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BMW Vision Gran Turismo takes M235i Racing to the virtual extreme [w/videos]

Late last year, Mercedes-AMG worked up a concept car called the Vision Gran Turismo. It presented it at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but that wasn't the point: the point was that it would feature in Gran Turismo 6 on the PlayStation 3. It wasn't the first concept created specifically for the popular driving simulator - following similar projects by Citroën and Red Bull Racing - and as we reported just a month later, it wouldn't be the last. What we have here is the next.
Looking like an even more extreme version of the M235i Racing, the BMW Vision Gran Turismo concept builds on "the tradition of the successful BMW touring cars of the 1970s" in a heart-pumping, if unfortunately strictly virtual form. It's got more extreme aero than the aforementioned M235i Racing and a striking take on the M division's signature light blue, dark blue and red stripe over white livery.
Underneath the digital bonnet sits the same 3.0-liter inline six as the M235i, but pumping out a prodigious (if theoretical) 549 horsepower - far more than the 333 hp in the actual Racing version or the 320 hp in the roadgoing model. Of course BMW has given it an ideal 50:50 front-rear weight distribution and a curb weight of 2,600 lbs - nearly a thousand pounds less than the roadgoing M235i.

BMW says yes to 1 Series M successor, no to M6 Gran Coupe with xDrive

If you're anything like us, the first half of that headline made you smile. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe was, without a doubt, one of our favorite cars from the past few years, and according to a BMW Blog interview, Dr. Friedrich Nitschke, head of the company's M division, has confirmed that a successor is in the works.
"We haven't made a decision yet, but the 1M coupe was so successful, that in my opinion, I am absolutely sure we will build a successor," Nitschke told BMW Blog. Currently, BMW only offers the M135i version of the new 1 Series hatch in Europe, which Nitschke says is "not a pure M car."
Moving elsewhere in the M range, BMW Blog asked about the M6 Gran Coupe that recently debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show. The obvious competitors for this car will be higher-power versions of the Porsche Panamera and Audi RS7, but while both of those offer all-wheel drive, the M6 only sends power to its rear wheels.

BMW offers M Performance Power Kit for 2012 335i sedan

BMW has let loose a new M Performance Power Kit for its F30-generation 335i and 335i xDrive sedans. Starting at $1,100 for the kit - installation is extra - your car will be fitted with a new ECU and air intake on the functional side and an M Performance engine cover and rocker panel stickers on the decorative side. The Power Kit raises the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder's horsepower rating from 300 to 320, and on automatic models, torque gets a boost from 300 pound-feet to 332 lb-ft - manual transmission models get a smaller bump to 317 lb-ft.
According to the Bavarian automaker, you'll be able to hear the change in the overrun exhaust note, and 0-60 mile-per-hour times drop by 0.2 seconds. The package is available now at all BMW Centers in the US, and if you get it installed when you purchase the car new, it will get the same four-year, 50,000-mile warranty as the vehicle. Have it done after the fact and the kit will be warranted for two years and unlimited miles. There's a press release below with some more details.