First Drive: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe Prototype
Almost since the launch of BMW‘s pocket-size 1 Series, an BMW M version has been predicted. The tii concept car shown at the 2007 Tokyo motor show was the first harbinger, and the blogosphere has barely quieted down since. One of the biggest questions: What would they call it? Millennial enthusiasts might assume M1, but grownups associate that name with BMW’s first modern mid-engine supercar, so that name was a non-starter (it’s being reserved for something more fabulous than the lowest-priced M vehicle). Instead it will be dubbed 1 Series M Coupe. That name also draws a connection to this latest M’s true predecessor, the quirky two-seat Z3 and BMW Z4 M Coupes. Okay, it’s around a foot longer, seats four, and weighs a few hundred pounds more, but in its cheeky styling and narrow, nippy demeanor it passes the paternity test. BMW has not released many official details about the 1 M (it breaks cover officially in Detroit in January), but during a recent tech-day visit to Munich the engineers let us take a quickie test drive and either admitted to or winked and nudged at the following facts: 
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Categories: Auto Review, BMW, Car Review Tags: BMW
Paris Motor Show 2010 Preview: BMW unwraps 6 Series Coupe Concept
Ahead of the Paris Motor Show, BMW has released the first pictures of the BMW Concept 6-Series Coupe.
Designed to be a “stylish and authentic expression of superior sports performance,” the car is effectively a two-door version of the Concept Gran Coupe. As such, it features LED headlights, a massive twin-kidney grille, a four-tailpipe exhaust system, and 20-inch aluminum wheels.
Inside, the cabin boasts two-tone leather upholstery, wood trim, and gloss black accents. Other goodies include a 10.2-inch iDrive display, a digital instrument cluster, and a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.
While the company declined to talk engine specifics, it’s safe to assume power is provided by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with 395 hp (294 kW / 400 PS) and 450 lb-ft (609 Nm) of torque.
Categories: Auto Show, BMW, coupe, Paris Motor Show Tags: BMW, Paris Motor Show
First Drive: 2011 BMW Alpina B7 breaks the luxo-barge mold
Alpina is as familiar to German enthusiasts as Shelby, Hurst, Saleen and Yenko are to American gearheads. And like its American counterparts, Alpina has made a business out of taking the best vehicles from one marque and making them substantially better than anything rolling off the assembly line.
The relationship between BMW and Alpina started in 1962 when a German enthusiast named Burkard Bovenseipen realized his BMW 1500 had plenty of untapped potential. Bovenseipen developed a dual carburetor kit for the 1500′s four-cylinder, and as the carbs flew off the shelves, he realized there was a serious market for BMW-based performance parts. Mr. B formed ALPINA Burkard Bovenseipen KG in 1964 and in the decades since, the company has become known simply as BMW Alpina B7.
But while the name has changed, its mission remains the same, and its line of upgrades have grown considerably since its inception. Bovenseipen’s team continues to recognize the potential in almost every new BMW product, and the small but competent company, now managed by Bovenseipen’s son Andreas (his staff calls him Andy), delivers better, less compromised, higher-performance versions of BMW production cars.
Categories: Auto Review, BMW, Car Review, Sedans/Saloons Tags: BMW
First Drive: 2011 BMW M3 with Competition Package
Our eyebrows arched when we read BMW‘s introductory press pamphlet. One line in particular warranted another read: “The M3 with Competition Package is the best-handling production M car ever built.” Now that’s a bold statement.
A run-of-the-mill BMW M3 crafted by M GmbH is a machine that’ll have you drawing up plans for an expanded dream car garage. It holds the underlying pavement with falcon-like grip, pushes like a Caterpillar hopped up on NOS, and brakes as if it has a pair of General Electric reverse thrusters perched atop its sculpted trunk.
Two years ago we put the sedan against its top rivals, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and the Lexus IS F. After driving each, executive editor Ed Loh opined that the “Lexus and Mercedes are great hot-rod sedans. The M3 is a race car with four doors.” MT testing mastermind Kim Reynolds said, “The Lexus and the Mercedes feel like performance versions created out of something else. The M3 feels like it was born this way.”
Categories: Auto Review, BMW, Car Review Tags: BMW
BMW Gran Coupe Concept design studio photos released
BMW has released a behind the scenes glimpse at how the Gran Coupe Concept (GCC) was designed.
While the company declined to release additional information, BMW has previously stated the GCC was created to blend the “exclusivity of a Gran Turismo with the fascination of a high-performance sports car.” Key design features include a “forward-tilted shark nose” front end, headlights with LED technology, a gently tapered roofline, frameless doors, and the iconic Hofmeister kink.
As you may recall, the Gran Coupe Concept was unveiled at last month’s Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in China. It previews the next-generation 6-Series and a possible four-door coupe competitor to the Mercedes CLS and Audi A7.
