A rare thing happened today at the Geneva auto show. We actually managed to be surprised by the debut of a new model that had not been first teased or previewed online by its manufacturer; a rare thing these days where manufacturers typically tease, preview or reveal new models online prior to its real life debut.

Kudos to Alpina for bucking the trend and keeping a tight lid on the debut of the Alpina XD3 Bi-Turbo! On to the details:

DRIVE

The drivetrain of the XD3 Bi-Turbo utilises the excellent attributes of the BMW full aluminium 3 litre straight six cylinder engine with modern common-rail direct injection and two turbochargers with variable turbine geometry.

With the aim of further maximising the potential of this engine and using the … CONTINUED

Hartge releases its software ECU piggyback tune for the BMW 6-cylinder turbo N55 engine. It yields impressive power gains of +56 horsepowers and +59 ft-lb torque! The tune can be applied to the F30 335i, F10 535i and F25 X3 xDrive35i.

The Hartge ‘Engine Conversion’ is a bespoke tuning module that plugs in ahead of the engine computer on the wiring harness. It has factory-style plugs to connect in-line with the water temp sensor, fuel rail pressure, turbo boost pressure sensors, turbo wastegate valve, intake camshaft sensor, 12V power and ground. The module then sends a modified signal to the engine computer allowing it to increase boost by varying amounts depending on load, engine speed, and other factors.

All of the factory safeguards remain … CONTINUED

Hartge has officially released its software ECU piggyback tune for the BMW 4-cylinder turbo N20 engine. It yields impressive power gains of +45 horsepowers and +45 ft-lb torque! The tune can be applied to the F30 328i, F10 528i, F25 X3 xDrive28i, and E89 Z4 sDrive28i. Check out a video of the tune in action inside.

The Hartge ‘Engine Conversion’ is a bespoke tuning module that plugs in ahead of the engine computer on the wiring harness. It has factory-style plugs to connect in-line with the water temp sensor, fuel rail pressure, turbo boost pressure sensors, turbo wastegate valve, intake camshaft sensor, 12V power and ground. The module then sends a modified signal to the engine computer allowing it to increase boost … CONTINUED

BMW’s new 2.0L 4 cylinder turbo engine (the “N20″) may be down on cylinders and displacement compared to the inline 6 cylinder (N52) that it replaces across BMW’s model range, but even in factory form, it matches the outgoing N52’s horsepowers and features an extra 30 lb-ft of torque (in the X1 xDrive28i, X3 xDrive28i, F20 128i, 528i, Z4 sDrive28i, and upcoming F30 328i).

And what the N20 loses in smoothness and top-end pull compared to the outgoing N52, it now looks like it will easily make up for in tuneability. Kelleners Sport has released the specs of its N20 tune and the figures are impressive! These are power gains that the naturally aspirated N52 could never achieve.

The Kelleners N20 tune achieves 294 hp and … CONTINUED

AC Schnitzer has taken the wraps off of its BMW X3 customization program, featuring both cosmetic and performance enhancements.

The X3 xDrive20d has been bumped from its standard 184hp to 218hp. A power upgrade for the xDrive30d, 28i, and 35i are also in the works and will be released later this year.

As for cosmetic enhancements, the AC Schnitzer X3 kit features front lip spoiler with integrated splitters, chrome trim for the side skirts, a rear diffuser bumper, rear roof spoiler and exhaust tail pipes.

In case you missed it, the BMW Performance Parts Manager recent revealed that the BMW Performance Power Kit will soon be coming in two stages, for both the N54 and N55 motors. Stage 1 PPK will be software upgrade only and Stage 2 PPK will be software and hardware upgrades.

Well folks, we’re all done here at the 2011 Geneva auto show and hope you enjoyed the coverage as much as we enjoyed sharing it with our community. Geneva is always an exciting show because of all shows, it’s arguably the largest in the world and always features an unrivaled number of exotics and tuning companies on display. Geneva is also traditionally one of the most important shows for BMW due to its proximity to BMW’s home market and prominence among the auto show circuit events.

This year again featured several debuts of BMW models, packages, and technologies, as well as plenty of aftermarket tuner models. As a show wrap-up, we’ve summarized our coverage below, enjoy!

Alpina GB have announced the release of 20" Wheels for the new X3…

The introduction of the 2nd edition of the BMW X3 is more than just an update of an “old” model, because the new X3 has clearly more to offer than its predecessor. In fact it’s really in a class of its own. Everything is new, better, bigger and more beautiful.

We’re delighted to welcome the latest addition to the BMW family, and - punctually for the official launch - we can already offer a wealth of AC Schnitzer wheel and tyre combinations and some further accessories.

Even the dimensions of the BMW X3 have grown perceptibly. As BMW put it: “Pleasure finds its form”, both outside and in the interior. But if you’re concerned that the larger vehicle dimensions have been obtained at the cost of looks and … CONTINUED