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Here is a sports car that doesn't look like a sports car. It has too many seats, and one body style has too many doors. It has a usable trunk. You could drive it to Kansas in complete comfort. And yet the 2011 BMW M3 has a 414-horsepower V8. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. It stops from 60 so quickly your eyes may find themselves on an outbound journey from their sockets, and it sticks in corners with the tenacity of super glue. The M3 truly is the sports car for people who still need the practicality (and/or anonymity) of a regular old sedan, coupe or convertible.

Of course this wolf in sheep's clothing nature is not new to the M3, which has been kicking other sports cars in the teeth since the 1980s. The car's free-revving engines have always been a big part of that, and this latest M3 is the first (and likely the last) to feature a normally aspirated V8. Essentially the M5's V10 with two cylinders removed, this manic 4.0-liter eight-cylinder sings a glorious wail at full throttle all the way up to its sky-high redline of 8,400 rpm.

The M3 story isn't all about the engine, though. The ultimate "ultimate driving machine" must go around corners, and the M3's brilliantly balanced and capable chassis gets the job done. There's a level of communication and involvement with the M3 that makes you feel in complete control, and it's one that's increasingly being lost in the new world of electric power steering and selectable driver settings.

Indeed, the 2011 BMW M3 still stands as the most well-rounded choice in the hyper performance luxury car class. Audi offers the same body style choices, but its S4 and S5 trade some all-out performance for better civility, though the new RS5 should be a better match. Cadillac's CTS-V (now as a coupe and wagon, too) will outrun the M3 in a straight line but isn't as agile around corners. The story is similar with the sedan-only Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Really, you can't go wrong with any of them. But if you really want a sports car that doesn't look like one, the M3 is the only game in town.

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BMW's new strategy: Electric everything

Mon, Sep 12 2016

Mercedes isn't the only car maker determined to beat Tesla before it gets huge. Sources speaking to German business daily Handelsblatt claim that BMW is in the midst of planning an executive shuffle that will also include a big shift in its electric vehicle strategy. While the company would still offer ground-up EV designs like the i3, the new strategy would greenlight electric versions of some of BMW's most important vehicles, including the 3-series sedan, X4 crossover, and iconic Mini. If the leak is accurate, management is likely to approve the change at the end of September. We've asked BMW for its take on the report, although it declined to comment to Handelsblatt. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Munich crew change tack, though. While Tesla has received hundreds of thousands of Model 3 pre-orders, i3 sales dropped in 2016 – the upscale (if oddly-shaped) EV just isn't as hot as it once was. If BMW electrifies some of its most popular cars, you wouldn't have to choose between a super-efficient, eco-friendly EV and the familiar designs of the brand's mainstream driving machines.The story originally appeared on Engadget, your guide to this connected life.Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Vision Next 100 Concept View 38 Photos Green BMW MINI Electric Hybrid engadget

BMW raises pricing on many models

Wed, 02 Oct 2013

Buyers interested in a new BMW will start paying a bit more for their Ultimate Driving Machines, beginning yesterday. The Munich, Germany-based manufacturer has announced price hikes across nearly its entire range, covering model years 2013 and 2014, that will sting higher-end customers in particular.
Price increases are enough to get any consumer riled up, but the incremental nature of BMW's increase makes it a bit easier to swallow. All 1 Series and remaining 3 Series Convertibles (including the M3 Convertible) will see a $300 increase in price. All current-generation F30 3 Series, 5 Series GT and X3 crossovers will get their price bumped by $200. $500 increases are coming for the 6 Series range (not including the M6), while the diminutive X1 gets just a $100 increase.
Cars on the losing end of the price hikes include the newest M cars, the M5 and M6 Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe, which are being bumped $2,000. BMW is adding $1,000 to the sticker of all Z4s and the entire X6 range, including the X6M.

BMW i8 with 500+ horsepower in the cards?

Wed, 22 Oct 2014

While BMW makes plenty of machinery to keep enthusiasts interested, its most enticing models are often based on more ordinary ones. That's what made the arrival of the i8 so captivating, emerging as the first stand-alone BMW sports coupe since the M1. But if its dual purpose - trying its best to both embrace the earth and traverse it rapidly - somehow left you disappointed, the next development could prove to fix that.
According to Automobile, BMW is working on a more potent i8S model. The hardcore version of the hybrid sports car would offer more power and a stiffened chassis to make it that much more aggressive. The Bavarian automaker is reportedly still evaluating two potential powertrain options: The first would pair a 2.0-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder good for 320 horsepower to an electric motor with another 204 hp. The second would use a 3.0-liter straight six with 480 hp and an electric motor with 109 hp. Both would be mated to a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission and an integrated starter motor packing an extra 27 hp.
Either way, we'd be looking at a combined output well in excess of 500 horsepower - far more than the existing i8's 228-hp turbo three and 129-hp electric motor - dropping the 0-62 time down from 4.1 seconds to an estimated 3.5. Couple that to a more advanced carbon chassis, wider tires and other goodies, and the i8 would be transformed into a far more capable performance machine than it already is.

2011 Bmw M3 Base Convertible 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

BMW M3 for Sale