The floodgates surrounding the all-new BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe have burst open, as after the initial leak of two faraway images, a fresh set of better quality and more detailed photos are now making the internet rounds.
First
impressions are that it looks better than what we originally
anticipated, with the 4-Series Gran Coupe having a sportier and lower
profile, and a more dynamic stance than the similar-bodied, but taller
and less rakish, 3-Series Gran Turismo, which is designed to be the more practical and roomier member of the family that also includes coupes, convertibles and wagons.
Sitting on a shared platform architecture with the other body styles of the 3-Series and 4-Series
lineups, BMW's vision of a so-called "four-door coupe" is believed to
ride on a longer wheelbase than the 3-Series sedan (though, we haven’t
confirmed this yet).
It's that time of year that many automakers release their new model years cars and trucks. Following the all-new 2013 Sentra and Pathfinder crossover, and more recently, the 2013MY Titan pickup truck, Nissan has now released the 2013 model year version of its Murano crossover. On
sale now, the Murano's prices, excluding an $825 delivery fee, start at
$29,960 for the base "S" grade with FWD, and rise to $40,750 for the
"LE" with AWD.
For
2013, Nissan has added a suite of "Safety Shield" technologies,
including Moving Object Detection (MOD), Blind Spot Warning (BSW) and
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems, to the LE Platinum Edition and SL
Navigation Package.
Furthermore,
there's a new Value Package available for SV models, which comprises a
power liftgate, Bose audio system with 9 speakers plus dual subwoofers
and a Navigation system. It is priced at $2,270, which Nissan says
offers a savings of $830 over the cost of items if they were purchased
individually.
Two new exterior colors, called Midnight Garnet and Gun Metallic, complete the changes for the new model year, with the Murano continuing to be offered with a 260hp 3.5-liter V6 matched to a standard Xtronic CVT.
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German aftermarket firm Senner Tuning is revisiting the freshened up Audi S5 coupe with a new assortment of goods for the exterior and interior as well as its mechanical hardware. Senner's second take on the facelifted S5 (read about the first one here)
brings a brawnier styling package that gives the coupe the look of its
RS5 sibling through the use of a new front bumper with a carbon fiber
spoiler and grille design, carbon fiber side skirts, a discreet boot lid
spoiler and a new rear diffuser with two oval, instead of four quad
tailpipes.
There's
also a set of carbon fiber mirror caps, LEDs for the rear license
plate, and new 20-inch alloy wheels shod in Vredestein Ultra Sessanta
tires size 245/30R20 and 295/25R20 at the front and rear end,
respectively.
For the interior, Senner Tuning
added black and red Nappa leather surfaces to the seats and door panels
together with red stitching, a comprehensive carbon fiber trim kit that
covers the steering wheel, dashboard, doors and lower console, plus an
R8-sourced flat-bottom steering wheel with shift paddles, and a DVD
player.
In regular guise, the S5
features a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 rated for 328bhp (333PS) and 440Nm
(324 lb-ft). The German brand's engineers managed to squeeze 429hp and a
peak torque of 501Nm (369 lb-ft) out of the engine. By comparison, the
RS5's V8 delivers 444hp (450PS) and a maximum torque of 430Nm (318
lb-ft).
An adjustable KW coilover
suspension system and a power converter that is said to "sharpen the
characteristic of the electronic accelerator pedal", complete the
upgrades.
Senner Tuning will sell
you a complete vehicle (based on a brand new S5 Coupe) for the paltry
sum of €99,700 (US$127,000 at today's exchange rates).
The
company is also offering the press car you see in the pictures with
around 4,000km (about 2,500 miles) on the odometer for €69,990
(US$89,000), excluding sales tax, which in Germany, is 19 percent.
Then
again, for €58,700 (US$74,800) you can get yourself inside a brand new
S5 Coupe or better yet, for €78,200 (US$99,600), into a spanking new
444bhp RS5, instead of paying €20k more to buy an S5 that pretends to be
an RS5…
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