Mechanic Girls: BMW

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BMW M135i Concept blends turbo heart with three-door hatch shell.

And here we thought we already knew about everything BMW planned to bring to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. We were wrong. The German automaker has announced that it will debut a new M135i Concept, marking the first time it has paired a gasoline-burning engine with its new M Performance moniker. We'll get to the powertrain in a moment, but first, take note of the three-door hatchback body. Up until now, we've only seen the 2012 1 Series in five-door form, and while the M135i is officially a concept, we'd expect the production version to rock this basic shape, sans the enlarged air intakes up front and the rest of the body kit. BMW says the three-door 1 Series has "a more dynamic and elongated appearance" than its five-door sibling, pointing to details like its rising character line, frameless windows and "powerfully flared wheel arches" as unique elements. We won't argue any of that, but we're still not entirely sold on the new 1er's nostrils. Underhood lies BMW's well-known Twin Power Turbo 3.0-liter inline six that sends "more than 300" horsepower to the rear wheels. The suspension has been modified for M Performance duty, and the wheels have been upgraded to 18-inch M-branded alloys. We expect something along these lines to show up in production guise in relatively short order... at the very least for European buyers. Check out the high-res image gallery above, then click past the break to read the official press release.

News Source: BMW

New BMW X3 Tops while Range Rover Evoque Flops Consumer Reports' Tests

Just like a Rotten Tomatoes review can make or break a movie’s reputation and its box-office success, Consumer Reports’ road tests have the potential to boost a vehicle's sales or in some cases force a an automaker to run back to the drawing board.

The latest batch of vehicles tested by CR include two SUVs that even though different in size, will compete in the premium segment: the second iteration of the BMW X3 and the brand-new challenger in the category, the Range Rover Evoque.

To sum it up, the BMW X3 xDrive28i scored an 80 in CR's road test and received the “Recommended” tag, while the Range Rover Evoque managed a test score of 60 score and was placed near the bottom of its class.

“The X3 does an impressive job of combining sporty handling, a lavish interior and surprising fuel economy”, said CR’s Auto Test Center senior director David Champion. He added that it has strong acceleration, a smooth-shifting gearbox and very good brakes.

The Bavarian model also received good marks thanks to its steering, interior quality and its ability to keeps its occupants serene by isolating them from road imperfections and noise. All in all, the BMW X3 outscored every other model in its segment, bar the Audi Q5 3.2.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged Range Rover was praised for its design, impressive acceleration, braking power and six-speed auto transmission. CR also liked the finish of the interior and the full-length glass roof.

However, according to Consumer Reports, that’s where the good stuff ends. In Champion’s own words, “although the stylish Evoque has won lots of accolades in the press, including North American Truck of the Year, our more thorough testing reveals quite a few flaws.”

For starters, the Evoque is criticized for its artificial steering, choppy ride, cramped and noisy cabin and lack of visibility. CR points out that track testing also revealed flaws in its handling.

"The Evoque tackles corners well but its steering feels artificially weighted, impairing feedback. When pushed to its handling limits at our track, the tail slid out and the vehicle repeatedly lifted a wheel during our avoidance maneuver."

In the same issue, Consumer Reports awarded the “Recommended” tag to the Toyota Prius Vand the VW Tiguan, but not the Wrangler Unlimited. Jeep’s 4x4 did well in acceleration and off-roading but was panned by CR’s testers in almost everything else, from handling and braking to more trivial issues like removing the roof.

Published by: Carscoop

PHOTO GALLERY

BMW Shows Off the 1-Series Exclusive and Sport Editions

BMW has just released a pair of special editions for the 1-Series Coupe and Convertible. The Exclusive edition and Sport edition are pretty much self-explanatory, as they were designed for exclusivity and sportiness.The Sport edition features an M body kit complete with a Carbon Black metallic finish on the exterior. A sports tuned-exhaust along with tinted taillights and a gloss-black grille add to the special edition's effect.

The interior of the Sport edition comes with stainless-steel pedals along with various aluminum pieces. An M steering wheel and specially-badged floor mats and seats finish off the interior properly.The Exclusive edition features six unique color choices on the exterior (Mineral Gray is seen here in the photos). A Matte Oxide Silver finish on the side mirrors gives the car a nice contrast, as does its chrome grille. The interior features Boston leather seats, aluminum pieces and a sports steering wheel.Check out the official images released by BMW and let us know what you think of these two new special editions.

Source

BMW and Alpine 'Sinister Six' Car - Car Pictures

BMW and Alpine 'Sinister Six' Car - A BMW 645 convertible, modified by Alpine and named Sinister Six. This car is equipped with 26-inch wheels, 7 monitors and four 12″ sub woofers and seven 4″ speakers.

The car started life as an $83,000 BMW 645Ci and was transformed into one of the most amazing demo vehicles ever! This car has made it's rounds to many different shows, so those that have had the pleasure of seeing it in person can attest to its sheer brilliance.

It's hard to choose just which aspect of this car is more amazing.... The motorized entry and exit? The LCD screen taillights? The fact that it has no steering wheel, just a steering knob? The 26x13 rear wheels? I could keep going. One thing the Alpine guys did people is that this car has one of the most expensive remote start systems ever.

Since the car was so new, no bypass module was available to integrate with the factory alarm system, so the team had relocate the factory ignition switch, leave a key in it, and the use a motorized actuator to remotely turn the key in order to start the car!!

Full specification on Alpine website

BMW Sinister Six Videos:

Cool Gold Cars - Car Pictures

Cool Gold Cars - There's nothing like a cool gold car to let everyone know you're not short of cash! Featuring Gold versions from Porsche, BMW, Bugatti, Ferrari and many more...

Gold Porsche 911 turbo
This Porsche 911 turbo is also from Russia. His owner was not satisfied with the auto at the cost of $200.000 and he decided to cover it with golden plates.

Twenty kilograms of pure gold was spent on this Porsche 911 tuning. But even this seemed not enough to the owner and the famous Russian designer Denis Simachiev used Russian traditions in the design of this model having painted it with gold using Khokhloma method. The cost of this unique auto is not being told to public.