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Audi S3 pitted against BMW M135i in track battle

Audi and BMW have long been enemies on both the road and the track, with their respective M and S/RS lines duking it out to the delight of auto enthusiasts everywhere. In this video from Evo, two of the rivalry's newest combatants take to the track - the Audi S3 and the BMW M135i.
The new Audi S3, which is finally coming to America, throws down with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. 290 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque are deployed to a Quattro all-wheel-drive system via a six-speed, S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission, allowing the five-door Audi to scamper to 60 in under five seconds.
The BMW, which Americans will know as a long-roof version of the new M235i Coupe, comes to the track with 320 ponies and 331 lb-ft of torque. That's a good bit more than the Audi, but the M135i has only two wheels to send its power to, an eight-speed single-clutch automatic (a six-speed manual is available) and a slightly higher curb weight.

China’s Great Wall looking to partner with BMW to sell cars in the West

The Chinese automaker Great Wall seems to have moved on from courting Fiat Chrysler. According to Reuters, the company announced in a stock exchange filing that it's looking to collaborate with BMW's Mini brand in some way. Reuters also reports that BMW is open to discussion. We reached out to a BMW representative, and he provided us with an official statement regarding the news. The company didn't specifically say it is talking with Great Wall. What it did say is that it has had success with its current partnership with another Chinese automaker Brilliance, but also that the company is interested in expanding the Mini brand worldwide and in China. The statement says that Mini's future strategy and expansion will include "diversification of partnerships and new cooperation models." It also said that expanding in China "is only possible with a local partner." That sounds to us like BMW is pretty interested in working with Great Wall. This move comes about a month and a half after Great Wall attempted to purchase parts of Fiat Chrysler. The company was reported to be talking to FCA to purchase the Jeep brand, and it later confirmed that it was interested in that brand, a few, or the whole company. But things seemed to fall apart when Fiat Chrysler's CEO Sergio Marchionne announced it hadn't received any offers and wasn't working on any kind of deal with another company. Now it may seem a little odd that Great Wall would shift from trying to buy an SUV brand, or a company that is beginning to concentrate on crossovers and trucks, to one that specializes in compact cars. After all, they're fairly different segments. Our theory is that Great Wall isn't necessarily interested in the specific products, but more that it's looking for a gateway to Western car markets. It's not something new for the company. As far back as 2013, the company made it clear it was looking to start selling cars in America. It also started looking into a manufacturing facility in Mexico earlier this year, which would supposedly supply vehicles to both Mexico and the U.S. Now when Great Wall announced its American sales intentions, it was targeting a date of 2015. That obviously didn't happen, and it probably has something to do with the company's products. Most of the cars under the Great Wall and Haval brands bear an uncanny appearance to discontinued models from other companies that compete in the West.

Buy this Munro report, get a free BMW i3

Here's an offer we've never heard of: if you buy the Master- or OEM-level version of a detailed production and cost report on the BMW i3, the engineering firm that produced the report will give you a 'free' i3. Munro & Associates is the company behind the study and the offer, its comprehensive breakdown of the production realities involved in the i3 including a video of the disassembly process of the range-extended hybrid and a detailed analysis of every part therein - everything from fuse boxes to crossbar beams, headlights and the battery pack. You've only got a day to take advantage, though - the report has to be purchased by the time CEO Sandy Munro gives his talk, "Deconstructing the BMW I3: Groundbreaking Technology and the Composite Car," in Detroit Wednesday morning. The price of said report? That's "TBD," so head to the Munro site if you're tempted by the idea of a new car that comes with a trunk full of paperwork. We just hope they're not selling the i3 that they tear down. The press release below has more information. Munro to Give Away 2014 BMW i3 with Every Purchase of the Consulting Firm's Master Teardown Report When Purchased at Two Upcoming Detroit Events DETROIT, Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Visitors to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) during Preview Week often go home with a lot of swag and trinkets, but how about a $50,000 BMW i3? This year, a local engineering firm, Munro & Associates, is giving away a BMW i3 electric car with every purchase of the Master-/OEM-level version of its benchmarking study of this unique vehicle when purchased during NAIAS or the Plastics in Automotive Conference. The study, the most extensive of its kind, details the production and costs of every system in this carbon-fiber electric vehicle, which CEO Sandy Munro calls the most advanced vehicle on the planet. WHO: Munro & Associates, the global leader in manufacturing, costing and benchmarking. Using its proprietary advanced design, quality and costing software, Munro developed comprehensive reports on key vehicle systems and – for the first time – will offer the reports for general distribution. WHAT: A FREE 2014 BMW i3 for anyone who purchases the Master-/OEM-level report during Preview Week of NAIAS or during Sandy Munro's presentation at the Plastics in Automotive Conference.