First videos of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe Concept.

BMW and Pininfarina are two of the most tradition-swathed names in the motoring world. Each is a byword for cutting-edge technology, style, dynamics and aesthetics. With the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, the two time-honoured companies are unveiling the outcome of their first collaboration at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013. The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé is a one-off and represents the exclusive interpretation of a luxurious BMW Coupé as seen through the eyes of Pininfarina. Working in close consultation, the two design teams have created a new automotive persona brimming with character and ready to join the high-end luxury class – typically BMW while sporting the distinctive signature of Pininfarina.

With the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, the BMW Design team took up exclusive design aspects such as luxury and elegance and fed them into a creative exchange with long-established specialist car designer and manufacturer Pininfarina. In this elaborately created one-off, the renowned companies BMW Group and Pininfarina joined forces to bring an idea to fruition: “The appeal of this collaboration with Pininfarina is that you get another, very different and special angle on facets like luxury and exclusivity,” notes Karim Habib, Head of BMW Design. “The Italian company, after all, has always been a byword for these criteria in particular, demonstrating time and again its keen sensitivity and exceptional finesse in these areas. In Pininfarina we have found the ideal partner to lend shape to this vehicle concept.”

“The result of this cooperative venture is far greater than the sum of its parts,” says Fabio Filippini, Head of Design at Pininfarina. “When two such tradition-rich and experienced brands join forces to turn a vision into reality, something utterly new and exciting emerges. From start to finish, this project was defined by a mutual respect for the identity of the other company.”

Consummate elegance.
The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé adds a new dimension to the BMW claim to exclusivity. This painstakingly created one-off captivates the viewer at first glance. Liberal surface areas and taut contours are the distinguishing elements of an elegant car body. Typical BMW proportions – a long wheelbase, stretched bonnet and set-back greenhouse – imbue the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé with imposing dynamics even when stationary. At the same time the car exudes balance and harmony: BMW values such as technology, dynamics and precision are complemented by the skilled craftsmanship of Pininfarina to create a very special holistic experience. “The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé has an extraordinary impact. It expresses hallmark BMW values such as luxury and sheer presence in a highly elegant form,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “I admire the reductive clarity and precision in Pininfarina’s design. Their expectations for the end result have been just as high as ours, and their understanding of design perfectly complements the BMW design DNA for a vehicle of this kind.”

Dynamic presence – the front view.
With its broad, wheel-focused stance, the front of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé radiates sheer presence and dynamics. The hallmark double- kidney grille and the road-focused headlights with their suggested twin circular look reveal at a glance the family bond with BMW. At the same time the distinctive Pininfarina elements have been interpreted with Italian finesse to lend the front end a special flair.

The trademark BMW kidney grille forms the central element of the front-end design, and all surfaces and lines take their bearings from it. It symbolically points to the engine at the heart of the vehicle, its size reflecting the power of the V12 unit nestling behind it. The “kidneys” are angled towards the road, citing the typical BMW “shark nose” and lending the front end an even more dynamic look, particularly when seen from the side. Viewed up close it discloses highly accomplished detail work: the front part of the bipartite kidney grille is made of matt-sheen aluminium, while behind it an identically shaped part in high-gloss black adds visual depth and makes for an exciting contrast of materials.

Above the kidney grille the bonnet stretches across the front of the car, its subtle contours appearing to emanate from the BMW emblem and lending the bonnet a dynamic elegance. The flat headlights underline the road-focused look associated with a BMW and round off the “face” of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé. Their dynamic contours are in perfect harmony with the classic BMW twin circular look in an interpretation that leaves them open at the top. The use of LED technology creates a technically premium impression while adding a striking depth to the headlights.

The eye-catchingly sporty front apron concludes the front end of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé as it dips towards the road. The flat, one- piece air intake accentuates the breadth of the front, an impression reinforced by chrome trim that adds a classy touch. The air intake is larger at the wheels and draws attention to the car’s wide, sporty track. Just above the road surface, discreet Pininfarina lettering points to the contributing partner from Italy, like a signature on a work of art.

Elegant sculpture – the side view.
The designers at BMW and Pininfarina set particular store by creating the right proportions. The car’s surfaces display the elaborate form language of BMW while being sculpted with a clarity that is hallmark Pininfarina. Within a powerfully present silhouette, convex taperings on the side add a dynamic elegance and give the body a tautly athletic shape.

At the same time the reduced, precise contours stretch the vehicle and underline its exclusivity with a contemporary touch. The high shoulder line extends almost horizontally along the entire side of the car, imbuing the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé with stature and presence. Above it the long roof line flows elegantly into the rear to define the short tail end. Below the shoulder line, a striking countersweep to the roof line emanates from the Air Breather behind the front wheel. Ascending towards the rear, it lends the back section of the car a light and dynamic appearance. All the lines have been designed with keen sensitivity: as they trace their course they become stronger or weaker and, through the changing play of light and shadow, show off the surrounding surfaces to their best effect.

Numerous details accentuate the elegance of the side view. The matt-sheen embellishment behind the front wheel adds a stylish accent as it integrates the side indicator. Another signature BMW detail is the Hofmeister kink – the eye- catching forward bend in the window graphic that is perfectly integrated into the surrounding play of lines. Behind it the V12 logo indicates the powerful engine within the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé. Pininfarina lettering in the side panel points to the definitive role played by the Italian design company in creating this vehicle, with the Pininfarina logo above it indicating that the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé was also built by Pininfarina.

The exclusively designed 21-inch wheels perfectly augment the sporty, elegant statement made by the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé. Five trios of graceful yet powerfully sculpted spokes display a strong visual depth through the application of matt-sheen aluminium, black and black chrome. As such the wheel design blends an elegant multi-spoke style with the sportiness of five-spoke rims.

Sophisticated stance – the rear view.
The elongated side profile leads to a slender and elegant tail end. Striking horizontal elements imbue the entire rear end with a very broad, flat impression. At the same time, the generous surface design of the rear lends it a powerful presence. Between the surfaces, precise contours and horizontal lines break up the rear aspect, resulting in a clever interplay of light and shadow that partitions the entire design and brings it alive. An eye-catching detail is the transition from the roof to the rear lid: two elaborately shaped struts extend the roof pillar towards the rear, ensuring an elegantly fluid transition of the roof line into the tail section.

Extending from the sides, the tail lights embrace the rear end in a single sweeping gesture that brings the side and rear together visually. The tail lights reveal elaborately detailed workmanship and lend the BMW L-shape a slender, almost filigree interpretation. They are set – jewel-like – within high-grade trim in matt-sheen aluminium. A particular highlight is their open design, allowing air to flow through them.

A contemporary take on classical values – the interior.
The interior of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé takes up the accomplished fusion of modern elegance and authoritative dynamics as displayed by the exterior. Here the melding of sportiness, exclusivity and comfort makes for a unique interior experience. The fluid underlying geometry of the interior design by BMW takes on an individual character courtesy of the Pininfarina touch. With a special colour concept, choice materials and geometrical details in the doors, centre console and dashboard binnacle, Pininfarina lends further emphasis to signature BMW elements such as the driver focus and layering principle, while accentuating the sporty character of the interior with a fine instinct for cutting-edge and elegant details alike.

The four-seater luxury coupé rolls out an exclusive ambience to welcome driver and passengers. The front and rear seats from the Pininfarina drawing board embrace all occupants with sporty side supports while providing the highest levels of comfort. From the driver’s seat, a sideward glance will initially reveal the hallmark BMW driver focus: all driving-related functions and controls are slightly angled towards the driver to be within optimal ergonomic reach. The horizontal alignment of the surfaces and lines of the dashboard create an expansive sense of space. The doors take up the flow of lines and invest them with greater dynamics as they follow their course, while the door handles cite the incisive shape of the tail lights as well as the side-panel embellishments as they bring these styling cues into the interior. The rear of the cabin likewise boasts spacious design, with legroom in the back seats of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé almost on a par with that of a large luxury sedan.

Select materials and top-quality craftsmanship.
The exclusive colour and material concept is one of the stand-out features of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé and eloquently reflects its unique character. Extensive handcraftsmanship further enhances the interior ambience. Finest leather and kauri wood aged more than 48,000 years lend the cabin of the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé a special aura. The high-grade leather from the Foglizzo leather factory – in black and a light shade of Tobacco Brown – creates a warm, exclusive ambience. Metal highlights in black chrome set a technical counterpoint to the extensive application of natural materials.

All the wood elements in the cabin are sourced from a single piece of kauri wood selected by the Italian timber experts of Riva 1920 exclusively for the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé. Kauri wood has a unique grain and shifts in colour from gold to red to brown, depending on the incidence of light and angle of view. Simply polished and oiled, it exudes a particular warmth and naturalness in league with the exclusive leather surfaces of the interior. Native to New Zealand, kauri wood is among the rarest timbers in the world. Its special character derives from the fact that the toppled kauri trees have been preserved in swamps for millennia and can be processed like fresh timber after being retrieved from the fossil swampland.

The roof liner of finest Italian virgin wool features the striking “Principe di Galles” pattern. This grey plaid strikes a bold contrast to the traditional materials used for the doors and dashboard. The brown leather seats also pick up on the pattern in their all-round piping. Allowing extra light into the interior is an oblong aperture in the roof liner which is additionally illuminated by white LEDs. In the footwell areas, a soft deep-pile carpet in dark grey adds to a subtle sense of wellbeing. Another interior detail are the freestanding B-pillars, whose elegant design when viewed from the outside creates a homogeneous glazed area and frameless doors that appear very light.

Pininfarina.
Pininfarina ranks as one of the most time-honoured names in automotive design. What began in the 1930s as a “carrozzeria” building one-offs and limited editions, alongside the visual refinement of high-end automotive technology, has today become one of Italy’s leading design companies. Its operating spectrum stretches far beyond automobiles to include product and industrial design. Through numerous collaborations with a wide range of carmakers, Pininfarina has established itself as a style-defining partner. Simplicity and harmony in look and feel, perfect proportions and innovative functionality are the hallmarks and underlying concept of each and every Pininfarina design.

90 years of BMW Motorrad, 90 years of two-wheeled history – hardly another motorcycle manufacturer can boast such a longstanding and successful heritage as BMW. The BMW R 90 S likewise has cause to celebrate: the BMW Motorrad design icon turns 40 this year. As a tribute to both these anniversaries, the BMW Group is presenting a very special model at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2013: the BMW Concept Ninety. In partnership with the custom bike company Roland Sands Design, the BMW Motorrad design team has come up with an exclusive homage to the BMW R 90 S. Former motorcycle racer Roland Sands and his team are among the most in-demand partners in the custom bike scene. Their design standards and the technical finesse with which they implement their high-class custom and performance parts endow the BMW Concept Ninety with an exclusive and self-assured presence. This cooperative venture elevates both Roland Sands Design and BMW Motorrad Design to a new level.

40 years of the BMW R 90 S.
Back in 1973, BMW unveiled its flagship model in the “Stroke Six” range to the global public. Boasting a top speed of just over 200 km/h (124 mph), it was one of the fastest production bikes of its day and went on to claim numerous prizes in a variety of race series. Even when parked it radiated a powerful appeal: for the first time in the development process of a motorcycle, a designer had forged a successful alliance of form and function while creating the first motorcycle ever to feature a front fairing as standard. Together with its sporty tail end and striking Daytona Orange paintwork, it endowed the BMW R 90 S with an unmistakable identity. The design of this bike pointed the way forward, and it wasn’t long before other manufacturers were gracing their motorcycles with aerodynamically honed front and rear fairings. Today the erstwhile trendsetter is one of BMW’s design icons. “The BMW R 90 S hails from an era in which bikers were regarded as outlaws,” comments Edgar Heinrich, Head of BMW Motorrad Design. “There was something rebellious about it – it was fast, loud and wild. Pure emotion. And it has retained its fascination to this day.”

BMW Concept Ninety.
The BMW Concept Ninety resurrects this spirit of the emotionally charged superbike, translating the emotionality and inspiration of the earlier model into a contemporary guise. This is a modern reiteration of the traditional essence of the motorcycle: the harmonious unison of man and machine – pure and emotional. “Today BMW motorcycles stand for perfection and function. That is what we have worked hard to achieve and something we are very proud of,” says Ola Stenegard, Head of Vehicle Design BMW Motorrad. “But we want more than that. With the BMW Concept Ninety we want to show how reduced and pure an emotional BMW motorcycle can be.”

The BMW Concept Ninety takes to the stage as a sporty boxer with a battery of sophisticated details. Its basic proportions clearly take their cue from the forebear that inspired this concept: the fairing, tank, seat and tail instantly signal its family bond with the BMW R 90 S. The BMW Concept Ninety also picks up on the demarcation of the bike’s proportions that was a hallmark of the time. The upper ergonomic and aerodynamic bodywork is visually separated from the black engine and chassis. The bodywork is hand crafted from aluminium. Its brushed areas can be seen in the tinted areas of the front fairing and tank, as well as at the tail. The rich orange shade of the BMW Concept Ninety is also a nod to the legendary Daytona Orange paintwork of the BMW R 90 S.

The BMW Concept Ninety delivers a very sporty interpretation of the front fairing. But whereas halogen was technically cutting-edge in the BMW R 90 S era, contemporary LED elements light up the face of the BMW Concept Ninety, honouring its ancestor with a round headlamp design. Seamlessly mounted behind it, the dynamically shaped tank ensures an optimal connection between rider and machine. Further along, the tank and seat melt harmoniously into each other. A steadily ascending line from the handlebars to the tail creates a slight wedge shape, lending the BMW Concept Ninety an almost ready to attack stance when viewed from the side – like a sprinter about to explode into action. Below the bodywork sits the air-cooled flat-twin boxer engine. Entirely in black with contrast cut details this section of the bike symbolises concerted power, precision and performance. The mechanics and technology as a whole are purposely rendered visible and reflect a keen attention to detail.

Custom parts made by Roland Sands Design.
As the observer’s gaze gradually penetrates this motorcycle, more and more details are revealed. Many of the high-quality parts of the BMW Concept Ninety hail from custom bike specialists Roland Sands Design in California. In close collaboration with BMW Motorrad Design, the Roland Sands Design team designed and manufactured these parts specially for the BMW Concept Ninety. The mechanical parts and engine area, above all, bear the Roland Sands imprint. Particular attention was devoted to those elements typical of a boxer, and thus also of BMW, which were meticulously designed and elaborately finished. Key highlights include the front cover of the engine and the valve covers, that got painstakingly milled, as well as the exhaust system. The parts were milled using a contrast cut process, which strikes an alluring contrast to the black mechanical components. This technology was also applied to the rims, whose classic design recalls the racing triumphs of the BMW R 90 S in the 1970s. The machining and technical implementation of the parts, are state of the art – like all the details on the BMW Concept Ninety. “It was important for me to translate the special statement made by the BMW R 90 S into the present through the use of unique parts – employing emotional design and cutting-edge technology,” says Roland Sands of his approach to the bike. Likewise designed and made by Roland Sands are the brake and clutch controls, the Paralever arm and the air filter under the seat. All these meticulously manufactured individual parts blend smoothly into the form language of the BMW Concept Ninety.

“Everything just fits together perfectly: the BMW technology, the BMW heritage and our custom parts complement each other beautifully,” comments Roland Sands on the result of this collaboration. Edgar Heinrich adds: “The BMW Concept Ninety is sheer enjoyment in every respect – from the development of the idea to the sketching stage to the construction process. But above all when you’re riding it. It’s an absolute riding machine – just like the R 90 S was in its time.” Unlike other custom bikes, the BMW Concept Ninety can be – indeed begs to be – ridden. The motorcycle and all its components have been designed with top performance in mind.

Some photos and video from another great fun event by M Owners Club Indonesia (MOCI) last month, attended by 200+ cars, including other local car clubs and exotics. Started out with drag race, followed by laps around the track.

This is one extreme 1 Series Coupe (E82) build! It has received a heart transplant and is now powered by a turbocharged S54 motor, good for approximately 800 WRHP! Here are the full build specs so far:

Chassis:

- 2012 make factory new bodyshell
- Glassfiber bodykit and doors
- Carbonfiber hood, roof, trunk, inner fenders and dash

Suspension/subframe:

-E92 front and rear subframe incl diff and electric steering
-Custom K-sport E92 M3 spec coilovers
-K-sport 356mm front and 330mm rear brakes
-Custom exhaust with twin pipes
-noname wheels

Interior

-Sparco bucket seats and 6 point harness
-E30 carbondash
-Dashllogger
-Pedalbox
-Hydraulic handbrake

Engine:

-S54B32 fully forged block internals , CP pistons, H rods, ARPs ++
-Stock cylinder head w/blocked and removed VANOS
-PPF S38 turbo tubular manifold with S54 flange
-Homemade aluminium 5mm plenum
-Turboservice T4 SX1000 turbo
-Megasquirt EMS
-Tilton 3 disc clutch
-6 speed E46 M3 transmission

Here is the official pricing guide for the 2014 3 Series Sedan (F30) [download PDF below]. The pricing listed in the guide is effective May 20, 2013. Here are the 2014 price increases:

- 328i increases $600
- 328i xdrive increases $600
- 335i increases $400
- 335i xDrive increases $400

Newly available for the 2014 model year is the 328d sedan [official details], priced starting at $40,600.

Also of note is that the Modern Line has been eliminated.

Production of the 2014 3 Series models will begin in July.

Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar takes the Alpina B6 and the Nissan GT-R for a track (Brands Hatch) and open roads comparison.

Here’s a rare look at the BMW M3 Carbon Edition. It’s a rare sighting because 1) it was only sold in China and 2) only 111 units were sold in total.

The M3 Carbon Edition limited run model cost 1.23 million yuan (approximately $189,000 USD), went on sale in July of 2011. It joined the M3 Matte Edition and M3 Tiger Edition as Chinese-market only M3 editions. Its exterior featured carbon fiber roof, BMW Performance front lip splitters, trunk spoiler, hood inlet surrounds, mineral white paint, black racing stripes and Carbon Edition logo on the doors and door sills, as well as gloss black 19″ Style 220 M3 wheels.

The interior featured genuine carbon fiber dashboard trim, each embossed with a “Carbon Edition One of 111″ logo, white leather on doors and center console, as well as a white stripe and white stitching for the seats. The headrests also feature a carbon fiber patterned material.

There are no performance upgrades (unless you count the carbon fiber) to go along the cosmetic enhancements. Powering the M3 Carbon Edition is the standard 4.0L V8, matched to the DCT transmission.

Black and Yellow - A nighttime photo shoot in Esquire’s Dakar Yellow E92 M3 coupe.

Nearly a month ago, we spotted the first non-black F82 M4 coupe prototype (in Silverstone) on the road (reposted below). We’ve just spied a Silverstone F82 M4 testing on the Nurburgring, wearing M Carbon Ceramic Brakes. This prototype doesn’t reveal any new physical details, but we do have a new technical detail to share.

We were recently told by a high-ranking BMW M official intimately familiar with M3/M4 development that the engine powering the M3/M4 will feature a nearly 8000 RPM redline. As we’ve reported all along, the M3/M4’s S55 engine will be an inline 6 cylinder with mutiple turbos, outputting around 100 lb-ft more torque and approximately same horsepowers as the current M3 (S65) engine. For comparison, the current M3 engine redlines at 8400 RPM.

The latest M3/ M4 details (updated) we have are:

Lighter than current M3
targeting E46 M3 weight (source)
More powerful than current M3
approximately same HP (confirmation?), but around 100 lb-ft more torque (in range of 395 lb-ft) (source)
Faster than current M3
More efficient than current M3
Powered by “S55″ inline 6 cylinder multi turbo engine (source, source)
Nearly 8k RPM redline (told to us by someone intimately involved in BMW M3/M4 development)
DCT and manual transmission options
Optional M Carbon Ceramic Brakes
Rumored Electric Power Steering (completely reworked for precision for M3/M4)
Prototype Tires (from prototype) - Michelin Pilot Super Sport: 255/35/19 (front), 275/35/19 (rear)
Front styling to feature elements from the M6 and 1M coupe, with Air Curtain technology
Hood features power bump / dome
Kidney grilles feature double-slats with M3/M4 badge
F82 M4 coupe to feature double-bubble sculpted carbon fiber roof (like M6 Coupe), with optional sunroof
M3 Introduced late 2013 - early 2014 (concept debuts earlier)
M3 European Delivery begins June 2014, at earliest
M4 hits dealers no earlier than 2014

Follow our M4 coverage at: http://www.bimmerpost.com/m4/