Cadillac ATS Learns How It’s Done From BMW 3-Series

If imitation is one of the most sincerest forms of flattery then GM is sending a pretty big tip of the hat to BMW and the 3-series.

The newest member of the Cadillac family, the ATS, is apparently going to be a very familiar driving experience to the 3-series as Cadillac has supposedly bought various iterations of the 3-series and has stripped them down to the chasis to learn about how BMW makes the 3-series the benchmark in the sport sedan segment. Cadillac will then study, mimick and incorporate what they learned into the ATS. Sounds like they’re pretty serious about making a legitimate condender.

With that said, even if ATS succeeds at offering the driving experience of  a 3-series, it will be outdated from the get-go. BMW is very close to completing the next generation 3-series which will undoubtedly set the bar even higher. The new 3-series is expected to debut late this year. Same goes for the ATS.

I’m curious as to what Cadillac’s slogan will be for the ATS. Something like “Just as good as an older 3-series” just doesn’t seem to work that well, does it. In any event, even if the ATS is based on a previous generation 3-series, that still means it should perform very well. And with Cadillac’s typical pricing advantage over the Germans, it will position as a tasty alternative to 3-series, A4 and G37 loyalists.

[Autoblog]

Next Generation BMW 3-Series Strips Off More Camo

BMW is getting closer and closer to revealing the production version of the next generation BMW 3-series. For the first time, BMW’s best selling model has been snapped without any camo whatsoever. Despite the irritating swirly plastic wrap, this helps us to get a general sense of the lines and the shape.

The new 3-series seems to have a  rather shapely front hood along with squared off halos which we first saw on the new 6-series. This would suggest that BMW may be departing slightly from it’s rounded signature halo rings. However, it is a bit hard to tell with that swirly wrap. It’s possible that the halo’s will still be rounded. Whatever the shape, expect them to be LED’s on higher trim models. The tail lights will also be LED’s and will resemble pretty much every sedan in the line up. In fact they seem to have a striking resemblance to the tail lights of the new 5-series.

There’s no details on power plants just yet, but as BMW has already confirmed, there will be six, four and even three cylinder engines dropped in the engine bays of future BMW’s.

Click past the jump to see some more pics of the new 3-series.

[CarPix]

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Which Would You Rather?

Okay, so you’ve got a stupid amount of cash to spend on your next ride, but there are a few caveats. 1) It needs to be able to carry a bunch of stuff 2) It needs to be able to seat at least four people 3) It needs to be incredibly fast and 4) It needs to be able to handle like it’s on rails in the bends. What does that leave you?

Well, Motor Trend is convinced it has that list narrowed down to the Porsche Panamera Turbo, the BMW X6 M and the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. All very impressive vehicles, yet all very different from one another and all are not necessarily competitors with each other. All the more reason to see how they compare!

Obviously they ended up loving them all but for different reasons. They did choose one in the end, but I won’t spoil that for you. Click the video above to see who came out on top.

I must say, if I had to choose, this would be a very tough choice. The Cadillac’s manual transmission, low price and decent looks for a wagon are all great selling points. BMW’s unreal ability to make a 5,100 pound SUV perform as if it’s a car is mind boggling. Porsche’s ability to make the fastest production 4-door/hatchback and make it rival actual supercars on the track is also incredibly impressive. Especially considering how big it is!

Which would you rather? Have your say in the comments section. Also check out a video of the trio in a drag race after the jump.

[Youtube]

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The Ultimate Driving Machine Is Back!

After a experimenting for about a year with a new slogan and marketing campaign, BMW has apparently decided that “Joy is BMW” isn’t quite resonating with the people as much as its more famous “The Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan. In fact, I’d wager that slogan is one of the more famous slogans for any brand – including outside the car world. It may even be akin to Nike’s “Just do it” or MacDonald’s “I’m loving it”. I would also wager most people (car nuts or otherwise) would be able to identify “the ultimate driving machine” as BMW’s slogan.

Earlier in the year BMW hired a new marketing team and this is the newest commercial that they have come up with for the 5-series. While the slogan doesn’t appear in print at the end of the ad as it once did in the past, it is mentioned at the end by the narrator.

The ad also manages to highlight what we all have come to expect from BMW (performance) but also molds it quite well with BMW’s new commitment fo efficiency. Basically the ad wants to convey that you don’t need to give up driving pleasure in order to save gas and the environment.

Think it worked? What do you think of BMW’s new marketing direction?

[Youtube]

BMW Details New Family of Engines

It has already been confirmed that the Z4 will be the first North American BMW to get their new 4-cylinder engine, but it certainly won’t be the last. BMW plans to put 6-cylinder, 4-cylinder and yes, even 3-cylinder engines in various models and trim levels. The purpose of the downsizing? Fuel efficiency, as always. BMW’s new efficientdynamics engines are expected to increase efficiency without sacrificing power. In fact there are power gains as BMW’s Theodor Melcher points out:

“(Downsizing) has nothing to do with the spirit of renunciation that many drivers associate with those engines. You can do things with a three now that you needed a six for in the past.”

With that said, the new engines will need a little help from high-pressure direct fuel-injection and turbochargers to make them capable of the power that we all expect from a BMW. Displacement will be between 400c and 500c.

The 3-cylinders will range in size of 1.2 litres to 1.5 litres. 4-cylinders will be in the 1.6 to 2.0 litre range, while the 6-cylinders will range from 2.4 litres to that lovely 3.0 litre that we all know and love. BMW hopes to get 50 to 70 horsepower per cylinder which means the 3.0 litre six could get as much as 400 horsepower. BMW is still sticking around with diesels which are also expected to be in the 3, 4 and 6 cylinder range. Their horsepower output per cylinder will be between 30 and 65. Both diesel and gas engines will get around 75 pound feet of torque per cylinder.

Don’t think the 3-cylinders will be limited to just Minis, however. Melcher didn’t deny the possibility of the 3′s making their way into rear wheel drive BMW’s. Okay, so the 1-series and the 3-series maybe, but apparently the 5 and 7-series could see the 3 cylinder in their engine bays as well. Now that’s just crazy talk.

But what about their amazing V8 and V12 engines? Will they get the axe?

“They will always be a part of BMW,” says Melcher, so don’t worry. In fact, demand for a V12 would probably be low which would essentially mean that BMW could hand build the engine a la Nissan GT-R. And as Nissan has proved, hand built engines are not a bad thing.

Expect to see the first of the new engines (the 4-cylinder which will make 240 horses and 230 pound feet of torque) in the Z4 by the end of this year. In the meantime you can check out the (somewhat cheesy) video above which details how BMW makes and installs the engines in its cars.

[Car and Driver]

Z4 to Get BMW’s first 4-Cylinder in Decades

Can you name the last BMW sold in North America with a 4 cylinder engine? If you said the 318ti, give yourself a pat on the back. That was back in 1995. And before the 318ti it was the 2002. That just goes to show how into 4 cylinder engines BMW isn’t.

Well that’s certainly changing as BMW has announced a new 4 cylinder engine that will be making its way to Canada. It will be found in the Z4 to start, and will then find its way into the 3-series and the 1-series.

The new four pot will generate 240 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque at just 1250 RPMs. Not bad considering the current 3 litre inline six offered in their 28i models are currently making 230 horespower and 200 pound feet of torque. That’s 10 more horses, but crucially, 30% more torque. This is achieved through Valvetronic intake management and a twin-scroll turbocharger.

So, why downsize especially when you’re known for making among the best inline six’s in the world? Well, they’re sort of forced to do it due to stricter CAFE regulations which demands all car companies increase the overall efficiency of their fleet by 2015. As a result, this new 4 cylinder will be 20% more efficient than the 6-cylinder but with more power. Best of both worlds? Let’s hope so.

No word yet on when the 4 cylinder Z4 will be released in Canada. Stay tooned.

[BMW]

Behold the 2012 BMW M5

Ladies and gentlemen say hello to the F10 M5.

This is not an official release from BMW, in fact, the pic above was snapped from a journalist at an invite-only event where there were strict rules about taking pictures. BMW didn’t want to unleash the M5 officially until April 7th and had an embargo in place. The site, transmissia.net obviously did not get that memo.

Anyway, there’s no real surprises here in terms of design. Despite technically being labeled as a concept by BMW for some reason, this new M5 is clearly production ready. Those wheels probably won’t be black (although black might be optional), but otherwise this is what the production version will look like.

Since this is very much a leak, that means there’s still no official detail on powerplants and the like, but as stated before, it will likely have a V8 under the hood which replaces the outgoing V10. Also, a manual transmission has been confirmed for North America, but oddly BMW hasn’t done so for other markets.

Check back to Car Driven on April 7th, where the M5 will get its official reveal along with answers to many questions! In the meantime, hit the jump to see more pics.

[Automotive Addicts]

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BMW i3 to Be Mid-Engine

BMW’s newest and smallest offering from the i sub-brand was recently caught out and about cold weather testing in Sweden. Well, all that snow essentially confirmed which wheels will be powering the little carbon fiber city car. The power slides, tail happiness and donuts essentially confirm it will be rear wheel drive.

Also confirmed is the mid-engine set up. This places the motor in front of the rear wheels and the battery pack below the trunk. BMW says the drivetrain can be completely separated from the body which means less labour time for you to pay for when you’re getting work done on your i3. It should make things a lot easier for mechanics (or yourself if you prefer to do it yourself).

Still no good shots of the exterior. That swirly paint is definitely doing its job, but it shouldn’t be too much longer before an official reveal is made.

[CarPix]

A Half Hour of Awesomeness

I’ve been holding off blogging on the upcoming M5 for a while because I feel the M5 commands a certain respect that should be returned in showing it off in its official form. It deserves better than simple spy shots with weird camoflage and swirly paint jobs.

But this is too good to pass up. You might have seen the shorter version of this film which highlights the M5 cold weather testing and having a good time of it. Well now BMW has leaked the entire video which is about 30 minutes of  tail slides, revving V8 goodness and beautiful still shots.

Right now, all we know is that the V10 found in the previous generation M5 will be replaced by a V8 – although it’s not certain if it will be the 4.4 litre V8 found in the 550i, but if it is, you can be sure it will be tuned to over 550 horses at least.

Also confirmed is the availability of a manual transmission – at least for our market. There were rumours going around that it would be auto only which had BMW purists shouting blasphemy from the hills but BMW has indeed confirmed it for our market. They have yet to confirm it for other markets however.

The official reveal will happen in mid-April. Car Driven will have all the details!

[Youtube]

You Can’t Fool Me, BMW!

You might have seen this picture floating around the internet – seemingly a BMW M3 prototype circling the ‘Ring that was caught by spy photographers. No, you’re eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, that is actually an M3 pick-up truck!

These photos were released last week but I held off blogging about it because something just wasn’t right about it. Why would BMW, a brand obsessed with performance, build a pick-up truck? It doesn’t make any sense.

Well it was confirmed today that this M3 pick-up truck is, as BMW puts it, “Aprilscherz”. If you’re German is a bit rusty, that loosely translates into ‘April fools joke’. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m so glad I didn’t fall for that one, while so many other sites did. Ha! You can’t fool me, BMW! I will admit, however, that there was a very small part of me that thought BMW might have been making a Holden SV6 Ute competitor, but that seemed very unlikely.

Anyway, even though I wasn’t fooled, it was actually pretty smart to get the April fool’s joke rolling early when people are unsuspecting of such things. Don’t think that BMW doesn’t have anything in store on April 1st, however. BMW, along with many other manufacturers love to pull pranks and I have no doubt they may have other tricks up their sleeve. Especially since they also announced that they will officially reveal the M5 concept that day along with other un-produced M3 prototypes. Consider me skeptical about that one.

In any event, it was a pretty funny prank. And just to be clear, BMW has no intention of building this M3 pick-up truck, but they do still have the test mule around which could allow them to enter the Australian V8 Ute racing series. BMW responded to that suggestion saying, “Well, we have the one unit available if they’d be interested, don’t we?”

Hmm, interesting!

[Autoblog]

2012 BMW 6-Series By Prior Design

Less than a week since the 2012 BMW 6-series was officially introduced to the world, tuning company Prior Design has already got its hands on making the 6-series look that much better.

The LED running lamps are now integrated into the air intakes, there’s a lower lip spoiler, a new bonnet with air vents, flared fenders, new side skirts, as well as carbon fiber exhaust tips and a small diffuser. Oh and those marvelous looking black rims which are estimated to be 20 inchers.

Don’t think this modded 6-series is just all show, however. Prior Design usually does some performance modding along with their cosmetic changes, however details are unreleased at the moment.

For now, I’m happy just staring at this thing. Looks fantastic!

[GTspirit.com]

Audi Developing BMW X6 Fighter

When BMW debuted the X6 a few years back, they must’ve known something that the rest of us didn’t because everyone thought it was a bad idea and that it would fail miserably. It hasn’t. In fact, the X6 is selling surprisingly well.

Now it seems other manufacturers are taking notice of the X6′s success and are scrambling to build competitors. Acura  had a go at it, but the ZDX has been anything but sucessful so far since there are huge cash incentives to move them off the lot.

Audi is going to have a go now too, it seems. Dubbed the Q6, it is expected to be based on both the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne. Engine choices would be the standard units in other models and there’s even word of an RS version in the cards to take on the X6 M,  and the ML AMG.

Which would you prefer? An X6, ZDX or Q6?

Still On Top: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Outsells Competitors Last Month

Despite the fact that it’s now a six year old design, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is still outselling its rivals in Canada – at least according to February 2011 sales.

Audi is probably none too pleased that its recent jab at the S-Class is apparently not working to boost the newly redesigned A8′s sales.

Meanwhile, BMW doesn’t have a whole lot to be upset about as the 7-series was the second best selling full-sized luxury car last month in Canada and was the best selling unit in its class in the United States last month.

Hyundai’s venture into this very competitive market also turned out to be decent, but decent is relative. They only sold eight Equus sedans, but that’s double of what they sold the month before.

Here are the number of units sold in Canada in February 2011:

Mercedes-Benz S-Class (includes CL sales): 38

BMW 7-series: 21

Audi A8: 13

Jaguar XJ: 11

Lexus LS: 10

Hyundai Equus: 8

[Auto News Data Center]

Tire Rotation FAIL

So we all know it’s a good idea to rotate your tires every now and then, right? Well the owner of this BMW M3 (or perhaps his mechanic) obviously didn’t think it through too much when they decided to rotate his tires.

Most M3′s have a staggered wheel set up, meaning the rear tires are a different width from the front tires. Since the M3 is rear wheel drive, the rear tires are wider than the front. Typically with a staggered set up, you would rotate the rear tires from side to side and the front tires from side to side. This concept obviously escaped the M3 driver (or perhaps he didn’t notice what his mechanic had done).

Still, it is pretty noticeable. There’s no need for wider front tires on a rear wheel drive car, that’s ridiculous!

For that, this M3 gets a pretty big FAIL.

[Inside Line]

Oh Hi: 2012 BMW 6-Series*

Ladies and gentlemen say hello to the third generation 6-series coupe.

BMW, in a bit of an odd move, showcased the production 6-series cabriolet a few months back but this is the first time we’ve seen official pics of the coupe.

There are no real surprises considering we’ve already seen the cabriolet, but my goodness is it ever nice to look at.

So far the only engine choice is BMW’s superb 4.4 litre V8 which makes 400 horsepower and 450 pound feet of torque which is good enough for a 4.8 second 0-100 sprint time. BMW’s eight speed automatic is available, but don’t worry a proper six-speed manual is also in the cards for us to prefer to row our own gears. Thanks for that BMW!

A host of luxury and tech features are available including a 10 inch high res screen, lane departure warning, rear on top view cameras and a 3D heads up display.

But I’m willing to guess you won’t care about any of that stuff when you take this thing out for a weekend cruise. The 6-series really is the ultimate GT car!

Pricing has yet to be announce but expect it in the $90,000 range. Also expect an M6 to follow, likely after the 2012 M5 bows its brow to the world.

For more pics click here.

*UPDATE: Hit the jump to see a video of the 650i in action.

[Cardotcom]

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