BMW’s latest full-length global TV spot “Feeling Remains” captures the feeling of how driving a BMW never leaves you.

A nice car is one way to draw attention. But what does it take to be instantly noticed by the general public? Emotional styling and exotic engine sound might be a good recipe. Then again, it

Nuance Communications Inc. today announced that BMW will be making Dragon Drive! Messaging available in the new 2012 BMW 7 Series, BMW 3 Series Touring and BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid vehicles, with additional models to follow. Dragon Drive! Messaging is a new BMW ConnectedDrive feature as part of the latest generation of BMW Navigation system Professional. Unveiled in May, Dragon Drive! Messaging is Nuance’s new automotive-grade connected car service that lets people speak emails and text messages.

The 2012 BMW 7 Series will be the first car ever to feature Dragon Drive! Messaging, hitting the market in July 2012, with the BMW 3 Series Touring and BMW 3 Series ActiveHybrid following later this year. Dragon Drive! Messaging delivers a fully-integrated mobile assistant messaging experience that lets drivers … CONTINUED

BMW has revealed Individual colors for the F30 / F31 3 series in an international online configurator. The exterior colors include Citrine Black, Moonstone Metallic, Smokey Topaz, and Tanzanite Blue. Interior Individual leather colors include Criollo Brown, Cashmere Beige, Cohiba Brown, Opal White, and Black. A new Style 439 wheels has also been revealed.

These are not yet available for the US market, but we’ll hopefully see them as options sometime during the 2013 model year.

We are attending the world press launch drives of the F31 3 series touring, M135i, Activehybrid 3 and F21 1 Series hatchback, where the 3 Series Touring M Sport has been officially shown for the first time, in Estoril Blue II. We bring you a photo gallery inside.

The BMW 3 Series Touring first drives are underway. Here are a few of the first reactions to the F31 touring model.

Sales increase by 8.1% to 900,539 vehicles in the first six months. Robertson: We have a new sales record for 2012 well in sight

Munich. BMW Group achieved record sales for the first six months of the year, with a total of 900,539 vehicles delivered worldwide, an increase of 8.1% over the same period last year (prev. yr. 833,391). The company also achieved its second highest sales volume ever in a single month, with 172,516 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered worldwide in June (prev. yr. 165,868/ +4.0%).

Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing BMW, said in Munich on Friday: “We are very pleased with the positive result for the first half year. The BMW Group achieved record sales again in June … CONTINUED

Summary:

Combination of an award-winning combustion engine and an innovative electric drive.
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology working in tandem with an eight-speed automatic hybrid transmission and intelligent energy management.
All-electric operation up to 75 km/h (46 mph). All-electric driving range up to four kilometres (approx. 2.5 miles).
System output 250 kW / 340 HP (306 HP 6 cylinder inline petrol engine + 55 HP electric motor).
5.3 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph). 5.9 litres per 100 km.
(47.9mpg imp / 39.88 US MPG) and 139 g CO2/km in the EU test cycle.
Petrol engine can … CONTINUED

The F31 3 Series Touring international press launch is underway in Germany and we bring you new photo galleries of the attractive 3 series wagon.

The new edition of the BMW 3 Series Touring [official info thread] makes its mark in the premium sports estate segment with its hallmark BMW dynamic prowess, enhanced practicality and versatility, and a range of standard equipment features assembled to meet the challenges of everyday life. Its larger interior is extremely versatile and designed to adapt to everything its customers’ modern, active lifestyles can throw at it. In this role,
the new BMW 3 Series Touring convinces equally as both a sporty, elegant and dynamic way to eat up the miles and a comfortable and spacious vehicle for sports and leisure … CONTINUED