Here’s the first great look at an alpine white 1M coupe next to a mineral white M3 coupe. Both are beautiful in their own way, with the 1M coupe taking on a boxier, more overtly aggressive look, while the M3’s lines and bulges are sleeker and more discrete. One thing we’re sure of - the owners of each love their car!

The results are in from BMW Motorrad’s feature showdown pitting Nico Bastian in the BMW M3 and Rico Penzkofer on the BMW S 1000 RR Superbike, on a track to see which/who is faster. The two are placed on a track to see whether car or bike catches the other first. Results inside…

Hopefully right now, most of you are asking yourselves, “What is the Brilliance A3?” This is a good thing.

Just to fill in the gaps, Brilliance is one of the larger Chinese automanufacturers. Brilliance produces a panoply of its own branded vehicles but is also partnered with BMW on a few projects. For one, Brilliance is in a long term agreement with BMW to produce high volume 3 and 5-series sedans for the Chinese local market using Brilliance production facilites. In addition to producing standard series 3 and 5 series sedans, they are also in bed with BMW on more future looking projects such as a 5-Series plug-in electric hybrid vehicle.

This is the stuff that solid long term relationships are built on. Or so one would … CONTINUED

With the release of the Fiat 500C to the US market this past weekend at the New York International Autoshow, it seems FIAT wants to enter into MINIs marketshare in the USA.

As you may or may not know, FIAT is starting its push into the US, bringing its highly acclaimed 500 to the states first, through select Chrysler group dealerships. Although the 500 is new to the USA, its not new in other parts of the world, the car debuted in 2007.

The Fiat 500 is a small car with retrocar styling harking back to the glory days of the brand, similar to the MINI. The major difference being that it is an Italian car with its own Italian style, and the car is significantly less expensive. … CONTINUED

Autobild has just published a comparison test between the 1M and the Porsche Cayman R. We’re happy to share that the 1M won this comparison (besting the Cayman R by 1 point). The 1M coupe performs only slightly worse than the Cayman R, yet it offers better overall comfort and low-end power. All this for roughly EUR 25k less! More inside…

BMW Motorrad has posted a teaser clip of an upcoming showdown feature pitting Nico Bastian in the BMW M3 and Rico Penzkofer on the BMW S 1000 RR Superbike, on a track to see which/who is faster. The feature video and results will be posted on May 2nd and we can’t wait to see which of BMWs current best-of-crop track carvers will come out on top.

Here it is, C&D’s shootout of the 1M, TT-RS, G37 IPL, in their video review. Watch live footage and commentary as the BMW 1M Coupe takes the victory.

BMW’s new 6-series convertible (F12) just hit the streets which means review comparison time. In their latest issue AMS pits the BMW 650i Convertible against two of its natural enemies - the Jaguar JK Convertible and the Maserati Gran Coupe. We’re happy to share that the F12 650i was able to finish this comparison on 1st place with 498 Points in total. Per AMS, “anything but a victory would have been a suprise. The new 6er Cabrio wins almost every category and shines both in comfort and driving dynamics. It doesn’t evoke strong emotions, but nevertheless does everything extremely well.

Second place and 454 points for the Jaguar JK Convertible. The AMS verdict: “Comparatively low costs, ride comfort, and the excellent V8 are the strongest points … CONTINUED

Fifth Gear’s Vicki Henderson takes the 535d M-sport against the Jaguar XF Diesel S onto the track for a hotlap showdown at the Assen circuit. Both cars are powered by 6 cylinder turbo diesel engines.

The 535d motor is good for 300hp and 440 pound-feet of torque, which covers 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds while achieving 46.3mpg. The Jaguar XF Diesel S has 275hp under the hood with its 3.0L AJV6D Generation III diesel turbo with 0-60 in 5.9 seconds and an MPG of 42mpg. Winner? Results inside.