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BMW issues recall for 2012 3-Series due to faulty head restraints
  With Ferrari recently issuing separate recalls for both the 458 Italia and California, we are saddened to bring you more news about another well-known firm issuing recalls on one of its newest models, and it’s none other than the folks over at BMW. In a press release issued on April 19, 2012, BMW outlines that 7,600 units of the 2012 3-series are being recalled as “they have front seat head restraints that exceed the downward movement limit of 25mm in the highest position” outlined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fortunately, this recall will only impact North American vehicles rather than cars being impacted across the globe. Cars affected were produced between October 18, 2011 and March 18, 2012 and BMW will notify all owners who have cars produced in that time period, and of course all repairs will be conducted free of charge. BMW only discovered this fault in late April while the 2012 3-series has been in production for well over 6 months and the German brand could have saved itself a lot of trouble by thoroughly checking over all prototypes before entering any world markets. Nevertheless, recalls seem to be a part of the automotive industry and they just go to show how restrictions vary from country to country and they also show just how difficult it is to enter a variety of markets, something Pagani knows all too well. Rumormill: BMW and Hyundai Joining Forces
 Just over 10 years ago, Hyundai was still pretty much the black sheep of the automotive industry. Despite the fact that the Hyundai Excel of the 1980s won several awards, Hyundai’s quality was still considered low and very few took them seriously. In the past 10 years, Hyundai has managed to dig itself out of the grave that it placed itself in and is now a legitimate competitor to import giants like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. Regardless of the brand’s recent resurgence, no one would ever suspect that the words “BMW” and “Hyundai” would ever be used in the same sentence, except in the case of someone saying “I can’t afford a BMW, but this Hyundai will do.” Well, that was until just now… There are rumors being passed around the automotive world that Hyundai and BMW have been seen courting one another rather intensely, as reports indicate that Chung Euisun, the son of Hyundai’s chairman, and BMW brass were discussing sharing engine development costs. These types of development sharing partnerships are not uncommon. Currently, we have Audi sharing its cost with VW, Toyota and Subaru joined up for the BRZ/GT 86/FR-S project, and in the past we have seen Ford and Mazda joining forces. However, those collaborations are all pretty much linear, as they are all on the same level with each other. With exception to the top-level Genesis sedan and Equus, Hyundai couldn’t be much more non-linear with BMW. In fact, Hyundai is pretty much the anti-BMW. In reality though, Hyundai does build quality engines now and they still remain significantly cheaper than BMWs. With CAFE regulations becoming more of a reality every day, BMW needs to find a way to increase its vehicles’ fuel mileage without sharply increasing cost. Sharing some developmental cost with a company that produces quality and economically friendly engines just might do the trick. As expected, both companies have adamantly denied any discussions of collaborating, but that means nothing in this day and age. Nearly every car company denies everything until they decide to officially release it. We’ll keep you updated on this situation as more info comes out. Image is of the 3.8-liter Lambda engine with direct injection (GDI) technology found in the 2012 Hyundai Genesis.
BMW works on sportier Z4 replacement
 In the past few years, the BMW Z4 has been nearly forgotten. Practically no changes have been made to the sports car since the second generation was unveiled in December 2008, except for the addition of a new four-cylinder engine for the 2012 model year. Now, well-placed company insiders have confirmed that BMW is working on a replacement for the Z4 and that it will be launched in 2015. The new Z4 will be more agile and sportier, but the exterior changes will be "relatively modest in order to avoid alienating fans of the current sports car." BMW plans to make the current hood a little shorter because they feel it inhibits fast driving. However, it is not very sure how short the new hood will be because customers are pretty excited about this feature, especially here on the US market. The next Z4 will also carry the current four-cylinder N20 engines because they are lighter and offer a more favorable weight distribution.
2012 Project Visio.M MUTE Concept
It’s not the most fashionable or most powerful concept vehicle BMW has been involved with, but as far as significance is concerned, it just might be one of the most meaningful car projects that they’ve been a part of. The concept vehicle is called the Visio.M MUTE, a prototype vehicle developed by Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) that now has the involvement of partners from the German auto industry, spearheaded by BMW. The concept is being pegged as a vehicle for the future, one that is being developed to determine the feasibility of developing an efficient, mass-market electric vehicle that ensures the same level of safety and affordability as the combustion vehicles of today. The project recently received €10.8 million ($14.1 million at the current rates) in funding from the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). The Visio.M MUTE is the prototype model that will play a critical role in determining how it can handle new technologies in logistics, crash safety, propulsion, and energy storage for a future, mass-produced vehicle. As it currently stands, the car only carries and output of 20 horsepower and weighs only 400 kg without batteries. It certainly won’t break any speed records anytime soon, but in terms of significance, the Visio.M MUTE could be one of the most important concept vehicles to come out in recent years.
2013 BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe
The most awaited BMW of the time its finally out! As a response to models like the Mercedes CLS-Class and the Porsche Panamera, BMW has launched the 6-Series Gran Coupe - a production version of the Gran Coupe concept unveiled at the beginning of 2010. On the US market, the new 6-Series Gran Coupe will be offered in a 640i version first, but a 650i and a 650i xDrive version will join the line-up later in the summer of 2012. The new Gran Coupe will be immediately recognized as a 6-Series, but adding a unique combination of top-class sporting dynamics, stunning design, and luxurious touring comfort. However, compared to a standard 6-Series coupe, the new Gran Coupe version was built on a wheelbase that is 4.5 inches longer and its distinctive profile is dominated by its four-door, elegantly stretched roof line. The 640i - the first to be offered on the US market - is powered by a TwinPower turbo 6-cylinder engine with an output of 315 HP at 5,800 to 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 330 lbs-ft delivered between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm. The model will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds and will hit a top speed of 155 mph. UPDATE 12/12/2011: After making its official debut during the week-end, BMW is now offering an online configurator for the new 6-Series Gran Coupe. This will give you the chance to play a bit with the car’s exterior colors, list of wheels, interior colors, but also to add the options from the M-Sport package. Enjoy! UPDATE 05/07/2012: Here are 100 new high res images for the 6-Series Grand Coupe, plus a new video showing the car in action. Enjoy! Hit the jump to read more about the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe. Full story 2013 BMW X1
The US market will finally get the smallest version in the X-Series line-up and it’s about time considering the Europeans have already been enjoying it for about three years. The 2013 X1 will be making its world debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show and will go on sale in Fall 2012 starting at a starting price of $31,545. For comparison, the X3 is currently the smallest X model on the US market and it is priced at $37,100. The new 2013 BMW X1 will be offered in three trim levels: X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, and the X1 xDrive35i. The first two levels will be powered by a 240 hp 4-cylinder engine, while the top version will get a 300 HP 6-cylinder inline engine. Both engines will be combined with an automatic gearbox and extensive BMW EfficientDynamics technology. Compared to the previous model, the 2013 X1 has received some minor design upgrades at the front and rear of the vehicle, while the interior has received new colors and trims. UPDATE 04/03/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and specs for the 2013 BMW X1. UPDATE 05/03/2012: Today we have added about 100 new high res images to the BMW X1 picture gallery. Enjoy! Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 BMW X1. Full story 2012 BMW 1M Coupe by Vorsteiner
BMW has already stopped taking orders for the 1-Series M Coupe, but the car is still enjoying lots of attention from tuners. In fact, despite the fact we believe the cars needs no updates, there were tons of tuners who didn’t agreed with us and they have find one, or more solutions to improve the sports coupe. The latest program comes from Vorsteiner who announced a pretty impressive tuning kit will be unveiled on May 19th at Bimmerfest 2012 in Pasadena, CA. All the tuner unveiled until now are some images of the parts of the exterior upgrade package, but because we are talking about Vorsteiner we are expecting great things. The package will include a new carbon fiber front spoiler with integrated brake duct system, the rear diffuser has been replaced with extended aero fins and signature GTS-V designed splitters, also made in carbon fiber. The tuner is also offering a lightweight boot lid replacement weighing 11.5 lbs. with integrated wing profile element in carbon fiber and a new titanium exhaust system. The car sits on a new set of 19 and 20 inch forged concave wheels. This is pretty much all we know about this package until now, but we will keep you post it! BMW considers 7-series M Performance
 People have been talking about a possible BMW M7 for quite some time, and now in an interview with Car And Driver, Friedrich Nitschke, President of BMW’s M division has confirmed that the company is indeed considering a competitor for models like the Audi S8 and the Mercedes S63 AMG. However, he did not refer to it as the M7; instead he used the name "M Performance 7-Series." This means the M7 hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but the M Performance model will be close enough to the real thing to gauge reaction. The future model will surely receive the same treatment as all the models unveiled in the past few months by BMW M Performance. These changes will include new front and rear aprons with large air intakes, a bespoke rear apron, a new exhaust system with a trapezoidal shape, and a new set of 20" M light-alloy wheels. If built, the new 7-series M Performance will be unveiled sometime in 2013. 2011 BMW M3 by ATT-TEC
Rastatt, Germany is, by most accounts, a place you wouldn’t be able to point on a map even if you’re life depended on it, but that doesn’t mean the town is a mere afterthought. On the contrary, it’s the home of German tuner ATT-TEC, a tuning company that specializes in wicked programs for BMWs. Their latest project is for the BMW M3 E93 Convertible. Comprised of a complete aerodynamic and performance upgrade, ATT-TEC went to great lengths to give the M3 some serious looking edge. Aesthetically, the tuner gave the sports car a matte black wrapping foil to go with new carbon fiber components, particularly on the hood, the grille, mirrors, and side gills. Then, they fitted the M3 with a new set of 20" one-piece forged ADV.1 rims wrapped in 245/30R20 (front) and 295/20R20 (rear) Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tires. Finally, ATT-TEC gave the car a KW Variant 3 inox-line coilover kit, which is adjustable for ride height, rebound, and damping. Moving on to the engine, ATT-TEC fitted an SK I “Sporty Drive” supercharger system from G-Power to the M3’s 4.0-liter V8 engine, before reprogramming its ECU unit and adding a new stainless steel exhaust. The result of all the engine tweaking is a car that now carries an output of 520 horsepower, a 100-horsepower increase from the stock model’s 420-horsepower output. As far as prices go, the aesthetic modifications cost €2,600 ($3,400) while the complete wheel-and-tire set hits €7,150 ($9,400) with the coil over kit costing €1,929 ($2,500). From there, the supercharger system will cost you €12,740 ($16,800) with the stainless steel exhaust setting you back another €1,595 ($2,100). Basically, customers are going to have to REALLY want to upgrade their M3 to dish out all of this cash.
2004 BMW M3 E46 by G-Power
The BMW M3 E46 is a car that’s already past its production date, but for a tuning company like G-Power, "out-dated" isn’t a word that can stop them from building one of their customary - and impressive - tuning programs. In order to give this M3 E46 something to brag to about, G-Power decided that the only way to do so was to make it more powerful than the current M3, the E92. Powered by a 3.2-liter straight cylinder engine that produces 343 horsepower and 269 lb/ft of torque, G-Power fitted a new SK I "SPORTY DRIVE" supercharger system to the car’s engine, resulting in an increased output of 450 horsepower and 339 lb/ft of torque. In addition to the supercharger system, G-Power also fitted the M3 E46 with a new set of 20" Silverstone Diamond wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Tires while also adding a new coilover suspension, a stainless steel muffler, and high performance brakes. With all the modifications in tow, the G-Power-tuned M3 E46 is now capable of hitting 0-124 mph in just 14.7 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 186 mph. By comparison, the current M3 - called the E92 - comes with a 4.0-liter, M V8 engine that delivers 414 horsepower. In their mission to set-up the M3 E46 to be faster and more powerful than the current generation model, G-Power accomplished all that and more.
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