Not sure how he's going to explain that one to the dealership.

BMW has released information to its dealers about the 2011 M3, including this interesting nugget: technology to completely shut down the engine when at rest (otherwise known as start/stop technology) will come standard on the M3.

While the fuel saving technology makes sense on a more mainstream car, M3 drivers are generally not looking at fuel economy as a critical factor in their purchasing decision.

Regardless, it’s a nifty trick, and one M3 drivers can expect to enjoy standard starting with the next model year.

Source: eGMCarTech

The very limited, quickly sold out 2011 BMW M3 Frozen Gray Coupe will prove to be quite a hand full for the lucky new owners, who have to battle a storm of papers to sign coming from BMW. The most important piece of paper, apparently, regards the way in which the paint on the car, the now famous Frozen Gray, is to be treated.

According to BMWblog, citing Bimmerfest, BMW is making owners of the limited M3 sign a piece of paper through which they say they understand the spacial care and attention the paint on the M3 needs. Obviously, if these conditions aren't met, damages to the paint will not be covered by BMW.

Below is a small list containing the 'don'ts' if you are the owner on a 2011 BMW M3 Frozen Gray Coupe.

* never polish or wax the frozen gray paint as it could lead to a glossy surface.
* choose a car wash that does not apply vehicle wax.
* remove bugs, bird poo, tree sap, tar, fuel spills or oil immediately using a soft sponge.
* avoid strong rubbing while cleaning the frozen paint.
* repairs to the paint (scratches, dents, etching) must be completed by a BMW trained body shop

The M3 Frozen Gray Coupe has been introduced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the M3. The vehicle comes wrapped in a matte-gray paint, with a special deep metallic finish. It packs the same 418 hp 4.0l naturally aspirated V8 engine as the standard M3 mated to the M Double Clutch Transmission.

Priced at $77,600, the 30 units of the vehicle have been sold out in 12 minutes.

Source: AutoEvolution

BMW has announced that its vehicles will now support the new iPod Out feature released in iOS 4, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.

“iPod Out enables BMW and MINI entertainment systems to display and control the music playback feature of the iPhone and iPod touch directly within the vehicle’s main display,” BMW said. “The LCD display in BMW and MINI provides users with the simplicity and familiarity they have come to trust in their iPhone and iPod touch. The intuitive and integrated iPod navigation menu can be safely operated through the vehicle’s controls.”

The best part about it all? iPod features such as custom playlists and Genius are now made available to BMW and MINI drivers through the vehicle’s main display. Keep in mind that iPod Out requires iOS 4 with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod touch (second and third generation).

Source: eGMCarTech

The King is dead, long live the King. Production has officially ended on the E60 version of one the world's best sports sedan after five years and 20,548 units. That's even greater than the production numbers of its predecessor, the V8-powered E39 models, even though those versions had an additional year of production.

When it was first released in 2005 as a 2006 model, the E60 was a fairly outrageous automotive offering, with an exotic 5.0-liter V10 and 507 horsepower on tap. This generation of M5 introduced the world to a whole new set of superlatives as automotive journalists reached for their Roget's to find a novel way to describe the acceleration, braking and handling. And now that the E60 is no more.

Source: AutoBlog

Before BMW goes ahead and replaces the current M5 sedan with the 2011 model year, Nowack Motors has unveiled a nicely upgraded M5 to celebrate the retirement of the BMW M V10 engine.

Known has the N635S 5.8 Hans Nowack Edition (yeah, we know, it’s a horrible name) the engineers at the tuning firm gave the 5.0L V10 some special upgrades allowing it to produce 708-hp. That will allow it to go from 0-62 mph a lot faster than you can say all the letters and numbers in the name. Visual upgrades are kept to a minimum since the real story here is all about the performance.

The same upgrade can be used on an M6 since both models carry the same engine. Nowack Motors is also offering a 12 month warranty on the upgrade without any mileage limits.

Source: eGMCarTech

The 2011 Mini lineup will arrive in the U.S. in September, minus such entries as the base Mini and the new Mini Cooper D Convertible, Mini told Inside Line on Monday. The Mini Cooper D Convertible is noteworthy because it's the first drop-top Mini with a diesel engine. However, Mini spokesperson Yvonne Malmgren told Inside Line in a phone conversation that there will be no diesel models for the U.S. for the foreseeable future.

The U.S.-bound Minis will be equipped with the new 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine. It produces 121 horsepower in the Mini Cooper and 181 hp in the turbocharged Mini Cooper S.

The upgraded Minis get an updated front fascia and new wheel variants, paint finishes and options. All models come with LEDs for the rear lights and brake lights. In the cabin, audio and air-conditioning controls have been redesigned. Chili Red is now available for the Mini John Cooper Works and Mini John Cooper Works Clubman as a contrast color for the roof and the exterior mirror caps.

Optional xenon headlights can now be ordered with black headlight reflectors or the adaptive-headlight function. An auto-dimming function is available for the rearview and exterior mirrors. The Mini Clubman gets a new retractable roller-type luggage compartment cover.

If the 2011 BMW M3 Competition Package is too expensive for you and you missed out on the BMW Frozen Gray M3 Coupe, BMW of North American announced today that it is offering three BMW Performance aerodynamic accessories for the M3 Coupe, Sedan, and Convertible.

The three new parts include a new rear deck lid spoiler, mirror caps and front splitters – all constructed of ultra-rigid carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite material. All the parts match the standard CFRP roof panel of the M3 Coupe. More in the jump!

“Each component is shaped based on advanced research conducted in one of BMW’s Munich-based wind tunnels,” BMW said in a statement. “This ensures compatibility with the overall aerodynamic ’signature’ of the M3, serving to reduce lift and minimize drag. Such characteristics are appropriate to enhance the vehicle’s high-speed stability while maintaining fuel efficiency.”

Keep in mind that BMW Performance accessories feature a 2-year / unlimited mileage warranty. If installed before a customer takes delivery of a new M3, the BMW Performance accessories will share coverage of the 4-year / 50,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

Source: eGMCarTech

On Monday, June 21, 2010 — exactly at 11:30 AM — BMW opened the lines to let interested buyers reserve their new and exclusive 2011 BMW Frozen Gray M3 Coupe. Well, just 12 minutes later, BMW shut the lines down after all 30 units sold for $77,600 each.

Customers will be able to take delivery of the 2011 Frozen Gray M3 Coupe through an Authorized BMW Center starting later this month.

Source: eGMCarTech

The boys and girls at StopTech have taken the knife to the new BMW M3 – cutting unsprung weight and upping the horsepower to improve on the car's strong points. The company started by ditching the stock brake system and replacing it with – you guessed it – StopTech components. Up front, the car now wears forged aluminum six-piston calipers that clamp down on two-piece 15-inch rotors, while the rear has been treated to four-piston pieces that squeeze 14-inch discs. The company claims that the new hardware saves a total of 17.6 pounds of unsprung mass spread between the four corners.

The stock wheels were also sacrificed in favor of new rollers from APP. Even at 19 inches, they manage to be 3.3 pounds lighter per wheel than what came from the factory. StopTech then turned to Collaction AG Widnau to give the car's horsepower a mild bump. Final figures now sit at 450 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, though neither company is saying exactly what went into making that happen. We're guessing a slight ECU reflash was part of the recipe.

The whole kit and caboodle was then wrapped in a special silver vinyl by CFC – a company that specializes in unique vehicle wraps.

Source: AutoBlog

BMW is continuing development of its three-cylinder engine, which is mooted to be launched in the 1-series. The engine is based on BMW's new common 500cc-per-cylinder design and uses direct injection and turbocharging.

A source told Autocar: "This is not an entry-level unit. It's a serious, refined, sporting engine with great CO2 figures."

BMW sources have told Autocar that the next 1-series has been engineered to cope with the unique noise and vibration of a three-cylinder engine.

BMW has had experience with three-cylinder units in its motorcycles, where reducing NVH is crucial.

Source: AutoCar

Jay Leno is back and this time he's test driving the new 2011 BMW M3. The 2011 BMW M3 comes standard with Auto Start / Stop function, which the company says will help reduce the average fuel consumption and CO2 levels of the BMW M3 by up to 8 percent – not that we really care about fuel-economy from a car of this caliber.



The 2011 model year M3 also gets the optional Competition Package, which is available for the sedan and the coupe. The Competition Package lowers the suspension by 10 mm and adds 19-inch light alloy wheels, electronic damper adjustment function EDC including Sport Mode and carbon fiber rear spoiler and front apron are also included in the package.

Source: eGMCarTech

It’s been rumored for sometime now, but BMW’s M boss has now officially confirmed that the next-generation BMW M5 will indeed be powered by a twin-turbo V8. In an interview with AutoBild, Dr. Kay Segler said that the F10 M5’s powerplant will be based on the same unit from the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M.

While Segler didn’t confirm power output figures, it is widely reported that the next-generation M5 will produce somewhere between 585 to 600 horses.

The 2012 BMW M5 is scheduled to go on sale in the second half of 2011.

Source: eGMCarTech

Team BMW Motorsport took victory at the 2010 24-hour race at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife on Sunday, five years since the manufacturer’s last victory.

The no. 25 BMW M3 GT2 claimed BMW’s 19th victory at the endurance classic, which was piloted by with Jorg Muller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Uwe Alzen (DE) and Pedro Lamy (PT) at the wheel. All three helped the M3 GT2 cross the finish line first after 154 laps.

“During my last stint we lost fourth gear,” said Muller. “The problem gradually got worse. The main priority was to be careful and keep the car in the race. Everything worked out superbly in the end. The entire team has worked extremely hard over the last few months. This victory belongs to them. We drove consistent laps over the entire distance. If you can achieve that at a 24-hour race, you normally find yourself up at the front. For us today, it was even enough to finish first.”

At first it seemed like the race would be won by the Porsche 911 GT3 Hybrid after it led the race through the night. However, the vehicle faced technical problem a few hours from the end.

The Aston Martin Rapide race car finished second in its class.

Source: eGMCarTech

It's official, they're finally here: Racers of the roundel can buy BMW Motorsport parts at four locations in the U.S. The catalog selection includes the 2008 BMW Z4, 1995-2010 M3, and the 3 Series sedan from 2006 onward. You'll need to get yourself to Illinois, Atlanta, New Hampshire, or Solon, Ohio to pick your parts by hand.