Third-party performance tuners like Alpina, AMG, Brabus, Ruf and others have thrived in the land of the autobahn, typically modifying cars from one particular brand. In the late '70s, BMW became the first of the German automakers to establish its own in-house tuning division, incorporating its motorsports arm into what's now know as the M division. The firm's racing knowledge disseminated down to its production cars with the introduction of the M1 and later the M535i. In subsequent years, M followed up with the M5 and M3. Eventually Mercedes followed suit by buying out AMG, while Audi ... Read More

0

Official: BMW sharpens its Edge with first M3 DTM livery 1328140680

With six cars joining the grid this year in the DTM series, BMW is sure to present wildly different liveries – largely determined by the sponsors brought on board – for each one. And this is the first. Based on a sponsorship deal with BP, this particular M3 DTM is decked out in the bright green color of Castrol Edge motor oil and the light ...
0

Report: BMW hooks DTM up with new M3 safety car 1327330800

Choosing a safety car to pace a racing series is tricky business that almost invariably results in either a constant flux of vehicles called into duty or playing favorites between the manufacturers taking part in the series. NASCAR changes its pace cars about as quickly as it changes tires. Formula One sticks with Mercedes-Benz machinery, and nobody seems ...
0

Official: 2012 BMW 3 Series configurator powers up [UPDATE] 1327017540

The all-new 2012 BMW 3 Series is scheduled to hit U.S. BMW dealerships in February, which makes now a good time to option up our dream Bimmer. The 3 Series configurator reveals 15 different 3 Series models from which to choose, including coupe, convertible, sedan and Wagon variants, plus a choice of a four- and six-cylinder gas engines, along with a ...
0

Official: BMW to launch toned-down line of M Performance Automobiles 1326382320

We just wrapped up the Detroit Auto Show, but BMW has already moved on to Geneva. The German automaker announced today that it's going to be showing a new line of what it's calling "M Performance Automobiles" at the Geneva Motor Show in March. These vehicles will sit between standard Bimmers and M vehicles in the lineup, and apparently offer more than ...
0

Report: BMW M5 quicker than 1 M Coupe quicker than M3 1325174460

Autobild recently set out to settle the question of which M vehicle is the fastest in the BMW stable at the moment. Not surprisingly, the German enthusiast publication found the BMW M3 CRT to be the quickest around the Sachsenring, setting the magazine's fastest time around the track with a 1:38.37 minute lap time. That's impressive, but not nearly as ...

0

Official: Car and Driver reveals its 2012 10Best cars [w/video] 1323199680

Each year, the scribes at Car and Driver go through every new vehicle on sale and pick the ten best cars available here in the United States. And while some major automotive awards are only shelled out to vehicles that are all-new or significantly updated for a certain model year, C/D's approach is to look at the full scope of cars currently on sale. ...
0

Video: Six-cylinder BMW M3 caught on and around Nürburgring 1321057680

That Roundel-obsessed crew over at F30post.com has laid its paws on a quick clip of the next-generation BMW M3 turning a few hot laps at the Nürburgring. The video gives us the best look and listen yet to the performance 3 Series under duress, and it certainly sounds as if the vehicle has finally shed its high-winding V8 for six-cylinder power. That ...
0

Official: BMW reveals M3 Competition Edition in Frozen Silver for U.S. 1320591660

BMW is celebrating 40 years of M with a special edition M3 Competition Edition that is about as rare as they come. BMW is only shipping 40 of the coupes to the U.S., and each will be identical save for a few options. The M3 Competition Edition will feature Frozen Silver exterior paint, black M3 GTS 19-inch wheels, dark chrome exterior trim and dark ...
0

Report: New BMW M3 to come in sedan form first 1319651940

Typically, when BMW releases a new M3, it launches it in coupe form first. (In fact, sales of the M3 sedan have, in North America at least, slowed to such an extent that BMW NA was tempted to stop bringing it here altogether.) But not the new model – according to the latest intel, the next-gen M3 will arrive in four-door guise first. Sources ...
0

Here's what the 2014 BMW M3 could look like 1319151540

It's been less than a week since BMW dropped the first images of its redesigned 3 Series sedan on us, but already the imaginations are running wild about what the next M3 might look like. Automotive manipulator Theophilus Chin has given us his take on the F30-based M3, and it's about what you might expect. With enlarged air ducts in the front fascia to ...