SPIED: 2013 BMW 3 or 4 Series Convertible with Retractable Hardtop

Until BMW makes an official statement on what it has decided to name the replacements for today's 3-Series Coupe and Convertible models, we'll have to keep using both the 3- and 4-Series monikers to describe the two-door body styles of the Bavarian maker's most popular model.

Over the past few months and aside from the official presentation of the sedan in October, we have shown you spy shots of the next M3 sedan, the 3-Series Touring, the 3 or 4-Series Coupe, and the 3- or 4-Series Gran Turismo fastback, but this is the first time we're sharing scoops of the Convertible model.

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SPY SHOTS: Six-Cylinder BMW M3 F30 Sedan Spotted on the Road

With the unveiling of the 2012 BMW 3 Series sedan all done and dusted, the Bavarian automaker's engineers have now turned their focus on the other variants of the F30 series including the flagship M3 sedan that was captured by our spies testing on the streets of Germany in a fairly light disguise.

While BMW has done its best to hide the most telling styling features of the M3 such as the shape of the front and rear bumpers, the pictures expose the car's muscular front and rear fenders that house larger alloy wheels and brake sets, as well as the beefier rocker panels.

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Mechanical Synfonica is an Ode to Orchestra and Fast Cars with a Pinch of Good-looking Women

While fast cars and beautiful women are a match made in heaven, producer Alexander Sperr and director Daniel Michaelis took a slightly different turn with their latest clip by incorporating the classic sounds from a symphony orchestra into the mix.

The cars featured in the video are a modified Audi S5 and a BMW 3-Series [E92]. While we can't say that we're too enthusiastic about the editing of the video which was allegedly shot at the Stelvio Pass in Italy, the clip is worth a few minutes of your time. You can check it out after the break.

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Polish Video Awesomeness: BMW E30 Gymkhana Style

Ken Block's Gymkhana? Sure, it's cool and all but for those of you that want to see something different and out of the PR-ordinary [...] for a change and one that does not include a Ford Fiesta for the umpteenth time, some chaps over from Poland have readied a pretty interesting video that you may want to watch.

For starters, it's more like a short film and an impressive one at that – though we could have done without the black filters.

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Tokyo Show: New BMW Alpina B3 GT3 is One Mean Green Machine

Famed BMW tuning house Alpina showed up at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show with a world premiere, the limited edition B3 GT3 of which only 99 examples will be built, each carrying a price tag of €90.000 (approx. US$120,000) in Germany.

The B3 GT3 is based on the regular 3-Series Coupe and it uses a slightly modified version the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six found in Alpina's B3 S Bi-Turbo sedan, coupe and touring models.

Thanks to a different exhaust system and a titanium rear silencer made by Akrapovic the three-liter unit gains 8 more ponies lifting output to 408-horses at 6,000rpm and 540Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque at 4500rpm.

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BMW USA Puts a Price Tag on the All-New 2012 3-Series Sedan

BMW has just released U.S. pricing on its new 3-Series saloon, which will make its North American debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January and arrive in showrooms across the States next February as a 2012 model.

The new 328i, which swaps the current model's naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six for a turbo'd four-cylinder powerplant, will be priced from $35,795, while the 2012 335i Sedan that continues with a turbocharged-six carries an MSRP of $43,295.

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BMW Rumored to Rename New 1- and 3-Series Coupes into 2- and 4-Series. What Do You Say?

Citing unnamed sources from within the brand, Britain’s Car Magazine reported on Tuesday that BMW is seriously entertaining the idea of renaming the next generation of its two-door 1- and 3-Series models into the 2- and 4-Series respectively.

The new badges would be applied on the two-door coupe and convertible as well as the sportier GT fastback models of the future 1- and 3-Series lineup.

As some of you may recall, this is not the first time that BMW has toyed around with the thought of turning the 3-Series coupe and convertible into the 4-Series, with the Bavarian company coming very close to executing the idea in the beginning of the new millennium.

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Latvian Tuner Wraps BMW 3-Series in Crocodile Leather

There’s something about cars and animal leathers / prints that attracts certain tuners from Russia and the former Soviet states. You all remember the Russian design-house Dartz and it real whale penis leather-equipped Prombron and snake skin-covered Bentley Continental GT SS. Now another tuning firm called Vipon, this time from neighboring Lithuania Latvia, has come with a new animal leather themed proposal based on a pre-facelift E90 BMW 318i sedan. Read more »

New Scoop Photos Shed More Light on 2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan

With the new 1-Series out in the open, it is time for us now to take a look at the next car in line for replacement in BMW’s range, the 3-Series sedan with these freshly shot spy photos. As we’re nearing closer to the launch, BMW continues to peel away the disguise with the latest F30 prototype having shed not only plenty of swirly decals but also the fake front and rear end additions giving us a better look of the car’s styling.

BMW hasn’t really messed around with the design of the 3-Series since the introduction of the E36 in 1990, and the new F30 isn’t an exception to the rule. The styling of the F30 is a clear evolution of the current E90 3-Series borrowing certain elements from the 5-Series such as the stronger belt-line combined with a lower and more aggressive front end with larger double kidneys. Previous spy shots reveal that BMW will follow a similar formula with the 3-Series’ interior.

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DIY Video: How to Sink a BMW 3-Series in a Flooded Road

Ever wonder why drivers are cautioned to avoid roads covered in water during a flood or flash flood, even if the water depth appears low, and find another way to reach their destination (even if that means traveling a longer distance)? Well, here's why... Watch what happens to the driver this BMW 3-Series saloon when he attempts to cross a flooded road in New Zealand in the video after the break.

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SPIED: 2012 BMW 3-Series Sedan - First Glimpse of the Interior

BMW is continuing the development of the new 3-series sedan, internally called the F30. Captured here by our spy photographers near the Nurburgring race track in Germany, the four-door prototype is still under heavy camouflage, thus revealing little about its exterior styling.

However, buyers should expect an evolution of the current design sprinkled with styling cues from all the latest BMWs, including a protruding kidney grill similar to that of the new 5-Series and 7-Series saloons.

Our man with the long lens managed to snag a few shots of the prototype's interior giving us a glimpse of the new dashboard design with the 1-Series-esque air-vents.

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VIDEO: Frustrated BMW Driver Takes a Fit on Mazda3 Owner for Challenging Him

This Mazdaspeed3 owner was driving on a scenic road with a few soft twists somewhere in Northern California when at some point a BMW 335i saloon pulled out in front him and started lifting the pace. The Mazda driver decided to follow along keeping, however, a relatively safe distance from the bimmer.

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BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Completes 1,013 Mile-Long Journey from UK to Munich and [Almost] Back on One Tank

Motoring journalist and TV presenter Tom Ford has managed to complete what he claims to be a record-breaking journey from the UK to Munich and almost back to Britain with a BMW 320d EfficientDynamics saloon on a single tank of fuel.

Ford filled up the diesel-powered bimmer at the Channel Tunnel and made it to Munich, Germany, then as far back as Lille, France on the return before needing to refuel completing a total driving distance of 1,013 miles or 1,629 kilometers on one tank.

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New BMW Alpina B3 S Bi-Turbo with 400 Ponies Available for Order in the UK

Following its recent world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the new BMW 335i-based Alpina B3 S Bi-Turbo is now available for order in the UK with first deliveries to start in July.

Offered in four-door saloon, Touring, Coupe and hardtop Convertible forms, the new B3 S comes with a modified 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six upgraded to deliver a hefty 400HP at 6,000 rpm and 540Nm or 398.3 lb-ft of peak torque.

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