The 2010 BMW 5 Series is due to hit the market early next year and these latest spy shots are a clear, if predictable, indication of what styling changes are on their way.

The front fascia adopts the upright nose, elongated twin-kidney grille and contoured headlamps (Dame Edna be gone!) originally shown on the 2009 7 Series, while the rear takes on a set of similarly styled tail lamps and looses the Bangled rump we've come to know and loathe.

The overall effect should tie in well with the recently revealed BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, and expect similar powertrain options to be available, including the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8, 3.0-liter inline-six and a host of diesel options offered abroad. Transmission choices will likely include a six-speed manual and an all-new eight-speed gearbox supplied by ZF. And then there's the 2011 M5 to look forward to.

Expect the next M-fettled 5er to pack the X6 M/X5 M's tweaked twin-turbo'd eight nestled within a revised chassis sure to use considerable amounts of aluminum and carbon fiber. It's obvious that development of the next 5 is well underway, and we wouldn't be surprised to see it unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, with the M5 appearing later in 2010.

M aficionados take note: The 2010 X6 M (and yet-to-be-tested X5 M) represents the most dramatic shift in BMW's Motorsport division since its inception – and it's not because they're the first crossovers branded with the tri-tone "M" badge. This high-riding duo are the first M machines ever to be equipped with all-wheel drive. The first fitted exclusively with an automatic transmission. And the first (and surely not the last) to pack a pair of turbochargers. M has evolved, but BMW hasn't lost the plot – it's completely rewritten the screenplay, added Michael Bay firepower and harnessed the electronic might of a supercomputer farm to tie it all together.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

Enthusiasts who had hoped for an M-worthy performance upgrade may be disappointed by the largely cosmetic M Sport Package recently announced for the flagship 7 Series. But while purists have balked at the idea of a full-on X6 M (pictured above), buyers looking for a little extra oomph from their sports-activity-whatsit were undoubtedly satisfied. So it may come as a little surprise that BMW is reportedly preparing to launch an M Sport package for the X6 that also includes some power upgrades.

According to reports, the oil-burning X6 xDrive35d with the M Sport package will get a boost of 20 horsepower to 306 courtesy of the recently launched 740d's powerplant, while the twin-turbo xDrive50i will increase output by 42 horsepower over stock. Of course, there will also be a special body kit and bigger 20-inch wheels along with the requisite badging of the X6 M Sport package, all of which gives those who want a little extra sport in their ute but aren't interested in the full-on X6 M a solid choice in between. Expect the package to hit the market later this year.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Autoblog road test editor Damon Lavrinc is in Spartanburg, South Carolina to drive BMW's new all-conquering X6M, and in between bouts with the monster-motor'd crossover, he has had a chance to bend the ear of Martin Berkmann, manager of product planning for BMW North America, about another new capacious Bimmer – the 5 Series Gran Turismo.

Given the Bayern brand's increasingly crowded stable, it should come as no surprise that the boundary-blurring 5GT may result in the death of the sole 5 Series Sports Wagon model offered here in the States (a 530i model is shown). While the company's Touring variants carry a lot of water for BMW in other markets, the 535i xDrive SW makes up but a sliver of U.S. sales, and apparently BMW officials reckon the 5GT could just about extinguish what little demand there is.

By our measure, that's something of a shame, as the 535i xDrive wagon is a nice package all the way around. Further, the 4,100-pound wagon's more compact form, coupled with what figures to be a lower center of gravity ought to make for significantly better handling than the 4,800-pound 5GT. That said, our man Lavrinc is about to get a bonus preview ride on the company's test track in the Gran Turismo, so perhaps we'll learn otherwise very soon.

In any case, the official word hasn't come down yet, but judging by the fact that top officials are even willing to engage in discussions with us, this strikes us as a likely move.

Although BMW's M division may have arguably veered off course with the recent introduction of the X5M and X6M, well-to-do M-ophiles may have something to look forward to in the form of a M3 GT4 available to consumers.

Campaigned at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this past May, the GT4 variant of BMW's V8-powered M3 is fitted with all the race-ready kit you'd expect in something developed to tackle the Green Hell, including an Ohlins suspension setup, aerodynamic enhancements, a full roll cage, airjack system, race buckets and a modified engine and transmission. "It would be specifically for motorsport drivers," BMW's M division head, Dr. Kay Segler told Autoblog. Translation: Don't expect to see this car on the street – it's a trackday toy or competition-only machine.

Although the trigger hasn't been pulled, Segler said it's being actively considered. If we had to bet, we'd expect the GT4 to be available to gentlemen racers sometime in 2010.

For the last eleven years, BMW has partnered with MotoGP to provide safety vehicles, although this year the car setting the pace is, well, not a car. Just days after BMW officially introduced the X6 M at the New York Auto Show, one had already hit the track at the MotoGP in Qatar.

Complete with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine producing 555 horsepower, the X6 M can perform its duties essentially in stock form. The only changes apparent include a light bar on top and BMW Motorsport livery. With the racing series coming to Monterey for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, we got our first look at the X6 M safety vehicle and made sure to snap some pics alongside its M6 counterpart. Check out our high-res gallery below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

How many cars have you owned over the course of your life? Three? Five? Ten? How about 135, and all from the same company? It may seem like unfathomable customer loyalty, but that's just what one Herr Klaus Hammerschmidt has done in taking delivery of his latest Bavarian motor work. You might think he'd mark the occasion with a new 135i, but instead the 73-year-old retiree picked up a brand-new M6 coupe, complete with the Competition Package, from the flagship BMW Welt showroom in Munich.

Hammerschmidt says he began driving when he was just 12, taking the wheel of his dad's car while papa worked the pedals. His first car was a 1800ti in 1963, and since then he's had 26 M cars, 29 Alpinas and another 80 standard BMWs. Before you go pulling out the calculator, that works out to an average of nearly 3 new cars every year. Not a bad way to spend a lifetime's earnings if you have the means. And at just 73, he's likely to go through a few more before his days are up. Follow the jump for the video.

[Source: BMW]

A year ago, we showed you pics of the next-generation BMW 5-Series doing some high-speed testing on the Nürburgring, but that was pretty much the last we heard about this midsize bahnstormer. Well, intrepid spy photographer Rich Truesdell spotted a similar mule out in the desert last week, and he has filled us in on some additional details. The car he spotted appears to be a 2011 BMW 540i sedan. Rich relates that the car was big enough to have him thinking 7-Series at first, but BMW helped out by having a clearly larger current 7 on hand for comparison purposes. How thoughtful of them.

While not a lot of final detail shows through, Truesdell points out that the heavy rear quarter cladding could be a tip that something is brewing in the recently revamped styling department in Munich. In particular, around the C-pillar, there was a lot of camo, indicating that perhaps there's something worth hiding. Beyond that, the sedan looks like a shortened 7-Series from most angles, and the dual exhausts suggest that this is likely the V8-powered 540i. Follow the source link to read what Rich thought of the vehicle and to see all of the photos in high-res.



All images © 2009 Rich Truesdell/Automotivetraveler.com

[Source: Automotive Traveler]

According to a report by InsideLine, BMW is set to expand its wagonesque line-up by one in 2011 with the introduction of the 335i Gran Turismo. The 3 series-based crossover takes its inspiration from the 2011 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, with a sloping X6-like hatch that will feature the same two-stage tailgate on the 5 series GT, allowing owners to open either the small trunk or complete hatch.

IL's sources say that two-, four- and five-seat configurations will be available, along with a range of diesel and gasoline engines, including at least one petrol-powered turbo version. If the 3 series GT comes to fruition, that would bring BMW's entry-level line-up to five models – coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon and five-door – and provide another competitor to the Audi A4 Avant and Q3, but could cannibalize X1 and X3 sales in the process.

[Source: InsideLine]

As expected after this morning's initial leakage, BMW has released a staggering amount of images of the 2011 BMW X1 showing the brand's new soft-roader in every conceivable environment before it's officially revealed at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Along with the pics, BMW put out a brief statement (below the fold) confirming the X1's arrival in the U.S. sometime in 2011 and its plans to offer both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive (xDrive) versions, along with "a wide variety of gasoline and diesel powertrain choices." BMW won't officially confirm what mils will make the trip across the Atlantic, but the automaker says the X1 will use its EfficientDynamics system and that one gasoline engine and three diesels will be available when the X1 launches in Europe this fall. Check out all 183 high-res images in the gallery below and expect official U.S. market information to be released closer to the X1's launch in the States.