Many of us our still waiting for the BMW X3 to show its face in official form, but until then heres another new set of photos to compliment the set released last week. Enjoy

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This year, BMW faces the challenge of Le Mans (FR) for the first time since its victory there in 1999. For Mario Theissen, the 24-hour race eleven years ago was the first major assignment as BMW Motorsport Director. For that reason, the triumph with the BMW V12 LMR remains very important for him, as Theissen reveals in this interview.

Mr Theissen, how has Le Mans changed since 1999?

Mario Theissen: “It goes without saying that the Le Mans 24 Hours has developed significantly in the past few years. The ACO has managed to implement new ideas, while still preserving the unique atmosphere at this event. When you see how many fans are here at the circuit on Friday, although no … CONTINUED

New information released on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations website shows that BMW is recalling all 1 Series models sold in the U.S. between 2008 and 2010 for a potential fire risk. According to BMW, cars built between December 1, 2007, and May 27, 2010, may not have sufficient clearance between the seatbelt tensioners and the sound insulation in the B-pillars. Should a crash occur, the tensioners could overheat. In rare instances, the excess temperature could possibly ignite the insulation material.

BMW has not yet released a fix for the issue, but has notified NHTSA of the recall and halted sales of all 1 Series models until it rectifies the design issue. BMW will notify owners of the recall shortly and … CONTINUED

Indian network NDTV’s The Car and Bike Show undertakes a thorough review of the 2011 5-series against the 2011 Mercedes Benz E-Class. If you’ve been looking for a comparison of the two market leading mid-sized sedans, this nearly half hour review should be one to catch.

According to Automotive News, BMW’s engines, transmissions, and possibly the Mini platform could very well be the basis for a revival of the diminutive Saab 92 model. Discussions between the two companies are scheduled to take place at the end of this month. The Saab 92 was last in production between 1949 and 1956.

Want to make your road legal M3 look as if it came straight from a Le Mans race and instantly quash any street racer’s desire to race you? German tuner GTHaus’ new M3 widebody kit may achieve exactly that. The GTHaus M3 features a fully carbon fiber widebody kit with massive fenders, front bumper with splitters, sideskirts with winglets, and huge rear wing, , as well as 20″ wheels (11×20″/13×20″), and Brembo BBK. The bodykit is priced at around $12,500.

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Rumors are still starting to swirl around the internet about the possibility of an R8 fighter out of Munich, one that would hark back to the eternal BMW Z8. AutoExpress has taken the time to render what the car could look like. Here we see the rendering is clearly an amalgam of the BMW 6-Series, Z4 and Hommage M1, with a very production friendly result.

The car itself is based on the California Spyder concept which would be realized with EfficientDynamics in mind and a nod to some "interesting" powerplant options. The car would of course also use the latest in carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) (think BMWs partnership with SGL earlier in the … CONTINUED

Another great 550i report from an F10 5-series BMW Ultimate Drive Event, this time from a 535i owner and previous 335i owner. Check out how the 550i stacks up against the Mercedes E350 and 535i GT for this member.

According to Autocar, a BMW 3-series long wheelbase version is coming for the next generation BMW F30 3-series. Just as the F10 5-series long wheelbase version, the stretched 3-series main market will be China, where many Chinese prefer to be chauffered. It will compete with the newly revealed Audi A4L.

The long wheelbase 3-series will be built in conjunction with Brilliance, BMWs Chinese partner, at a new BMW factory in the Shengyang economic zone. However, the factory will not be completed until 2012, so the earliest the 3-series long wheelbase version will hit the market would be 2012/2013.

The new factory will have the capacity to build 100,000 units a year, and will … CONTINUED