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Audi overtakes BMW as adulterers' favorite car brand

As Audi hopes to surpass BMW as the top-selling luxury automaker, sometimes it has to look at the small victories, too. For instance, IllicitEncounters.com - a UK dating site for married folks (also known as adultery) - is reporting that a recent poll shows that more people willing to cheat on their spouses drive an Audi. Last year, this same poll showed that BMW was the car-of-choice for adulterers.
With Audi on top (pun intended) and BMW bumped to number two, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Volkswagen round out the top five car brands owned by unfaithful wives and husbands. Check out the poll over at IllicitEncounters.com, but be sure to clear your browser history afterward. You know, just to make sure your spouse doesn't get the wrong idea about the websites you visit.

BMW M235i in circuit scrap with legendary E46 M3 CSL

Earlier this month, we brought you news that BMW's one-year wonder, the 2011 1 Series M Coupe, is actually trading for more money today than it did when new. That sort of short-term appreciation is a major rarity with modern production cars, but apparently it's not the only BMW enthusiast coupe to enjoy far-above-average residual values. The not-for-North America 2004 M3 CSL, itself a single-year offering, apparently also fits that description, as we've just learned from Auto Express.
The M3 CSL ruled overseas BMW showrooms a decade ago, with just 1,400 examples built. Based on the well-regarded E46 M3, the rare two-door was relieved of extraneous bits for improved track work and driver fidelity, coming in at around 240 fewer pounds than a garden-variety M3. With carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic bodywork, thinner glass and a lot less sound insulation, the CSL was one of the more raucous cars of its day. Like the 1M Coupe, it was also one of the more connected cars of the era, with a retuned suspension, quicker steering, and a bit more power than its brethren.
As Auto Express points out, a good used one commands about the same money as a brand-new 2014 M235i - the closest thing BMW makes to a 1M Coupe today - which makes this video track battle an interesting new-versus-used showdown. According to AE, a well-sorted used M3 CSL will run UK consumers anywhere between £30,000 and £35,000 - roughly $50,000 to $59,000 US. That's a massive premium over the $10k-17k British buyers can expect to shell out for a comparable standard M3, similar to the story that plays out for the 1M versus lesser 1 Series variants.

BMW 3 Series wagon configurator up, priced from $41,450

If you're still smarting from the shock of the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, we have good news for you. BMW has just fired up the configurator for the 2014 3 Series wagon. Prices start at $41,450, excluding an $895 destination and handling fee. The price tag will buy you a 328i xDrive Sports Wagon with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine boasting 241 horsepower paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. The automaker's xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive is also standard, as is a fuel-saving auto start/stop function and 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-season run flat rubber.
Buyers can step up to Sport Line trim for $2,600, and doing so graces the 3 Wagon with 18-inch wheels, high-gloss black accents outdoors as well as a sport leather steering wheel, high-gloss or aluminum interior trim and a black signature key fob. Luxury Line trim will set you back $2,300 abd features chrome trim accents outdoors and wood trim inside along with other goodies. Buyers can also opt for Modern Line trim at $2,300, complete with a turbine-design 18-inch alloy wheel, matte chrome trim bits outdoors and a range of interior trim options.
Our favorite of the bunch? That would be M Sport trim. While the tweaks are largely aesthetic, we dig the notion of 8-way power adjustable sport seats indoors and exclusive M Estoril Blue paint outside. Expect to pay $3,950 for the pleasure. Head over to the BMW site to build your own.