The 4-litre V8 tucked under the subtly bulging bonnet of  has 414bhp, exactly the same as its arch rival, the Audi RS4, a car launched back in 2005. And when Mercedes joins the fray next year with the C63 AMG, the M3 could well find itself lagging behind by a breezy 86bhp. It all depends on whether Mercedes decides to go with the ‘cooking’ 475bhp version of the 6.2-litre AMG V8, as fitted to the regular CLK63 AMG, or the 500bhp edition unveiled at last month’s New York motor show as the powerplant for the Black Series CLK63. Either way, AMG will top the firepower chart by a substantial margin – its customary position these days. Probe deeper, though, and the M3’s new motor begins to look a whole lot more like the high-achiever we were expecting. Whereas the 4.2-litre Audi V8 relies on FSI ...

As well as BMW, the winner here was automotive innovation. The top six engines in this category included two twin-turbos (one petrol, one diesel), a V10 with 580bhp, the world’s first diesel boxer engine, and a fresh version of Volkswagen’s TSI. The Bavarian auto manufacturer triumphed with what it claims ...

BMW is adding a new Edition Sport package to its 6-Series coupe and convertible. This option - available in all non-M models - adds unique 19" alloy wheels, a contoured bonnet, stiffer anti-roll bars, a brushed aluminium-trimmed interior and a choice of new colours including Imola Red and Carbon Black. 650i versions with the Edition Sport pack add a sports exhaust. Prices start from £53,445 for the 630i Edition Sport coupe. BMW is also adding its twin-turbo V8 4.4-litre petrol engine to the X6. The 408bhp X6 xDrive50i can do 155mph and 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. It returns 22.6mpg and 299g/km of carbon dioxide which is, at least, better than the fuel economy and emissions of comparable Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne models. Prices for this model will start from £53,930, and UK deliveries begin in November.

BMW launched the latest addition to the 1 Series line-up, the 1 Series Coupé (E82), at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) 2007. The car went on sale on 24 November 2007. The flagship of the range will be the 135i with a 3-litre twin-turbo petrol engine, generating 225 kW/306 hp (DIN) with its six cylinders. This model also comes with a modified M sports package as standard. The 123d (150 kW/204 hp(DIN)) heads up the range of diesels and is the first ever 4-cylinder diesel engine to come with variable twin-turbo technology. In terms of fuel consumption, the 123d and 120d rate between 4.8 L/100 km (59 mpg imp/49 mpg US) and 5.2 L/100 km (54 mpg imp/45 mpg US). On June 27, 2007, BMW released official information about the new upcoming 1-series Coupé. In Europe, the Coupé would be available fall 2007 in 3 engine specifications: the known 120d and the new 204 hp 123d ...

The 1 Series was first offered to the market in 2004 as a five-door hatchback and is the only rear-wheel drive in its class. It replaced the BMW 3 Series Compact range and is currently the smallest and most affordable vehicle (depending on the engine model) in the BMW range. Unlike its predecessor, the new vehicle is built on its own platform (E87); however, it shares many components with the E90 3 Series. Shared parts include MacPherson struts in the front of the car and a trapezoidal-link rear axle. BMW has stated that it shares over 60% of components with the current E90 BMW 3 Series.[1] The 1 Series is built in Regensburg and Leipzig, Germany, with the 4 cylinder petrol/gas engines coming ...