AC Schnitzer Unwraps New BMW X3 Tuning Package

Available since autumn 2010, the second iteration of the BMW X3 continues to draw the attention of European tuners. Seen here in AC Schnitzer guise, the F25 X3 has been upgraded with a styling package and go-fast modifications.

For starters, AC Schnitzer has upped the performance on the 2.0-liter diesel-powered xDrive20d from 184-horses to 218HP, while the company is also working on a kit for the xDrive30d as well as the 6-cylinder 2.8i and 3.5i petrol models, which will be released later this year.

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BMW and Cundari Produce the World’s Longest Internet Ad

In what’s either a clever bit of marketing or an epic jumping the shark moment, Canadian ad firm Cundari has produced what it claims to be the longest banner ad ever for the BMW X3.

The ad, which measures 300 by 18,000 pixels (!) when fully extended, contains some 5,500 words of text and just goes on and on and on. So much so that I just skimmed through, trying to figure out if there was a point to it. It certainly didn’t make me want to buy an X3, but maybe that’s not what Cundari was trying to achieve.

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Ward's Auto Announces the 10 Best Car Interiors of 2011

Like every year, Ward's AutoWorld magazine picks the best interiors the automotive industry has to offer. For 2011, the publication chose 10 the ten best interiors the offer after editors analyzed 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interior. Ward's Auto picked the 10 winners from all segments, with the finalists including three luxury brands, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, an SUV and a family sedan.

If you’re still with us, the top 10 winners for 2011, in alphabetical order, are:

Audi A8
BMW X3 xDrive35i
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT RS
Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
Ford Focus Titanium
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra Limited
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
Kia Optima EX
Volvo S60

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BMW X3 Buyers will be able to see their Vehicles Being Built through an Online Video Portal

BMW wants to turn an ordinary sale into an emotional experience that drives brand loyalty and retention by offerings U.S. buyers of the 2011MY X3 a unique access to the creation of their crossover through an online video portal that will show them footage of their customized X3 being produced at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

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New Rumors Surface about 4-Cylinder Turbocharged BMW Engine, this time for Z4 Roadster

Last time we reported about BMW's long-rumored family of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, it was in the summer of 2010. Meanwhile, the German manufacturer hasn't revealed anything on the matter, giving the whole affair an almost mythical status.

However, a new rumor has surfaced, with Automobile Magazine tweeting that the entry level BMW Z4 will soon get a new, 4-cylinder force inducted engine, as a replacement for the naturally aspirated inline-six.

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U-SPY: Carscoop Reader Snags a Fleet of BMW Prototypes in Austria

The BMW Group is quite busy these days as the Bavarian automaker is developing a raft of new models, ranging from the upcoming Megacity electric-vehicle and the MINI Coupe and Roadster, to the next generation of the 3-Series and the production version of the Vision ED concept sports car.

Carscoop reader Andras from Hungary was vacationing in Obertauern, Austria when he spotted this convoy of BMWs comprising of both masked prototypes and normal production cars, including a sedan in full body cladding. Check out Andras' photos and story after the jump.

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2011 BMW X3 gets M Sports Package and New Inline-Six Petrol and Diesel Engines

The lightly refreshed Coupe and Convertible versions of the 1-Series aren't the only new BMW models unveiled today as the Bavarian automaker also announced the introduction of an M Sports Package and two new engines for the latest X3 crossover, which was first shown in July.

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VIDEO: BMW Teaches us a Lesson about Winter and Summer Tires

When we shared with you a list with winter driving tips in our previous post -see here- we stressed the importance of using winter tires. The reason? Summer tires will lose most of their elasticity at 7 degrees Celsius (44.6 F) and it only gets worse as temperatures drop further. Grip will be almost non-existent and having four-wheel drive doesn’t help either. If you still have doubts, follow the break to check out a video from BMW showing the new X3 with summer tires rendered useless in the snowy Austrian Alps.

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VIDEO: BMW X3 vs. Audi Q5 in an all-wheel drive man-made hill climb

Who would have thought that BMW's all-wheel drive systems were enough to shame Audi's famous quattro system? Not the average consumer, that's for sure (though BMW certainly has had enough time to get it right). BMW, which has actually been making AWD cars for the past 25 years, has decided to begin more aggressively targeting consumers who live in harsher climates.

According to this video, BMW's xDrive is vastly superior to Audi's quattro - at least when driving up metal inclines built by BMW... In the clip, we get a glimpse at what appears to be some sort of BMW press event and a hill climb-off between two small-ish diesel-powered premium soft-roaders: Audi's Q5 and BMW's X3.

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BMW Announces Snow and Ice Training Courses, Celebrates 25 Years of AWD Models

Driving in the snow can be a lot of fun if you know what you're doing. But not everyone is an ace behind the wheel and even if they are, there's always room for improvement. Enter BMW's Winter Driving Experience event that offers special training courses all over Europe, in a variety of road conditions.

For starters there's the BMW Snow Intensive Training course in Sölden (Austria), where you can fine tune your braking and steering technique driving the new BMW X3, 5-Series and the M3, on both uphill and downhill routes.

After mastering the basics, you can switch to the BMW Snow Drift Training, also held in Sölden, where you can drift for a half a day in a 420 hp M3, yodeling all the way.

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BMW Gains UK Police Approval, Announces 330d Saloon Interceptor

Good news for police officers bad news for tax-payers in the UK; Hyundai (see here) is not the only maker to be approved as a key supplier for all 52 Police forces around the country by the National Policing Improvement Agency. BMW has also received the agency's blessings, which means the Bavarian firm's cars and motorcycles will become standard issue to the UK's Policemen and women as part of the four-year deal.

Crime fighters in blue will be able to get behind the wheel of cars such as BMW 330d Saloon and Touring, 530d Saloon and Touring, all variants of X1, X3 xDrive20d, X5 xDrive30d and xDrive40d, while the R1200 RF-P Police bike is also on the menu.

Aside from the latest 5 Series models, which are an all-new addition to Police fleets, BMW also announced a specially modified 330d Saloon Interceptor as its High Performance Pursuit Vehicle.

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BMW’s South Carolina Factory May Get Fourth Model, Possibly 3-Series

BMW is considering adding a fourth model to its Spartanburg, South Carolina factory in order to further compete with U.S. luxury market leaders Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.

The Bavarian firm's chief, Frank-Peter Arndt believes an additional "volume model" could be added to Spartanburg's production line. The introduction of a fourth model would help reduce BMW's exposure to foreign currency, which presently tops US$14 billion. IHS Automotive analyst Rebecca Lindland believes the 3-Series is the most likely candidate for production at Spartanburg: "The 3-Series is a no-brainer." she said.

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BMW Drives New 2011 X3's Prices Down, Starts from $37,625

BMW has announced U.S. pricing for its all-new, second-generation X3 before the crossover model arrives in dealerships at the end of the year. Customers can choose from two variants, the X3 xDrive28i that comes with a 3.0-liter inline-six engine producing 240HP and a base price of $37,625, or the X3 xDrive35i with a 300HP turbocharged-six priced at $41,925. Both prices include $875 destination and handling fee.

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