BREAKING: BMW will quit Formula 1 & Videos Attached

Has BMW lost its soul?

Try as might, I could not help but vent here today. You see, early this morning, I posted the news on BMW pulling out of Formula 1 at the end of the season, and that should have been that. However, I have long been a fan of their Formula 1 effort and I am still sitting here fuming about the decision taken by the BMW board. In fact, I will admit once again that ...

This is a very sad day for Formula 1 fans. In an emergency press conference convened in Munich, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer announced that BMW will withdraw from F1 at the end of the 2009 season. The announcement is part of a complete, cross-company strategic overhaul meant to align BMW's premium products with sustainability and environmental friendliness.

Flanked by BMW Motorsport boss Mario Theissen and head of R&D, Klaus Draeger, Reithofer said, "We are of the opinion that the premium segment has to remain a positive role model within our society." He stressed that BMW will remain active ...

BMW and Mercedes to build 3-cylinder cars

Yesterday, I was reading an article that made me think the automotive end times are here: BMW and Mercedes-Benz are working on three-cylinder cars to be released in the next five years. And no, we are not just talking cars like the above Smart.

Now, anyone who has driven a Smart surely knows how rough and harsh-sounding three-cylinder engines can be. Their only saving grace is fuel-economy, which is obvious. Mercedes-Benz does not seem to care, given that it already makes a three-cylinder junker for the Smart, and apparently thinks that a C-Class and a three-cylinder would go well together ...

VIDEO: Cadillac CTS-V takes on Jaguar XFR and BMW M5

Those of you who would like to experience what it is like when Detroit makes a genuine world-class car should take a look at the Cadillac CTS-V. The 556-hp CTS-V is taking the fight to rivals like the 500-hp BMW M5 and Jaguar's superb new 510-hp XFR.

Do not forget that this Cadillac has already passed the hardest of all tests: the CTS-V can boast about being the fastest V8 production sedan in the world, holding the category lap record around the Nürburgring.

In these videos, you will see how the CTS-V stacks up against its competition from ...

VIDEO: Is the Merc E-Class better than a BMW 5-Series?

OK, so admittedly, this is not the most technical of tests. The British TV show Fifth Gear sets out to figure out whether the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a clear choice over the now-aging BMW 5-Series.

The new Mercedes is packed with technologies such as a driver alert system and a hood that pops up in a pedestrian crash in order to reduce injury. In fact, Mercedes-Benz calls the E-Class the most advanced car they have built.

A new BMW 5-Series is not that far off. For now though, this is how two comparable models of the two cars stack ...

BREAKING: Official BMW X1 pictures

These pictures are being referred to as 'leaked' in the blogosphere, and we are happy someone was a bit naughty. We showed you spy pictures of the baby Bimmer SAV a few weeks ago and as you can see here, no surprises: a handsome vehicle with typical BMW design cues inside and out.

With the X1, scheduled to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show this fall, BMW takes straight aim at its German rivals: Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and Volkswagen Tiguan. Aah, nothing like a good duel.

The rivals:

Audi Q5

Mercedes-Benz GLK

Volkswagen Tiguan

2010 BMW X1

VIDEO: Inside BMW Group's Designworks

To close the week out, we have a behind-the-scenes walkaround of BMW Group's Southern Calfornia design studio, Designworks. While the studio is famously responsible for the first X5 SAV, it is a full-service agency that serves non-automotive clients. Designworks president Verena Kloos introduces you to a few such examples.