bmw m3

BMW M3 Pickup

The BMW M3 has been available in all manner of body-styles: coupe, convertible, sedan...but not a pickup. That is, until now.

BMW has created this one-of-a-kind M3 pickup as something of a ruse. Yet it actually exists. The truck packs the same 4.0-liter, 420-horsepower V8 as the production M3, only it's capable of hauling 110 pounds of whatever you need. It also boasts a removable roof for open-air driving, but you can't buy it. BMW built one as a gag, and will use it at the M division's workshop to help move parts around.

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Tags: bmw, bmw m3, bmw m3 pickup, m3, m3 pickup, pickup

BMW M3 Matte Editon for China

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

While some automakers roll out special editions around the entire globe, the BMW Group has of late opted to create individual specials for specific markets. Witness, as examples, the Trusardi edition 5GT (exclusive to Italy), the Z4 Silver Top edition (Japan), the M3 Pure edition (Australia) and the M3 Frozen Gray edition (United States). BMW's subsidiaries Mini and Rolls-Royce have followed the same formula with the Mini Cooper Mat Edition (France) and Yas Eagle edition Phantom (Abu Dhabi), and now BMW has announced a new special edition M3 exclusive to China.

The M3 Matte Edition packs the same V8 engine and everything else as the standard model, but is distinguished by its special matte black paint scheme, offset by black chrome trim and high-gloss 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside there's carbon fiber and red trim, but you'll have to live in China and act fast to get your hands on one.

Tags: bmw, bmw m3, bmw m3 matte edition, china, luxury car, matte, special edition

BMW Previews Upcoming 1 Series M Coupe

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

While the BMW M3 has grown into a V8-powered muscle car, the original was a different story altogether: a compact, nimble coupe that could school supercars. It's to those roots that BMW is returning with the upcoming 1 Series M Coupe.

Envisioned as a successor to the original M3, the 1 Series M Coupe will pack a 340-horsepower twin-turbo six driving the rear wheels through an old-school six-speed manual transmission. BMW's been teasing the car bit by bit, but will pull the wraps off sometime in December ahead of its full debut at the Detroit Auto Show.

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Tags: 1 series m coupe, 1m coupe, bmw, bmw 1 m coupe, bmw 1 series m coupe, bmw m3

BMW M3 Pure Edition: Exclusively for Australia

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

With its renowned handling dynamics and powerful V8 engine, there's plenty to love about the BMW M3. And if you live in Australia, the Bavarian automaker has just announced one more: the M3 Pure Edition.

Available in both coupe and sedan body-styles, the Pure Edition features a host of cosmetic upgrades, including dark chrome trim for the grilles (front and side) and exhaust tips, 19" wheels and hood vents in high-gloss black, and a specially-appointed interior. Only 50 examples will be produced, priced at AUS$135,000 and AUS$148,300 respectively.

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Tags: australia, bmw, bmw australia, bmw m3, bmw m3 pure, bmw m3 pure edition

BMW M3 Sedan Reported to Face the Axe

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you've been eying that BMW M3 sedan on the dealer lot on your commute home from work, we've got some news for you. First of all, it may be sitting there for a while already. Secondly, it may be your last chance.

According to reports, BMW hasn't been able to sell the four-door M3 as fast as expected (or as the car can travel down the road, for that matter). Although North American buyers clamored for the opportunity to buy the M3 sedan in the last generation, their wallets haven't been speaking as loudly as their mouths. As a result, sales have been lagging, and BMW is reportedly not going to renew its production for the next-generation model.

That means that when the current M3 – with its high-revving V8 engine – is replaced by the new twin-turbo six, it'll only be available as a coupe or convertible. Which is a bit of a shame, but not as big a shame as its prospective buyers evidently feel.

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Tags: bmw, bmw m3, bmw m3 sedan, m3, m3 sedan

BMW to release M3 Competition Pack in Geneva

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Fans of performance-oriented versions of the BMW 3 Series have had plenty to celebrate lately. Recent additions to the top of the range have included the M3 GTS, while lower down we've been treated to a new, sub-M3 335i and an even more powerful 335is. Now reports indicate that a CSL-like Competition Pack is being planned for the M3 itself.

Said to incorporate a harder suspension dropped by 10mm and supplimented by new electronic dampers and new lightweight 19" alloys, the M3 Competition Pack ought to up the performance quotient. The 414-horsepower, 4-liter V8 engine will reportedly carry over unchanged, so don't expect any shavings off the stock M3's acceleration and top speed figures. But expect to see the M3 equipped with the Competition Pack to debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show at a £3,315 (~$5,340k) premium.

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Tags: bmw, bmw 3 series, bmw m3, bmw m3 competition pack, Bmw3Series, BmwM3, BmwM3CompetitionPack, competition pack, CompetitionPack, m3, m3 competition pack, M3CompetitionPack

BMW Rolls Out Hard-Core M3 GTS

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're one of the enthusiasts who think the BMW M3 has grown too big and bloated with the current model, take heart: the Bavarian automaker's elite M division has just released the M3 GTS. Following in the path lead by such legendary derivations as the M3 CSL, the new M3 GTS is a hardcore, performance-focused version of Munich's finest sports coupe.

The award-winning engine has been enlarged from 4 liters to 4.4, and output is tipped to have jumped up to 450 horsepower. But that's only half of the power-to-weight ratio, as the M division has put the M3 GTS on a serious weight-saving scheme to cut its curb weight by some 420 lbs, thanks to a stripped-out interior devoid of frivolities like air-conditioning, satellite navigation and radio, equipping the M3 GTS with things like an emergency cut-off switch, fire extinguisher, racing buckets and mounting points for a competition-spec roll-cage and six-point racing harness. Lightweight windows, upgraded wheels, tires and suspension and a radical aerodynamics package are also part of the mix.

The car's performance is expected to increase considerably, but all that extra kit comes at a price: 115,000 euros in this case, or about $170,000 – but the M3 GTS is not expected to make it to the North American market, with deliveries beginning in Germany next May.

Gallery: BMW M3 GTS

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Tags: bmw, bmw m3, bmw m3 csl, bmw m3 gts, BmwM3, BmwM3Csl, BmwM3Gts, m3, m3 gts, M3Gts

BMW X6 Redefines the Crossover; Bangle-Butt

by Erin Mays (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It's truly a thing of beauty. The new X6, BMW's answer to consumers' burgeoning love of crossover utility vehicles (or "sport activity vehicle," as BMW bills it), dresses the part without losing the style and driving dynamics that make it a BMW. As BMW head design honcho Chris Bangle hints, it's higher off the ground but is every bit a sports car as, say, the M3.

Though it's "technically" a concept in this form, we expect to see this in production form as a 2008 model. It is also expected to be BMW's first production hybrid vehicle, upping efficiency by 20% over the gasoline-powered model.

[Via Autoblog]

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Tags: bmw, bmw m3, bmw x6, BmwM3, BmwX6, CUV, SAV, sport activity vehicle, SportActivityVehicle, SUV

The Most Anticipated Luxury Cars of 2008

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The term "luxury car" can apply to autos priced from fairly economical $20,000 options all the way up to the indulgent $400,000 range and higher. It's a large class of vehicles. And although everyone may not agree (with that many cars in the mix there's bound to be varying opinions!) this list is a fun one: Forbes has narrowed the new 2008 luxury releases into their own top 10 most anticipated. Here's their list, but as in anything with cars to really get the effect you should see it in pictures.