We’re at the LA Auto Show, where BMWNA has announced the U.S. base price for the 2012 328i and 335i sedans, as follows:

2012 328i - $35,775
2012 335i - $43,275

Compare this to the outgoing 2011 E90 sedan:
2011 328i - $34,600
2011 335i - $42,050

The base price increase over the 2011 models are just $1,175 and $1,225, which are very reasonable considering the increased standard equipment and features that the F30 3 series receive. And while option/package pricing has not yet been released, you can see the list of what will be available in the F30 Ordering Guide we recently posted.

The BMW F30 3 series will make its world official debut at the Detroit auto show (NAIAS) in January 2012.

The Mission to Drive Sales Event has arrived at US BMW Dealers! Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Is to take full advantage of the situation. Code named the BMW Mission to Drive Sales Event. The all new BMW 6 Series is featured in the new movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, in theaters this December.

For a limited time only receive:

Up to $2500 credit on every 2012 Model
Option Credits available on select 2011 and 2012 models
Finance rates 0.9% up to 24 months on all 2012 models
Low Finance rates and attractive Lease programs on all 2012 models and remaining 2011 models
0% financing for … CONTINUED

The BMW Group remains on its successful course. “We have recorded the best third quarter in the company’s history. During this period, we achieved new records for sales volume, revenues and earnings. The main reasons for this excellent performance have been strong demand worldwide for our vehicles and considerable efficiency improvements”, stated Norbert Reithofer, the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG on Thursday in Munich.

Revenues rose by 3.8% to euro 16,547 million (2010: euro 15,940 million). The third-quarter profit before financial result (EBIT) climbed by 44.0% to euro 1,716 million (2010: euro 1,192 million) and the profit before tax (EBT) went up by 21.0% to euro 1,644 million (2010: euro 1,359 million). Group net profit improved by 23.8% to euro 1,082 million (2010: … CONTINUED

BMW SAV sales lead the way in September - X3 gains 280% year-to-date. The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported September sales of 25,749 vehicles, an increase of 11.4% from the 23,112 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, BMW Group sales are up 14.2% to 219,314 in the first nine months of 2011 compared to 192,052 in the same period in 2010.

“The good results in September are remarkable given the general view of the economy but it shows there is demand and people will spend provided you have the right products and offer value,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America. “We continue expanding our new product range with the BMW four-cylinder 528i and … CONTINUED

Patent litigation seems to be all the rage these days among technology companies. Technology titans such as Apple, Google, and Samsung are all mired in patent litigation in efforts to block their competition from entering certain markets or selling certain products.

Unfortunately, this has now extended to technology used in automobiles - in this case, BMW and Audi. You see, BMW and Audis make use of the German company Osram’s LED lighting technology - technology which the LG Group, a South Korean company, alleges to infringe on its patents. Specifically, LG is claiming that Osram has infringed “on LG-owned patents such as LED chips and packaging technologies that are widely used in LED light bulbs and cars.” LG is therefore seeking of a complete block of BMWs … CONTINUED

BMW Group Financial Services has opened the door for college graduates and young professionals to increase their purchase power through the company’s College Graduation Program. The Program encompasses both leases and loans and applies to new and certified pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as BMW motorcycles. Customers who meet the program criteria will be offered the best available rates based on their FICO scores. In addition, lease customers will qualify for a waiver of the security deposit.

“As a captive finance company, we have the capacity to be more flexible than other institutions,” said Steve Swecker, general manager of sales operations. “We developed the College Graduate program to target one of the most essential customer bases, that of the entry-level buyer. The program provides young … CONTINUED

With the proliferation of mobile technology, BMW Financial Services now provides account functionality via smartphones. Customers now have the ability to make payments and monitor their account status from their phones. BMW Financial Services provides a web-based solution for customers to access common account requests, which functions on all leading smartphone platforms.

The new BMW Financial Services Mobile Website is web-based and requires no installation. The mobile website runs in a browser, whereas typical applications need to be downloaded and installed to run on a mobile device. After a secure log-in from a smartphone, customers have access to:

• Make a payment
• Obtain a payoff quote
• View recent activity
• View payment history

“Quite simply, we’re focused on access and mobility,” said Steve Swecker, general manager of sales operations for … CONTINUED

With 110,891 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand automobiles sold worldwide (+7.4%, prev. yr. 103,242 units), the BMW Group achieved its best-ever August sales result. BMW Group worldwide sales crossed the one million mark in August, with a total of 1,073,363 (prev. yr. 919,256) vehicles delivered to customers since the beginning of the year – an increase of 16.8% compared with the first eight months of the previous year.

Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing: “We achieved record sales once again in August. Models such as the BMW X3, the BMW 5 Series Sedan and the BMW 5 Series Touring continued to report strong gains and made a positive contribution to our record sales performance last month. Looking … CONTINUED

SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (SGL ACF) – a joint venture of SGL Group and the BMW Group – today officially opened its new state-of-the-art carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, WA. The new facility is strategic for the manufacture of ultra light-weight carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for use in the new BMW i vehicles.

The two parent companies will invest approximately $100 million in their Moses Lake plant and create 80 new local jobs until 2013. In order to prepare the large scale production start of BMW i vehicles in 2013 it is important to start the carbon fiber manufacturing now. All electricity needed for the production of carbon fibers will come from readily available clean and renewable local hydropower.

Thanks to the emission-free drivetrain and … CONTINUED