The rumormill and speculation for the second generation X6 has begun cranking. Autocar starts us off with many morsels of preliminary details/rumors. Here is a summary list of the details:

Introduction within next 18 months
Will feature even more aggressive styling than current model
Styling and look will move even further away from X5, for more individual look
Length to increase approximately 1.3 in / 33 mm (for extra interior room)
Longer wheelbase and wider track
Weight savings expected from:
Composite steel structure platform, which uses a higher percentage of hot-formed high-strength alloys
… CONTINUED

The ///M Owners Club of Indonesia held their annual BMW fest event recently and have shared these photos of a great assortment of M cars spanning many generations, models, colors, and customizations.

Check out the full gallery inside.

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) star Randy Couture’s manager narrowly escaped a mysterious explosion of his BMW X6 M.

The reason behind the explosion has yet to be determined, but as Courture’s manager Sam Spira tells the story, he was driving to a friend’s house several days ago when “without any warning, my BMW X6M burst into flames, exploded and was completely totaled.”

He described the event as “a very loud bang while going about 10 miles an hour — there was a speed bump that I slowed down for — followed by an immediate giant engine malfunction light and flames coming out from the front and under the car.” Seconds later, the car exploded and was engulfed in flames.

To make matters even more harrowing, his daughter was … CONTINUED

BMW Manufacturing Co. announced today that the National Association of Foreign Trade Zones (NAFTZ) recognized the company as its Exporter of the Year. In addition, the NAFTZ recognized BMW as the recipient of its Export Achievement Award for being the member that showed the most improvement in value.

BMW’s plant in South Carolina has steadily increased its export activity. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, based on the 2011 value of BMW exports from South Carolina, the company’s Spartanburg facility is the largest automotive exporter from the U.S.

BMW’s plant in Spartanburg currently produces over 1,000 vehicles each day and is the exclusive exporter of X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and the X6 Sports Activity Coupe through the Port of Charleston. This year, the … CONTINUED

Here is a report from the 2012 BMW M6 M Power Experience at the Yas Marina Formula 1 race circuit in Abu Dhabi, courtesy of BIMMERPOST member willaw.

This year’s M Power Experience event took place in Abu Dhabi, where the program was principally held at the Yas Marina Formula 1 race track. Last year’s M Power Experience in Spain focused on the F10 M5, and this year’s Abu Dhabi event will featured the new M6 coupe and M6 convertible. There were also excursions into the desert to test BMW M SAV vehicles.

Check out the report, photos, and videos inside.

The annual UK National BMW Festival was recently held at the Heritage Motor Centre in the UK. This year’s event celebrated the 40 years of BMW Motorsport and the 60th anniversary of the BMW Car Club of GB.

Check out the massive set of photos inside.

The BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe, Z4 Roadster, 1 Series Coupe were ranked highest of their respective segments in the 2012 Total Quality Index™ (TQI) study conducted by Strategic Vision. Total Quality measures how closely the experience of quality matches the explicit desires of the customer.

“Delivering vehicles of the highest quality that delight our customers has always been a top priority at BMW,” said Ludwig Willisch – President and CEO of BMW of North America. “The diversity of models scoring top honors in the TQI study demonstrates that commitment across the model range.”

The BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe was ranked highest in the Luxury Utility segment. Top industry scores are provided by owners regarding Image, Thoughtfulness, Workmanship, and Style.

The BMW Z4 Roadster set the benchmark in … CONTINUED

These videos may be in German, but you don’t need to understand the words to appreciate what you see in the video from the X6 M, tuned by PP Performance.

The tuned X6 M first hits the dyno at PP Performance’s factory. It then hits the quarter mile track and takes on a Mercedes SL65 AMG BLack Series where it shows what a monster its S63 engine is and can be.