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2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe Dakar Yellow 
Back in 2010, pictures of a Dakar Yellow BMW M3 spotted in Southern California flooded the internet, gaining the admiration of many a car enthusiast. At that time, we wondered why BMW did not carry the striking yellow exterior finish on more of their models, but alas the German automaker stuck to their high maintenance "Frozen" finishes of Dark Blue, Gray, and Silver. Until now. A similar Dakar Yellow package has been applied to the new 1-Series M Coupe, rounded out by a series of visual and power upgrades. The package starts off with a series of elements from the BMW Performance arm, including new seats, a new steering wheel, pedals, shifter, and carbon fiber trunk lip. Then, since this is a high performance sports coupe, carbon fiber elements were thrown in to enhance its character. The 1M Coupe received a new front lip, a new diffuser, new side valances and skirts, and a new roof, all covered in carbon fiber. For an even meaner look, the car also received new angel eyes. Under the flashy paint job and shimmering carbon fiber, the BMW 1M Coupe also juiced up with new Brembo brakes and a new set of KW suspensions. Next, the Dakar Yellow 1M received an Akrapovic exhaust system and a wireless kit to add to the all around fun of the sports coupe’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 340 horsepower. Video: BMW M Performance Parts. Development.When it comes about high performance vehicles, BMW M models are no doubt one of the best example on how cool an updated model can get from factory. And now BMW has unveiled a very cool video explaining to us how their M performance models are being developed. And although if the video is just 3:30 minutes long it is pretty education and you will make a pretty good idea on the work standing behind the development of the BMW M models. The video also gives you a preview what’s in store for the BMW 3 Series. "BMW M Performance Parts stands for original BMW retrofit equipment in four categories: aerodynamics, drivetrain, cockpit and chassis. To provide the best parts for customized and even sportier design, a lot of work has to be done beforehand. Have a look at the development process."
2012 BMW MH5 S-Biturbo by Manhart Racing
With 560 HP, the new BMW M5 is nothing short of a hit among tuners from all over the world: some want to make it look even more aggressive and others want to improve upon the already impressive performance numbers. The latest tuning package comes from Manhart Racing, who hope to prove that, when combined with the appropriate updates, the BMW M5’s standard 560 HP is more of a joke than a serious power offering. The BMW M5’s standard 4.4 liter V8-Biturbo engine has been given a series of modifications on its turbochargers, downpipes, and exhaust-gas system. As a result, the output has been increased to 633 HP and 575 lb-ft of torque. If that’s not enough, the tuner has promised that the next step will be achieving 670 HP. The package also includes a flap-controlled sports-exhaust-gas system made of high-grade steel with four diagonally placed 90 mm exhaust pipe-ends, a new sport coilover kit, and the obligatory new set of 21" wheels.
BMW M135i Caught on the NürburgringBMW just keeps on dangling the M135i three-door hatchback carrot right out of the reach of U.S. buyers and this time, it just may start a complete revolt in U.S. BMW dealers. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or BMW to all of you un-cool people, decided to whip the new M135i hatchback around the Nürburgring and some savvy little filmmaker caught it. To make things even better, this is actually a really good video with awesome sound – it seems almost like a professional deal. The sound of this 300+ horsepower 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo engine – “TwinPower” means one turbo with two scrolls, not two turbochargers – is music to our ears. It’s so nice that it may just take the place of all the songs on my MP3 player. Not only does this thing appear to scream when the driver puts the pedal to the proverbial “metal,” or posh carpeting in this case, but it also looks to handle like a dream. The bad news in this whole situation is that BMW has still not decided to let U.S. buyers know if the M135i, let alone any three-door hatchback 1-series, will make its way across the pond and into showrooms at any time. There’s not even a European release date, as of yet, and we are already about to explode at the opportunity to get our grubby hands on them. For now, all we have are the pictures from the Geneva Auto Show and the above video to keep our hopes alive. We are sure that if a large enough portion of US BMW customers start bombarding BMW with requests for this vehicle, the Bavarian car builder would eventually cave and bring this extremely hot hatch to the states. Kick back, crank up the volume a tick, and enjoy the video of the M135i cruising the Nürburgring over and over and over again, just like we did.
BMW stops taking orders for the 1-Series M Coupe When BMW announced their 1-Series M Coupe in 2011, the anticipation building up until the release of the model was uncontrollable. And unless you are one of the lucky 2700 to grab a unit of this limited model, that excitement was all for nothing. BMW has announced that they have stopped taking orders for the sports coupe and that the production will end in the summer of 2012. As of right now, all 2700 units have been spoken for and BMW is reserving the time to produce the units that remain. No official details have been provided just yet, but it is believed that BMW will be offering an M2 version for their upcoming 2-Series that will be offered instead of the current 1-Series Coupe. Before that happens, we will see the M135i - set to be unveiled later this year. As a reminder, the 1-Series M Coupe is powered by a twin-turbocharged, all-aluminum, 3.0-liter inline-6 engine that delivers an impressive 335 HP. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.
If You Can’t Afford a BMW 1M, Just Build Something Better
At one point I really wanted an RX8, almost to the point of doing whatever it took to get the money for one. Well, after a promotion, I managed to get one and was sorely disappointed by it. Well, an Egyptian man decided to put the words “I’ll do anything” into action in an extreme way. In Egypt, as with many developing countries, vehicles are very expensive and even more so when considering a luxury ride like a BMW 1M. With a $150,000 price tag in Egypt – more than triple its U.S. price – this wise fellow decided that the 1M was not in the cards for him now. Instead of giving up altogether, he decided to build something better than his dream car. He began his quest with a stock BMW 120d, which once boasted a 161-horsepower 2.0-liter diesel engine, and completely stripped it down. He then pulled an S65 V-8 monster from an M3, which pumps out 414 horsepower, and dropped it in his 120d. Well, “dropping” the engine in included some motor mount and ECU modifications. This young man then installed the M3’s suspension onto the 120d, added 1M body panels, slapped 19-inch wheels on it, and last, had a custom exhaust and driveshaft fitted to it. In the end “hatembmw,” as he goes by on a popular BMW forum, invested about $45,000 to modify his 120d into a monster that would likely annihilate a 335-horsepower M1. As detailed as this process is, this entire project took him just eight weeks to complete – three to four weeks on mechanical stuff and four weeks on the body. All we can do is tip my hat to hatembmw… Good show, my friend, good show indeed. Enjoy the videos, we know we certainly did. Hit the jump for additional videos. Full story 2007 - 2011 BMW M3 GTRS3 by Vorsteiner
German tuner Vorsteiner and their proverbial partners-in-crime, Wheels Boutique, have come out and released another tuning program that’s sure to warm the hearts of BMW M3 E93 owners everywhere. The program, which features Vorsteiner parts and built by Wheels Boutique, takes the M3 E93 and effectively converts it into a GTRS3 that’s ripe and fit for some serious action. Among the carbon fiber GTRS3 aero parts that have been added to the M3 are a new front bumper, front fenders, side skirts, a new rear bumper, rear fenders, a boot lid, a vented hood, and an aero boot lid. All the carbon fiber goodness fitted into the M3 is complemented by a new set of 20" Vorsteiner VS-350 Forged Concave wheels wrapped in Michelin PS2 tires. We’re not ones to be easily awed by tuning programs, but we have to give some serious props for this one made by Wheels Boutique and Vorsteiner. We know how awesome the M3 is, but for these guys to make it look like a GTRS3 is taking it to a whole new level. The only thing left is a performance upgrade...right?
BMW M5 will compete in the 2012 One Lap Of America After being named the world’s fastest sedan with a 7:55 Nurburgring lap time, BMW’s new M5 sports sedan will make its appearance in the One Lap of America event starting May 4, 2012. It will enter the Luxury Sedan class for top honors in the new "Showroom Stock" class. Next to it, the BMW Performance Center will be providing the One Lap of America staff with official vehicles for 2012. After competing in the One Lap, the BMW M5 will officially arrive in authorized US BMW Centers in August of 2012. As a reminder, the new M5 is powered by a high-revving 4.4-liter V8 engine with an M TwinPower Turbo package that delivers an impressive 560 HP at 6,000 – 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 502 lb-ft from 1,500 rpm. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and can go up to a top speed of 190 mph. "The fifth generation M5 will compete for the new ‘Showroom Stock’ recognition within the Luxury Sedan class at One Lap of America, which serves as the perfect opportunity to demonstrate its performance capabilities as well as those of the BMW Performance Center instructors," said Dan Gubitosa, BMW Performance Center Manager.
2012 BMW M3 DTM Racer Castrol EDGE
The 2012 racing season has already begun and we’re now seeing participants of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters - that’s DTM, in case you didn’t know - show off their vehicles in the past couple of weeks. BMW Motorsports has been a regular supplier of race cars in DTM for the past couple of years. This season, the German automaker’s racing division is back in DTM with six BMW M3 DTM race cars, including the recently unveiled Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM. The racer will carry the design livery of Castrol EDGE, considered as Castrol’s strongest and most advanced range of engine oil, and Aral Ultimate, Germany’s largest network of gas stations. As far as powertrain is concerned, the race car will be powered by a V8 engine that was fitted with its own air restrictor to adhere to racing regulations. With the air restrictor in place, the M3 DTM is capable of producing 480 horsepower, while hitting 0-60 mph in just three seconds, and carrying a top speed of 186 mph. 2008 BMW M3 "Orange Fever" by VF Engineering and European Auto SourceSay you already have a BMW M3 that packed serious tuning enhancements in the form of VF Engineering’s VF620 program; that doesn’t mean that your car can’t have any else done. This particular M3, re-dubbed as the "Orange Fever," was initially given the aforementioned VF620 Supercharger System, one that gave it an astounding 620 horsepower. But now that the car has logged over 70,000 miles, it’s only fitting for it to be re-tuned. Thanks to VF Engineering and European Auto Source, the Orange Fever was given an updated ECU unit, an LCI taillight conversion, and Macht Schnell Competition spacers, resulting in an increased output of 643 horsepower. Additionally, the car was given matte black carbon fiber aerodynamic panels from noted German tuner Vorsteiner that includes a carbon front bumper, trunk diffuser, and exhaust system. Last, the Orange Fever was fitted with a new set of 20" Radenergie R7 wheels. All told, the project looks spectacular, especially when you can combine the matte black finish on the aero kit with those 20’s and the re-upped engine credentials - even if it’s got some serious mileage under its hood. | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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