2009 Bmw M3 on 2040-cars

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BMW X3 spied with nip and tuck nearly complete

With the style-driven BMW X4 coming along in development, it looks like some of the forthcoming crossover's design could trickle over to its utilitarian sibling, the X3. Captured in these spy shots, it appears that the 2015 BMW X3 is preparing for a minor facelift, and from what we can tell, the biggest change will center on the CUV's headlights.
There is plenty of camouflage on the front and rear fascias to suggest updates will occur there, too, but we can definitely tell that the X3 will be getting LED-equipped headlights - at least as an option, anyway. The halos are slightly different from the current offering and there is also an LED strip above the headlights used as turn signal indicators. Another interesting thing we notice in these pictures is the nub at the bottom of the grille (also visible in recent X4 spy shots). While this could be some sort of test sensor for this prototype, it could also be a front-mounted camera for a possible parking assist system.
We don't expect any changes to the powertrain and we're not sure what updates could be in store for the interior, but we're guessing that that the 2015 X3 will debut shortly after the X4 goes on sale next year.

Toyota launches BMW-powered Verso in Europe

BMW makes some sweet-revving engines, but its own vehicles aren't the only ones running BMW engines. So do the latest from Rolls-Royce and Mini, of course, as well as a handful of Peugeots and Citroëns thanks to its joint engine program with PSA. Wiesmann uses BMW engines, as did the famous McLaren F1. And now we can add one more to the list.
That would be the Toyota Verso, a Corolla-based minivan which Toyota builds in Turkey and sells in Europe and a few other markets overseas. The Verso is also now officially the first beneficiary of the partnership between Toyota and BMW as the Japanese automaker has released the MPV with BMW's 1.6-liter turbodiesel four.
The 111-horsepower engine is coupled to a Toyota transmission and joins the Verso range as the fourth (and least powerful) engine in the lineup, alongside the 122hp 2.0 diesel and the gasoline options with 1.6 liters and 160 hp and 1.8 for 180. Future collaborations between the two automakers will include fuel-cell development, a new joint sportscar platform, lightweight bodywork research and a new generation of lithium-air batteries. See the press release below for further details.

Watch man destroy his M6 'lemon' with a sledgehammer and ax

Just to be clear, the owner of this BMW M6 isn't ready for another one. He and his friend destroyed the V10-powered coupe in anger at the entrance to the Frankfurt Motor Show in a decidedly public fashion. Bild and GT Spirit report that the owner was angry over mysterious quality and reliability issues that he claims BMW wasn't able to fix. What we have here, folks, is claimed to be a very expensive lemon.
As the story goes, owner Pourmohseni Hadi bought the 2007 M6 in 2008, and five years later, he is still complaining about mysterious vibrations, rattles and severe jolts during gear changes - the latter he says have caused passengers to become nauseous. The car was taken to several BMW repair shops in Italy and Hadi says he he has written a letter to the automaker about his issues, but the car was never fixed and the letter unanswered, he claims. What we don't know is how many miles the car has been driven and when all these problems started happening. The situation reminds us of a certain Lamborghini Gallardo from a couple years back.
While we understand Hadi's frustration, perhaps an M6 just doesn't suit his tastes. After all, we'd be lying if we said a perfectly functioning M6 of this generation wasn't bumpy over uneven surfaces and wouldn't make some passengers nauseous, with its stiffly sprung suspension and dizzying 500-horsepower V10. Anyone wanna bet his M6 was equipped with one of BMW's notoriously abrupt SMG single-clutch gearboxes?