While BMW continues development of the new F30 3-series set to debut in Spring 2012, German Auto Motor und Sport now reports about an interesting rumor: BMW is said to expand their lineup with a 4-door coupe based on the F30 platform. Internally called F36, BMW seems to consider 4-series for the name of this model. According to AMS, BMW is currently working on a first design model to showcase the car internally. Compared to the F30, the 4er is said to be 4cm or 1.5″ longer, 3cm or 1.2″ wider and 6cm or 2.3″ lower than the F30 sedan. Needless to say that this should make for a more sporty and menacing look. The report goes on to speculate about a public debut in … CONTINUED

Amidst an impressive start on the international automotive markets, the new BMW X3 has rapidly become the shooting star in its segment. Winning the title of “Four-Wheel Drive Car of the Year 2011” awarded by the specialist car magazine “Auto Bild Allrad” is current proof of the new BMW X3’s exceptionally high degree of popularity. The success in the reader survey conducted by Europe’s biggest-selling specialist journal for four-wheel drive cars is already the BMW X3’s second title victory this year. Only a few weeks ago, readers of the magazine “Off Road” voted the Sports Activity Vehicle “Off-road Vehicle of the Year 2011”. With this double success, the new BMW X3 is quick in following the traces of its predecessor, which, in 2006 and 2007, was … CONTINUED

1addicts member GTFan712 was lucky enough to witness both a Valencia Orange and Black Sapphire Metallic 1M coupe at The Welt last week. These are the best naturally lit Valencia Orange 1M photos we’ve seen yet.

We’ve seen an Alpine White 1M Coupe caught on video before, but never has one been photographed until now. Courtesy of Dackelone comes pics of the white 1M coupe looking beautiful parked right at home at M GmbH headquarters in Garching, Germany.

Motortrend sets forth their argument for why they believe that BMW’s best 6-cylinder motor currently is the F10 535d’s N57 turbo diesel. As they put it: Part urban assault weapon, part trans-continental cruiser, the 535d is the best of the new 5-series models I

Here is the latest video touting the virtues of the BMW Performance parts and accessories.

German publication Auto-news was at the Qatar MotoGP in Doha and given exclusive time with the new SafetyCar. The site seems a fitting place to show off the the new 1M as Qatar is in fact BMW’s second largest market in the Middle East.

But onto the car. According to auto-news, the car is both lighter and faster than the “stock” 1 Series M Coupe, with a lowered chassis and its own unique (blacked out) 19″ wheels. The brake system and adjustable rear spoiler are taken directly from the M3 GTS, not difficult tasks considering how the 1M was concieved. Removing the standard catalytic converters in the rear is good for an additional 7-10 HP, but this was not in the official party line from BMW. … CONTINUED

The camo has been steadily dropping from the upcoming MINI Coupe, not that the camo is needed, given the fact that the car was already shown off in “concept” form. However the fact that the camo is coming off on street evaluation models tells us that we are getting closer and closer to the release of the production model. In fact BMW has confirmed that the car will arrive by the end of the year!

With that said, what is a MINI without a hotted up JCW edition?

What we have here is the familiar MINI design with the coupe’s drop top roof and the same Cooper JCW aero addons as is already fitted to the MINI Cooper. The extended wheel arches make the most dramatic difference to … CONTINUED

Autoblog now has definitive confirmation that the M3 pickup is BMW’s 2011 April Fool’s Joke (last year featured their Political Roundel Attachment Tag gag). According to Autoblog: In a chat with BMW’s Munich head of product communications, Dirk Arnold, he offered up this quote: “Ah, yes, everyone’s been talking about that pickup. But, no, this is… how you call it, an April Fool’s Joke” [in German "Aprilscherz" - ed.]. There will be no M3 pickup in our futures, kids. But then Arnold sort of overcommunicated to us by dangling one of those “…in this generation” qualifiers. He then also managed to immediately clarify, “It is hugely doubtful that BMW will ever during our lives produce such a vehicle, in any segment.” Oh, pooh.