Autoblog

BMW offering carbon fiber components for M3

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, BMW

BMW M3 with carbon fiber components - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ah, the BMW M3. In coupe, convertible or sedan form (the latter of which may be making its exit in the near future), we've always been quite fond of this track day stunner. Now, owners have the chance to add some tasteful upgrades to the full range of M3 models by way of BMW Performance carbon fiber aerodynamic accessories.

Made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, the mirror caps and front splitters can be fitted to any current M3, and a rear deck lid spoiler is available for coupe and sedan models. (Sorry, droptop lovers.) Naturally, these upgrades are covered under the BMW Performance two-year warranty, and can be purchased from authorized BMW dealers. Official pricing hasn't been dished out just yet, but if these accessories are like the rest of BMW's options list, don't expect any bargains. Hit the jump for the full details in BMW's press release.

Gallery: BMW M3 Carbon Fiber Parts

[Source: BMW]

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BMW offering carbon fiber components for M3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW teases new U.S.-only model lurking in the shadows

Zach Bowman — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, BMW, Luxury

BMW teaser photos - Click above for high-res image gallery

If there's one thing the auto world loves, it's a good tease. BMW has been happy to oblige this afternoon by dropping three photos of a new model fit just for U.S. consumption. Details are fittingly scarce, though the company does say that it will drop full details on the world come Thursday. Since we've been left to our own devices, how about a little rampant speculation to get the ball rolling? Judging from the front fascia, we're guessing the new car is gussied up M3. The smattering of M logos throughout the cabin leads us to believe that the new kid on the block will likely boast a more sporting pedigree than its brethren, and since the America-only 335is is already down the pike, another pepped up 3 Series wouldn't make much sense.

From the looks of things, there's definitely a dual-clutch cog box at play, though it's unclear if that will be the only option. Now the only question is whether the company will tweak the V8 found in the M3 or whether it will leave it alone and instead make other upgrades, and there's also the question of which bodystyle(s) the car will be available with, as the M3 is currently available in coupe, sedan, and convertible form. Keep your ears pinned back for more information later in the week. Until then, let your imagination run wild.

Gallery: BMW Teaser Photos

[Source: BMW]

BMW teases new U.S.-only model lurking in the shadows originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bimmerfest 2010: The Rose Bowl hosts North America's largest BMW gathering

Michael Harley — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, BMW, Specialty, Design/Style, Racing

Bimmerfest 2010 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Bimmerfest is billed as the celebration of being a BMW enthusiast - but to most it is simply the world's largest BMW event held in North America. After starting as a small get-together at a BMW dealership in Santa Barbara just over a decade ago, the show has outgrown all of its venues... until now. The 2010 show, its 11th annual event, was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena this weekend. Thanks to strong online forum support for Bimmerfest, this year's show was packed with thousands of BMW models covering decades of production and dozens of vendors peddling accessories. If you have a Roundel on your hood, it's worth the trip (some drove from as far as Alaska and Florida just to attend).

The best part of Bimmerfest - and the reason we enjoy the show so much - is that nearly every single BMW at the show is privately owned. Sure, BMW North America brought some cars to display (among them an X6 M and a 7 Series Alpina B7), but the diversity and customization of the owned cars meant no two were alike. We weaved our way through hundreds of freshly detailed 3 Series and 5 Series models to find dozens of real gems. Our favorites included the race-bred E30 M3 models, a sweet BMW Z8, and a rare BMW 850CSi six-speed manual. Check out our gallery to find some of your favorites.

Gallery: Bimmerfest 2010

Bimmerfest 2010: The Rose Bowl hosts North America's largest BMW gathering originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW M3 Sedan may not live to see another generation

Noah Joseph — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW

BMW M3 Sedan - Click above for high-res image gallery

Between the emergence of the M3 GTS and the Competition Package - to say nothing of the new 335is - there's been plenty of news for fans of BMW's performance-oriented 3 Series. Unfortunately, not all of it is good, as reports indicate that the Bavarian automaker is looking to discontinue the four-door M3 sedan.

Although the current M3 sedan looks poised to continue through to the end of its current lifecycle, sources suggest that the next-gen M3 will remain a two-door (coupe and convertible) affair only. The reason has apparently been cited as lagging sales for the V8 super-sedan, which was highly demanded by American buyers in the previous generation but has failed to live up to its potential in the marketplace. So if you've been eying that M3 sedan on the local dealer's lot but were waiting to see what the next model would bring, now may be the time, hombre.

Gallery: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan

[Source: BimmerFile via eGMCarTech]

Report: BMW M3 Sedan may not live to see another generation originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW dealer auctions new M3 for $60K on eBay, doesn't want to honor the deal

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:34:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Performance, Auctions, BMW

UPDATE: 3-24-08 -- This was left on the original M3 forum thread by Ken, the nearly-defrauded winner of the eBay auction: "Sorry its taken so long to post a update. The site is very slow (understandably). This morning, BMW of Lincoln has agreed to sell me the car at a price of 60K, with certain conditions. I'll be going over the conditions with the dealership tommorow, and I hope to have everything finalized by tommorow afternoon." You can read the rest of his comment here. It's pretty cool what the Internet can do...

Apparently all is not kosher in corn country. BMW of Lincoln, Nebraska posted an auction on eBay for a brand new M3 Sedan for $60,000. Perhaps they were hoping for the kind of eBay madness that would push the price to six figures (something other dealers are doing right on the show floor). If that's what they were after, well, they didn't get it. The car was won by a gentleman in California for the listed price: $60,000.

The problem is that the dealer doesn't want to give him the car. Not long after the auction ended, the winning bidder got a call from BMW of Nebraska telling him the auction was "a mistake," and that he couldn't have the car. In spite of the fact that the dealership changed the Buy It Now price twice -- and so was paying attention to the auction -- and eBay rules that make it clear that if someone wins the auction then you must complete the transaction, the buyer is still trying to get someone to give him the car he won at the winning bid price. Follow the link for the full story, and to you, Dooma350, good luck. Thanks for the tip, Ken!

[Source: M3post.com]

BMW dealer auctions new M3 for $60K on eBay, doesn't want to honor the deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Motor Show: Practical performance with BMW's M3 Sedan

Siddharth Raja — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Tokyo Motor Show, BMW

Click the above image for more pictures of the BMW M3 Sedan

There hasn't been a BMW M3 sedan since the E36 generation, but that doesn't mean BMW has forgotten how to build a fast saloon car. The M3 Sedan takes everything good about the M3 coupe and adds two doors to the mix, allowing you to better justify the purchase with your significant other. BMW has thrown out the standard headlights on the sedan and replaced them with the lights found on the coupe, giving it a more sporting design in the process.The basic specs are all the same as the coupe, but you should check out our previous post on the M3 Sedan to find out more.

Gallery: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan

Tokyo Motor Show: Practical performance with BMW's M3 Sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW to show 1-series based concept in Tokyo

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:55:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Tokyo Motor Show, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen

Over the course of the last few weeks, we've been constantly updating our comprehensive list of debuts slated for the Tokyo Motor Show, but one glaring omission continually jumped out at us: BMW. We know they'll be showing off the M3 Sedan, but it was rumored that something else would grace the Bavarian's show stand. Automotive News finally shed some light on the mystery model, but it doesn't reveal much.

BMW will be showing a concept built atop the 1-series platform, but when AN quizzed a BMW spokesperson, all they would say is that the unnamed concept won't be the X1 mini 'ute. Our first suspicion was the 1-series convertible, but that's far too dull for Tokyo. We'll let the relentless speculation begin below.

As for the rest of the Germans, we know Audi is bringing the A1 concept to the show, which should be close to the production model set to debut in 2009, while Volkswagen will be releasing its first Up! variant in the form of a five-door minivan concept.

We'll be on a plane to Tokyo this time next week, so expect more to follow soon.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

BMW to show 1-series based concept in Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan - desktop wallpaper-sized pics

John Neff — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:41:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW

click on any image to view high-res gallery of 2008 BMW M3 Sedan

In our haste to bring you news of the 2008 BMW M3 sedan being unveiled, we showed you the best official pics we could find at the time, which were only 800 pixels wide. We don't know many people with 800 pixel-wide monitors, so we updated our gallery with high-resolution pics straight from BMW. They're 1,280 pixels wide, which should cover most screens corner to corner.

We noticed a couple of things about BMW's new M sedan this time around that we missed before. Take a closer look at the steering wheel, which features red and blue stitching that mimics the M colors. Also notice two shots of the M3 Sedan's trunk at the end of the gallery. One shows a parcel shelf that slides out from underneath the trunk's ceiling, while the other shows how much cargo room is available with the back seats folded forward. We thought these pics particularly interesting because they illustrate the entire point in BMW making an M3 sedan: more utility. The M3 Coupe is great, but not nearly as practical as the M3 Sedan will be.

To download the larger pics, just browse the gallery and right click on your favorite pics. Save the images to your computer, and the 1,280 pixel-wide version will be downloaded regardless of what size pic you're looking at.

[Source: BMW]

Pics Aplenty: 2008 BMW M3 Sedan - desktop wallpaper-sized pics originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official shots of BMW M3 sedan leaked

John Neff — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW

UPDATE: Truth be told, these could be photoshops. At first glance they looked like brochure shots to us, but we'll let you decide.

click above image to both pics of the BMW M3 sedan

God bless forums, you have to love them. The occasional flame war aside (who are we to talk?), they're often the repository of choice material like this, what appears to be the first official images of the BMW M3 sedan scanned from a brochure. The main shot is large enough to appreciate how well the M3 style plays with the proportions of the 3-Series sedan, while the tiny pic gives us a profile comparison between the M3 coupe and sedan. What do you need to know about the M3 sedan that's different from the M3 coupe. Well, it's got two extra doors, but aside from that the same 420 HP V8 will be powering the rear wheels, which is all that's important to us. Any more details will have to wait until BMW officially takes the wraps off of its super sedan, which is expected to happen at an upcoming auto show, hopefully the L.A. Auto Show in mid-November.

Thanks for the tip, Mark!

[Source: M3post.com]

Gallery: BMW M3 sedan

Official shots of BMW M3 sedan leaked originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPY SHOTS: New un-camoed BMW M3 sedan pics surface

Alex Nunez — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, BMW

MI6, a member of the M3post.com forums, has snagged a new set of photos showing a blacked-out but "naked" M3 four-door driving on German streets. The coupe nose on the sedan body looks really good, and the bulging wheel arches add visual muscle without cartoonishly overstating the matter. We basically expect the car to exhibit all the goodness of the new M3 coupe with added comfort for backseat passengers. That's called a win-win, folks. BMW's going to move a ton of these. Follow the "Read" link to see three more shots of the M3 sedan dressed like a stealth bomber.

[Source: M3Post.com]

SPY SHOTS: New un-camoed BMW M3 sedan pics surface originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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M3Post.com snags BMW M3 sedan up close and personal

Alex Nunez — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, BMW

M3 enthusiast site M3Post.com has snagged what are easily the best spyshots yet of Bimmer's upcoming 4-door hot rod. They don't come from any of the spy photo big guns, either. Instead, they're sourced from within their own ranks, as site member Larry Blunk was clicking the shutter as the silver M3 sedan prototype lapped the Nürburgring and then spent quality time with the car as it sat parked out in the open afterwards. Appearance-wise, think of an E90 3-series sedan with the new M3 coupe's front and rear end treatments, bulging, vented hood,side extractors, and wheels. It's looking good so far, and we're sure there'll be no shortage of takers for the slightly more practical version of the M-enhanced speed merchant. We're guessing it'll debut on its home turf at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Click here to see several more nice, high-resolution shots.

[Source: M3Post.com]

M3Post.com snags BMW M3 sedan up close and personal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Jun 2007 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: BMW M3 Sedan and Convertible

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Sedan, BMW

While the BMW M3 Coupe was all-but unveiled in Geneva, we have had to rely on spy photographers for images of the M3 Sedan and Cabrio. Hans Lehmann has captured a few shots of each for Winding Road, and you can see them in all their Technicolor splendor by clicking through the read link.

We're still not sure when and where the production M3 sedan will make its debut, but Frankfurt or even New York are still possibilities. As we told you before, the sedan will get a front fascia that is nearly identical to the one on the coupe, and since the coupe is both sleek and mean at the same time, this can only be taken as a very good thing. Knowing a 400ish-horsepower V8 is under the hood makes it even better.

The cabrio pics show the metal drop-top to be a handsome beast, as well. That's to be expected since the hardtop allows it to mimic the lines of the coupe to a tee.

We are guessing the sedan will appear by the end of the year and that we'll have to wait until spring 2008 for the convertible M3. But wait we will, with bated breath.

[Source: Winding Road]

Spy Shots: BMW M3 Sedan and Convertible originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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