2004 Bmw M3 on 2040-cars

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30th Anniversary BMW M5 information leaks out

BMW hasn't kept its 30th Anniversary M5 a very big secret. It even hinted that "a surprise" was coming while celebrating its Autobahn-storming sedan's 30th birthday. However, what exactly was on the way has been a mystery... until now. The folks over at Bimmerpost have found some leaked details about the new model, and it's definitely more than just some badges special paint.
The biggest upgrade for the M5 is that power allegedly increases to 592 horsepower (600PS) and 516 pound-feet of torque (700 Newton-meters). That is a 32-hp and 14-lb-ft increase over the standard M5 and 17 ponies more than models with the Competition Package. The forum claims that all of the cars come with a dual-clutch gearbox, even in the US.
Styling also sees an upgrade with BMW Individual Frozen Dark Silver Metallic exterior paint, special 20-inch wheels, dark chrome trim and 30th Anniversary badges. The interior mixes Merino leather and Alcantara upholstery with dark aluminum trim and more celebratory badges.

Auto execs surveyed say VW, BMW most likely to grow

A new survey of top global automotive executives indicates both Volkswagen and BMW are the most likely to grow their market share over the next five years.
Tax advisory firm KPMG LLP has released its 14th annual Global Automotive Executive Survey, which includes responses from over 200 executives. A total of 81 percent of respondents said they expect to see Volkswagen make gains, compared to 70 percent last year. BMW, meanwhile, saw 70 percent of those surveyed say they believe the company will increase its market share. That's a jump of 7 percentage points over last year. This is the first time in the history of the survey that BMW has claimed the second-place spot.
Meanwhile, Hyundai has seen its perceived market share potential slacken for the third year in a row. Around 61 percent of those surveyed predicted gains for Hyundai, down from 63 in 2012. Toyota also has a surprising year, but for just the opposite reason. While the manufacturer had slipped in ranking since 2011, it enjoyed the largest increase of any company in the 2013 survey, jumping to 68 percent from 44 percent last year.

BMW M3 driving off cliff is a chilling PSA

We're a little shocked that the unnamed owner of this cliff-diving E46 BMW M3 would upload the in-car footage of his accident to YouTube. Not only that, he uploaded two videos: raw footage of his roll down the cliff (it looks like somewhere in the Southwest, maybe Arizona) and a tribute video for his BMW that suffered the most severe consequences of understeer. Not only does uploading the videos leave him wide open for judgment by fellow enthusiasts (just read the YouTube comments), but we imagine if the police and his insurance company somehow don't know about the incident already, they will shortly. Scroll below to view for yourself.
The raw footage shows the sort of driving that led to the M3's violent tumble, and it serves as a good public service announcement reminder for everyone out there: Just like the Spengler's streams, double yellow lines aren't meant to be crossed. Also, hard driving is one thing, but hammering on public roads at speeds clearly above your skill levels as a driver is not only a recipe for legal trouble, it's a script for ruining your car at the very least, if not your life.