World Auto News & Reviews

There’s no point, or so the saying goes, of closing the door once the horses have bolted. So shortly after the first handful of images leaked their way onto the Internet, BMW has released the full kit n’ kaboodle on its new entry-level model.

The all-new 2012 1 Series is expected to make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. And when it does, it will be a substantially different car than the model it replaces. The new model – code-named F20 and based on the same platform that underpins the (now only slightly larger) 3 Series – has grown considerably over the E81 it succeeds, with every dimension but height increasing. The changes benefit both interior and cargo space, two aspects where the outgoing model fell short.

BMW has already confirmed plans to build the GranCoupe concept, but we haven’t seen the production model – until now.

Leaked by an unknown Chinese website, the images are purportedly renderings for a patent application which reveal what the car will look like. While we cannot confirm their authenticity, the renderings seem rather legitimate.

Now that you’ve purchased your first BMW, you’re thinking about ways you can further enhance your ownership experience. You ask your dealer and he/she mentions taking a look at BMW Performance Parts website and going through all the different parts and accessories available for your vehicle. So you head to your computer, start browsing and are kind of taken back by the prices of some of the upgrades that could hit prices of more than $4,000.

In an entincing co-branded promo, Slovenian exhaust manufacturer Akrapovic has teamed up with BMW in a new movie called “The Chase”.

To promote Akrapovic’s exhaust systems while BMW gets to showcase two of their most iconic machines, The Chase features BMW S 1000 RR superbike rider Rico Penzkofer and M3 driver Nico Bastian going head-to-head on the racetrack in some fast action sequences.

Just like an action thriller movie where you predict the ending in just the first few minutes, the outcome is no stretch of the imagination. However, we won’t spoil it for you.

Last month BMW confirmed that it will be showing a long version of the BMW 5-Series as a plug-in hybrid at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show and well, here it is (at least the side angle of it). A joint project between BMW Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd., the BMW 5-Seres plug-in hybrid sedan features a parallel hybrid drive set-up with a combustion engine featuring BMW TwinPower Turbo technology with an electrical motor.