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Thankfully, BMW has confirmed that its upcoming M3 sedan and M4 coupe will be available with a manual transmission. As reported by BMW Blog and Carscoops, BMW M Chief Executive Markus Flasch announced the news when he was asked in an interview whether or not there will be any surprises for BMW fans with the new M3 and M4. It’s a bit early to disclose all the details but something I want to highlight is that we will have a manual stick shift,” he said. “We have already disclosed we will have the option of four-wheel drive. We’ve not decided which variant, which system, but everything that’s on our current lineup; think of the M5; can be made available. The M3 and M4, I’ve driven the pre-production cars already and they’re fantastic.” Flaschadded on, “Manual is very important. The manual stick shift is not a performance-bringer, because an automatic transmission is just faster, you can ask any race driver,” he said. “But it gives the vehicle character and I kind of compare it to people who love mechanical watches; it isn’t more precise and it doesn’t have any advantage at all but it’s a character feature. So is a stick shift.” There is no confirmation on whether the M3/4's all-wheel drive system will have a rear-wheel drive mode like the M5, but we would be surprised if it didn't.

Not sure if anyone post before. Malaysia BOLEH... http://www.------.com/news/9802/proton-just-as-good-as-bmw-putrajaya-says

With the new 1 Series now being built atop a front-wheel drive platform, does it still deliver that sheer driving pleasure internet purists are so keen on? Hot on the tail of the Mercedes-AMG A35, the M135i now has a transversely mounted 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder lump up front, putting down 297bhp and 450Nm of torque through BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system. That's also 43bhp and 50Nm less than the last outgoing M140i, but it doesn't feel any less quick or responsive than before. In fact, in most areas, it feels quicker with more usable power. Despite being a front- based all-wheel drive system, the M135i dives into corners with a high level of precision. No amount of silly heavy-footedness can trick it either. The M135i just offers more grip instead, thanks to the car's torsen front axle lock system that pulls you into the corner. It also communicates well in any damping mode, without crashing and diving at the slightest hint of throttle or steering corrections. We found the Aisin-derived eight-speed automatic tends to be dramatic with heavier, more aggressive shifting in Sport - perhaps engineered for more drama. Unlike true blue M cars, you can't change how burly you want the shifts to be, and perhaps a little less of that would be good. Check out our full review here! Here is more eye-candy of the 1 Series in various specifications courtesy of BMW. Your car's actual specifications may vary. Share with us what you think in the comments below!

It seems like BMW has quietly revised its Z4 M40i's 0-100km/h timing after Toyota claimed its GR Supra could achieve the same sprint in 4.1 seconds. According to Carscoops, BMW, being conservative as usual with the acceleration numbers, underrated how fast its M40i's is when they quoted the car's century timing at 4.4 seconds. This is despite the Z4 having 382bhp versus the GR Supra's 335bhp. Without wanting to go through the trouble of explaining why they were so conservative with their figures, BMW 'updated' the Z4 M40i's 0-100km/h timing to 3.9 seconds, beating the lesser-powered Japanese sister car by 0.2 seconds. At the same time, BMW also realised the vehicle’s curb weight(1,561kg) vs the GR Supra's 1,540kg. Even though the BMW is heavier by 21kg, its additional 47bhp should be more than enough to allow it to beat the GR Supra as BMW claimed.

Who says performance cars need to come with a sporty ride? Last week we tested the BMW Alpina B5 to see if Alpina's take on the performance saloon is a viable alternative to the BMW M5. So what sets this Alpina apart? Firstly, the interior has received a host of luxurious touches to set it apart from the regular 5 Series: The digital dashboard in the B5 has its own Alpina-specific design and colour scheme, for example, while the handcrafted Alpina steering wheel is made of Lavalina leather (the same leather used in Rolls-Royce cars), and features blue/green stitching. But what truly sets this car apart from the rest of the performance saloon pack is what is underneath you: With a suspension designed to deliver comfort and refinement in spades, the Alpina is not just comfortable, but sublimely comfortable. Adding to the comfortable cruise is the fact that the B5 is joyously easy-going to drive, with the lightest of pressure on the accelerator sending the car wafting rapidly down the road. With the abundance of humps and rumble strips on our local roads, would Alpina's take on the performance saloon, with its effortless and classy character, be a better suit for your everyday commute? Read our full review here!

The Toyota Supra and BMW M2 Competition might be fighting it out in different market segments but they actually are quite similar on paper. Both are rear wheel driven and they are both powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six that will allow them to sprint to hundred kilometres per hour in almost the same time (4.2 vs 4.3 seconds). So on a drag strip which one would be a faster car? Shot by Cars.co.za, one might think that the 404bhp M2 Competition will win with its additional power and torque but the 335bhp Supra is actually the lighter car, allowing Supra to put down its power more efficiently. In the video, we can see that that is what happened as Supra launched better despite it having problems putting down its power. However, as the speed rises, the superior power and torque figures of the M2 Competition meant that the Supra's advantage was short-lived. In the end, the BMW won with a quarter-mile time of 13.36 seconds while the Toyota did it in 13.44 seconds.

Hi guys, would like to know your views on the two top brands of quality and reliability over the years. It can be any model whatsoever. Would like to hear owner experiences. And customer Service experiences with AD's. thank you!

BMW reckons its large twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 will not have much of a future soon as emission regulations round the world get tougher by the day. In an interview with Autoblog, BMW M Chief Executive Markus Flasch has been quoted saying that the engine, which sees action in the 760Li, will not be existing in another model in the foreseeable future. This is interesting as the flagship 602bhp 7 Series is reported to be selling well in the Middle East and China. In fact, the BMW says that it has been producing the engine as fast as it can ever since the M760Li was introduced, confirming that there is demand for such a powertrain. Meanwhile, Ferrari and Lamborghini vow to keep their V12 engines with help of hybridisation.

BMW has revealed the first official teaser image of its upcoming flagship X7 SUV, which is expected to be revealed in full later this week. The darkened picture clearly shows the X7's front end, revealing the SUV's huge kidney grille and sleek blue-tinged laser headlights. It also looks to get a set of X5-inspired lower air intakes; we'll have to wait a little longer for our first look at the X7's interior. Previously, BMW showed a selection of camouflaged images – as well as some of the car moving down the production line. The cars in those images weren't final production-ready models, but pre-production cars used by engineers to asses the X7's capabilities and fine tune the way it drives in a number of scenarios. Built at the Spartanburg plant in the United States, the mules were built to undergo vigorous testing in extreme conditions. Though not quite the finished product, these cars are still a good indicator of what to expect when the wraps come fully off the firm's full-size Range Rover rival. Every image so far has suggested the production SUV will stick pretty close to the Concept X7 iPerformance revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017. Described as a “new model concept for the luxury segment”, the Concept X7 iPerformance moves the German carmaker’s large car design on from the current 7 Series – which the production X7 will share its platform with. The concept debuts a more exaggerated version of BMW’s trademark kidney grille, pinched LED ‘laser’ headlights and a horizontal chrome-lined lower air intake. The shape of that intake is mirrored on the rear bumpers, while a single-piece light bar stretches across the tailgate with a chrome strip. Previous spy shots lead us to believe details will be toned down for production, including the elaborate door mirrors and flush-fitted handles. BMW suggests that the large glasshouse and steeply raked rear tailgate means a light and airy cabin with “huge swathes of interior space”. The concept features three rows of two seats, with the second row chairs pushed towards each other to allow passengers a better view of the windscreen. We expect the production car to also be offered in a seven-seat configuration. The cabin design adapts BMW’s current layout with more advanced materials and what’s described as “interactive LED choreography” – basically ambient lighting strips that react to the flow of communication within the car. Minimalist switchgear sees a pared-back display for the climate control, while a handful of haptic touch buttons surround the backlit crystal glass gear selector. Unsurprisingly for a concept car in 2017, connectivity is a dominating theme. A 12.3-inch instrument cluster links with the central infotainment touchscreen through a single panel, with touchscreen monitors for the rear seats that link with the front displays. Passengers can pass information to others in the cabin or transfer an address to the navigation system via any screen. The X7 concept on display is badged ‘iPerformance’, so is a plug-in hybrid using BMW’s TwinPower turbo petrol engine mated to electric motors. It’s said to offer an all-electric range for town use, but an actual distance figure hasn’t been release. BMW’s board member for sales, Ian Robertson, describes the expansion of the carmaker’s luxury class presence as “one of the most important elements of our corporate strategy”. The X7 will sit alongside the 7 Series and forthcoming 8 Series as the brand flagships, with the SUV expected to feature a broader range of petrol, diesel and hybrid variants at launch. Prices will be slotting the X7 above the Land Rover Discovery and Mercedes GLS in the market.

The BMW 8 Series has returned to the German firm’s lineup after a near 20-year absence. A two-door coupe will be the first of three body styles that will make up the range, which will grow to include a convertible as well as four-door Gran Coupe by the end of next year. Pitched as a rival for everything from a Mercedes S-Class Coupe right up to the Aston Martin DB11, the German firm believes it has created a car with a broader breadth of abilities than any of its competitors packaging luxury buyers expect of a flagship car with the performance of a sports car. And the 8 Series is not just a shortened version of the 7 Series saloon with two fewer doors, says the BMW. The coupe gets a unique chassis, suspension and powertrain setup, while tech borrowed from the firm’s GTE Le Mans racer has been sprinkled throughout the car. BMW is particularly proud of the car’s proportions, particularly the elongated bonnet, cab rearward silhouette and muscular rear haunches, while it also features a carbon fibre roof to help lower its centre of gravity. The 8 Series measures in at 4,843mm long, 1,902mm wide and 1,341mm tall. At launch the 8 Series will be available with two engines: one diesel badged 840d and one petrol badged M850i. The diesel model makes use of a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine developing 320bhp and 680Nm of torque. The M850i is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 530bhp and 700Nm of torque. BMW says it will be capable of 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph. Both variants come paired with BMW’s xDrive adaptive all-wheel drive system and an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. The M850i will be the flagship model in the range until a more potent M8 coupe arrives next year. As standard the car features active rear wheel steering, adaptive M suspension, a limited slip differential on the rear axle and a sports exhaust. The only mechanical option buyers can spec is active anti rolls bars, which are designed to improve stability and grip during cornering. The 8 Series is also the first BMW to feature the firm’s new generation of iDrive infotainment, which is accessed via a 10.25-inch display on the dash. The system still operates by the iDrive controller on the centre console, but those inside also have the option of using touch, voice or gesture control to operate the system. It also incorporates 20GB of hard drive storage, Bluetooth and WiFi. Given the 8 Series sits at the very top of BMW’s model portfolio it comes as standard with a wealth of equipment such as a full leather interior, LED headlamps, a Bowers & Wilkins stereo, 19-inch alloy wheels and adaptive cruise control. Due to arrive 2019, the M8 will make use of a version of the 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo engine from the latest M5 saloon, but tuned to deliver upwards of 625bhp. Combined with selectable xDrive four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the M8 will be able to cover 0-62mph in less than 3.3 seconds. The M5 Competition is currently the fastest model in BMW’s lineup. However, the full M treatment won’t only be reserved for the two-door coupe; BMW plans to create M versions of the Convertible and four-door Gran Coupe to broaden the model’s appeal.

World premiere on 23 August 2018 at Pebble Beach, California. The most intense form of new dynamic roadster performance is embodied by the BMW Z4 M40i. A new, extremely powerful in-line 6-cylinder engine, a lowered sports suspension with electronically controlled dampers, a newly developed front axle, M light alloy wheels with mixed tyres, an M sports brake system and an electronically controlled lock in the rear axle differential create an overall package that sees the BMW M Performance model setting a whole new benchmark for driving pleasure in the roadster segment. "The vehicle concept of the new BMW Z4 is geared consistently towards agility and driving dynamics," explains Jos van As, Head of Application Suspension. "The high level of body stiffness and the very rigid suspension attachment provide the perfect basis for a set-up that guarantees the performance qualities of a genuine sports car in terms of steering precision as well as longitudinal and transverse acceleration." The new generation will particularly introduce effective enhancements in terms of agile handling, spontaneity and precision when changing direction and accelerating in dynamic style out of bends – without losing out in the comfort disciplines. Key Specifications (Z40i) Engine: 3.0-litre straight six, twin-turbo, petrol Horsepower: 340bhp Torque: 500Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic 0-100kph: 4.5 sec (est.) Top speed: 250kph (electronically limited) ​Other engine options: Z20i (195bhp) and Z30i (255bhp)

Porsche says its Taycan can do 30 consecutive launches with no issues Here are some more updates for fans of the BMW M3. BMW M boss Markus Flasch has confirmed that the car will have the same new S58 engine that the German company is using in its X3 M and X4 M. According to Car Magazine, this would mean that the sports sedan would have 473bhp in the standard model and 503 hp in the Competition variant thanks to a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine. Compared to its most obvious rival, the Mercedes-AMG C63 and the C63 S variant, they both have similar power figures with the C63 pushing out 469bhp while the S variant outputs 503bhp. That said, the M3's torque figures still aren't a match as the C63 S variant has an impressive 700Nm while the M3 Competition variant 'makes do' with 599Nm. Other than the all-wheel drive drivetrain that has been mentioned some time back, Flasch also mentioned that they "will also do rear-wheel drive cars, purer [editions] ones and have a manual stick shift.”

The updated BMW 7 Series gets a bold new look, plus new hybrid and engine options The BMW 7 Series has been given a substantial redesign, with new engines, a new plug-in hybrid option and updated tech forming part of an extensive facelift. The new face is clearly inspired by the X7 SUV, and aims to link the two 7-badged luxury models and distance the 7 Series from the 5 Series. With China and US sales the limo’s bread and butter, the revamp has been created with these countries in mind. Clearly, the new chrome kidney grille is much larger, and raises the bonnet edge 50mm higher than before. The redesigned headlights are far slimmer than on the pre-facelift model and amplify the size of the grille. Adaptive LED units are standard, with BMW’s Laserlight set-up remaining an option. The front bumper has a more streamlined shape. New air curtain panels on each edge of the front apron cut turbulence around the front wheelarches, while new chrome detailing has also been applied. The side vents exiting behind the front wheelarches have been revised, and there’s a new rear apron and revised tail-lights, now linked by a full-width LED strip across the bootlid. Inside, the layout does not change, but the materials used and offered do, along with some of the tech. A 10.25-inch central screen running BMW iDrive 7.0 is now supported by a fully-digital 12.3-inch instrument panel. New wood trim options also appear. Cars with the M Sport package and the V12 M760Li xDrive model get sportier touches inside, too. That car still spearheads the engine line-up, with its 6.6-litre V12 capable of 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. BMW says the 4.4-litre turbo V8 in the 750i-badged cars has been thoroughly reworked, with power shooting up by 79bhp, to 523bhp overall. The plug-in 7 Series is now badged 745e and has ditched the 4-cylinder petrol unit for a turbocharged in-line six-cylinder petrol engine. It’s teamed with a higher-voltage battery and electric motor to create a more powerful hybrid system with up to 389bhp.

It seems like the new BMW 8 Series GranCoupe is almost ready for its debut as spy photographers spot an almost undisguised example on a trailer. As the replacement for the old 6 Series GranCoupe, the new GranCoupe is a looker in our eyes. In fact, we might go as far as saying this is the best-looking four door BMW has produced in recent years. As reported by Carscoops, the interior will likely the be same as the 8 Series Coupe and Convertible and feature the unique crystal gear selector and the latest Live Cockpit system. The car will also likely use the same engines found in the rest of the 8-Series models. We might see the 840i and M850i that produces 335bhp and 523bhp respectively. The M8 GranCoupe will follow naturally after that with more than 600bhp and it is said that BMW’s new Setup option will also allow the driver to alter the amount of pressure on the brake pedal required to slow the car.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/4series/gran_coupe/2014/showroom/index.html Anyone knows when this 4 series 4 door coupe is coming? Looks good. Pictures..

This is your first look at the 2019 BMW Z4 Roadster, unveiled to the public at the Pebble Beach show a year after we saw the concept at the same event. Unlike the previous Z4, this one will only be available as a soft top, with no retracting hardtop version in the pipeline. It shares a platform with the forthcoming Toyota Supra coupe, so to retain both cars’ market share the two body styles will remain separate. But with that said, BMW is still promising a far more entertaining car for drivers than the previous version. Andreas Ederer, product manager, joined us to walk around the car: ‘We didn’t have to make any compromises. This is the difference compared to the predecessor, there were more compromises in terms of sportiness and in this case it’s totally different. It’s pure sportiness.’ The new BMW Z4 appears startlingly close to the concept. The double-stacked LED headlights and new mesh grille design remain from the concept car, and there’s a radar for the rudimentary driver-assistance systems hidden behind a cowl on the left-hand side to keep it hidden from view. We’re told this is in keeping with BMW’s philosophy that the Z4 is a drivers’ car, so any assistance should be kept under the radar. At the rear, the L-shaped light clusters have a fluid shape to them, much like the i8 and yet also harking back to the Z8 and other BMW’s of yore. They’re less fussy than the original concept’s, though. A darkened brake light sits under the rear ‘ducktail’ spoiler, while reversing lamps and foglamps sit just above the rear diffuser. As on the previous Z4, the long bonnet is a clamshell that lifts to reveal an engine sat around two thirds of the way behind the front axle. Its side profile features fewer lines than we’re used to from BMW, and more use of twisting surfaces to create shadow. The windowline of the car is high relative to the driving position, which has the effect of making the driver feel very low down towards the tarmac. The wheels you can see here are 19-inch items, which will be standard on the M40i, shod in Michelin rubber and sat in front of M Performance brakes. The roof folds open and closed in 10 seconds at speeds up to 31mph, but why fabric rather than a folding metal hard top? Andreas Ederer explains: ‘it’s lighter, it lowers the centre of gravity and it enables us to have the full trunk volume whether the car is open or closed. The soft top technology in terms of acoustic comfort is even better than the retractable hardtop we had on our predecessor, so therefore there is no reason whatsoever to go for another hard top. Said luggage volume is a useful 265 litres, up from 180 in the previous Z4 and apparently big enough for a pair of golf bags, should that sort of thing flick your switch. Ederer also offered an insight into testing the roof for opening at speed: ‘One of the engineers, at a very early stage when it didn’t have protection, managed to open the thing at 180kph! Nothing was bent, but it was very close to being ripped off.’ Expect 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. It’s coupled with an eight-speed automatic gearbox including paddleshifters on the steering wheel, and there are Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes to pick between – though these have more relevance to the handling, covered below, than the performance. The chassis and handling of the 2019 BMW Z4 With 50:50 weight distribution thanks to the engine’s location (around two third of it is behind the front axle), MacPherson struts up front and a multilink rear end, the recipe is there for a half-decent sports car. In addition, the M40i gets electrically controlled adaptive dampers and differential, with the latter similar in design to the M5’s and using identical software logic. There may be a 20i and 30i versions, both using a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder ‘B48’ motor, and perhaps a manual gearbox for the 20i as was spotted testing. This last isn’t for performance, but rather to lower the base list price.

Hi all BMW F10 owner! All of F10 got this problem? very common problem for F10?

BMW's all new 1 Series hatchback has been shot in action many times by spy photographers and they can now reveal how it looks like inside. This is the first 1 Series to use a front-wheel drive platform and from the photos shown here, the car seems to be M135i xDrive with its souped-up body kit and blue brake callipers. Thanks to Carscoops, we can now see how the car looks inside too. Drawing inspiration from the latest 3 Series, the dashboard is clearly driver-focused and features a digital instrument cluster. It remains to be seen whether variants lower down in the range might be equipped with an analogue instrument cluster instead. Unfortunately we can't yet tell the switch to a front-wheel/all-wheel drive drivetrain has given the car more interior space than its predecessor. Hopefully, the new entry-level BMW will get a larger boot space too. The all new BMW 1 Series is expected to be launched later this year, likely at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

Randomly came across this article on the possibility of a BMW Convertible SUV, did some googling, thought itll be interesting to share. . https://www.motor1.com/news/243237/bmw-finds-convertible-suvs-interesting/ How entertaining is the idea of this? Taking a muscular and rugged SUV/Crossover body and mashing it up with a soft-top of a convertible car? SUVs have been massive in recent years, gaining more and more traction. Moving forward will we be seeing more automakers chopping off the roofs of their SUVs?? How weird is it, really? Pretty damn weird to me when you have 3 rows of seats, and with 7 to 8 people inside. Here's taking a walk down memory lane. Toyota Rav4 Convertible "The strange ugly car that everyone wants: The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet", as described on one automotive site. The Evoque. Arguable a lot less weird looking than the Murano. And then the upcoming, concepts and custom models. Upcoming Volkswagen T-Roc Cabrio, to begin production in 2020. Concept SUV Convertible Audi Q2 Cabrio illustration Lexus LX570.. this is a custom SUV Convertible in Dubai selling for USD350,000. JUST WEIRD... And then finally, someone had to do an illustration of the convertible version of the BMW X6... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnXMXBkuixA I wud think if someone buys an SUV it wud be for the boot space, the ruggedness of it, the ability to traverse all terrains, weather.... The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet has the boot space that's even lesser than a VW Beetle. And if you buy a convertible it's because you want people to be able to stare at you better, because you don't have a motorcycle license but you want to feel the wind, and you want to experience how it feels to drive under the rain..... Hahaha........................ And if you get a Convertible SUV, you get best of both worlds, not? Convertible SUVs aren't anything new but they're still weird and awkward. Maybe a BMW convertible can make me change my mind. but I low ses. So no money to buy anyway......................... My thread is titled BMW but content only 10% BMW because I want to win tix to BMW WORLD la. Haha.

Here's a first look at the next-generation BMW M135i. Leaked by Bimmerfile, the new 1 Series has been spotted in the range-topping M135i guise. Looking pretty much production-ready, the BMW M135i also wears a xDrive badge, confirming that the car will have an all-wheel drive system. However, lesser variants of the 1 series will be using a front-wheel driven version of BMW’s FAAR architecture. M135i xDrive seen here will likely be powered the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as found in the X2 M35i, making around 302bhp and 450Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is also expected to be the only option while the chassis will feature a limited-slip differential on the front axle. It is unknown when the car will be launched but a reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September is possible.

The BMW 3 Series debuted more than 40 years ago. After months of teasers, spy shots and camouflaged prototypes, we have our first real look at the car as well as details on both the 330i and M340i, pricing and an on-sale date of March 2019. Both cars are powered by an updated 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four making 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. That's 7 horsepower and 37 pound-feet more than the current model. BMW says the turbo, direct-injection system and variable camshaft timing system have all been updated. The car gets a new higher-flow fuel system and a lighter crankshaft, too. BMW rates the 0 to 60 mph time at 5.3 seconds. Next spring, the 330i will be joined by the six-cylinder M340i and M340i xDrive. The 330e plug-in hybrid will arrive sometime in 2020. The M340i xDrive's turbo inline-six makes 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, up significantly over the outgoing model. It can hit 60 mph in an estimated 4.2 seconds. BMW hasn't gone into many details on the updated inline-six, so expect more news on that engine closer to launch. Both the 330i and M340i will be paired with an updated eight-speed automatic – no manual will be available. The eight-speed has revised gearing with a wider spread and shorter low gears. The latter should help the car feel quicker at low speeds. If the navigation and active cruise control are being used, the transmission uses info from those systems to find the optimal ratio for the road ahead. It can downshift early to slow down before grades or hold a gear through a series of fast corners. The 330i and M340i both come with launch control and auto start/stop systems. BMW says the updated xDrive all-wheel drive system has been re-tuned for better performance. It's a rear-biased system that adjusts where the power is sent through an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the transfer case. When all-wheel drive isn't needed, all of the car's torque can be sent to the rear. The G20 is 2.9 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider and 0.5 inches taller than the current 3 Series. The wheelbase is up 1.6 inches while the track has increased 1.7 inches in the front and 0.8 inches in the rear. Despite growing in every dimension, the new model is actually lighter than the outgoing one by as much as 121 pounds. The new car uses aluminum for the hood and fenders and for components like the spring struts and engine control frame. The car's drag coefficient is down to 0.26 thanks to improved aero and the use of active shutters on the grille lower air intake. Body rigidity is up 25 percent, and the 2019 still maintains a 50:50 weight distribution. Spring rates on both the M Sport suspension and Adaptive M suspension are up 20 percent. A 3 Series with M Sport suspension, including those with all-wheel drive, sits 0.4 inches lower than other models. An M Sport differential is standard on the M340i and optional on the 330i. Visually, the new model is an evolution of the current car, taking a few notes from the larger 5 and 7 Series BMWs. The twin kidney grille is much larger than before and features sharp creases in place of the rounded shape on the current car. The two elements are closer together, too, with just a small strip of chrome separating the two inlets. The rest of the bodywork features similar creases, especially the hood. LED lighting is standard, though there are options to add adaptive headlights and LED driving lights. Like the exterior, the new 3 Series interior adds creases where there used to be curves. It still has a wide, driver-focused feel, though everything is sharper than before. Even the digital instrument cluster drops the round dial surrounds for a more angled look. Three trim levels — Sport, Luxury and M Sport — will be available at launch. The packages adjust things like the suspension as well as the bumpers and interior trim. Other interior features include an updated version of BMW's iDrive infotainment system and more smartphone connectivity.

OK, I am going to try out a new series of posting, under the [Spyshots] tag. Please note that photos posted in these thread may not resemble the final product, as well as not gotten details confirmed by the manufacturer, so do take it with a pinch of salt.

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/asia/article/detail/T0298727EN/%E2%80%9Caccess-by-bmw%E2%80%9D-now-available-in-singapore?language=en Do you think this will take off in Singapore?

BMW's M motorsports division is developing high-performance X3 M and X4 M compact SUVs to serve as halo models for the X3 crossover and its slant-back sibling, the X4. Prototypes of the new M models were seen at the Nürburgring racetrack in conjunction with the DTM race last weekend, wrapped in what must be the least effective camouflage ever, with "X3 M" and "X4 M" rendered in giant letters on the side. Regular readers may recall that this is not the first time the X3 M has been seen on the 'Ring, which BMW characterizes as "the traditional setting for the completion of the ultimate testing and tuning programs for the specific overall M package comprising drive system, suspension, and aerodynamics." While BMW hasn't released too much specific information about what makes Frank van Meel, head of BMW M, so confident that the X3 M and X4 M will "will set benchmarks in terms of dynamics in their respective vehicle segments," BMW did call attention to the prototypes' enlarged front intakes, revised aerodynamics, and quad tailpipes as visual indicators of their status as true M models. BMW also says that the vehicles will debut with a "newly developed straight-six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and high-revving characteristics," with output that should vault past the current M40i versions' 355 horsepower. The top-dog X3 and X4 also will have an active M rear differential and M-specific all-wheel-drive technology similar to that found on the larger X5 M and X6 M SUVs. If, as van Meel claims, the new M models' dynamics are indeed to set the benchmarks in their segment, they'll have to outdo some strong competitors, including the Mercedes-AMG GLC63, the Porsche Macan Turbo, and Alfa Romeo's sensational Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The latter's incredible record-setting 7:51.7-lap of the Nürburgring's 12.9 miles one year ago still stands as the fastest time among SUVs. Expect the X3 M and X4 M to charge into showrooms next year as 2020 models.