BMW has revealed the latest M3 with a V8 derived from the 5-liter V10 of the M5 and M6, which has replaced the inline-six on the previous model. However, Dinan wasn’t satisfied with the two more cylinders and inquired about the extra two from the V10. Dinan’s continuous discontent lead to a 5.7 liters and 628 horsepower.  

Other reports mention the fact that Dinan will squeeze a 628hp into BMW M3, fortunately taking off some weight at the same time, as they will remove some of the bulk from the front end. This way, the weight balance will be kept.

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The BMW Progressive Activity Sedan ( PAS ) will make its first appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show next year, which will be held in September. Despite its name, the vehicle seems to be more of an estate or hatchback, with a split-gate rear portal instead of a rear deck and boot-lid design, as AutoTelegraaf states.

The car will have many of the lines from the X6, as spy photos taken during the past year reveal. Just as the X6, the new BMW PAS will be a four-seater with individual bucket seats with heating and massage functions.. The vehicle is expected to come in both RWD and AWD configurations.

The BMW PAS is also expected to have very short overhangs, flared fenders and optional 21 in wheels. The wheelbase will have an overall length of a minimum of 4.90 m, which will make the new PAS a bit larger than the X6, as it will fall between the existing 5- and 7- series cars.Four different engines will be available at first, together with the latest EfficientDynamics technology, including the possibility of a hybrid option. There is a 245hp 3.0L turbodiesel, followed by a pair of 300hp 3.0L twin-turbo six cylinder engines, one diesel and the other petrol. The range topper will be a new 408hp 4.0L diesel V8 with an available 600Nm of torque.

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BMW has recently announced a partnership with Fiat. Nonetheless, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been discussing a possible cooperation for some time now, but even though both German automakers have had hesitations when it came to working together, it is clear that both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are interested in the idea.

The luxury marques are trying to reduce costs by combining their purchases for vehicle components such as automatic window motors, air-conditioning systems and entry-level engines, which aren’t visible to customers.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz will share development for V12 engines and will possibly include Aston Martin as well, as Auto Motor und Sport states. Negotiations have already started between Aston Martin and Mercedes and have included sharing everything from platforms to engines and transmissions.

The joint-development of new four-cylinder engines for the next generation B-Class and Mini is expected to be announced first. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are worried about the costs for a new range of low-emissions power trains, but at the same time the German automakers want to increase the number of shared drive trains in order to match the level that the partnership between Audi and Wolkswagen has reached.

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Due to economic problems in the US and Europe, Norbert Reithofer, BMW’S CEO, has announced that BMW will no longer continue its plan to build a larger sport-ute to surpass the range currently occupied by the X3, X5, and X6 crossovers, as sales of SUVs are dropping at a fast rate. 

Other reports state that the plan has been replaced in Munich with a smaller crossover which will be based on the 1-Series platform, enabling BMW to expand the X range with an X1 instead of an X7. The company probably made a good decision by directing its attention towards a vehicle that is smaller, lighter and more fuel efficient, not towards bigger, heavier and greater guzzler vehicles.

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Students from the European Institute of Design in Turin, Italy, in a collaboration with BMW, participated in a project to create BMW future concepts. They all focused on the language, evolution and the trademark essence of BMW, in order to form the company’s future perspectives and try to figure out what the 2015 BMW concepts might look like.

From the 18 teams involved in the project, only eight were developed into physical quarter scale models and another four were turned into virtual design models. Some of the students that stood out were Raphael Laurent and Mihai Panaitescu with their “Africa. Decompose concept”. BMW critiques were also impressed with David Raffai, Kevin Schlaepfer, Andrea Torchia and Alberto Usai.

The project was, of course, supported by BMW’s design team, including the Chief Designer Chris Bangle, together with Thomas Plath, the director of Model Techniques and Process Management at BMW, Anders Warming, director of Exterior Design.These concepts may not be seen in production in the next 10 to 15 years, but the students proved they have quite an imagination and that the future is promising.

Here is one of the models developed during the project -the Snug:

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