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New BMW X4 may be moving right along 
The first news surrounding an X4 model came about in 2007, but they were amplified earlier this year when other several automotive outlets reported on a future, smaller version of the BMW X6. According to our source, BMWBlog, the BMW X4 has moved from an idea to the Concept stage and will be showing its little face in 2011. The production model will be launched in early 2014 and will share its underpinnings and interior parts with the X3. Some similarities will include the engine lineup including a 2-liter diesel engine that will deliver 177 hp, a 3-liter diesel that will deliver 231 hp, and the turbo version that will deliver 300 hp. The petrol engine will start from a 2-liter four-cylinder engine that will deliver 163 hp and will go up to a 3-liter turbo engine that will deliver 306 hp. The X4 will be exclusively built at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, currently home of the production X3. Maybe the increased production facilities have something to do with the new car. Just what we needed, another cross over! US BMW X3 Pricing Announced Not long after the debut of the all-new BMW X3 in Paris, BMW has announced the suggested retail pricing for the sporty SUV. The entry level 240-horsepower X3 xDrive28i will be priced at $37,625, and arrives in dealer showrooms by the end of this year. The turbocharged, 300-horsepower X3 xDrive35i will have an MSRP of $41,925. Both prices include $875 Destination & Handling fees and feature the standard 8-speed automatic transmission along with BMW’s acclaimed xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system. The 2011 models will also have a significant increase in all round value compared to their 2010 predecessor by sporting more standard equipment, including Bluetooth connectivity, iPod/USB interface, anti-theft alarm system, and - on the X3 xDrive35i - standard BMW Xenon Adaptive Headlights. Produced exclusively at BMW’s newly upgraded Spartanburg, S.C. factory, the new X3 will be supported by a state-of-the-art ordering and manufacturing system. Customers will be able to make changes to their vehicle order up until six days prior to the start of production. 2010 BMW X3 M-Sport package
After revealing the second generation BMW X3, the German company has also decided to announce details on the new X3 equipped with an M-Sport package. This setup will be available from the second quarter of 2011, tentatively. Prices will be announced at a later date. The new BMW X3 M-Sport package will be available in a rich Carbon Black metallic paint finish and will feature powerful 19" M light-weight alloy wheels and sports suspensions. On the interior it will get an M multifunction leather steering wheel and variable sports steering, an M gear selection lever, gearshift paddles, ergonomically shaped sports seats, Pearlpoint cloth-leather upholstery, and an Anthracite BMW Individual roof liner. The M Sports package will include the side skirts, wheel arches, and front and rear aprons to match the exterior body color. An example of this is the Carbon Black metallic paint finish that is exclusive to the M Sports package. Window surrounds and roof rails have also been jazzed up by high-gloss BMW Individual Shadow Line. Updated 09/20/2010: BMW has unveiled today new images and details on the M-Sport package for the new generation X3. The package will be offered with BMW Individual roof liner in Anthracite, interior trim in Fine Brushed Aluminum, an M gear lever knob and a stainless steel inlay in the luggage compartment loading sill. Check the image gallery to see all the images. Press release after the jump. Full story TopSpeed’s Top Ten Mid-Level Crossovers
Have some cash to blow, but the wife, and/or husband, won’t let you buy a Porsche? Well, as bad as that might be, mid-range crossovers won’t solve that pain. Instead, they’ll provide a luxury driving experience with the fun factor of getting stabbed. Okay, so maybe it’s not that bad. As much as we don’t like crossovers, we do think they’re better than massive SUVs. Some can even be fun to drive now and again. For these tests we will be looking at style, image, standard equipment, interior space, and driving dynamics. Price will also be considered, but not as much as the other areas. We will have to get a price cap to keep things in the mid-level, so we’ll set it at $45,000. That should be more than enough to get the lower end luxury models from Cadillac plus the German and Japanese car companies. Hit the jump to see the list. Full story . BMW X3 M Renderings
If you’re trying to make some sense of BMW, you’re going to be at it for awhile. The German automaker has been creating cars that are a bit puzzling to the common person, like the X6 or the 5-Series GT. Yet, nothing quite says insane like the new X3 M and pretty soon, there will be a new version based on the F25 X3. When we take a closer look at the line of BMW SUVs, it makes the most sense to use the X3, rather than the X5. The small SUV only weighs 3971 pounds, far less than the much larger X5. That means that the X3 should stop, corner, and accelerate much better, not to mention it should get better fuel economy as well. In the world of the power to weight ratio, the X3 M takes the cake. Powering the newest M machine will likely be the N55 turbocharged six-cylinder. If you’ve been paying attention to the automotive world as of late, you will have realized that the N55 is the same motor that is being used for the new M3. Not to mention that motor is already being used in the X3. The motor will be attached to a six-speed automatic transmission. Once the X3 M is on the road, we would expect it to be able to hit 60 miles per hour in just five or six seconds. The motor will likely produce around 420 horsepower, which is good enough. After all, BMW can’t give the X3 M more power than the X5. The corners will be where the car outperforms its bigger rivals though. It’s lower to the ground, smaller, and will have fat tires. Some might say that this sort of machine makes no sense whatsoever. We say that BMW can make whatever they want, and a high-performance X3 sounds good to us.
First images of the 2011 BMW X3
BMW will unveil the first details on the second generation X3 tomorrow, but until then the first official images of the car have already surfaced on the Internet. The public debut will be made in September at the Paris Auto Show. The new BMW X3 will ride on an adapted four-wheel drive system from the all-new European 3-Series and will feature an additional 15 millimeters added to the wheelbase. On the exterior it will feature a more prominent grille plus new wraparound headlights. On the interior the materials will be of good quality and the instruments and switchgear will be comparable to those found on the 5-Series. The added size helps interior space and rear seat legroom by 20mm. Under the hood, the UK market will be getting four different engine types. Don’t expect the U.S market to receive the same treatment, as the two turbo-diesels will most likely stay in Europe. The gas-powered motors will be a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder that will produce 268 horsepower, while a 302 horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter will also be available. 2011 BMW X3
Today, BMW revealed the first official details of the second generation X3 prior to its debut in Paris. Let’s just hope it looks better than the old one did. Prices for the new model will be around the same as the outgoing model, as the new X3 has been completely redesigned and re-engineered. BMW hopes that the changes will help the second generation X3 sell as well as the first generation did. Chances are it will, as the BMW badge is worth its weight in gold these days. In fact, the old X3, despite being ugly as sin, has sold over 600,000 models since 2003. The pictures of the pre-production prototype show the new X3 better than ever. It appears that the new X3 will retain the two-box silhouette and the hard edged styling that graced the old X3. UPDATE 07/14/2010: BMW will reveal the 2011 X3 tomorrow, but today we have received the first leaked images thanks to a leaked brochure! Check them out after the jump! Hit the jump for the full article. Full story 2011 BMW X3 teased
If you were wondering when BMW will unveil the 2011 X3 crossover, then your wait is over. The BMW Netherlands official page unveiled the first teaser images of the future model. The new X3’s exterior design will be inspired by the CS Concept and will feature a more prominent grille plus new wraparound headlights. The X3 will also get an improved interior making it a worthy competitor for models like the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes GLK. Of course, if you want to feast your eyes on a closer look of the X3 then click here to check out the video some guy took when he just waltzed up to a camouflaged X3 over in Munich. Also, stay tuned for more details! Video: A walk-through around a camouflaged 2011 BMW X3What’s the point of camouflaging a prototype if someone can just waltz in with a video camera and spend a good two-and-a-half minutes video taping the car from every conceivable angle? If you’ve seen this spy video taken of the 2011 BMW X3, then it’s a pretty fair question to ask. Shot somewhere near BMW’s headquarters in Munich, the video is pretty much a walk-through of the facelifted X3, except that it comes with a swirly paint exterior. The X3’s refreshed approach lends itself to a more aggressive front end that makes use of a three-section bumper with an integrated splitter. You’ll also notice that the 2011 X3’s front end is a little rounder than its predecessor and has more of a pug-nosed look to it. Overall, the changes do make for a refreshed-looking X3, which, we can imagine, is what BMW was going for in the first place. Check out the video and see it for yourself.
Camouflaged BMW X3 mistaken for car bomb in New York City museum
You know paranoia over potential bomb scares are at an all-time high in New York when a camouflaged BMW X3 was mistaken by frightened New Yorkers for a car bomb after the SUV was left running just outside the Museum of Natural History. What these seemingly clueless New Yorkers failed to realize was that the SUV was merely a prototype of the new X3, which was being taken for a quick test drive along Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Nonetheless, the paranoid New Yorkers decided to alert the NYPD of the supposed ’car bomb’, who then decided to shut down Central Park West to investigate the vehicle. After careful investigation, which included talking to BMW Executive Martin Birkmann, who promptly informed them that the camouflaged X3 was his and he mistakenly (silly, silly man) left the engine running just outside the Museum of Natural History, the NYPD determined that there was no imminent threat to the new X3. While we can’t fault those who thought the X3 was a car bomb given all the bomb scares happening around the city lately, we figured that they would have at least known what a test car looks like, even if it’s covered in a considerable amount of camouflage. | BMW X3 latest reviews:
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