, BMW is aiming to bring the vision of accident-free mobility closer to reality via BMW ActiveAssist – a package of partially and highly automated driving technologies. The experts at BMW Group Research and Technology have built a research prototype which can pilot its way at high speeds with exceptional precision, adhere to a marked out circular course regardless of road surface, and execute an obstacle-evading lane change. http://dai.ly/x19dkpz Even when deliberately provoked into oversteer the highly automated prototype follows its path safely and along almost identical lines time after time. The sensors delivering the necessary information are akin to the standard fitted systems found on today’s vehicles. Back in October 2009 the BMW Group rolled out its BMW Track Trainer research project to showcase highly automated driving on the ideal line around the gruelling Nurburgring-Nordschleife, race track. Developed by engineers at BMW Group Research and Technology, the BMW Track Trainer later demonstrated its effectiveness on other circuits including the Laguna Seca and Hockenheimring, among others. The BMW Emergency Stop Assistant research project added further important insights to the knowledge pool. If the driver is weakened - for example by a medical emergency like a heart attack – the function switches the vehicle into highly automated driving mode, steer it safely to the side of the road and automatically activate an emergency call. In 2011 a test vehicle covered 65km on a multilane highway in automated mode. The research prototype accelerated, braked and overtook other cars along the way without any driver intervention – while observing traffic laws and keeping pace with the traffic at speeds of up to 130km/h. The prototype has since covered approximately 15,000km. Since February 2013 the BMW Group and Continental have been working together to introduce several test vehicles with close-to-production technology. The BMW Group’s next major goal is to introduce highly automated driving on European motorways and tackle the challenges - such as crossing national borders and negotiating roadworks

I got a friend who had reverse into a tree trunk and hit his bumper. The tree is chop off and left the trunk about few inches from the ground. It is in between 2 car park lot and it is at night so not visible. So is it possible to claim against whoever is in charge of chopping the tree? He kpkb this morning to me says the trunk is so low that his reverse sensor cannot deduct. [laugh]

Following the launch of the BMW 4 Series Coupe and Convertible, the Gran Coupe (GC) is the third model to join the new BMW 4 Series. The 4 Series GC combines the sleek look of a two-door coupe with the functionality provided by four doors and expansive spaciousness, including a wide access luggage compartment of 480 litres, expandable to 1,300 litres, makes loading and unloading much easier. The 4 Series has exactly the same dimensions as the two-door coupe - measuring 4,638mm long, and sitting 1,825mm wide with a wheelbase of 2,810mm. However, the roof is 12mm higher, 112mm longer and gently stretched, allowing it to flow smoothly into the rear quarter panels and boot lid. This extended roofline provides more headroom in the interior, along with added comfort. The boot lid is equipped as standard with an automatic opening and closing mechanism for maximum convenience. Up front, the 4 Series coupe and Gran Coupe are identical and share typical BMW design features like the double-kidney grille, dual round headlights and the large air intake in the front apron. The standard model variant, plus three optional equipment packages and the M Sport package, leave no wishes unfulfilled for drivers wanting a special look and feel. The BMW Individual program offered includes options for creating an exclusive vehicle with special leather interior packages, exterior colours and 19-inch light-alloy wheels. The 4 Series GC offers a choice of five powerful, cultivated and efficient engines. The high end is represented through the 435i's six-cylinder in-line 3.0-litre petrol engine delivering 306bhp. The BMW 428i GC and 420i GC are equipped with four-cylinder engines which deliver 245bhp and 184bhp, respectively. Two four-cylinder diesel engines are also offered, starting with the 420d GC which delivers 184bhp and sprints to 100km/h in only 7.7 seconds (7.5 seconds with sport automatic transmission) with an average fuel consumption between 4.7 to 4.9L/100km. The engine in the BMW 418d GC has an output of 143bhp and consumes up to 4.7L/100km. At model launch, the BMW 428i and 420d can be optionally equipped with BMW xDrive all-wheel drive technology. The standard variant features a six-speed manual transmission, but all engines can be combined with the optional eight-speed Steptronic or eight-speed sport Steptronic transmissions, which also feature manual shifting using paddles on the steering wheel.

Make no mistake. This isn't a simple tuned up version of the usual BMW 335i. In fact, it's far from it. This is an M3-rivaling fast saloon that can carry four up north in comfort at great speeds. And Alpina has done a great job with its new B3 Bi-turbo. Headline figures are 404bhp and 600Nm of torque from the 3.0-litre straight-six, which equals to a 100 more horses and 200Nm of more torque than the 335i This is achieved with the help of two smaller turbocharger, a larger intercooler, a better fuel pump and its own ECU. Why two turbochargers? Alpina says throttle response is much better and there is less turbo lag, which was what I felt. Coupled with the responsive ZF eight-speed automatic, the sprint to 100km/h is accomplished in a scant 4.2 seconds. On the road, the B3 is a great overtaking tool with all that torque. There is no question this is much faster than a 335i, especially when it achieves full boost. On that note, the turbo hiss is more noticeable now when driving hard. Alpinas have never been track cars and this is no different. The B3 is one smooth riding saloon considering that it is running on ultra low profile non-run flat tyres. Dampers are adjustable but in Comfort mode, body control is slightly lacking as the car can get upset by larger bumps. Sport mode improves things and with one of the finest steering for a saloon, hustling the car down your favourite road is a joy. Overall this is a well-rounded fast sedan. Some of you readers may argue that this is one expensive 3 Series but you do have to pay for the exclusivity. I cannot think of anything I dislike about the car other than wishing for a louder exhaust note, considering it bears the Akrapovic name. But then again, Alpinas aren't supposed to be shouty... Need a more in depth review of the B3? Click here!

Every year, during the late autumn weeks on the fringe of Oktoberfest, Audi and BMW hold technology workshops to introduce their latest engineering developments. Some of the most important are in the science of internal combustion, which has enjoyed renewed interest and continued investment from car companies in recent years – due to the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs), ironically. Over the last five years, it has become clear to carmakers and consumers alike that the slow progress in battery technology still plagues EVs, which therefore suffer a multitude of practical limitations. The battery pack’s size, weight, comparatively low driving range on a full charge and high manufacturing cost are the major challenges, but the most serious constraint is the battery’s inability to recharge in the same time it takes to refill a petrol or diesel car’s empty fuel tank. The few road going EVs currently available need to be plugged-in for several hours to get a complete “refill” and hit the road again. Compare that with the 10 to 15 minutes you spend at a service station – that includes paying at the cashier and, if it’s not too crowded, browsing a few magazines and buying some groceries. So, the battle between internal combustion and electric power is far from over. In fact, it hasn’t really begun, with petrol/diesel engines still dominating the automotive industry through and through. While motorists await the elusive breakthrough in EV battery performance, user convenience and cost-effectiveness, “old-school” mechanical engineers beaver away in their laboratories, testing hightech internal combustion engines that bank on forced induction to deliver the goods. At the heart of internal combustion is, well, combustion, and optimising this complex thermodynamic process is key to increasing efficiency. Supercharging (i.e. Forcing in more air than the pistons can otherwise “ingest”) has the most profound effect on torque output. This has given engineers a golden opportunity to resize cylinder volumes and even downsize cylinder count. A perfect example of this is BMW’snew-generation 1.5-litre 3-cylinder. It is essentially the automaker’s well-known3-litre inline 6-cylinder “cut” into half, with a single-scroll turbocharger boosting torque at all crankshaft speeds. Ready to be signed off, this prototype power plant has been fitted in a 1 Series hatchback for evaluation. Tuned to deliver 178bhp and about200Nm, the test mule accelerated strongly, revved smoothly and sounded uncannily like BMW’s famed straight-6. Production versions of the 1.5-litre turbo 3-pot will offer between 121bhp/180Nm and 221bhp/270Nm, compared to 170bhp/250Nm from the 1.6-litre turbo 4-pot in the current118i. The upcoming 3-cylinder also has fewer moving parts, which means lower frictional losses and consequently higher operating efficiency. It will no doubt boast sparkling fuel economy and CO2 figures. This interesting new engine will go into the 1 Series, 3 Series and the company’s transverse front-drive models, i.e. the next Mini, coming soon. Over in the Audi camp, there is another intriguing 3-cylinder in the works. Also displacing 1.5 litres, this experimental powertrain housed in an A1 supermini comprises two electric motors and a singlespeed transmission. An 116bhp/250Nmtraction motor is the default drive unit up to a speed of 130km/h. Thereafter, the petrol engine takes over, and because there is no conventional gearbox, the power delivery is perfectly seamless. So far, this setup sounds just like any hybrid today, but Audi calls it a Dual-Mode Hybrid for a reason. The smaller 68bhp/210Nm electric motor functions primarily as the starter generator, powered by the engine whenever the battery charge is depleted. Electrical energy thus produced is supplied to the battery (to replenish it) and the traction motor to drive the A1. But the smaller motor can also assist the engine to boost performance. On the road, the Dual-Mode Hybrid felt more like an EV than a typical hybrid, because the car runs on electricity most of the time. When the engine cut in, it did so without any noticeable change in driving behaviour, except for a slight increase in noise from the 3-cylinder. The whole system is rated at 174bhp, but the big news is the consumption and exhaust emissions claimed by Audi – 100 kilometres per litre and merely 23 grams per km. Audi’s engineers have something else up their (lab coat) sleeves – an electric compressor for supercharging. This neat little device, incorporated with the intake plumbing, works by building up pressure immediately at low speeds, particularly during the lag period between engine idle and full turbo boost. The thing looks like half a turbocharger, since there is no exhaust gasdriven turbine coupled to it, with its function taken over by an electric motor that spins to maximum speed the instant it is switched on by the engine control unit. It works remarkably well, at least in the prototype we drove. It’s a 3-litre turbo diesel, 313bhp/650Nm V6 A6, which is already a very quick saloon. A consolemounted switch allows the clever electric boost system to be deactivated, so we could experience the difference between “on “and “off”. In standing-start acceleration, the difference was significant, with the compressor totally eliminating initial lag and giving the A6 a clear advantage in the first few seconds of take-off. Apparently, within three seconds from a standstill, the electric-boosted A6 would be at least two car-lengths ahead of one without. “Closing up” the traditional turbo lag-zone in this manner makes plenty of sense. Less sensible perhaps is to call it an Electric Bi turbo (cutaway below), which is what Audi has decided even though it is actually a combination of a single turbocharger and a single electric compressor. In any case, the installation requires few additional parts and the assembly appears to be elegantly simple. The Electric Bi turbo could be easily applied to any turbocharged engine, for the purpose of boosting low-speed induction pressure and hence available torque just beyond idle speed. In fact, with the current generation of compact and reliable powertrains, the electric compressor could function on its own as a low-pressure, on-demand supercharger to raise the engine’s overall torque. And it would be far less costly than a belt driven “kompressor”. Toying with new-age motors might be enjoyable for the technically inclined, but as Audi and BMW have demonstrated, it is also serious business This article was written by Shreejit Changaroth, freelance writer for Torque.

Anyone know how much can i push out of the BMW 320i turbo engine? I am guessing it can go much further than the output of 245hp from the 328i...

What does it nean when ur lawyer say will issue the above to the other party as the other party offer low

Take part in our monthly sgCarMart contest by answering questions about BMW i App and stand a chance to win attractive prizes worth up to $1,138. Contest period from 16 January 2014 to 15 February 2014. Click here to participate now. The journey of BMW i from when it was first conceptualised to its actualisation has been a truly revolutionary one. Go behind the scenes and find out how Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic is made at the Moses Lake plant powered by hydropower or check out the assembly plants of BMW i in Leipzig which is powered by windmills. Then, go back in time to 1972, when BMW first experimented in electric cars. Amazingly, this was when the first Apollo moon landing happened only just three years prior which shows how advanced BMW was. Find out more about the all-electric BMW i3 and the plug-in hybrid BMW i8, which have left many people in awe with their futuristic and sustainable design backed by typical BMW sheer driving pleasure. Complete with integrated videos, now all you have to do is to download the BMW i e-Booklet for free. Available for both Apple and Android smart devices, a peek into the future just but a few clicks away. The Future of Mobility awaits you. So what are you waiting for? Download the BMW i Documentary e-Booklet now from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Singapore Airlines A380 plane in emergency landing Oxygen masks were released ahead of the emergency landing An Airbus A380 plane operated by Singapore Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing in Azerbaijan due to loss of cabin pressure. The plane was flying from London to Singapore and had 467 passengers and 27 crew members on board. The airline said that oxygen masks were deployed and the aircraft landed "uneventfully" at the Baku airport. It said that none of the passengers or crew was injured and that it was investigating what caused the problem. Nathan Phelps, an electrical supervisor from south Wales who was on the flight, told the BBC the plane was cruising at around 38,000 feet when it suddenly began to drop. "I literally thought we were all going to die. There was no warning, the plane just went into a deep descent, the masks dropped and you automatically thought we were going to crash. There was no other rational thought really. You couldn't really look at it optimistically because you had never experienced anything like that before." Singapore Airlines said a replacement airplane to take the stranded passengers on to Singapore had now departed and was due to arrive in Baku on 7 January. It said it had also sent staff from both Istanbul and Moscow to provide assistance on the ground in Baku. Complaints However, some customers writing on the airline's Facebook page complained about the wait for a replacement plane. Passenger Terri Mann, said that she had to sleep on a "cold steel bench" with her 17-month old child, and that there were no "food places" at the airport. "We are all a little hesitant about getting on our next legs of our journeys, just hope the worst is over," she wrote. Another passenger Mark Franklin wrote that the handling of the incident was "terrible". No passengers or crew were injured "It's not acceptable to not have even very basic refreshment or information for almost 500 people," he added. In response to the complaints, Singapore Airlines issued a statement on Facebook apologising: "We sincerely apologise to affected customers for the inconvenience caused by the diversion and the lengthy delay encountered at the airport in Baku," it said. However, other people writing on Singapore Airline's Facebook page praised its handling of the incident. Iker Ibáñez wrote: "One can only congratulate the crew for bringing the aircraft down to a safe landing with all passengers and crew on board in one piece." Similarly, Ronald Leung wrote: "Really have to appreciate Singapore Airlines making the immediate announcement rather than say nothing and try to censor the number of people who will know about the incident." In response to passenger reports that the emergency landing was because of a faulty door, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said that "on the earlier flight into London there was a noise reported from one of the main deck doors". But he added that "the door was inspected by engineers on the ground in London with no findings, and the aircraft was cleared for continued operation". Airbus, which manufactures A380s, said in a statement that it was "following up on this issue and providing technical assistance to the airline". Singapore Airlines is one of the biggest operators of the A380 planes, with 19 jets in its fleet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25618122

Understand for most BMW's above 5 years of age the gasket will tend to leak, so is there any other common problems or mechanical faults to really look out for judging that it's a 8 years old 320i. Advice needed, thanks.

Searched forum for old posts. Cannot find anything relevant. Not looking for authorised dealer but the wholesale stockist. May be doing a group buy. Anyone knows who is the stockist?

Saw this on STOMP. It looks real though.... how do you tell from sound? Taken from: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/this-urban-jungle/is-this-real-bmw-m5-look-closer Is this a real BMW M5? Look closer Posted on 30 December 2013 | 25,016 views | 32 comments More Sharing Services What looks like an M5, has four exhausts like an M5, yet sounds like a regular BMW? This car spotted by ​STOMPer Mrskitty on a Singapore road. According to the STOMPer, the car is the product of an elaborate remodelling job to make it resemble a BMW M5. The STOMPer wrote: "This is really a fake M5 with a matte sticker. "I spotted a weird-looking BMW M5 earlier. "Although it looks like a M5 with the quad exhaust and M5 badge (LOL) but it sounds like a normal sedan car. "And true enough my friend checked it out on the LTA website and confirmed its a NORMAL 523 MODEL. "This post is in response to the report with the recent Toyota car that was modelled to look like Ferrari." Related article:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efw5UiKumQISanta Claus might have his eight reindeer – or nine, when it's foggy – to help him deliver presents in all parts of the world, but in southern California, it looks like he's traded up from Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and company to BMW, Yamaha and Ducati. RNickeyMouse is usually the place to check out spectacular motorcycle crashes on video along LA's Mulholland Drive, but a recent video caught a trio of Santas carving up the iconic, twisty road. The three Santas are together, riding what appears to be a BMW S1000RR, Yamaha R1 and a hard-to-tell custom bike that could be a Ducati 1098. The video also catches a bonus Santa riding solo on another S1000RR. Happy Christmas to all, and to all cool bikes!

LOL who would like to do this in their video too? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0cNHjkuPJw

As I prepare for retirement , thinking abt these 2. Both look good, one being a practical ahpek car, and the mid life option The 4 looks good since I dun carry ppl lol

When the 2013 BMW i8 was released at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show 2013, it was always assured to be a hit partly because of the drawn-out development of the car which first appeared as a concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show building interest. Now, BMW has officially confirmed that the 2014 BMW i8 has been sold out for the 2014 model year. Unfortunately, no sales figures for the BMW i8 were released, but selling an entire year’s allocation in just a few months is quite impressive. The BMW i8is priced from €126,000 in Germany, while in the UK it has a base price of £99,125. In the United States, BMW will offer the i8 from US$135,700. There are nearly 10,000 orders for the i3 electric car, for which deliveries started in mid-November in Germany. The BMW i3 will arrive in U.S. dealerships in the second quarter of 2014. As a reminder, the BMW i8 features a plug-in hybrid powertrain featuring a 1.5-litre three-cylinder twin-turbocharged petrol engine developing 228bhp and 320Nm of torque that drives the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox and a synchronous electric motor developing 129bhp and 250Nm of torque that turns the front wheels via a two-stage automatic transmission. There’s also a 5 kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery with liquid cooling. The car’s combined system output of 357bhp and 570Nm allows it to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 250km/h. Average fuel economy is estimated at 2.5L/100 km - obviously, including the use of the battery.

The Lexus LFA has got to be one of the greatest car ever made - simply because of how technologically insane it was, but more significantly, how the V10 sounded like an early 90s F1 car. It has been over two years now that BMW and Toyota come to an agreement to work together and share technological resources to make a car that will set the pace for future cars. But ever since - there has been no work seen between the two automotive giants but recent rumours claim that the two companies are actually working on an LFA successor. With the intention on putting up against cars like the Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren P1 - the aforementioned LFA successor will likely be a hybrid filled with lithium-ion batteries but don’t despair because that isn’t such a bad thing. Instead of looking at the hybrid system as an ecological way to save the environment, we prefer to look at it as a power boost to the engine, making it go even faster! We heard the Japanese also plan to drop BMW’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 into this supercar and tag it with Toyota’s hybrid system to create a combination made in heaven. No doubt - we can expect the successor to be flourished in excess of carbon fibre and lightweight materials everywhere, making it absolutely exotic! We can’t wait to see this coming along quickly and an addition to the list of hybrid hypercars on the road nowadays. Cross your fingers though, and hope that this car will not be as ridiculously expensive as the LFA.

Four The Win The 4 Series promises all the traditional traits of the 3 Series with an added dollop of strength and style. How much of a difference does a name or number make? BMW has recently decided that all its sporty models should have an even number in their title, just like the 6 Series and the upcoming 2 Series, hence the arrival of the new 4. So two-door BMW cars - both coupes and convertibles - begin with even numbers, while odd numbers are reserved for more family-friendly sedans and wagons. The 4 Series is effectively the next generation of the 3 Series Coupe but BMW wants it to be a standalone model The car you see here is the new BMW 4 Series, a brand new model number in the BMW range that waves goodbye to the outgoing 3 Series Coupe - in a similar way to Audi with the A5 range, which changed the game in this segment and proved to be a smash hit. Exterior Compare the exterior looks of the 4 Series to the last iteration of the 3 Series coupe and the newcomer is indeed a sexy evolution in two-door design, paying respects to past generations while flirting with some details from the bigger 6 Series. In fact, the 4 Series is a bit wider and longer than the 3 Series Coupe, giving it a more hunkered down look that will catch the attention of onlookers. Besides that, there are two new vertical airflow zones on the sides of the apron (called Air Curtains) that improve airflow around the front wheels. And together with new vents in the front wings (called Air Breathers), which reduce drag around the front wheels, they help to boost fuel efficiency. Hofmeister kink on the F32 4 Series - a standard BMW design feature, which consists of a low forward bend at the C or D-pillar Still it's no surprise to see plenty of styling similarities between the 4 Series and the 3 Series. The 4er has the same aggressive front end and angular Xenon headlights, while the trademark BMW twin rings look menacing, especially in the rear view mirror of the car in front. At the rear, the 4 Series sports beefy haunches and a rump that looks like its keeping those rear-drive tyres pinned to the asphalt. L-shaped tail lights act as a seamless continuation of the swage line along the side of the car, complemented by twin exhaust pipes that round up the whole sporty look. Page 1 2 3 »

The U.K. launch of the all new BMW i3 saw groups of journalists driving out to ex-F1 circuit Brands Hatch in a fleet of brand new i3s. In an unexpected twist, BMW lined up professional instructors in a pair of V8-powered M3s, the idea being that the journalists drag-race them from a standing start to 100km/h. The i3′s electric drivetrain generates output of 170bhp and a maximum torque of 250Nm, which is immediately available from a standing start. It goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds, with a limited top speed of 150 km/h for efficiency reasons. On the other hand, the 4.0-litre M3 dishes out 414bhp and 400Nm of torque. It sprints to the century mark in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 250km/h. Apart from the wonderful soundtrack of the M3, you can see in the video that the i3 stays ahead initially because of its wall of immediately available torque, delivered with no gear changes and crossed with low kerb weight. Watch the clip below to find out who actually won. http://dai.ly/x1785hx

Not only is BMW the segment leader when it comes to its sedans, it is also one of the few carmakers to have a pure-electric production-ready vehicle. And yes, it's the BMW i3 we're talking about. It was at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show when the BMW i3 concept was showcased under BMW's new sub-brand - the BMW i - which in BMW's language is a comprehensive and ground-breaking concept for sustainable mobility. The styling of the car is distinctive and avant garde, making it look like a concept car driven straight off the design headquarters. Still, it's instantly recognisable as a Bimmer, thanks to the twin-kidney grille on the snout that is more 'form' than 'function'. Despite its compact dimensions, the i3 has a rather spacious interior, credit going to the minimalist loft-inspired design. But things work slightly different for rear passengers, though. They'll have to wait until the front doors are opened before they can open up the rear-hinged 'coach' doors. Drivers can select their direction of travel via a column-mounted rotary gear shifter. But while it's column-mounted, it isn't pivoted like how other column-mounted shifters do - further enhancing the car's 'cool' effect. Like all electric cars, the i3 accelerates briskly and smoothly from the word go. With a peak torque of 250Nm sent straight to the rear wheels, the 0-100km/h sprint is dispatched in just 7.2 seconds - similar to the MINI Cooper S hot hatch. The distinctive feature has to be the dramatic regenerative braking that permits the BMW i3 to be driven largely by modulating the accelerator without having the need to touch the brake pedal much. Make no mistakes. The BMW i3 is a good car. It's not a car that strays far from the rest the lineup in BMW's stable just because it's electric. It simply carries the vital principles of the Bavarian carmaker into a new realm. The BMW i3 is expected to arrive here by the third quarter of 2014.

http://dai.ly/x16y194 Unlike vehicles with integral body and frame construction, the BMW i3 has a horizontally split LifeDrive structure consisting of two separate, independent modules - one for the Life module and the other for the Drive module. The structure of the LifeDrive architecture represents the basic construction of the BMW i3. The central element of the Life module is the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) passenger compartment. This element is fixed to the aluminium Drive module, which houses all the drive and chassis technology.

Automotive breeds are diversifying at an increasing pace. But that did not seem to affect hatchbacks, which has gained a large fan base over the years (especially the hotter, souped up variants). Besides warming up to their chic, youthful image, people like them for their practicality and the ease of driving (and parking) one. Both the A3 and 116i are some of the easiest ways to gain entry into the respective marques (Audi and BMW). But of course, in the local climate, each of these hatchbacks will still cost upwards of $180k. The A3 is the newer entrant to the segment, and naturally look fresher of the duo. Audi has once again worked its wizardry, with help from the LED lamps, to create a facet that is distinctive and appealing to the senses. The 1 Series' styling may have raised a few brows when it first set foot on our grounds. But the recent facelift has pulled off an aggressive and sporty stance. We, especially, like how it looks from the rump. Audi's 1.4-litre chunk on the A3 puts out 122bhp and 200Nm of torque. Mated to a dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox, the drive is decidedly smooth. The bimmer's 1.6-litre, in comparison, edges out with better power figures - 136bhp and 220Nm of torque to be exact. Although the 116i utilises a more 'conventional' eight-speed gearbox with single-clutch setup, cog swops never felt lacking. Instead, we genuinely like how intuitive it felt on the sprints and in overtaking manoeuvres. Next, the interior. BMW's cabin is a no-frills example of how a premium interior should be like. Though we have to give it to the A3 for its simplistic, almost minimalist cabin, which looks and feel more modern than the 116's. Meanwhile, browse through the rest of the pictures and decide for yourself who is the winner of this duo.

According to a study done early this year, German-made cars were not as reliable as many believed them to be. Warranty Direct, a U.K. provider of direct consumer warranties has studied its claims data to compile a list of the manufacturers with the most reliable engines - and Audi, BMW and Volkswagen all finished in the bottom 10 out of a total 36 makers. In fact, the only firm whose cars had a worse engine failure rate than Audi was MG Rover. The other Germans, BMW and Volkswagen came in at seventh and ninth from bottom respectively. At the other end of the table, Honda scooped the gold medal - the study found that just one in every 344 Honda engines failed, compared to one in every 27 Audi engines. Fellow Japanese rival Toyota came in second while Mercedes managed to outperform its fellow German brands with a respectable third-place finish. So do you think the Japanese are more reliable than the Germans? (I meant engines..)

The BMW 5GT was created with a number of combinations of car types in mind and that can be quite confusing to what sort of a segment this car fits in. But don't let that be the only reason why you should dislike it because its unique looks will help make it stand out in the sea of sedans that have become quite a boring sight. Everything else you see and feel, from the dashboard and the door panels to the lavish wood and leather-swathed seats, is a significant leap ahead in style, design and comfort. The boot volume has been increased to 500 litres, up from the previous 440 litres. Also generous is the ample head and legroom, which will make the three rear passengers very satisfied. Predictably, despite its heft of over two tonnes, the 5GT handles with remarkable alacrity. While the heft of the car can still be felt around bends, the 306 horses and 400Nm of twisting forces make it very forgivable. BMW's in-line gorgeous-sounding six-cylinders powering the 3.0-litre engine are also capable of delivering a strong and continuous wave of torque, allowing the car to pull away from 0 to 100km/h in just 6.1 seconds.

Dear Sifu, need your advices on BMW 320i and 520i in 2008 model. Q1. How to identify a PI and AD model for 320 and 520? Q2. There are models with 320i, 320i XL and 520i and 520i XL. What does XL stand for? Q3. Will 520i underpower due to same engine as 320i as 156bhp for its weight? I saw the pricing difference no much for 320 and 520 but 5 series have larger sapce and features like i-Drive and eagle Xenon light. I read the review 320i gives 9.8 sec (1475KG); FC 12.3km/l and 520i give 10.6 sec (1490KG); FC 8km/l. Q4. It seems that there is a different engine to provide 170HP for 520i. This is a PI model right? Q5. Any recall and potential problems on these 2 models from 2008? Thx for inputs.