The BMW i3 concept has been around for some time, but now we can speculate that BMW must be close to having a production car on their hands.

These newest spy photos show the i3 playing around in some snow in the European north, and looking like it could be ready for the road fairly soon. The i3 will feature a carbon-fiber reinforced plastic chassis to make it incredibly light, and along with the BMW i8 will be the first high volume production car to utilize such technology.

The nose on the i3 actually looks like it has changed a little bit since we last saw it in our first batch of spy photos. Clearly BMW is hard at work on the i3.

The fully electric i3 makes roughly 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and thanks to a weight of roughly 2,755 lbs is expected to accelerate to 60 mph in around 8 seconds.

At the unveiling of the concept version at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, BMW announced the i3 would be in dealers by the end of 2013.

GALLERY: i3 Spy Photos

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel estimates are out for BMW‘s new line of 3-Series cars and it looks like they’ve caught the competition with their pants down.

The 2012 328i scores an impressive 24 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, that’s a 28 percent improvement in fuel consumption over last year’s model. What’s even better is that the 328i actually gets more power than the model it replaced for a total of 240 horsepower compared to last year’s 230. The 300-horsepower 335i doesn’t get a boost in oomph but as you may expect, is less thirsty in 2012. In fact, the automatic-equipped version is downright efficient, bragging 23 mpg city and 33 highway.

Though it might seem like it, these jumps don’t happen overnight, or by some magic gasoline fairy waving a wand. BMW achieved such impressive improvements in the 328i through cleverly engineered turbocharging and by lobbing a whole liter off of last year’s engine. That’s right, there’s a 2.0-liter inline four where there used to be a 3.0-liter six cylinder.

So what of the competition? The Mercedes-Benz C 250 has 39 fewer ponies than the 328i and only gets 21 and 31 mpg in the city and highway despite having a 1.8-liter engine. Audi‘s A4 uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged powerplant and also only gets 22 mpg city and 30 on the highway when equipped with their gas-saving continuously variable transmission, not to mention falling 29 horsepower short.

The jig is up for this model year, but it should be interesting to watch Audi and Mercedes-Benz respond to their Bavarian neighbor’s conservative consumption. Perhaps this is why BMW remains the top dog in the bratwurst pile.

BMW is cashing in on the chauffeur craze in China by offering a stretched version of the 3-Series exclusively to Chinese customers.

The longer wheelbase sedan will be sold as a 335Li, and will offer more legroom to Chinese consumers who want to be driven around but can’t afford a legitimate chauffeur car like  Bentley or Rolls-Royce.

It might sound ridiculous that the mild-mannered 3-Series would merit a hired driver, but Audi has actually been advancing Chinese sales by offering the A6L and A4L sedans with “L” signifying the longer version.

The 335Li fits between the two Audi cars in terms of rear-seat legroom according to China Car Times. Chinese customers will be able to buy the car later this year, though it won’t be offered anywhere else in the world. That would have meant a lot of extra work on BMW’s part until recently. The German automaker will manufacture their Chinese 3-Series cars in partnership with Brilliance, a company they have worked with on several projects in the past.

[Source: China Car Times]

Car companies, much like any other, can go one of two routes when dreaming up a Superbowl commercial: funny or serious.

Cadillac chose the latter this year for their ATS commercial, but their ad didn’t do it for us. Throwing a deep commanding voice over an uninspiring electric guitar track and recycling what’s mostly old teaser footage of the ATS running around the Nurburgring race track was a let down. Most disappointing of all, the original teaser video was probably more exciting. The comparison they make between the BMW 3-Series and the ATS makes sense and so does hinting at testing in enemy territory, but it doesn’t impart the rah rah go USA spirit we would have expected.

The Superbowl represents grandeur, excess and most of all pride. One day out of the year a single stadium becomes football’s cathedral. In keeping with that theme, commercials have no choice but to make us double over in laughter or jump from our seats in excitement, or just crack a prideful smirk.

Chrysler pulled that off last year with their “imported from Detroit’ commercial, but telling people to “go to green hell” is just plain cheesy. Hopefully you disagree, watch the video below and decide for yourself.

GALLERY: 2013 Cadillac ATS

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Rumblings of a 3-Series GT might have been little more than a shudder from the rumor mill, but according to a story published on BMWBLOG a smaller version of the unpopular 5-Series GT is on the way.

It might seem strange that the company would launch such a niche car after the previous iteration failed so heavily. Maybe BMW is jealous of Mercedes-Benz. Whatever the reason is, expect to see them launching in March 2013.

They will feature the same rear glass to stubby bum you would expect on a 4-door hatchback from BMW, in fact they really look like a saloon version of the old 318ti with updated styling.

Engine offerings should be the same as the new 3-Series lineup, so expect to see a 2.0-liter twin-turbo four making 240 hp and a twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder making 300 hp in higher end models.

BMW did actually tweak the formula a little with this car, offering more rear legroom than the 5-Series version. Don’t expect to see these hit American shores, though. The company is releasing a touring edition of the 3-Series for American consumers which makes sense because it seems few people actually buy hatchbacks in the U.S.

[Source: BMWBLOG]

With all the excitement surrounding the official release of the BMW M Performance Diesel models, we almost forgot that the actual M models might be receiving some attention for the new year too.

For 2013, BMW gave the X6 M a light refresh, subtly changing the front of the crossover with new LED headlights and grille. Also included in the update are new leather interior choices. The 2013 BMW X6 M will continue to be powered by a 4.4L twin-turbo, V8 powerplant with 547-hp and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed M Sport automatic transmission.

Check out two videos of the 2013 BMW X6 M facelift below and read AutoGuide’s BMW X6 M Review here.

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BMW has announced the pricing for its new ActiveHybrid 5, and fuel efficiency will come at a cost, with a starting MSRP of $61,845, which includes a $895 destination and handling fee.

That price tag puts the ActiveHybrid 5 at $9,435 more expensive than the standard 535i, but with it you’ll get “not just highly sporty performance but also a double-digit percentage improvement in fuel economy over the BMW 535i.” The ActiveHybrid 5 couples BMW’s 3.0L turbocharged, inline-six engine that has 300-hp and 300 lb-ft of torque with an electric drive system packing 54-hp and 155 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The combined output is 335-hp and 330 lb-ft of torque.

The ActiveHybrid 5 is able to be driven on electric power alone up to 37-mph and for a distance of 2.5-miles. What is impressive however is that the sedan can sprint to 60-mph in 5.7-seconds, which is just 0.1-seconds slower than the 535i. BMW hasn’t release EPA fuel economy estimates for the US model yet.

The ActiveHybrid 5 is the third in the line of hybrid models from the German automaker and features a new generation of BMW ActiveHybrid technology. It’s the debut for the combination of the six-cylinder engine with TwinPower Turbo technology and an electric motor. The ActiveHybrid 5 will go on sale in America starting in March 2012.

GALLERY: BMW ActiveHybrid 5

Kudos to BMW for owning up to its mistakes. Too often the news is full of scandals where car companies tried to cover catastrophes with foggy facts, but not the Bavarian luxury car king, no sir.

Instead, we stumbled across a recall that BMW deserves a pat on the back for, despite having to laugh a little. It’s only for six cars…

Apparently a handful of 2012 X5 xDrive35i SUV models have transmissions that can fail to engage in park, even with the shifter in the “P” mode. As a result, they can roll away. Obviously that could wreck the car, cause an accident, hit pedestrians and all sorts of other evil stuff, but we’re more fascinated with the fact that BMW is actually taking the initiative to recall them.

Expect a call from BMW soon if you own one of the six affected vehicles. You’re in for a free transmission.

Efficiency is important these days. The government is cracking down on gas guzzlers and imposing strict regulations that force automakers into saving more fuel than ever before.

That’s why it might come as a surprise that Audi of America is opting not to offer their most efficient diesel engine in the upcoming 2013 Q5. That’s right, the German luxury brand sees fit to package the same diesel 3.0-liter V6 that they currently offer American consumers in the Q7.

Why, you might ask? The answer is simple, though less than logical. Audi is afraid of selling a 2.0 turbo diesel Q5 because it gets better milage than the hybrid-electric powertrain they are offering in the same vehicle.

In other words, the diesel engine is too efficient for the discerning U.S. palette. Now, there may be some merit to the theory, considering diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline. People can be quick to judge at the pump and diesels still carry a somewhat sordid name among American consumers, even today.

On the other hand Hybrids evoke green imagery and environmentally friendly thoughts, which is even funnier when you realize that Europeans have been driving diesels to save fuel for decades.

Regardless of the reasoning, Audi is doing a good job of pandering to consumer egos, saying they chose to offer a more performance oriented diesel and an efficient hybrid.

Speaking of performance-oriented diesels, the company will also be offering Americans the same engine in the A8 later this year. The same logic that spoiled the chances for a 2.0-liter diesel Q5 is also keeping the hybrid A8 out of reach.

“Our current A8 with the 4.2L gasoline V-8 gets the same fuel economy as hybrids from BMW, Lexus and Mercedes” due to its emphasis on weight-saving aluminum construction, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen said to Ward’s Auto. “Imagine now what happens when you put a diesel in the car. You have all the driveability and driving enjoyment with even better fuel economy.”

In fact, 41% of Q7 and 55% of A3 sales in the U.S. were diesel models, though the fact that Audi still ships from Germany probably restricted supply, so it makes sense that they would be rolling more models out with the oil-burning option.

GALLERY: Audi Q5 Hybrid

[Source: Wards Auto]

It’s no surprise that BMW is extremely excited about the introduction of its four new M Performance Diesel models; so excited in fact that they’ve forgot to check the spelling of the word “precision.” We’ll overlook the irony of a spelling error on that particular word, and instead enjoy the epic sounds of BMW’s new, tri-turbo diesel models showing off just how sporty and powerful they are.

Unfortunately we won’t be seeing these M Performance Diesel models on U.S. roads anytime soon, but we can continue to hope that BMW might bring their 3.0L inline-six, tri-turbo setup sometime over to the States. With 376-hp and 545 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed automatic, the M550d xDrive sedan and touring, the X5 M50d and the X6 M50d may be our wishes for years to come.

But for now, you’ll just have to settle with the video below. Even if it means wondering what the word “precison” is.

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