Interview with the designer of the BMW i3, Richard Kim.

The i3 began life as the Megacity electric project car, but the concept evolved into a purely electric runabout that would be configurable, when it went on sale in 2013, with a gasoline-burning, 3-cylinder range extender.

Without an engine up front — the range extender is in the rear — the hood area could become smaller and the vehicle higher as a wide battery pack on the floor became the key element determining the vehicle’s shape. Computer-generated sketches of the innards of the i3 shown on Wednesday, depicting the passenger module sitting atop the drive module, suggested a stagecoach without horses.

Mr. Kim and his colleagues were charged with making this tall and somewhat gawky form into something that … CONTINUED

Some M3POST member’s supercharged M3s have set the quarter mile trap speed record on street tires. The M3s were supercharged with ESS 535 (DCT) supercharger, ESS 625 (6spd) supercharger, and AA Stage 2 supercharger and DCT.

The runs were made at Atco Raceway in some cool temperatures (45 degrees F).

1SICKM managed a trap speed record of 125mph and ran times of 11.6 and 11.8. Akh23456’s M3 managed even faster 1/4 mile times in 11.2 - 11.3.

Check out the details, videos, and timeslips inside.

Remember the dealer PDI 1M coupe joyride fiasco experienced by one of our 1ADDICTS members?

News now comes that the Los Angeles Country district attorney’s office has filed misdemeanor charges against the two former Pacific BMW employees for their actions. This stems from a joyride that the two men took in the not-yet-delivered BMW 1 Series M coupe down the residential streets of Glendale, CA.

A video of the ride (some of which can be seen below) was then posted by the men on YouTube.

According to the district attorney’s complaint filed against the two men - Vacheh Margoussian (21) and Artin Yazidjian (22), each faces misdeameanor charges for taking the 1M from the dealership. In addition, Margoussian was also charged with a misdemeanor reckless driving charge. As … CONTINUED

Along with their ACS 650i, AC Schnitzer will be debuting its new F20 1 Series 120d at the Essen Motor Show this week. Their 120d tuning program features the following areas:

Engine:
118d from 105 kW / 143 HP to 126 kW / 171 HP
120d from 135 kW / 184 HP to 154 kW / 210 HP

Exhaust:
AC Schnitzer chromed “Racing” tailpipes

Suspension:
AC Schnitzer spring kit

Aerodynamics:
AC Schnitzer front spoiler
AC Schnitzer rear roof spoiler
AC Schnitzer rear skirt protection foil

Steering:
AC Schnitzer sports airbag steering wheel

Interior:
AC Schnitzer aluminium gear knob “Black Line” AC Schnitzer gear knob with digital display
AC Schnitzer leather gear knob, illuminated
AC Schnitzer aluminium cover for i-Drive
AC Schnitzer aluminium handbrake handle, aluminium/chromed
AC Schnitzer aluminium handbrake handle, “Black … CONTINUED

We’ve now posted all the information that you will need to configure and order your 2012 3 Series Sedan (F30)!

Inside you will find the full 2012 F30 3 series sedan pricelist, including all MSRP for base price, options pricing, and package prices. Happy configurating and ordering!

AC Schnitzer will be debuting its new 6 series coupe (650i) tuning program at the Essen Motor Show (think German equivalent of SEMA) next week and here are its first photos and video.

The ACS 6 program offers an aero kit with front bumper lip spoiler, chrome bumper grille, rear diffuser, rear trunk spoiler, and chrome exhaust tailpipes.

For performance, the ACS 650i has been tuned to produce 540 PS (533 hp) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft torque). This is an increase of 131 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque over the factory specs. These power figures accelerate the 650i from 0-100kmh in 4.3 seconds and the top speed is 202mph.

We have now posted up the complete 2012 BMW F30 3 series sedan order guide. It features full details of all standard equipment, features, options, and packages, as well as how the 2012 3 series sedan can or cannot be configured with each of these.

Check out the full scans (and PDF version) inside. Happy ordering!

BMW and Hyundai have joined global tech firms Broadcom, NXP, Freescale and Harman to create the OPEN (One-Pair Ether-Net) Alliance special interest group, whose goal is to develop future generation ethernet-based automotive networking and connectivity.

Specifically, the group’s goal is to promote adoption of ethernet based connectivity as the standard for future generations of cars.

The group encourages the adoption of Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach cable as – specifically developed for automotive applications, as the open standard. This technology allows transmission of up to 100 Mbps over a single unshieled wire. Not only does this speed up in car networking and connectivity, but it should eliminate internal networking cabling, hopefully shaving a few pounds off a vehicle’s weight in the process.

For automakers like BMW, the increased networking/connectivity speeds should improve … CONTINUED

12.5 million – that’s all you need to know about the importance of the 3 series to BMW. Since the introduction of the first generation 3 series in 1982, BMW has sold 12.5 million units. That means every third BMW sold in 2010 was a 3 series. Unsurprisingly then, whenever a new 3 series launches, BMW knows they have to get it right. And we’re not talking about E89 Z4 right but about right in the sense of perfect.

BMW invited us over to Barcelona, Spain, to check out the F30 3 series for ourselves. “Pick up your test car at the airport and experience the new 3 series on public streets and the famous F1 track Circuito de Catalunya”, they said. Of course we accepted. So … CONTINUED