Whittled down from all the cars in the world, a group of 66 automotive journalists from across the globe have released their top 10 picks for the 2012 World Car of the Year and World Performance Car.

That list, which will be further narrowed this month, is initially selected by secret ballot and then submitted for re-evaluation by the panel.

Members then have a chance to rate each car based on overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance. The top three are then scheduled to be announced March 6 at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show during a press conference.

The 2011 World Car of the Year was the Nissan Leaf, while the World Performance Car was the Ferrari 458 Italia. What we’re most curious about this year is the fact that the Porsche 911 made it into both categories.

The 2012 World Performance Car finalists are:

• Audi RS 3 Sportback
• BMW 1 Series M Coupé
• BMW M5
• Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
• Ferrari FF
• Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
• McLaren MP4-12C
• Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
• Mercedes-Benz C-63 Coupe AMG Black Series
• Porsche 911

The 2012 World Car of the Year finalists are:

• Audi A6 Sedan / Avant
• Audi Q3
• BMW 1 Series
• BMW 3 Series
• Chevrolet Volt / Opel/Vauxhall Ampera
• Citroen DS5
• Ford Focus
• Land Rover Evoque
• Porsche 911
• Volkswagen Up!

Be sure to tune in for our coverage of the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, where we’ll be bringing you the latest. Also, let us know what you think of both lists in the comments section below.

Those guys over at Autobild sure know how to have some fun. They decided to do grab every current BMW M model  and pit them off against one another at Germany’s Sachsenring track in Bernsdorf.

The fastest time of the day from their shootout was BMW’s M3 GTS, equipped with semi-slicks with a time of 1:37.30 – but since we’re comparing apples to apples, the M3 CRT ran a time of 1:38.87 while the new M5 did it in 1:38.90. That’s a mere 0.03-seconds off the M3 CRT but it’s also worth mentioning that the new M5 was driven by Claudia Hürtgen, a German race car driver and one of Germany’s best known female racers, while the rest of the cars were driven by Autobild drivers.

The 1M Coupe ran a respectable 1:40.18, which was faster than the standard M3 Coupe DCT at 1:40.52. From there it was the M3 Sedan, M3 Convertible, X6 M, X5 M, and E60 M5 rounding off the list. To compare the two generations of M5, the E60 ran a 1:43.77, almost five seconds slower than its newer-generation counterpart.

Autobild also took the liberty to take Porsche‘s Panamera Turbo S and Mercedes-Benz‘s E63 AMG out to compare it to the new M5. The Panamera Turbo S ran a 1:38.13, trumping the new M5 by less than a second, while the E63 was quite behind with a 1:40.59.

Check out two Autobild videos of the new M5 after the break.

GALLERY: 2012 BMW M5

[Source: F10 5 Post via Autoblog]

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Star of the upcoming movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Paula Patton, was on hand in helping introduce the North American debut of BMW’s i3 and i8 Concepts. Neither of these concepts are new to us, having seen them in detail at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but it’s understandable with the i8 playing a major role in the upcoming movie why BMW would give it center stage at the LA Auto Show.

Both the i3 and i8 Concepts are derived from BMW’s LifeDrive Vehicle Architecture incorporating a Life Module with a carbon fiber passenger compartment. The i8 features a 170-hp electric drive motor in the front while a 220-hp three-cylinder gas motor powers the rear. With a 50/50 weight distribution, BMW continued to boast that the i8 can have an estimated 78-mpg, delivering the performance of an M3 with the interior space of a 6-Series. BMW also reiterated that they will have a production model ready to show to the world by 2014.

The smaller i3 features a 170-hp electric drive engine with 184 lb-ft of torque and promises up to a 100-mile range that can be doubled with a range extender. A full charge of the i3 can be had in just four hours on a 220-volt charger, while an 80-percent charge can be obtained in just a single hour with a high speed charger. BMW announced that they plan to have a production vehicle based on the i3 Concept by the end of 2013.

Also making its North American premiere was BMW’s M5, though we’ve probably seen more than enough of it already. Worth noting was that BMW brought one out in a matte silver metallic finish and it sounded great rolling out to the show floor.

GALLERY: BMW i3 Concept

GALLERY: BMW i8 Concept

GALLERY: BMW M5

Damon Lavrinc of Autoblog had the chance to sit down with Albert Biermann, Head of Product Development for BMW‘s M Division, and was able to glean some information on future product that should put to bed some of the many rumors floating around about BMW’s skunk works.

First up, the upcoming 2013 BMW M5 will be available with a 6-speed manual. The previous M5 debuted with a 7-speed SMG gearbox, and the resulting outcry forced BMW to backtrack and offer a proper stick after launch. Not so for the new car, which will have the option of either a stick or a dual-clutch gearbox. What won’t be offered is all-wheel drive (due to the sophistication of the M5′s electronic rear differential) and a wagon (BMW sold just over 1,000 M5 wagons world wide last time around, and can’t justify the investment like Cadillac can with the CTS-V wagon).

BMW also won’t be offering an M version of the Z4 for similar reasons, but don’t be surprised to see an M version of one of BMW’s EVs, with Biermann stating “There will be a day when we will not only tweak combustion engines, but electric motors. But we have to continue to provide the M experience.” Biermann also discussed the popular topic of weight reduction, stating that his goal is to have the new model match the outgoing models’ weight, and that due to increasing complexity and vehicle content, weight reduction isn’t always possible.

[Source: Autoblog]

There was really only one problem with the V10-powered E60 BMW M5. The issue? A heavy sedan powered by a low torque, high-revving engine that required full throttle and 8-10ths driving to be any real fun.

Pair that engine with a light weight race car (a Subaru Impreza for instance), however, and you’ve got quite a package. That’s exactly what one original thinker did, with plenty of custom fabrication work that can be seen in a full build gallery here.

Video of the car’s first shakedown runs have just hit the net and while the car is reportedly not making full power, it certainly sounds incredible!

[Source: Jalopnik]

Watch the video after the jump:

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It’s perhaps the only automotive venue in the world where the new BMW M5 won’t get the attention it deserves. Then again, it’s hard to compete with the 100 year old rolling sculptures on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Eelgance.

Debuting at the Nurburgring 24 Hour Race, the new M5 is scheduled to get its official world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, but it’s made the trip across the Atlantic, and all the way to the West Coast of California first. Surprise!

On display next to the “Concept Lawn”, this is the first North American showing for what promises to be the most amazing performance sedan the world has ever seen. Powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 it makes an incredible 552-hp, with 502 lb-ft of torque available at just 1500 rpm. Mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission the M5 delivers a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and can hit 190-mph with an optional M package.

New “green” tech features include an auto start-stop function, as well as a Brake Energy Regeneration system that help to cut fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent.

GALLERY: 2012 BMW M5

Click here for complete details on the all-new M5.

In case BMW‘s notoriously fickle enthusiasts can’t find the motivation to summon their pitchforks, here’s some news to light a fire under their posteriors: the legendary M division will put a diesel engine under the hood of their next car, a 5-Series.

Say it ain’t so, again! What’s next, a front-wheel drive M? But the next M-diesel won’t be an all-out M car—instead, it will be a companion to the M5, with the clunky badging of 550dM to indicate a diesel 5-Series that’s been breathed on by the sport division. The diesel powertrain will also make it to BMW’s other models such as the X-series of SUVs, which will also feature all-wheel drive.

As for the engine—going by the “more is better” theme, the diesel powerplant will carry three turbochargers to weed out even the suggestion of turbo lag. It will be a 3.0-liter straight-six as used in BMW’s current diesel cars, but with significant differences to the cylinder head. Direct injection and more efficient valve timing will push final horsepower figures to within the M5′s 560 horsepower: somewhere north of 500 will be expected, but with significantly more torque.

How significant? The M5 has 500 lb-ft of torque right now from its gasoline engine, but the diesel M will have more than 650 lb-ft. All-wheel drive will be standard then, according to a BMW official, “otherwise you’ll be spinning your tires all day.”

Diesel has been catching on slowly in the US, which holds stringent regulations on its sulfur levels. A high-performance diesel could light a fire under current sales figures of oil burners, and if BMW readies an M-diesel, it could even beat Audi at its own game. That, more than sales figures, would be the triumph of the day.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

Reports of the BMW M5′s record-setting Nurburgring lap time are just starting to circulate now, well after we first covered the story last week. The source for the 7:55 run didn’t come from BMW, however, nor did it come from testing done by the automotive media, but from a website FastestLaps.com, raising some doubt as to its validity. Further calling into question the legitimacy of the number is the fact that it ever so conveniently tops the Porsche Panamera Turbo by one second.

We contacted FastestLaps.com and Krisjanis Zelch, a representative for the site, told us that he has, “no reason to question its legitimacy.” According to their source the time was mentioned by F10 M5 project leader Albert Biermannn during the debut of the car over the weekend at the Nurburgring.

Cautioning that he didn’t hear the news himself, Zelch did say that it came from a trusted source. “Judging from past experience, I am absolutely certain that this laptime is genuine (as genuine as lap time claims by factories can be) and in future I expect even faster laptimes resulting from independent tests.”

When contacted, BMW PR representative Dave Buchko neither confirmed or denied the time, stating that it, “is not an official time, so I’m afraid I’m not in a position to provide confirmation.” There’s no telling on if or when BMW plans to make an official timed run.

With a BMW factory driver behind the wheel of BMW’s new M5, the luxury sedan has reportedly turned in a lap time of 7:55 around the famed Nurburgring. This makes it the world’s fastest sedan, ahead of Porsche‘s Panamera Turbo (7:56) and Cadillac‘s CTS-V (7:59), and puts it on par of other supercars such as Ferrari’s F430 and is even one second quicker than Porsche’s 996 Turbo.

Powered by a 4.4L V8 twin turbo engine, this accomplishment proves BMW’s M-models have hardly skipped a beat against the competition. It will be interesting to see how BMW’s competitors respond with their next-generation sedans, but it clearly proves that the Germany automaker’s devotion to twin turbo powerplants is paying off.

A word of caution; the time is in no way an official BMW number and we can’t verify the validity of the source (FastestLaps.com). It’s almost not necessary, however, with the new M5 almost certain to run a solid sub-eight minute lap around the Ring.

GALLERY: 2012 BMW M5

[Source: TeamSpeed]

Those that have been waiting in anticipation for BMW‘s next-generation M5 can now entertain themselves with an online configurator, albeit rather limited in options. The online configurator offers a full 3D render of the upcoming M5, complete with 360-degree views of the interior and exterior and a static shot of the cockpit.

The exterior currently features seven metallic finishes including our favorite, Space Grey. And no BMW would be complete with the infamous Alpine White paint choice, which is the M5′s only non-metallic finish currently available.

Two different types of wheels are also available for picking, one being a multi-split spoke style, while the other is your traditional BMW split-five spoke wheel.

For the interior, the M5 will have three color combination choices with leather and full leather option for each. We’re definitely interested to see how the Sakhir Orange/Black Merino combination plays out in person with an Alpine White exterior. The interior trim options are standard BMW issue with fine-wood brown, fine-wood anthracite and aluminum available.

BMW has informed the public that more options will be added soon to the configurator, but for now it looks like they’re just hoping you’re saving away to get one of these bad boys when they’re ready to hit the streets.

[Source: BMW]