bmw

Toyota and BMW are expected to announce this week a closer working relationship that expands upon the one they struck last year.

In December 2011, the two companies announced that they'll be collaborating on fuel-efficient and alternative power-train vehicles, with BMW supplying small diesels to Toyota to power its cars sold in Europe. In return, the Japanese car manufacturer would help BMW with the development of next-generation lithium ion batteries.

However, the working relationship won't end there. BMW and Toyota also plan to pool resources on fuel cell technology, according to unconfirmed reports first published in the Nikkei … Read more

For the last seven years, I've had the chance to explore much of the United States (and Europe) as part of my annual CNET Road Trip project.

In the U.S., these trips have taken me through the Northeast, the Rocky Mountain region, the Southeast, the Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest, and in each of those regions I've gone in search of stories, photos, and videos about some of the best geek-oriented destinations I can find.

Yet, despite those many long journeys along America's roadways, I've never explored CNET's own backdoor -- California. So this … Read more

How does a car manufacturer whose motto is "the ultimate driving machine" sell a front-wheel-drive car that takes 8 seconds to hit 60 mph and tops out at 93 mph? By shifting attention from under the hood to inside the cabin, focusing on the urban-electric lifestyle.

BMW opened its first dedicated BMW i Store in London this week. The BMW i3 isn't scheduled to enter production until 2013, but the company is taking advantage of the Summer Olympics to boost the new vehicle line's presence. The store serves as a showroom for its upcoming line of … Read more

This year's International Engine of the Year Awards saw many repeats from 2011, but stealing the show was a new sub-1-liter engine from Ford. Using direct injection and a turbocharger, this 999cc engine manages to generate 123 horsepower, enough for most subcompact and compact cars. And in European test cycles, the engine manages well over 50 mpg.

Despite the economy of Ford's engine, the Green Engine Award went to GM for the range extended electric power train in the Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera.

Here are the various … Read more

Among the deluge of new features Apple talked up in the keynote for WWDC, integrating Siri with cars, in conjunction with automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Honda, and GM, generated a lot of buzz. Siri has proved a popular voice command feature in the latest iOS, and so naturally users would want that functionality integrated into their cars.

But, knowing how the auto industry works, I was skeptical about a number of aspects of this announcement. I could not believe automakers would actually put dedicated buttons just for Siri in their cars. They would also not necessarily want to … Read more

Automakers traditionally update a model, then leave it alone for three to five years, with maybe a minor cosmetic change somewhere in the product cycle. The X5, due for a major update in 2013, may look similar to its 2007 self, but the performance and cabin tech have all kept up with the times.

Under the hood sits BMW's N55 engine, the latest version of its 3-liter straight six cylinder, using direct injection for fuel delivery and a twin scroll turbocharger to boost power. Its eight-speed automatic transmission also represents more recent BMW technology. And BMW engineers tweaked the … Read more

No, it is not the resurgence of the Axis, but a brilliant partnership showcasing the excellent automotive engineering of BMW and the beautiful design work of Zagato, an Italian automotive coach-builder. Zagato completely redesigned the body and cabin of a Z4, turning the roadster into a stylish coupe for the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, an exclusive automotive show held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy.

The Zagato name came up last year in regard to Aston Martin, a partnership that resulted in the V12 Zagato. That limited-run Aston Martin model went for a 1 percenter price … Read more

Nothing is as fascinating as the thing you can't have yet. Between Windows 8 Release Preview and a deafening cavalcade of iPhone 5 rumors, the current gadget crop didn't stand a chance this week.

This week's roundup of top-rated gear includes everything we've awarded three-and-a-half stars or above in our rating scale, and you can browse all of them in our slideshow. But first, read through our unrated Windows 8 Release Preview, written by Seth Rosenblatt. Seth has spent a lot of time with the new Windows preview, and he's played with the two-screen, app-centric … Read more

Summer is upon us, which means that it's officially open-air motoring season. However, not all cabriolets are created equal; there are actually many different types of convertibles to choose from. We've rounded up seven of the most obvious convertible classes and the best examples of each. … Read more