BMW wraps up its 2012 Year In Review with Part three: sports and cooperations.
Watch the beautiful BMW 3 Series 330d touring (F31) M Sport model in motion.
Now that the 2014 M6 Gran Coupe has been officially announced and introduced by BMW, test prototypes are free to go full monty in public.
The photos below are from a sighting in Austria and shows the M6 Gran Coupe in what appears to be Moonstone Metallic (a BMW Individual color).
The M6 Gran Coupe will hit US showrooms in early Summer 2013 and share the same powertrain as its M6 coupe and convertible brethren - powered by the 4.4L TwinPower Turbo V8 (S63Tü) engine and outputting 560hp / 500lb-ft.
The recommended retail price in Germany is 128.800
The 2013 Car and Driver’s Annual Lightning Lap Competition (#7) at the Virginia International Raceway has concluded and the results are in.
The F10 M5, F13 M6 coupe and the F30 335i sedan were tested and turned in the following times:
Full List by Times
Ferrari 458 - 2.49.9
Lexus LFA - 2.55.1
Chevy Camaro ZL1 - 2.57.5
Merc C63 Black Series - 2.58.0
Porsche 911 S - 2.58.9
Ford Shelby GT500 - 3.00.6
Chevy Camaro SS 1LE - 3.01.5
Jaguar XKR-S - 3.02.1
Porsche Boxster S - 3.04.2
Audi RS5 - 3.04.3
BMW M6 - 3.04.7
BMW M5 - 3.05.2
Audi S6 - 3.09.8
BMW 335i sedan - 3.13.2
Hyundai Genesis 3.8 R - 3.13.9
Dodge Charger Pursuit - 3.17.8
Subaru BRZ - 3.18.6… CONTINUED
A M3POST member is maintaining a journal documenting the strip down and build up of his dedicated M3 track car.
The base car is a Space Gray 2007 E92 M3 Coupe with 6 speed manual. The plans include:
KW Competition 3 axes
Full light weight reduction
Full Akrapovic exhaust system
Sparco carbone seat Evo and Prodrive
VAC seat fixations system
BBS RC301 10×18 ET25 wheels all around
265/35 and 285/30 x18 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires
4.10 Differential
Super B lithium batterie B15
Part 2 of the 2012 Year in Review from BMW, revisiting this past year’s concepts, designs, and historical moments.
The BMW i3 prototype has now dropped some camouflage and we’ve spied it testing in Munich.
This particular prototype is the range-extended hybrid model (as indicated by the sticker affixed to the prototype) instead of the pure electric model. No official specs have been released on the hybrid i3 model, but we’ve seen speculation ranging from a 0.6 liter 2-cylinder gasoline engine to a 1.5 liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine serving as a range extender motor in charging the batteries for extra mileage.
Like the pure-electric i3, the hybrid i3 should be powered by a 134 horsepower electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries and driving the rear wheels. BMW is aiming to achieve a 160 km (100 mi) range.
Pricing for the i3 has been speculated to start in … CONTINUED
Car and Driver reports on some BMW M2 rumors. As reported by Jens Meiners:
The M version of the upcoming BMW 2-series coupe and thus the successor of the immensely good 1-series M coupe. Unlike its predecessor—which was rushed through development in record time, known internally as Project Pyrat—the 2015 M2 will undergo a longer gestation, allowing BMW to come up with a more polished package. Look for aggressive restyling, strongly differentiated from the M135i that’s available in overseas markets. The M2 will feature a unique front-end treatment, large air intakes, a wider track and wider rear fenders, as well as a rear spoiler and four exhaust finishers. The expected change in nomenclature from 1-series coupe to 2-series would fall in line with the rest … CONTINUED
