General Articles

by Sebastien Bell

Now that the seventh-generation BMW 7-Series has been revealed, BMW Group Classic thought that it was the perfect time to take a look back at the history of the model line. The department’s YouTube channel, then, has taken a look back at the very first generation of the car.

The 7-Series was the last model to get BMW’s new numerical naming conventions and was produced from 1977 until 1986 and the top-of-the-line 745i was powered by a big, beefy 3.2-liter inline-six when it was introduced.

That is not, however, 4.5-liters, as the model name would suggest. The hosts explain, though, that’s because the engine was turbocharged, and by BMW’s math, it produced the same amount of power (248 hp/185 kW/252 PS) as a naturally-aspirated, 4.5-liter engine.

Read: This Guy Loves Old BMW 7 Series Models So Much That He Owns 15 Of Them

Proving that BMW was … Read more

Electric vehicles (EVs) have fewer moving parts than gas-powered cars. That mechanical simplicity, advocates say, should lead to fewer part failures — and more reliable vehicles — over time.

The logic behind the argument is sound. But the numbers aren’t yet proving it true, according to Consumer Reports.

CR comes by its data differently than most reliability studies.

The magazine doesn’t test every car on the market. Instead, it asks its readers to report problems they’ve had in the last 12 months, then compiles the results for vehicles built since 2000. As a result, its data set is limited to the cars CR subscribers own.

RELATED — Consumer Reports: Toyota, Lexus Make the Most Reliable Cars; Mercedes the Least

That data collection method skews the outcome. The subscriber to a magazine that ranks vacuums for price effectiveness may have different preferences than the average shopper.

Its 2022 data, CR says, … Read more

Part of being a motoring writer is predicting trends, having a think about what paths the car market might take in the near-term.

Some trends such as electrification are as clear as day, while others are based on looser hypothesising.

Here we jot down one expectation for 2023 from various team members. Add your two cents in the comments!

Mike Costello

China will become Australia’s third-largest source of cars

Sales of cars made in China spiked 55 per cent to the end of November this year, making the country our fourth-biggest source of vehicles behind Japan, Thailand and Korea. 

More than 10 per cent of new vehicles sold this year at the time of writing were made in China – either by rapidly growing Chinese brands MG, LDV, GWM, Haval and BYD, or brands that source cars from there such as Tesla, Volvo and Polestar. 

All (or most) of those brands will … Read more

Automation can help plug the skills gap, free up space in factories and ensure new technology is sustainable and futureproof. By Alex Forrest.

The automotive industry is far from immune from the workforce shortage, with the UK publication This is Money reporting that the country will see a 160,000 shortfall of staff by 2031. While the sector has traditionally led the way with automation on the production line, it fed those processes manually from a logistics point of view.

We’re aware of the extent to which the labour shortages are affecting industries, especially automotive. I have been having conversations with various carmakers who are facing a 50-100 person shortfall in their workforce. On top of that, the cost-of-living crisis is reducing the demand for new cars. Carmakers are therefore facing tough decisions to reduce or redeploy their workforce to stay competitive. This is where automation can support. While parts of … Read more

Automotive

There is nothing more alarming than one of your vehicle’s tires blowing out when you are on the road. It is dangerous to you, the people in your vehicle, and everyone around you. A blown tire can easily cause an accident, which could be much worse if the blown tire is on a truck. 

What Causes a Tire Blow Out?

Most truck accident attorneys will tell you that there are seven common causes of tire blowouts.

1. Over-inflation and Under-inflation

Over-inflated tires are often uneven. When a tire is over-inflated, it may wear down faster than it would if it had the appropriate amount of air. When tires wear down, it can cause a blowout to happen.

Under-inflated tires can become overheated easily, which can cause a blowout. The tire pressure monitoring system in the vehicle should tell the driver if their tires are properly inflated.

2. Worn Out

… Read more