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BMW reveals new X5 Security Plus in Moscow

A major player in the Russian market, BMW is heading to the Moscow Motor Show this month with a slew of local debuts... most of which we've already seen. But among all the new models making the trek from Bavaria to Moscow will be the new X5 Security Plus.
In a new-model launch that will surprise exactly no one, BMW's latest armored vehicle upgrades the X5 with enhanced protection for oligarchs against Chechen rebels, AK47-touting gangsters and missiles randomly falling on Crimean highways. Now meeting the VR6 standard of ballistic protection, the new X5 Security Plus incorporates reinforced bodywork, seats and joints, along with bulletproof glass.
Of course all that reinforcement (not to mention the jars of beluga caviar and bottles of Stoli in the glovebox) will come with a weight penalty, but the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 ought to do the trick, driving 450 horsepower through BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system to get the vehicle's occupants out of a war zone in a hurry.

BMW performance engineering boss wants an M7

Audi has the S8, Mercedes has the S63 AMG and Jaguar has the XJR, but BMW has always held that an M7 wasn't justified, leaving its associated Alpina line to tackle that market with the B7 (pictured). The chief engineer at the M division, however, feels otherwise.
Speaking to Autocar, the BMW M development chief Albert Biermann indicated that he would like to see the M division do a performance version of the 7 Series to compete with the above-mentioned models, but that there are no current plans in place to do so. Neither did he specify what kind of engine it would have, or if it would be badged, for that matter, as an M7 or an M Performance model.
The latter is the approach which the M division is reportedly taking with performance versions of BMW crossovers beyond the X5 M and X6 M, such as the X3 and upcoming X4. The division is also said to be developing a performance-tuned xDrive system to compete with AMG's new all-wheel-drive models, as well as a potential M3 GT to join the new M3 sedan and M4 coupe with a slantback bodystyle.

X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead

BMW managed to eke ahead of Audi for the global luxury sales crown in February. According to Bloomberg, BMW saw deliveries swell by 7 percent in February, besting the 3.2 percent jump enjoyed by Audi and giving BMW a 407-unit delivery lead over its rival last month. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, continued to falter, with the brand selling some 37,229 fewer machines than BMW, whose factories are running at full capacity to keep up with demand. Models like the X1 (shown above) enjoyed a sales increase of 40 percent in February while the company's bread-and-butter 3 Series jumped by 26 percent.
Mercedes-Benz hopes to stem its continued market share loss with the addition of the entry-level CLA sedan to its portfolio in April. The company is set to roll out an updated version of its cash-cow E-Class at the same time, and a new-generation S-Class will follow along shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the company is increasing production to meet demand for its A and B-Class models.