BMW confirms Efficient Dynamics production

Sure, BMW is going to build a small, urban electric car – the Megacity – in a few years, but we’re pretty sure there are a lot of Bimmer drivers who won’t much care for that little thing, no matter what the powertrain. For them, BMW has announced a second treat today: the Vision Efficient Dynamics (VED) concept will indeedmake the jump to production form.

We first saw the VED a little over a year ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 and BMW says the concept was met with an “overwhelming response.” Little surprise, then, that BMW was interested in building this for the people – well, people who can afford the $200,000, give or take, the car will likely cost when it come to market in a few years. Since the VED contained a fair bit of “completely or virtually production-ready components,” BMW is confidently giving out media test drives at the Leipzig trade fair center of a road-ready technology showcase vehicle based on the VED.

Bimmer Builder: 2011 BMW X3 configurator comes online

The 2011 BMW X3 is ready for prime time, with all-new sheet-metal and an equally new interior, a choice of efficient inline six engines and a standard eight-speed transmission. If that sounds like an enticing package, you can now head over to BMW’s official website to build your own. The base X3 28i will set you back $37,625, but for that price you’ll have to go with non-metallic black or white paint and a Leatherette interior. For another $550, there are eight different metallic paints from which to choose.

On the interior front, there are four different leather options to choose, each of which will set you back $1,450. A fully loaded 28i comes in at $52,150 and includes several different option packages including a $3,450 Premium Package, which includes the $1,450 leather seats and a $3,200 Technology Package with navigation and audio inputs.

Move up to the 300-horsepower X3 xDrive 35i and the base price rockets to $41,925, or $4,300 more than the non-turbo 28i. Max out the available packages and add options like smart phone integration and rear camera and you’re looking at an MSRP of $56,750. All prices include $875 destination…

Rossin-Bertin Vorax guns for entry into supercar club with BMW V10 power

Wiesmann may have been forced to switch from V10 power to the new twin-turbo V8 for their top-of-the-line MF5, but a Brazilian upstart apparently thinks it can secure an adequate supply of ten-cylinder BMWengines even after they’re discontinued. That’s what’s powering the vehicle you see here.

The Rossin-Bertin Vorax is set to debut at the São Paulo Auto Show later this month. It features a carbon fiber body over an aluminum chassis, cradling the Bavarian ten-pot in two states of trim: naturally aspirated with 570 horsepower, or supercharged with 750. The former is said to be good for a 3.8-second 0-62 mph time and a 205 mph top end. The latter marginally improves the acceleration time to 3.6 despite its 180-horse boost, but supposedly raises the top end to 231 mph. Of course, those figures are likely theoretical, as the vehicle appears to exist only in renderings at the moment.

Bankrolled by meat industry scion Natolino Bertin, Jr. and realized by former General Motors designer Fharys Rossin, the Vorax coupe is targeted to hit the market late 2011 or early 2012. A convertible version is slated to follow a year later, with overall production targeted at 500-1000 units in all and prices hovering around $400k.

BMW’s M division releases more details, images of upcoming 1 Series M Coupe

Fans of the original BMW M3 might not be enamored by the current V8 model, but the upcoming 1 Series M Coupe promises to bring it back to the source. The Bavarian automaker has released new information on the more compact M ahead of its full release in December ahead of the Detroit Auto Show where it’ll be finally revealed to the public.

The 1 Series M Coupe packs a 340-horsepower version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter six from the Z4 sDrive35iS in a package weighing about 3,300 pounds, with power fed to the wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual. This a departure from the “bare-bones” M3 GTS that packs a dual-clutch gearbox.

Pricing is slated to come in between those of the existing 135i and M3, placing it somewhere around the $45k mark. Click below to check out the updated gallery of teaser images, including some new swirly ones.

BMW announces pricing for 2011 X3

We’re about to drive the 2011 BMW X3, but before we get behind the wheel, BMW has announced pricing for its next-gen. cute ‘ute, and as before, the new CUV will be offered in two trims. The base X3 xDrive28i, which features a 240 horsepower inline-six, will start at $37,625. The more powerful xDrive35i, which boasts a 300-hp turbocharged six-cylinder engine, starts $41,925. Both models come standard with all-wheel drive and BMW’s eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2011 BMW X3 will arrive in dealer showrooms at the end of 2010, and both models will be available at launch.

Additionally, Blackberry users will have something to be excited about. The X3 is fitted with technology to pull loads of utility out of its smartphone integration. The navigation screen can display emails when the car is stationary, and when it’s in motion, the system utilizes a text-to-speech program to read messages through the audio system.

The base price of the 2011 BMW X3, even though the car has been refreshed and features more standard items, is less than the 2010 model it replaces. It’s a $2,100 price drop down from the 2010 base MSRP of $39,725.

Paris Preview: BMW unwraps 6 Series Coupe Concept

Like so many “concepts” from BMW, the 6 Series Coupe bound for the Paris Motor Show is a concept in name alone. What you’re looking at is BMW’s next GT, and even a cursory glance proves that the Bangleization of BMW is officially over.

Set to be based on the 5 Series’ underpinnings and taking several cues from the Grand Coupe conceptshown in Beijing, the next BMW 6 Series takes the brand’s new upright grille, frames it with a set of full-LED headlamps and than caps things off with a more contoured rump. We’re not going to pass judgement on the design until we see it in person, but like the last 6er, this new GT appears to be a love it or loathe it affair.

On the contrary, the interior is an airy, organic environment, complete with an asymmetrical center console tilted towards the driver, a new navigation display and a host of aluminum and leather accents that are several steps beyond what’s currently on offer from BMW. We’re particularly digging the redesigned steering wheel and the waterfall of material that connects the dash to the transmission tunnel.

BMW isn’t giving up specifics on dimensions or engines – this is a “concept” after all – but expect the 2012 BMW 6 Series to be slightly lower and marginally wider than the current model. Power will be supplied by BMW’s current array of naturally aspirated and turbocharged inline sixes, with the next M6 outputting over 550 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8. The standard 6 should be in showroom early next year, with the M6 to arriving in late 2012 and the soft-top due out in late 2011.

Lumma Design increases its carbon footprint with BMW 7 Series package

No matter which way you look at it, the latest BMW 7 Series is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in terms of styling. But if you’re looking for something a little more aggressive, Lumma Design has an answer for you: A lot of carbon fiber ought to do the trick.

Much as it has done for just about everything else made in the Fatherland, the German tuner has released a raft of carbon bits for the flagship Bimmer. Included in the package are a new grille, door handles, door mirror housings, front bumper with integrated LEDs, a quad-tip exhaust and massive 22-inch wheels riding on ultra low-profile rubber.

Lumma being more into design than engine tuning, the mechanical bits of the car remain untouched, but you can get a closer look in the gallery below.

Dyno Tested: BMW’s past and present turbo sixes

BMW has always had a gem of an inline-six on its hands, regardless of which particular powerplant you’re referring to. But over the last couple of years, it’s the German automaker’s turbocharged 3.0-liter N54 engines that have been lighting enthusiasts hearts afire, and steering more than a few buyers away from the M3 and into the seat of a 335i. And when the N54 proliferated across the rest of the automaker’s lineup, it was well-received in nearly every application.

For 2011, though, there’s a new engine in town, and the big question is whether or not the single-turbo N55 is better than the previous twin-turbo N54 or, at the very least, not worse. Helping shed some light on the matter is the crew from Automobile Magazine, who managed to snag a trio of various N54-powered 3-Series’ – one of which was the hotted-up 2011 335is, which uses a high-output version of the old N54 – along with one new model powered by an N55.

BMW 1 Series M Coupé limited to just 2,700 units in three colors?

David Aviles, who works at Northwest BMW in Maryland, won a sales competition and so was invited to a European BMW event called The Power of M. While there, he apparently gleaned some info on the 1 SeriesM Coupé that, if true, is not going to make very many people happy. According to Aviles, there will be just 2,700 examples sold in either Alpine White, Jet Black or Valencia Orange Metallic, and every single one will come with a manual transmission.

BMW’s been on a bit of a roll lately with special and limited edition M cars, but if Aviles’ news is accurate, we didn’t expect the production on this one to be choked off at such a low number. Aviles goes on to say that the U.S. will get the largest allocation, but numbers weren’t disclosed. The pic above is a wallpaper renderingof the 1 Series M Coupé by Bimmerpost member Gerald, which might be the closest any of us gets to the car itself. Hat tip to Arash!

Paris 2010: BMW Concept 6 Series Coupé looks low, flat and mean

BMW’s press conference at the Paris Motor Show won’t take place until later today, but the boys from Bavaria left their Concept 6 Series Coupé hanging around on the display’s massive curved plinth.

While we couldn’t finagle our way inside to take a gander at the interior (at least not yet), the crisply styled GT clearly foreshadows the nearly-here 6 Series production model. The attractive and surprisingly large coupe borrows bits from Beijing’s Grand Coupe concept as well as the new 5 Series, particularly in the nose.

When it arrives next year, the serial 6′er will likely be powered by BMW’s range of turbocharged and naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines, with eight-cylinder motivation reserved for the next M6.

Paris 2010: BMW X3 is new yet familiar

BMW has whisked the sheets off its 2011 X3, and the second-generation crossover looks suspiciously like its predecessor. Beyond a seemingly endless parade of spy shots over the last couple of years, that’s predictable, as the Spartanburg-built X3 has been a considerable sales success for the German automaker.

While the sheetmetal stays largely the same, the lineup receives new engines and an eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s set to spread like kudzu throughout the automaker’s offerings. The X3 also becomes the first model in BMW’s growing X franchise to adopt electric power steering (the automaker’s controversial variable sports steering rack is optional), as well as optional Damper Control and Dynamic Drive Control (as seen on its range of sedans and sports cars).

In addition to the new sheetmetal, BMW promises added rear seat room, addressing one of the vehicle’s key shortcomings for the North American market.

Review: 2011 BMW 550i

More than one mile above sea level, located in the heart of Sequoia National Park, is the General Sherman tree. This nearly three-hundred foot tall Giant Sequoia is considered the largest tree in the world, as based on total volume. More impressive than its mass is its age – scientists believe it is between 2,300 and 2,700 years old. Giant Sequoias have prospered over centuries, while countless lesser trees have come and gone, because they posses very unique qualities. Their foot-thick bark allows them to resist fire, and their shallow roots take advantage of rain showers during periods of drought. And, in an interesting twist of natural survival, their tall canopies effectively block the sun, preventing competitors from taking hold and surviving in the darkened shadows at their base.

The BMW 5 Series is in a similar position. The long-established benchmark mid-size sport sedan finds itself in a constant battle with competitors trying to push it aside in an effort to capture its territory. Instead of resting on its laurels, BMW re-engineers the four-door once every eight years to conform to a changing and ever crowding segment.