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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1999 Honda Civic Coupe "Converted to a 2011 BMW M3"

We know what some of you may be thinking upon viewing the pictures, and to answer your first question, no, this is not Acura's upcoming ILX luxury compact model that is slated to debut in Detroit in January. Instead, it's one of those bizarre creations we occasionally find over at the crazy world of Craigslist.

Much like the Saab 900S Convertible turned into a Cadillac of some sorts that we showed you last week, this 1999 Honda Civic Coupe is supposed to resemble a BMW.

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Premiere for BMW and BMW M Performance at the 2011 Essen Motor Show

November is shaping up to be by far the most intense motor show month of the year as we've already had two major events, the 2011 SEMA Show and this week's 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, with two more heading our way, the 2011 Essen Motor Show and the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

The Essen Motor Show, which is the European equivalent of SEMA and takes place in Germany from November 26 to December 4, is up next. Today, BMW announced that its BMW Performance and BMW M Performance divisions will officially participate in the tuning show for the very first time (for those of you counting, we used the word "Show" 8 times, and the word "BMW" three times…in the same sentence).

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2011 24-hour Nürburgring Race: And the Winner is….

Porsche triumphed in the 2011 24 hours of Nürburgring, with the 911 GT3 RSR of Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr crossing the line after 156 laps and 3,958.968 km (2,462.044 miles), a new record for the legendary endurance race in the demanding Nordschleife.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR first led the race at Saturday evening, at 23:25, and then its drivers held on to it for the following 16 hours and 35 minutes, or 108 laps.

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BMW Faces Problems at 24h Nürburgring Qualifier, M3 GT No7 Crashes

The first qualifying session for the 24 hours of Nürburgring did not go exactly as planned for Team BMW Motorsport, as the number 7 M3 GT driven by Dirk Muller crashed in the Karussell two hours into the session. Prior to that, the car was 8th overall, with Dirk Werner lapping the Nordschleife at 8:32.302. Read more »

BMW Launches Lighter and More Powerful New M3 CRT Special, Limited to 67 Units

This is BMW’s new hardcore M3 sedan, the CRT, which stands for Carbon Racing Technology. To be produced in a limited run, the M3 CRT was unveiled during a pre-race BMW M event ahead of this weekend’s Nürburgring 24-hour race.

The special edition model combines the body style of the M3 sedan with technology from the M3 GTS coupe, topped off with the use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) to further reduce the car’s weight.

BMW said the M3 CRT represents the worldwide debut of a new production process for carbon-fibre reinforced plastic components in the automotive industry, adding that we will see the same materials on the upcoming i3 EV hatchback and i8 hybrid sports coupe, due to enter volume production in 2013.

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VIDEO: Automobile Mag’s Take on the BMW 1 M Coupe vs M3 Debate

From the moment BMW introduced the new 1 M Coupe, it was more than evident that the smallest member of the Bavarian firm’s M family would be compared with the brand’s most illustrious product, the M3 Coupe.

Automobile Magazine’s West Coast Editor Jason Cammisa voiced his thoughts on the 1 M Coupe versus M3 debate in a rather amusing way during his first drive of the sports car in California.

The skinny? “If you want an M badge, go ahead and buy an M3. If you want what an M3 could be, buy one of these things [the 1 M Coupe]”. Follow the break to watch the full video.

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BMW to Debut New 2012 M5 Saloon at The Goodwood Festival of Speed

The all-new 2012 BMW M5 sports sedan will be making its first public appearance at The Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place in the UK between July 1 and 3, the German automaker announced today.

The most powerful production version of the M5 series to date comes with a high-revving 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 pumping out 560hp from 5,750-7,000rpm and 680Nm [501.5 lb-ft] of torque from 1,500rpm. It goes on sale this fall.

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BMW Launches New 2011 Frozen Black Edition M3 Coupe for North America, Costs $21,000 More!

BMW has dropped information on a new limited edition version of its M3 Coupe for the North American market. The 2011 BMW Frozen Black M3 Coupe will be available in a limited production run of 20 units for the USA, each priced at a hefty $79,650 (~€55,500), not including a $875 destination charge.

So what does a $21,000 premium over the standard M3 Coupe get you other than a very happy salesperson and an even merrier dealer? Well, in typical BMW fashion, not much as the special edition M3 Coupe is a cosmetic package with some minor mechanical upgrades.

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BMW Introduces M3 Carbon Fiber Limited Edition, but Only for China

Chinese customers love a good limited edition model and BMW tries its best to keep them happy. Not long ago, BMW had released the China market-only M3 Matte Edition and M3 Tiger Edition. During the BMW M Legendary Experience event held in China last week, the Bavarian automaker lifted the covers off yet another special M3, the Carbon Fiber Limited Edition of which only 111 examples will be built at a price of 1.23 million yuan (approximately US$189,800 at today’s exchange rates) a piece. Read more »

Fiat’s 0.9-Liter TwinAir Scoops the “International Engine of the Year 2011” Award

And the big winner of the 2011 edition of the coveted International Engine of the Year is…Fiat’s 0.9-liter twin-cylinder gasoline engine also known simply as the TwinAir. A jury comprised of 76 journalists and industry experts from 36 different countries were convinced by the 875 cc unit's low emissions, high fuel economy and impressive output for its size, awarding it four awards: “Best New Engine 2011”, “Best Green Engine 2011”, “Best Sub 1-Liter Engine” and the “International Engine of the Year 2011” overall award. Read more »

VIDEO: Corvette Z06 Slams BMW M3 During "Reality TV Series" Rally - But Wait, There's More to This Story...

Found on Youtube, is this video of a Corvette Z06 losing control and ferociously crashing into a BMW M3 E36 parked on the side of the road during the amateur "Robin Hood Rally" in Tuxedo, NY on June 25/26, 2010.

According to the poster, even though there were plenty of spectators at the scene, and despite the fact that the driver of the BMW was inside the car at the time of the crash, no one was seriously injured. End of story? Not quite, as there is more to this story than what meets the eye.

First of all, the rally is pitched by the organizers as a reality show with amateur racers driving "on closed public roads in the heartland of America", which will air on television in Fall 2010.

A search on "The Robin Hood Rally [website]" returned some very interesting findings, including another serious crash during the first race of the series in May, and more intriguingly, a report from NBC stating that promotional material from "Robin Hood Rally" falsely claimed that the series would air on NBC...

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Big Deal: BMW Presents U.S.-Only 2011 M3 Frozen Gray Special

Looks like BMW had us all hyped up for nothing, or almost nothing. The special 'M' model promised by the Bavarian automaker is the 2011 M3 Frozen Gray Edition, of which only 30 identically-equipped examples will be made exclusively for the United States.

An admittedly cool looking 'Frozen Gray' matte finish and a 'Fox Red & Black' bi-color Novillo leather interior are the only unique features of this special edition M3.

Other than that, the M3 gets a trio of standard packages including the Competition kit which reduces vehicle ride height by 10mm and includes special 19-inch wheels with wider offset for enhanced stability, standard Electronic Damping Control with enhanced programming, and higher-threshold programming for the M Dynamic Mode.

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Mystery [...] BMW M Model to be Unveiled on Thursday, Only for the U.S.

BMW announced today that on Thursday, June 17, it will reveal a U.S.-market-only special edition model. The Bavarian automaker is keeping the details to itself, but from the trio of teaser photos that BMW did release, it is obvious that it's an M3 model (notice the fender vents that are absent from the rest of the 3-Series range).

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APP Europe Builds 450-Horsepower BMW M3 Coupe

For those BMW M3 owners who would like to tune their car without going to extremes, APP Europe is now offering a new package comprising of performance and styling upgrades sourced from other tuning firms.

Starting with the M3's naturally-aspirated VG8 engine, a kit from Collaction AG bumps output by 30HP and 40Nm to 450-horsepower and 440Nm / 325 lb-ft of torque.

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Le Mans GT2 Racer Look for BMW M3 by GTHaus [+ Video]

G-Power isn't the only tuner around offering a widebody racing look for the BMW M3 Coupe (see that one here). Illinois-based tuning house has jumped on the badwagon releasing details of its latest street-legal M3 project fitted with a new carbon fiber bodykit.

Evidently inspired by the Bavarian firm's M3 GT2 racer that recently won the 24h of Nurburgring and will compete (albeit in Art Car form) at the 24h of Le Mans, the conversion includes massively wide rear fenders, a unique front bumper with splitters, chunky side skirts, new rear bumper with air vents, vented hood and a jet plane-sized rear wing. The cost of the wide bodykit is said to be around $12,500.

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The Ultimate BMW M3 Video: 25 Years, Four-Generations, in 30 Minutes

It was in 1986 that BMW launched a car that would virtually rewrite the book on mainstream sports cars and bolster the fame not only of the M-brand but also of the company itself for the years to come. That vehicle is none other than the first generation of the M3 based on the popular E30 3-Series.

Since then, BMW has presented another three generations of the M3, all of which turned the standard 3-Series into a performance car for the enthusiast through extensive engine, chassis and (to a lesser extent) aerodynamic and styling modifications.

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Jeff Koons' BMW M3 GT2 Art Car Racer Unveiled Ahead of 24hrs of Le Mans

For the past 35 years, BMW has been working with artists from all over the world who turn its vehicles into mobile-art and this here is the Bavarian firm's 17th Art Car that was officially unveiled at a special event last night at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.

Designed by American artist Jeff Koons, it is based on the BMW M3 GT2 racer that took first place at this year's Nurburgring 24 Hours. It will compete with this unique and expressive livery at the famed 24 Hours of Le Man that runs from June 12 to 13.

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Akrym Adds Some Carbon Fiber to BMW M3 Coupe

Sometimes, less is more and judging by these pictures, this seems to be the case with Akrym's new AeroRace bodykit for the latest generation of the BMW M3 Coupe. The California-based tuning company has designed a carbon-fiber boot with an integrated CLS-style spoiler and a new hood with functional air-vents made from the same lightweight material.

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G-Power Celebrates BMW Nürburgring Win With M3 Clubsport Models

Timed perfectly to coincide with BMW's 24Hours of Nürburgring win, G-Power has announced two special edition M3 Clubsport models.

Both the Tornado CS and GT2 S - the Tornado is the more subdued of the two - get G-Power's SK II CS supercharger system, lightened wheels, and a "Clubsport" coilover system.

Both cars crank out 600 horsepower and 580 Nm of torque, resulting in a theoretical top speed of over 320 km/h with a six-speed (330 km/h with the 7-speed DCT).

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