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BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo gets leaked well ahead of Geneva reveal

The great power of the internet has allowed us to get an early first look at the all-new BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, a car that is slated to be shown in full at the Geneva Motor Show next month, albeit without many details to go on right now. With pictures leaking out this early in the game, we'd expect that you won't have to wait until March to get the full lowdown, however.
Our first look at the 3er GT reveals a car that is, to our eyes, a tidier piece of design work than its 5 Series GT brother. The long-backside proportions are still a bit ungainly, at least from these images, but they're helped tremendously with the larger wheel/tire package and more aggressive fascia of the sport package.
Expect the 3 Series GT to hit the ground running, with the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 3.0-liter inline-six found in the standard 3 Series sedan. BMW's popular xDrive all-wheel-drive system is a virtual lock for the option sheet, too.

BMW will electrify all brands and model lines, including Mini

BMW has announced that it plans to produce a fully electric version of the three-door hatchback Mini. The car will go into production in 2019, and the battery electric drivetrain will be produced at BMW's Bavarian facilities, then transported to Plant Oxford where it will join the cars. BMW says there will remain a diesel variant in addition to the petrol, plug-in hybrid, and EV versions of the Mini. No prototype shots have been released of the upcoming cars; the current one was unveiled in late 2013. The UK production location isn't the only place where BMW builds Minis, as the former Volvo/Mitsubishi/Smart NedCar plant in the Netherlands has been tooled to build some of the 360,000 Minis built yearly. According to the BBC, UK Business Secretary Greg Clark considers the choice to build EV Minis in Britain a "vote of confidence" despite Brexit, and that it would see battery technology development boosted in the UK. By the time the EV version starts production, UK will likely have already left the European Union. The electrification of the Mini is part of BMW Group's continuing addition of full-electric or plug-in versions to all its brands and model series. Of all the vehicles it will sell in 2025, 15-25 percent will be electrified in one way or the other. Similarly to Volvo, BMW sees flexible production to be in a key position in the future: The facilities would have to be able to build all versions at the same time, as markets fluctuate depending on incentives and infrastructure. If EVs sell strongly, the production process can quickly respond to the demand. An electric Mini underwent trials back in 2008, so the full-scale production vehicle would have over a decade's worth of engineering behind it. Green BMW MINI mini ev bmw group

BMW details cheaper, sub-M performance cars for young 'brand ambassadors'

BMW's M cars are undoubtedly some of the best sport sedans in the world. Unfortunately, their prices put them out of the reach of a huge segment of buyers, many of them young. However, that might change in the near future as BMW launches its M Performance Automobiles performance sub-brand, positioned between its standard cars and the full M models.
Traditionally, M car buyers have been male and in their early-40s, according to Oliver Ganser, product strategy manager for BMW North America, speaking to Automotive News. However with MPA, BMW hopes to find even younger buyers "who will be brand ambassadors and appeal to the real enthusiasts that we have," he said. These new MPA models will see a mild boost in power and handling from off-the-shelf parts, instead of the unique engines and cutting-edge tech from their bigger M brothers.
The M Performance Automobiles line was launched last March at the Geneva Motor Show with high-performance diesel models of the 5 Series, X5 and X6. The first of the MPA models coming Stateside, the M235i, launches in March. We liked it when we drove it in January, but the $44,000 base price is still a bit steep. If it proves to be a success, we will see more of them, and if not, then it'll go down as another failed experiment, like the 318ti hatchback.