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Filed under: Motorsports , Sports/GTs , BMW Earlier this year Rahal Letterman Racing announced its partnership with BMW to bring M3s back to ALMS GT2 in 2009. The Rahal Letterman deal is a new venture for BMW, putting its ALMS race operations in the hands of an unfamiliar crew. While Rahal Letterman is a proven open wheel race team, they are not one of the existing ALMS teams with prior BMW sports car racing experience. It is an interesting match-up that will be exciting to watch next year. To keep in step with this fresh-faced approach, Rahal Letterman Racing has now also announced a partnership with Rays Engineering, which will supply wheels to the RLR ALMS program. Widespread use of Rays' wheels has yet to take hold throughout the world amongst the professional ranks, but they have been tried and tested for years in every type of event found in Japan. Rays Engineering is best known for their Volk Racing wheel line and the lightweight TE37 model in particular. They have established...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Sports/GTs , BMW click above to view more high-res live shots of BMW M3 ALMS race car When it comes to racing, diversity is key. Who doesn't love to root for their favorite brand to win against its fiercest rivals? We hope that BMW gets its latest M3 certified by the FIA in time for a showdown against with the Corvette and others in Le Mans GT racing, which will institute a new set of rules for the 2010 season. There's more than one way to get horsepower from a V8 engine, as clearly demonstrated by these two diametrically opposed class competitors. Team Corvette's brute strength and low-down grunt would go up against finesse and high-strung reviness from BMW. Kinda reminds us of the classic Ford versus Ferrari feuds of the '60s. In any case, BMW now needs to work with the FIA to get its racer properly sanctioned and approved, as it has already done for the American Le Mans racing series. Git 'r done, folks. Gallery: BMW Rahal Letterman Racing...
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , BMW , Special/Limited Editions There were around 1,400 examples of the BMW e46 M3 CSL built, and by all accounts they were exceptionally well received. However, according to Ludwig Willisch, the boss of the automaker's M division, the current e92 M3 won't get the same treatment. He - or perhaps the accountants - feel that "based on current numbers, there is most likely insufficient demand for the M3 CSL." If a current scorching version of the e92 were to exist, it would have been bumped by anywhere from 36 to 56 horsepower, shed 200 pounds or more, worn some different tires and a set of bigger lungs. In light of the possible volume, though, which would be small, BMW - or again, its accountants - would rather focus on the X6 and X5 for now. Thanks for the tip, Mike! [Source: Car ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , BMW , Rendered Speculation , Rumormill Lighter means faster. If you have yet to grasp that concept, have a look at the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera or Porsche 911 GT3 RS - each capable of leaving the heavier versions of each lightning-quick sportscar on which they're based in the dust. The performance gap is widened not by more power, but by a higher power-to-weight ratio resulting from an aggressive kilo-trimming program. Another in their ranks: the gone-but-not-forgotten, previous-generation BMW M3 CSL. By removing a bit of excess weight, the CSL was capable of outgunning its heavier counterpart by a considerable margin (how does a 7:22.8 'Ring lap sound?). It's been just under a year since M-guru Gerhard Richter promised us a new M3 CSL based on the new V8 model, but aside from a few spy shots here and there, we've yet to see one materialize so far. To keep our appetites whet, German car mag Autozeitung put out this...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Tuners , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Videos , BMW Click above to view the shoot-out between the BMW M3 and the Dinan 335i. This is a head-to-head battle we've been waiting to see: BMW's new M3 versus a Dinan-tuned 335i coupe. But we're only going to talk numbers and let the video tell the tale. The BMW 335i has proven itself as a credible player in the sports coupe segment, particularly with a tweaked ECU to extract maximum output from its twin-turbo'd 3.0-liter inline-six. Dinan announced its Stage 3 package a few months back, which includes a fully-adjustable suspension and a handful of engine mods that bring output up to 406 hp and a kidney-punishing 460 lb.-ft. of torque (at 4,300 RPM). But it doesn't come cheap. All the necessary Dinan kit to get it up to Stage 3 spec (and get that nifty badge on the boot) costs around $14,000. But compared to the $71,000 base price of the new M3, it's still a steal. While the M3 has the peak horsepower...
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , BMW , Humor Hot on the heels of the recent brandtag exercise that saw BMW drivers labeled as a-holes (and a lot of explanations and justifications in the comments), we have this classified ad from an M3 owner in Peoria, Arizona. Its starts off rather plainly, with a rundown of the aftermarket components with which the seller has graced. And then the listing takes a left turn and heads straight for Mars when the seller writes "This car has gotten me laid so much it is ridiculous." After that, you get a rundown of his success with women, copious use of the word "pimp" as both noun and adjective, his workout routine and testosterone regimen, his success with women, tidbits on his "killer" anatomy, instructions on how to become "a Jedi pimp," and more of his success with women. And in case you didn't realize it, he states explicitly: "I'm a winner." A few subtle clues dropped here and there in...
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Videos , BMW Click above to view video after the jump If you haven't seen BMW's M3 "Revolution" ad , then you need to do that right now. For those of you who have seen it, no doubt you were wondering how they created such stunning video without the use of CGI. Fortunately, additional cameras were on hand to film some 'behind the scenes' footage, as well as interviews with those responsible for capturing the innermost workings of the BMW M3 V8. A total of six engines were disassembled for the making of the commercial, and miniature HD cameras shooting at 4,000 frames per second were used to ensure that the internal combustion could be seen in high resolution and slow motion. The video can be seen after the jump . [Source: YouTube via zercustoms.com ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Coupes , Sports/GTs , BMW Click above for high-res gallery of the HAMANN-tuned BMW M3 Coupe There's no denying that the new BMW E92 M3 is a superlative automobile, but that doesn't mean experienced tuning houses like HAMANN can't work their magic and make the best even more best. HAMANN has just introduced its tuning package for the new E92 M3 Coupe and Convertible, which includes two stages of performance tune, upgrades for the suspension and brakes and aerodynamic tweaks. The first stage of tuning bumps power from the car's 4.0L V8 by 20 horsepower and 18 pound-feet of torque, while the second stage called the Sportkit HM/M +35 juices the motor by up to 35 hp and 35 pound-feet of torque. The M3 is then lowered by up to 40 mm on a new adjustable coil-over suspension and an upgraded brake system with larger rotors and front six- and rear four-piston calipers are added. The forged, black-laquered rims shown on the vehicle above are called EDITION...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Auction Action , BMW Apparently all is not kosher in corn country. BMW of Lincoln, Nebraska posted an auction on eBay for a brand new M3 Sedan for $60,000. Perhaps they were hoping for the kind of eBay madness that would push the price to six figures ( something other dealers are doing right on the show floor ). If that's what they were after, well, they didn't get it. The car was won by a gentleman in California for the listed price: $60,000. The problem is that the dealer doesn't want to give him the car. Not long after the auction ended, the winning bidder got a call from BMW of Nebraska telling him the auction was "a mistake," and that he couldn't have the car. In spite of the fact that the dealership changed the Buy It Now price twice -- and so was paying attention to the auction -- and eBay rules that make it clear that if someone wins the auction then you must complete the transaction, the buyer is...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Coupes , Sports/GTs , BMW Click above for more high-res pics of the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe We've been getting reports from all over that the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe has begun to arrive in U.S. dealerships. Dealers, however, have also begun taking advantage of the high interest in these Bavarian über coupes by marking up the price. Since we couldn't just take everyone's word for the extreme mark ups, we had to wait until someone surfaced with proof, which came today. Dragtimes.com is hosting an image of a brand spanking new M3 sitting in an unidentified California dealer with a window sticker displaying the car's $70,720 MSRP plus a $30,000 mark up. The extra monies demanded by the dealer is labeled as a "Dealer Market Adjustment" on the window sticker, which makes it seem like a special options package with heated seats and an extra cup holder. Rather, it's the reality that this dealer and many others know that someone out there will pay...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Geneva Motor Show , BMW Click the above photo for more shots of the M3 Convertible BMW was highlighting its green credentials today, so it gave no more than a mention to the M3 Cabriolet -- but that doesn't mean the M3 went unloved. The impossibly blue convertible sat just around the corner from the Vision Hybrid in the spotlight, brooding, but with plenty of press-type friends taking pictures and asking questions. Have a look at the live shots in the gallery below to see why. Gallery: Geneva 2008: BMW M3 Cabriolet Gallery: 2009 BMW M3 Convertible Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Videos , BMW Click the image above to view the M3 Convertible in action var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/autos/Video_of_the_new_2009_BMW_M3_Convertible'; BMW's new M3 Convertible was supposed to be unveiled in March, but several leaked photos led to a flood of official photos and information straight from BMW. Now we are getting video footage as well, with a good mix of driving and detail shots along with the wonderful sound of that 420 horsepower V8. Enough talking - the video is after the jump . [Source: YouTube] Gallery: 2009 BMW M3 Convertible Continue reading VIDEO: The sights and sounds of the new BMW M3 Convertible Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , BMW click on any image to view high-res gallery of 2008 BMW M3 Sedan In our haste to bring you news of the 2008 BMW M3 sedan being unveiled, we showed you the best official pics we could find at the time, which were only 800 pixels wide. We don't know many people with 800 pixel-wide monitors, so we updated our gallery with high-resolution pics straight from BMW. They're 1,280 pixels wide, which should cover most screens corner to corner. We noticed a couple of things about BMW's new M sedan this time around that we missed before. Take a closer look at the steering wheel, which features red and blue stitching that mimics the M colors. Also notice two shots of the M3 Sedan's trunk at the end of the gallery. One shows a parcel shelf that slides out from underneath the trunk's ceiling, while the other shows how much cargo room is available with the back seats folded forward. We thought these pics particularly interesting because they illustrate the...
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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Euro , BMW Click image for photo gallery Sometimes, its nice to just take a break and look at pictures. We're here to help with that, as BMW UK has released a nice set of new right-hand-drive M3 photos for your enjoyment...
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