Turn Up Your Speakers and Enjoy!

I can't think of many things that sound better than this. Maybe the sound of a bag full of money landing in my lap, but it would be close . . .

For All You E30 Rally Fans

I love rally videos. I could watch them for hours on end. I think this is partially because the cars look more like street cars than vehicles from other racing series and partially because they are racing on public roads. But the biggest allure for me is the incredible car control that professional rally driver’s are able to display. I can vividly remember the first time I saw Colin McRae negotiate an uphill hairpin turn in his Subaru Impreza, quite an amazing feat.

This weekend a friend of mine sent me a great rally video featuring one of the coolest sport sedans in recent history, the E30 M3. Even if you don’t like BMW’s you have to admit the E30 is an awesome ride. The rear drive sedan has powerful naturally aspirated (in stock spec) four cylinder engine, aggressive but not overdone fender flares, and unlike the modern M3 is still small enough to be easily tossed about on a rally course. I really enjoyed this clip of Patrick Snijers hammering away in the BMW and hope you guys like it as well.

Stay tuned for some group B rally action later this week.

-Bill Mertz

New BMW M3 Videos: More than 6 min of sheer V8 pleasure for your eyes and ears

A couple of days ago we posted up the 25 sec long teaser video of BMW's 2008 E92 M3. Well, just forget about it. Here’s the real kinky stuff; all 6 min and 16 seconds of it to be exact. At first, we thought we’d mix the driving videos & still shots of the 2008 M3 into one clip adding some music to it. However, once we heard the screaming V8 letting out all 420Hp we rapidly changed our minds and let the engine sing for itself. As for the interior & exterior shots, check them out below accompanied by the sounds of Led Zeppelin.

BMW M3 EXTERIOR & INTERIOR SHOTS

BMW 335i blazed 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. Almost beat RS4

Edmund.com recently tested the new 2007 BMW 335i. Surprising fact was reveled when the performance numbers were released. They discovered that the stock 335i almost beat the all-powerful 2007 Audi RS4, despite a 120-horsepower advantage and all-wheel-drive launch superiority. RS 4 just nicked 335i's 0-60 and quarter-mile times by a paltry 0.1 second each. Which is very impressive considering the fact that Audi rocket sedan costs $66,000 or about twenty five thousand ($25200) dollars more then 335i.

Test car blazed from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds. Similarly it scalded the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 105.9 mph. For comparison, the 2005 M3 Competition Package used up 5.5 seconds getting to 60 and finished the quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds at 105.4 mph.

One can only imagine the performance of the new M3, which is the performance focused variant of 3 series platform.

More details of review on http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=117669

New BMW Commercial for M3

BMW appears to have let fly with the first spot for its M3 coupe. The thematics run along the lines of "the M3 makes every road a racetrack." It's as obvious a sentiment as they come, but the spot's simple CGI conveys it effectively. We'll score it three Valvetronic V8s out of five. – Mike Spinelli

The Making of a BMW E46

Wild BMW Racing Game

Here’s a powerful bit of interactive marketing for BMW called PACE: Pursuit Across Europe. Set in actual, but monochromatic, highly stylized environments, the game has an almost illustrated look. Gameplay is a little limited, but its aesthetic feel and cut sequences grab you. It’s an extremely effective advertising vehicle.

Play the Game>>>

Over the Back Fence: A New BMW 8-Series?

Is BMW joining the coupeish sedan game? That's the word from AutogesundheitZeitung, in a sense. Word is BMW is working on a Mercedes CLS / Aston Martin Rapide / Audi A7 fighter that will fill the void of a proper full-sized flagship with sporting intentions. The idea would be to leave the 7-Series as a luxo barge and add a performance-oriented, slope-roof model that would likely get the M-Power treatment. No word on timeline, or whether or not it would wear the 8-Class badging. – Mike Spinelli

Another Performance Flagship on the BMW Roster

The German automaker, BMW, has recently announced that it will uncover its curtains off a new high-end sportscar concept in Shanghai. Some auto analysts have claimed that the aforementioned sports car could reach production which will be dubbed as the Z9. Do not get confused about the previous Z9 which BMW used on a gull-winged concept at the 1999 Frankfurt Auto Show with a convertible version making the show circuit in 2000.

The sportscar gives off a singular look with the Z4, making it its big brother. It’s a canvas-topped two-seater with a long nozzle and a rear-wheel drive. European publications sources have reported that BMW still haven’t decided to whether equip the vehicle with a 5.0-liter V10 from the M5/M6 or a new 6.3-liter V12 driving a seven-speed sequential gearbox.

Yes, the Z9 is supposed to replace the failed retro-look of the Z8. BMW’s last limited-edition performance roadster, the Z8 sold fewer than 6,000 units between the 2000 and 2003. The company’s sales target for the Z9 is 15,000 units a year. We could all assume that the BMW studio is being asked to come with a more aggressive style than the hapless and plain Z8.

Also, the Z9 is BMW’s latest entry into the supercar market segment. The car’s BMW parts will be built primarily of carbon-fiber and aluminum superframe chassis on which the combination yields a power-to-weight ratio of 458 hp per ton beating the heck out of Porsche Carrera GT and the Ferrari F430. BMW focuses on pitting the two-seater against the Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz SL particularly.

Open-topped, the carbon-fiber folding roof allows keeping weight and the center of gravity down. It will include tech-heavy innovations together with active spoilers and a venturi underbody to suck onto the tarmac.

We’ll just wait and see for the production model to come out. In the meantime, log onto BMW’s official site for more details.

BMW creates 2007 Limited Edition Individual M6 Convertible and ultimate driving expirience for 2006 Neiman Marcus

Christmas is coming early this year, as BMW and Neiman Marcus partner to create the ultimate driving fantasy. BMW is offering, exclusively through the legendary Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, the 2007 Limited Edition Individual M6 Convertible.

The luxury convertible comes with a custom Ruby Black exterior finish accented with an interior with Piano Black trim elements, power sports seats wrapped in our custom Gold Brown shade of supple BMW Individual Merino leather, and M-radial spoke alloy wheel. The car also comes fully equipped with an incredible 11-speaker Surround Sound stereo and six-disc CD changer. Only 50 of these custom-made automobiles, including the once-in-a-lifetime driving experience, will be available for purchase in this year's Christmas Book for $139,000.

As if the car itself wasn't enough, BMW is offering these fortunate fifty Neiman Marcus customers the pinnacle of the "ultimate driving experience." Each gift opportunity features an exclusive European adventure in which the purchaser takes delivery of their new M6 Convertible directly from the factory and drives on to tour the Bavarian countryside. And for the serious BMW-enthusiast, each customer will have the opportunity to meet with the automaker's famous car designers, and be given a private tour of the BMW factory in Munich. Also included in the package are two round-trip business class tickets on Lufthansa® to Munich, Germany, gourmet meals, and luxurious accommodations for four nights. Upon completion of the trip, their new vehicle will be shipped back to the States for immediate delivery. The trip is scheduled for Spring 2007.

Bold and uncompromising, the BMW Individual M6 Convertible stands alone. The unmistakable roar of its 5.0-liter, V-10 engine delivering 500 horsepower at your command and the precision handling, M Variable Differential Lock, and Electronic Damping Control make every trip extraordinary. Its on-board computer, GPS navigation, and Voice Command System merge driver and auto into one intelligent entity. At the heart of this incredible machine is a Formula 1 inspired, V-10 engine with 10 individual throttle butterflies capable of revving up to 8,250 rpm thanks to its sophisticated design and knock control systems. Coupled to a seven-speed Sequential Manual Transmission with Drivelogic®, it can launch you from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 exhilarating seconds.

A photo and description of the Limited Edition M6 Convertible appears on page 97 of the 2006 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. The opportunity to learn more and order this magnificent machine and experience begins at 12 noon EDT on Wednesday, October 18th when you call 1-866-303-2696. Interested buyers are encouraged to program their speed dial now. After all, who wouldn't want to be first in line for this year's hottest Christmas gift?

Official Production M3 Pictures Released!

It's still more than a year until the next-gen BMW M3 will go on sale as a 2009 model. But AutoWeek's profiling the latest in M-Power. We're still buzzing from the sharp kack! of the M3 Concept's high-revving, 4.0-liter V8, as the prototype was rolled into the Geneva show's kleig lights. Now, AW consolidates the details of BMW's new V10 on the half-shell. It produces 420 hp and a relatively light 295 lb-ft of torque at 3900 rpm. Redline is 8400 rpm, which can be goosed by a six-speed manual. Is it all just overkill, or will the M3 be a fitting downline to BMW's touring-car racers? We'll know next year. – Mike Spinelli

2008 BMW 335i Convertible

The 2008 BMW 335i convertible comes equipped with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that produces 300hp @ 5800rpm and 300 lb-ft torque @ 1400-1500rpm, rocketing it to 60mph in just 5.5-seconds. Continue reading for a video.

Stowed or raised in approximately 22 seconds, the new roof has been introduced, not only for added security, but also for better visibility and a greater feeling of space and light for occupants. Because the roof features a larger rear glass windscreen and side windows, visibility has improved by 38 per cent compared to the outgoing 3 Series Convertible.

Inside M-Division HQ

BMW has opened a new cutting-edge M-Division engine test facility, where the engines of many future Motorsport BMWs will be developed, and last week it gave Autocar the full guided tour.

The company says that the new facility will enable it to dramatically reduce development costs and the time it takes to bring an engine to market. This should allow the company to expand the number of M-Division models it offers, and to bring them to market more quickly, and more cheaply.

The new engine test building is revealed in Autocar's exclusive photographs of the site (see gallery). It covers the same area as a football pitch (around 10,000 square metres) and is mounted on a 60cm-thick concrete
base. It took just 286 days to build, from starting construction to the first test bed being run.

Aside from three engine test beds, the facility hand-builds pilot-production engines and is also involved in
writing the immensely complex engine management programmes that run the engines.

The test facility that runs on unleaded

BMW's brand new engine test beds can handle up to 738bhp, 516 lb ft of torque, and 12,000rpm. Being able to use the engine's full production exhaust system on them is also a big step forward, the company says.

One of the test rigs is configured to take drive from the prototype engine – via a rear differential – and use it to power a pair of electrical generators. This allows power created when test-running an engine to be fed back into the power supply for the building.

The facility can be run 24 hours a day (or up to 5000 hours per year) and BMW engineers say that while a conventional on-road engine test programme might take six to eight weeks, the same cycle can be completed in just nine days on the test bed.

BMW claims cost savings of 75 per cent over the testing phase of a three-year engine development project because the need for expensive prototype vehicles is much reduced.