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2021 BMW M2 CS is an instant classic – Toronto Star

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To understand what BMWs were like 20-30 years ago and how they achieved their “ultimate driving” reputation you’d have to buy a good used one and drive the snot out of it. Or travel back in time.

Some might argue that the brand lost its way and the cars they make today are too soft, too big and too disconnected. But BMW’s story is not one about forgotten roots; it is one based on the evolution of consumer demands and the challenge of meeting them.

This reminds me of an artist I listened to in my younger days: Tiësto. For those who haven’t heard of him, Tiësto was known for his euphoric trance and trippy progressive house beats and was massively popular in the late 90s and 00s. Still considered one of the best DJs in the world, Tiësto’s continued popularity can be attributed to his evolution into the pop music scene, catering to a broader base and a new generation of listeners. Like BMW, Tiësto saw where the trends were going and adapted rather than continue to appeal only to an aging demographic.

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Every once in while, though, great artists and great brands remind us why they are so revered. Tiësto recently released a single under his VER WEST alias that takes older listeners like me back to the past, where we can wax nostalgic on how great things were.

BMW also released a special version of one of the oldest cars they have in their lineup: the M2 CS. Building on the excellent M2 Competiton, the CS is the M2 cranked up to 11. It is the final song in the 2-Series lineup and a fitting good-bye to one of the last true links to BMW’s past.

Adding a CS badge to an M-car means even more power, less weight and limited numbers. With only 2200 scheduled for global production, it is very limited indeed. This, of course, means a healthy price increase of $25,000. Or roughly what it costs to buy a new compact crossover. Ouch.

For that you get a bunch of carbon fibre parts that include the rear diffuser, roof, mirror caps, rear spoiler, front splitter, and even the vented hood. On the inside you’ll find carbon fibre door pulls and a carbon fibre centre console but no armrest. Like the M3 and M4 CS, the carbon and missing armrests are to save weight but bigger brakes, standard adaptive dampers and a few other bits will add some of it back. BMW hasn’t published any official figures, but a big meal will likely offset any weight savings.

The bigger news is under the hood where the S55 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six is no longer detuned and sends the full 444 hp to the rear wheels. Torque remains unchanged at 406 lb-ft.

For the first time on a CS badged car, the standard transmission is a 6-speed manual and the 7-speed DCT is optional. By some miracle, my tester was equipped with the latter (thank you BMW Canada), and having three pedals in the footwell made this M2 the most exciting car I’ve driven all year.

Draped in Misano Blue metallic the only thing missing were the epic 19-inch matte gold wheels from the car shown at the last LA Autoshow where it was revealed.

I’ve been waiting to drive this car for a while, and considering how smitten I was with the “regular” M2 competition, I knew I was in for a good experience.

Expecting an even louder, stiffer and less insulated experience, the first thing I noticed on this special M2 was its refinement and compliant ride. The CS comes standard with the M adaptive suspension and when set to comfort mode, bumps are smoothed out and rough roads won’t make you cringe. “M1” and “M2” buttons on the steering wheel allow you to customize your drive modes and have it load up instantly but it’s easy to cycle through the different modes for the dampers, engine and steering with the buttons to the left of the gearshift.

The M2 CS, given its short wheelbase and compact proportions coupled to razor sharp steering, larger brakes and a perfect driving position is about as easy to drive as cars come. The 6-speed manual is computerized, so it rev matches downshifts, holds you on hills and makes it difficult to stall. Shift action is precise and light, with a bit of that trademark notchiness going into gear. You can turn auto rev matching off by deactivating traction control but you’d better know what you’re doing and not including an option to turn it off without defeating vital safety systems seems, well, silly.

Minor quip aside, the true joy of piloting an M2 CS comes when you approach a corner. Brake, downshift, turn in, and feel the perfectly balanced chassis respond instantly. With virtually no understeer and a tail that’s happy to step out on command, the M2 is a bag of giggles that will reward even the most ham-fisted of inputs, provided you keep the car in MDM traction mode where a dollop of fun is allowed before the computer steps in and stops you from putting it into the wall. If your skill level is higher and you turn all the nannies off, this is a genuinely quick car that feels even faster than the (last-generation) M3 and M4, and will keep 911 and Corvette owners staring nervously in their rear-view mirrors.

Now, I’m not going to tell you that the CS is worth all the money over the base M2 Competition. Much of what you’re paying for here is exclusivity. But I will tell you that the performance behind the wheel is undeniably excellent and that this is easily the most exciting M car you can buy today at any price. Equip it with a manual, like this one, and driving Nirvana will be yours.

Just like Tiësto’s new retro single, the M2 CS and the M2 Competition are reminders that even though BMW has shifted some of its focus away from ultimate driving, it hasn’t lost its way. Every so often they’ll release a new classic that will take you back to the glory days.

2021 BMW M2 CS

Body style: 2-door, 4 passenger compact sport coupé

Configuration: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive

Engine: 3.0-litre inline-6 twin-turbo; Power: 444 hp @6,250 r.p.m.; Torque: 406 lb-ft @2,350-5,500 r.p.m.

Transmission : 6-speed manual

Cargo capacity: 390 litres

Fuel economy : (Premium Gasoline in L/100 km) 13.4 city; 9.6 highway; 11.7 combined

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Observed fuel economy: 13 L/100 km

Price: $97,750 (base); $99,595 (as-tested)

Website: BMW Canada

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Huawei's new Kirin 9010 brings minor CPU improvements – GSMArena.com news – GSMArena.com

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Huawei announced the Pura 70 series today, and once again offered no details regarding the chipsets. However, early benchrmarks confirmed they feature a new platform called Kirin 9010, which has an 8-core CPU, identified by apps as 12-core unit due to hyperthreading.

Hyperthreading is nothing new in the chipset industry, as the Taishan cores have been supporting the technology for some time; it has been part of the Kirin 9000s and now is a part of the 9010 as well.

First Geekbench results revealed a minor improvement in raw performance, coming from slightly faster core speeds. The numbers show improvement single digit percentage improvements in both single core and multi core tests.

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Kirin 9000S on Geekbench

Kirin 9010 vs Kirin 9000S on Geekbench

The actual octa-core combination of Kirin 9010 is as follows: one 2.30 GHz Taishan Big, three 2.18 GHz Taishan Mid and four 1.55 GHz Cortex-A510. The GPU remains Maleoon 910 at 750 MHz.

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'Kingdom Come: Deliverance II' Revealed In Epic New Trailer And It Looks Incredible – Forbes

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“You can save the world, or you can help punish it for its sins.” That’s the crux of Warhorse Studio’s “behemoth” of a sequel to 2018’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The sequel, which is slated for release later this year on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 will be bigger, more fun, filled with adventure and more diverse thanks to its setting in the 15th century Bohemian city of Kuttenberg a city that creative director Daniel Vavra says is “really big, it’s even too big in my opinion.”

New weapons like the crossbow and primitive firearms will also make their debut in the continued story of the squire Henry (Tom McKay) and the knight he accompanies, Hans Capon (Luke Dale) as they leave the country behind.

Here’s the trailer, which features gameplay, cinematics and discussion from the actors and developers. Be sure to watch until the end to see the bit about the music. A full choir and orchestra in a beautiful Eastern European cathedral? Just gorgeous.

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“What we are making now is what it was supposed to be in the beginning, but we weren’t able to do it because we didn’t have enough resources and experiences and all that stuff,” Vavra says in the video. “We’ve proven the concept works, so now we can take it to another level, which is what we always wanted.”

“This is a behemoth of a game in comparison to the first. In my opinion I think it’s got so much more energy and pace and adventure and action and fun and trial and tribulation and everything you can want,” McKay says in the video.

The game will be “much bigger in scope” with a more in-depth story and a world roughly twice the size of the first. The story has evolved from a small-scale conflict to one about “the problem with kings,” Vavra says.

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Kingdom Come Deliverance II, like the first game, is not a fantasy RPG like Skyrim or The Witcher, but one that attempts to create a historically accurate world down to the weapons, costumes, locations and people. There are no magicians or dragons or elves here—but there will be plenty of adventure, exploration and knight errantry.

Pretty exciting!

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Save $700 Off This 4K Projector at Amazon While You Still Can – CNET

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While it’s true that high-end TVs seem to be getting ever bigger, they still can’t compete with the best projectors when it comes to image size. If you choose a good 4K projector you’ll even get top-notch image quality as well. Right now you can pick one of those projectors up and save a whopping $700 to boot. That’s possible thanks to an Amazon deal that slashes the Xgimi Horizon Pro projector’s price to just $999, a return to its best price ever there. This deal doesn’t require you to enter any pesky codes or clip any coupons, but these kinds of limited-time deals also don’t have a published end date which means that this discount could end at any minute and without warning — be sure to keep that in mind.

The Xgimi Horizon Pro 4K has a ton of features that make it a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their old projector or make the jump from a big-screen TV. The 4K resolution and support for HDR ensure you’ll get a great picture, while the ultra-bright 1,500 ISO lumens mean you won’t find yourself squinting at a dark image. Other features of note include auto keystone correction and an autofocus capability. And we didn’t even get to the fact that this projector can generate a 200-inch image yet, either.

Looking to enjoy content without the hassle of wires? This projector has Android TV built in so you can enjoy any of the more than 5,000 Google Play apps while Chomecast support is built-in as well.

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Alternatively, the Xgimi Halo Plus projector is our top pick for a portable 1080p projector, making it great for camping trips and more — and right now a 23% discount means you can get one for just $650. Finally, the Xgimi MoGo2 is another protector designed to help you want content on the go and now it’s available at almost its best price yet at just $250.

Not sure that a projector is for you but still want to enjoy a great picture? Our list of the best OLED TV deals is just the ticket.



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