BMW, Audi, and Mercedes will each be advertising in this year’s Superbowl, making it the first time that all three German luxury brands are advertising at the biggest U.S. television event. BMW has purchased two 30-second spots in this year’s Superbowl, which will be played on February 6th. This represents the first time that BMW will be advertising during the Super Bowl in a decade. It comes as no coincidence then that Mercedes and Audi have also purchased commercial time for the most-watched American television broadcast (last year’s game was watched by approximately 106 million people, making it the most popular American TV program ever, according to TV audience rater Nielsen), according to Autonews.

BMW provides a unique look into its security vehicle driving program, held in what looks to be a cold war relic location deep inside Germany. On a former soviet military airport,drivers of BMW High Security Vehicles can develop their driving skills and push the cars to their limits.

Many special BMW security vehicle models are provided for various exercises, including training for fake accidents, road blocks, convoy attacks, and road explosions.

BMW recently unveiled first details on their new 2 litre inline-4 TwinPower Turbo petrol engine. In terms of this engine’s competitors, the first thing that comes to mind in terms of competition is Audi’s 2.0TFSI engine. They currently run two engine generations, the older EA113 as still found in the TT-S and the newer EA888 powering virtually all 2.0TFSI models. The latter also includes Valvelift which is roughly comparable to BMW’s Valvetronic.

Here are all figures you need to know to draw a comparison and figure where each engine might be able to trump, and where not. Some points I found remarkable when doing this comparison:

All three offer a maximum torque of 258 lb-ft, yet the BMW engine is able to spool up quicker (max. torque … CONTINUED

This image is said to be a close approximation on the looks of the upcoming BMW 1-series Gran Turismo (GT). The 1-series GT will be the next Gran Turismo model in the BMW lineup following the 5-series GT and preceding the next generation 3-series Gran Turismo model.

The 1 series GT is a mixture of a 5 door hatch and a touring shape. Rear legroom is almost on par with the 5-series sedan.

BMW is constantly forward looking in its design and product development. Towards that end, they have teamed up with students of automotive design and fashion at the European Institute of Design in Barcelona to come up with some ideas on what the future of urban transportation may bring. Check out some of the interesting (and zany) ideas.

Insideline comes in with their favorable first drive review of the 2012 650i convertible, which they felt had explosive straight-line acceleration with a surprising amount of feedback and an inherent balance which makes it feel alive and responsive to every movement of the wheel. The 650i’s agility was also very impressive. Read the rest of this positive review inside.

After having seen the Countryman at the Paris Autoshow, I fell in love with the car. Its a car that needs to be seen in person to truly appreciate. It seems that MINI owners are also seeing the light, as we present to you yet another countryman that has made its way into an owners hands. This time in light white. Check it out!

Here’s a fun Top Gear program featuring the Ariel Atom V8 being tested against the S1000RR, BMW’s superbike. Featuring a similar power-to-weight ratio, the two race around the track and switch places many times. Which one wins? See inside.

A black 1M coupe will be finally be on public display at the Welt beginning March 2, although there’s always a chance we could see it publicly before then. This date coincides with the first press days of the Geneva Autoshow at which there may also be a black 1M coupe publicly displayed for the first time.