BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - BMW M explains how to use its dual-clutch transmission - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Do you remember when BMW was self-described as the Ultimate Driving Machine? Those days are long gone but BMW still cranks out a few hits.

It's nevertheless clear that BMW's core demographic has changed, and thus the automaker has to put out a video explaining how to use its own dual-clutch transmission. While you have the likes of Honda instilling a love of the manual transmission, BMW needs to show you how to put one of its M cars in park.

The problem here, is that there is no "Park" labeled anywhere near the gear selector. Instead, to engage Park you simply need to shut off the car. The transmission and computers will take care of the rest, and the notification in the gauge cluster will confirm that the BMW is indeed now shifted into Park.

Once you're back up and ready to move though, you may need help figuring out how to get going. Simply use the accelerator and drive away. The Ultimate Driving Machine has a gearbox that, despite occasionally behaving like a manual, is still very much an automatic at the same time. We should warn you that a DCT can occasionally deliver a chunky, uncomfortable experience as you pull away in first gear. It's not a BMW issue, but something associated with pretty much every dual-clutch transmission on the market. To solve this, you either roll away slowly until you're moving smoothly or floor it. There's no smoothness to be found with half stepping.

Finally, BMW has a system called Drivelogic. This allows you to select the ferocity and speed with which the gears are shifted. There's an easy to find button and each press increases the aggressiveness of the Drivelogic system. There are four settings and a simple press of the aforementioned button brings you through each one on to the next.

So if you're a fortunate car buyer with enough cash to acquire a BMW M car, you may also need some insight into how its transmission operates. To recap, you put it in Drive and use the throttle to move along. To put it in Park, just shut the car off. To truly reward yourself with a dynamic driving experience, turn the car back on, put it in Drive, then head over to your dealership and request a car with a manual gearbox.

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1116893_bmw-m-explains-how-to-use-its-dual-clutch-transmission

by Jeff Glucker

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Aston Martin - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Adrian Newey explains why Aston Martin's Valkyrie has a V-12 - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

It might seem odd that Aston Martin chose to go with the relatively old-school choice of a big V-12 for its Valkyrie hypercar at a time when rivals are downsizing to turbocharged V-8s and even V-6s. Recall, Mercedes-AMG's Project One packs a 1.6-liter turbocharged V-6, albeit one nicked from the automaker's Formula 1 car.

In an interview with Autocar published Tuesday, Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s star aerodynamicist leading the design work on the Valkyrie, explained the rationale behind the decision to go with a V-12, in this case a Cosworth-tuned monster displacing 6.5 liters and expected to deliver around 1,000 horsepower.

He said the “obvious” options were a turbocharged V-6 or a high-revving, naturally aspirated V-12. It was a close race but the V-12 won because of what it allowed the design team to do in terms of structural mounting, since V-12s are very well-balanced engines with good NVH characteristics. Weight also wasn't an issue as the V-6's turbo system, including all plumbing and intercoolers, would make the engine weigh the same as the V-12, the designer of multiple championship-winning F1 cars said.

Interestingly, Newey also revealed that the Valkyrie AMR Pro track version might end up delivering even better performance than what Aston Martin has already promised, i.e. F1 and LMP1-like lap times. He said the mentioned downforce of about 2,200 pounds, which is equal to the car's weight, is an early estimate and that it will “change quite a lot” as the design evolves.

That may explain why Red Bull team principal Christian Horner in July suggested that the AMR Pro version might challenge Porsche's insane Nürburgring lap time of 5:19:55, set in June by the 919 Evo time attack car.

The reveal of the Valkyrie in production guise is expected to take place later this year. First deliveries are scheduled for 2019 for the road car and 2020 for the track car. Aston Martin will build just 175 Valkyries all up, of which 25 will be AMR Pros, and yes all build slots are sold.

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1118084_adrian-newey-explains-why-aston-martins-valkyrie-has-a-v-12

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Audi - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Shocking: Audi to debut electric supercar concept at Pebble Beach- Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Audi has something to show us at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this year, and it's electric. Not just any electric car, but an electric supercar.

The automaker teased what it calls the PB 18 e-tron on Monday and said the car houses a futuristic design for enthusiasts. We can also expect a powerful electric powertrain, Audi promises. As for the name, PB 18 e-tron simply refers to the debut venue, Pebble Beach, and its debut year, 2018.

We don't have any other information on the electric supercar, but Audi did add that the name also recalls the R18 e-tron, its Le Mans-winning race car that previously competed in the World Endurance Championship. The racer's technology inspired some of the PB 18 electric supercar's features.

Looking at the shadowy teaser image, it's easy to tell the PB 18 e-tron sports a low-slung design with plenty of angles. Perhaps it's something else on the car, but it also appears a wing sits at the rear.

The PB 18 e-tron shouldn't be confused with another electric car project ongoing at Audi: the e-tron GT. Audi confirmed last March that it plans to launch an electric super sedan called the e-tron Gran Turismo. The car could be the Porsche Taycan's first platform-mate, but Audi is also working on a new electric car platform, called PPE, in partnership with Porsche. 

While it's unclear if the PB 18 e-tron foreshadows a production car, the e-tron GT is due sometime early next decade. We've also heard rumors the Audi R8 may be on its way out. Perhaps the electric supercar previews an R8 replacement. Look for the PB 18 e-tron to debut on August 23 at Laguna Seca and then make its way to the Pebble Beach Concours on August 26, the highlight of Monterey Car Week which this year runs from August 18-26. For more coverage, head to our dedicated hub.

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1117956_shocking-audi-to-debut-electric-supercar-concept-at-pebble-beach

by Sean Szymkowski

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Range Rover - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City -Hey Look A 2018 Range Rover Velar Actually Went Off-Road-- Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

“I once fell asleep in the back of a Range Rover while it was off-roading,” Matt Farah explains, plodding up a dirt track in a 2018 Range Rover Velar. The Velar is pretty much the least off-roady Range Rover ever, so any opportunity to see one raked over coals, or uh, rocks, is intriguing.

I took a Velar through a little rough terrain in some of my favorite sand stomping grounds near Joshua Tree when the crossover SUV thing first came out. It seemed fine, if slow, since you had to be pretty gentle with the thing.

But Farah got to push the Velar a little further, at an off-road park called Rowher Flat not too far from Los Angeles.

While it’s pretty much impossible to tell how challenging the route is on camera, as is always the case with off-road photos and video, I can attest that route you’re seeing is fairly bumpy and far beyond what anybody driving what is essentially a lifted luxury car would generally attempt to traverse.

This video is more Farah’s stream of consciousness as he assesses the Velar’s purpose and abilities than empirical off-road test, but I think it’s actually a pretty interesting shakedown of a crossover that’s uniquely successful at looking like both a car and an SUV rather than something in between.

source: https://jalopnik.com/hey-look-a-2018-range-rover-velar-actually-went-off-roa-1827832740

by Andrew P Collins

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Jaguar - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - British firm unveils Jaguar E-Type restomod with 6.1-liter V-12- Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

E-Type UK, a British firm specializing in E-Type restorations, completely reworked this 1974 E-Type Series 3 and turned it into a beauty.

The firm added a set of stainless steel bumpers, without the godawful rubber extensions, front and rear. E-Type UK also added extended louvers to the hood, opened up a channel for additional airflow, and installed a set of one-off 16-inch Turino wheels to provide just enough flash.

The changes go more than skin deep.Notably, the standard 5.3-liter V-12 engine now displaces 6.1 liters and makes 288 horsepower at the rear wheels. To achieve the performance gains, the firm created a bespoke fuel injection system with Jenvy throttle bodies, an Emerald ECU, and a custom wiring harness. The car's newfound power exits through a custom stainless steel exhaust system. It's all driven through a new 5-speed manual transmission with ratios chosen to specifically complement the upgraded engine.

After testing, the shop believes its creation could be the highest-output E-Type Series 3 in the world.

LED lighting is used generously throughout the interior and exterior. The E-Type's exterior lights are now full LEDs complete with daytime running lights.

Inside, the doors and footwell lights are swapped for modern LEDs, too, and a glowing red "start" button caps off the modern-meets-classic lighting motif. The leather for the interior is all custom, though the seats are based on XJS seats, and they are heated. The mirrors are now electrically adjustable, and a modern surround-sound audio system with iPod and Bluetooth connectivity brings the cabin up to date.

It's unclear who will take possession of the car now, but E-Type UK said the car is for an overseas customer, which could mean the buyer is in the U.S. Whoever gets this one, he or she certainly has specific, and elegant, tastes.

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1118054_british-firm-unveils-jaguar-e-type-restomod-with-6-1-liter-v-12
by Sean Szymkowski

http://www.boscheuropean.com

BMW - Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - 2019 BMW X4 M spy shots and video - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Behold the latest spy shots and video of the first-ever BMW X4 M.

Yes, the folks at the M division are bowing to demand pressures for more SUVs and will add the new X4 M as well as a new X3 M to join the existing X5 M and X6 M.

This way the M division will have direct rivals for Mercedes-AMG's GLC63 and GLC63 Coupe duo in the small SUV segment.

Just note that the X4 M is based on a second-generation X4 that BMW introduced this year. The first X4 was only introduced for 2015, but since the X3 on which it is based has already been redesigned the X4 needed to be redesigned too.

Underpinning the new X4 as well as this X4 M variant is a modular platform known as CLAR. The platform debuted in the 2016 7-Series and brings to the table lightweight construction and compatibility with alternative powertrains.

Under the hood of the M version should be a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6, either borrowed from the M2 or the M3/M4. The latter is more likely, meaning output in the X4 M should be well over 400 horsepower. Something close to the 450 mark is likely.

2019 BMW X4 M spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

The transmission will be an eight-speed automatic and drive will be to all four wheels via a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.

The M division also offers enthusiasts a tamer M Performance offering. This one is badged an X4 M40i and runs the same 355-hp 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 fitted to the X3 M40i.

As for the X4 M, it is expected to debut late this year or early next.

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1115164_2019-bmw-x4-m-spy-shots-and-video

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

http://www.boscheuropean.com

Mercedes Repair and Consignment Sales Redwood City - Mercedes-Benz electric concept recalls record-setting Silver Arrow - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

Eighty years ago, Mercedes-Benz set a record for the fastest land-speed vehicle on a public road. It was only last year that the German brand lost the title to Koenigsegg and its Agera RS. Mercedes hasn't forgotten about the achievement, and now it has created an homage to the legendary record-setting W125 Silver Arrow racer.

It's called the "Aesthetics Progressive Luxury" concept, though it's more of a sculpture than actual concept vehicle. But, the intentions are the same. The design team worked to infuse the W125's streamlined looks into a modern-day interpretation of a 1930s race car—a racer that went 268.8 mph on a one-kilometer stretch of the Autobahn. In this case, however, the concept is a design study for the company's EQ brand of battery-electric vehicles.

1938 Mercedes-Benz W125 top-speed record run

Designers worked to channel the 1930 racer's ethos, and by doing so, decided to press the sculpture concept into the ground. The effect highlights the muscular wheel arches, which are very reminiscent of the W125 Silver Arrow. The front fascia begins as something fluid and coherent, but the design quickly moves to split the rear of the Aesthetics Progressive Luxury concept down the middle with a long fin. The cockpit bubble also recalls the 20th-century race car.

Perhaps the most unique element of the sculpture is the way the body segments and separates toward the rear. Mercedes says it's "as if the resulting surface segments were captured by an imaginary air stream and carried away."

What will the Aesthetics Progressive Luxury sculpture have to do with the new EQ brand? That's a guess at this point. In its press release, Mercedes-Benz said "the formal clarity of the sculpture with its purist main body reflects the seamless look of all EQ vehicles." Motor1 reports that the sculpture previews a concept car to be shown this August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and that Mercedes plans to release a one-off halo car to launch the EQ brand.

The first EQ model will be the EQ C electric crossover, which will debut later this year. Following the EQ C, a whole family of EQ models will come. Mercedes-Benz will also race under the EQ banner in Formula E.

The Aesthetics Progressive Luxury concept sculpture follows five additional "Aesthetics" sculptures, which began in 2010 with Aesthetics No. 1. The most recent was Aesthetics A in 2017.

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1117566_mercedes-benz-electric-concept-recalls-record-setting-silver-arrow

by Sean Szymkowski

http://www.boscheuropean.com