The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser. BMW's teaming up with everyone's favorite mapping monopoly, Google Maps, to bring a new addition to the BMW Assist Safety Plan. It's called "MyInfo," and it's a service which, in addition to sounding hip and techie-cool through deletion of the spaces in the name, will allow BMW Assist subscribers to send business locations, street addresses and their associated phone numbers to their car via some magical connection between the two companies databases. Look at it kind of like a way to use their ConnectedDrive feature from your home. You may already have intimate knowledge of what that's like if you've ever opened up a browser and spent any time at Google's "Local Search" page.  read more »

Although we showed you the new 2009 BMW 7-Series in all of its unofficial glory on Thursday. Well, now we've got the official details from BMW, and we've included the full press release for the new 7-Series after the jump. Sure, focus all you want on the horsepower (407 HP in the 750i and 750Li, 326 HP in the 740i and 740Li) or the torque (600 Nm of torque in the 750i and 750Li, 450 Nm of torque in the 740i and 740Li) or even the 155 MPH electronically-limited top speed, but the one thing that's sticking out in our minds is the new "individual pedestrian recognition" night vision system.  read more »

Five-cylinder engines have long been an Audi trademark. First used in 1977 in the Audi 100/5000, five-cylinders took Audi upmarket and clearly differentiated the brand from the competition. The Audi 200 Turbo, with its 170-hp inline-five, became the world's fastest four-door in 1984; the 315-hp, Audi 80based RS2 Avant of the mid-90s was the most extreme station wagon of its time; and Audi won several rally championships with the five-banger Quattrothe S1 Pikes Peak had almost 600 hp. In the mid-90s, Audi dropped the five-cylinder engine and its characteristic, subdued growl in favor of more conventional four-cylinder and V-6 engines. Brand aficionados howled in futile protest, and engineering guru Ferdinand Pich, who had developed the five-cylinder engine but later moved on to become head of VW, said he never quite understood why the engine had been dropped. Its Back!  read more »

Unlike arch-rival Mercedes Benz, which has an AMG variant for nearly every one of its cars, BMW has previously said it will only apply the M badge and treatment to models that suit. Although this is by no means the full M treatment, with the performance staying the same, BMW has today announced that for the first time in its nine-year history, the companys large SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle), the BMW X5 , will be available with an M Sport Package .  read more »

(ED NOTE: Mucho many pics of the Hyundai Genesis are here for your invisible touch) We finally have the details and official pics of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, the RWD luxury automobile that promises to challenge $60,000 luxury autos at half the price (no shock, it looks like the Genesis we already showed you ). The big news here is features. Fully loaded the Genesis sports the Tau 4.6 liter DOHC V8 good for 368 horsepower and 324 lb. ft of torque mated to a ZF 6-speed transmission good for a sub-6.0 second 0-60 mph time.  read more »

Black Tie Gala, Food, Booze, The New Audi A4 and Miss America After a very long week in the office, I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday night with my girlfriend. I had been talking to a few of my co-workers and one of them mentioned they were going to the Philadelphia Auto Show's Black Tie Gala event that evening. Having lived in the area for the last couple of years, it was something I always wanted to do. The reason I hadn't gone in the past is because the price tag for the event was rather steep - $200 for the evening. Seemingly every year the price had gone up, and for whatever reason I just dealt with general admission to the venue. Over the past few years I'd grown weary of car shows being mobbed by people to the point where you really couldn't get a good look at anything for more than a few seconds, as people would shuffle you out of the way for their 10 second chance to glimpse an exotic auto. Taking a picture was impossible as well, because even if you had enough space to take one someone would walk into your path. This brings me to another point: anything really worth looking at is completely roped off from the general public. I left the office that day and I told my co-worker to let me know how the event west, as I had explained to him (and now to you) my gripes with past auto shows. On the way home I was enjoying the fact that the week was over and looking forward to my vacation the following week. I then received a text message from my girlfriend and based on an unforeseen family obligation my Friday night suddenly freed up completely. As luck would have it I was still able to get my hands on a last minute ticket, so I drove home to get suited up for a fun night ahead. Not wanting to leave my S4 at the mercy of the local parking lot attendants I wisely took the train to the Philadelphia convention center. I also didn't realize the event would also include an open bar for the night. In retrospect it was quite fortunate that I took the train. I arrived at the event and I was one of the first few people in the door at 7pm on the dot. I figured that the allotted four hours would provide plenty of opportunity to see everything.  read more »

A new Audi A8 is in the works but development is still in the early stages and so far only engineering test-mules wearing current-generation sheet metal have been sighted. This artists rendering shows a potential new look for the next A8, revealing a streamlined shape with new head and taillights and plenty of dramatic character lines. The chrome-laden front end of the current version will also likely be toned down somewhat for the next-generation, though the essential form of the car will remain more or less the same as most of the upgrades will be happening beneath the surface. The current Audi A8 has been on sale since 2003 and since that time has only received a minor facelift to keep it fresh alongside the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lexus LS and soon-to-be superseded BMW 7-series. However, the minor styling changes implemented during the recent facelift will have to soldier on for a few more years as the next-generation D4 A8 isnt expected to make its international debut until late 2010.  read more »

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It's been a while since we last saw the 2010 BMW V5, but if these new shots acquired by Autogespot are any indication, it looks like the the crossover based on the next-generation BMW 5-Series is still on course for production. To most people, the V5 is simply a blob on four wheels, but BMW insists that this is a "Progressive Activity Sedan." And what is that, really?  read more »

We first saw the Audi TT Clubsport Quattro — a spectacular take on the bubble-topped drop-top Audi TT — about a year ago this month. We knew shortly after we saw the concept the Clubsport Quattro would make it to production and the showroom floor. Now, one year later, the quick-like-a-bunny spy shooters at KGP have caught the Clubsport Quattro as it's gone from concept to production prototype. The prototype displays some key changes from the concept seen way-back-when, like bigger, longer and more uncut A-pillars, a windshield that's sitting a wee-bit taller, larger side-view mirrors and that all-important additional brake light for governmental regulation satisfaction. Oh, and let's not forget those door handles straight from the Audi TT. Remember those off the concept? Of course you don't — the concept lacked such silliness as a means of entering the two-door 'vert. And what about the engine? No clue yet, however the Clubsport concept was powered by an engine derived from the Audi S3, producing 300 horsepower. Whether that engine will be used in this production spin-off is not yet clear. We also don't know what the model year will end up being, but whether 2010 or 2011, we're looking forward to this very imaginative re-imagination of Audi's cute little TT. Full spy report from KGP after the jump.  read more »