750i Sport P on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Police arrest 'Fastest Lap Around Manhattan' driver [w/video]

Don't speed. Don't drive recklessly. Don't try to break the unofficial record for a lap of Manhattan. And if you go against this reasonable advice, do not, under any circumstances, record it and post the video on YouTube. If you do, you'll end up like Christopher Adam Tang - under arrest and facing a bevy of charges relating to the video.
Tang posted the video, which showed him lapping Manhattan in 24 minutes last Wednesday, and it quickly went viral. Now Tang, who went by the online moniker AfroDuck, is in cuffs. According to a local CBS affiliate, he was picked up at his home on Wednesday evening by police, who also seized the car used in the video, a 2006 BMW Z4.
What isn't clear is how Tang was caught. His video seems carefully done in that there are no outwardly visible signs that point to him, while the video itself is clearly sped up. While the NYPD hasn't come out and said that Tang was caught due to its extensive surveillance systems around the city, police commissioner Ray Kelly did point out that the new systems "will assist in this type of investigation." Let that serve as a warning to anyone that tries to break the 24-minute barrier. Scroll down to watch the full video.

2013 BMW X1

A Tasty Bit Of Old School For The New School
Against the backdrop of fervent hand-wringing from brand purists, BMW is on the cusp of finally offering front-wheel-drive vehicles. While that's a shock to the constitution, many are pointing to the company's fine-handling Mini offerings as an article of faith that it can get this drivetrain paradigm shift right. That may be true, but there's an even more important lesson that Mini has taught the decision-makers in Munich: how to make real money on small cars.
Before Mini came along, BMW - along with seemingly every other premium European automaker - never really figured out how to coax big dollars out of American wallets without developing cars that had large footprints, at least those other than sports cars. While the automaker really got rolling in America on the strength of little bantamweights like the 2002, it veered away from small cars sometime in the '80s. BMW subsequently crashed and burned with the cut-and-shut 318ti built off its E36 3 Series and, good as it is, the 1 Series hasn't given the company meaty volume or profits, either. Among other brands, the Audi A3 has never rung up big numbers, and the less said about the painful sales figures of the Volvo C30, the better. But Mini has beat the odds, blazing a more affordable and evidently compelling trail. As of late, the company's Countryman softroader has been a massive hit worldwide. No surprise then that BMW has reconsidered bringing over its smallest softroader, the X1, to the US.

BMW recalls over 76k 2012-2014 models over brake failure

Bimmerfest is reporting that BMW has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of its intention to voluntarily recall more than 75,000 3 Series, 5 Series, X1, X3 and Z4 models due to a possible loss of power brake assist that could result in the vehicles failing to stop. The recall affects 2012-2014 models equipped with either the N20 or N26 engine produced from May 2012 to August 2013. Until recall repairs have been performed, BMW dealers will discontinue selling or delivering any affected vehicles in their inventories.
The problem has been traced to restricted oil supply from the intake camshaft to the brake vacuum pump, which may cause the brake vacuum pump to fail, resulting in a loss of power brake assist. While the hydraulic brakes will still function, the driver must much apply greater pedal pressure and the distance required to stop the vehicle will increase.
BMW has reported three minor accidents with no confirmed injuries. According to Bimmerfest, drivers who encounter a braking problem should "pull the emergency brake and apply as much brake pedal pressure as possible. If your BMW has an electronic parking brake pull up and hold the switch to engage the brake." Drivers should then park in a safe location and contact BMW Roadside Assistance.