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Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision

It was just nine months ago that Strategic Vision announced its 2011 Total Value Awards, but you don't have to wait until next year for the 2012 awards. The Volkswagen Group keeps its lead as the number one brand, with seven products taking top category spots: Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos and Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. Strategic Vision says "true innovation" - "rich and impactful, intuitive, motivational, in-depth and is able to trigger description by the user in great specificity" - is the open secret of the brands with the strongest showings. Results are culled from 77,153 owners covering more than 350 new cars bought between September of 2011 and 2012 ranked in the Total Value Index (TVI).
Other notable winners are Hyundai-Kia following VW in the brand category and having the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento among category winners, the BMW Z4 taking the premium roadster category and the highest overall score of any vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt continuing to gather silverware in the Special Category, nabbing the second-highest score of all and representative of "nearly perfect innovation," and Chrysler and Dodge being most improved.
Check out the press release below for your day's dose of jargon and all the winners.

AC Schnitzer ACS4 Sport packs 510 hp under a subdued carbon fiber bodykit

One of the interesting things about the Geneva Motor Show is the breadth of the European auto industry that it covers. Beyond just the stands from major manufacturers and boutique marques, the event also hosts the regions top tuners. Among them this year are the BMW specialists AC Schnitzer, with myriad upgrades for the M4. By the time the company is done, the coupe gets renamed the ACS4 Sport. The M4 is already a potent machine with its 431-horsepower, turbocharged inline-six, but for customers willing to spend the money, more performance is always possible. AC Schnitzer's engine upgrade takes power up to 510 hp and 476 pound-feet of torque, and buyers can also add a new exhaust with carbon-fiber-surrounded tail pipes barely protruding from the rear. The company offers two suspension kits, as well. The first lowers the BMW by 1.0-1.2 inches in front and 0.4-0.6 inches in the rear. However, for drivers who really want to scrape the ground, an adjustable racing option drops the front by 1.2-1.6 inches and the back by 1.2 inches. Of course, AC Schnitzer's buyers also want to show off their cars' added performance, and the company is ready with a host of carbon fiber pieces. Up front, there's a new front spoiler, splitter and side flicks, and the rear is available with a diffuser, roof spoiler and fixed rear wing. A wide variety of wheels finish off the sporty look, including the brand's AC1 BiColor twin-spoke design offered in forged or standard versions. Get a full look at the German tuners fairly tasteful upgrades in our gallery from the show floor, above. ?"Man, Machine & More" – The M4 by AC Schnitzer Aachen-based tuning experts open new dimensions in the field of Motorsport power Man, machine & more - The tuning experts at AC Schnitzer have given the BMW M4 with Motorsport power a further kick of energy. Once again, the Aachen-based tuning specialists have shown that there's no upper limit to power and sporting performance. To build up the muscle power of the BMW M4, AC Schnitzer has provided a performance upgrade containing of an additional control unit which increases the performance from 431 to 510 hp, and from 550 to 645 Nm. Scope of delivery of every AC Schnitzer performance upgrade includes always a two years guarantee which can be upgraded up to three years. After a visit to the Aachen workshops, the powerful energy combustion developed with the AC Schnitzer "Efficient Performance" know-how is also revealed in the exhaust of the M4.

Ring Taxi BMW M3 chases an Aventador SV and Cayman GT4

On paper, a BMW M3 that's loaded with three passengers probably shouldn't have a chance at keeping up around a track with a Porsche Cayman GT4 and a Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce. In the real world, driver skill and track knowledge can make all the difference, though. And when the M3 is a Nurburgring Taxi with a driver that knows the course incredibly well, we end up getting a fantastic lap like this one. The 'Ring Taxi driver starts by teasing his passengers that they'll see whether the Lambo is fast. Before the two of them get on track, the GT4 cuts in to join the party. What follows is a fascinating lap of the Nordschleife. It's impressive how the BMW driver's skill allows him to keep up with the two other cars and blow past tons of other traffic. During faster sections, the Porsche and Aventador start to pull away, but as soon as the course gets curvy again, the M3 is right back in the action. As the group pulls back into the parking lot, even the Ring Taxi driver sounds impressed with his performance. See the impressive show in the video above. Related Video: