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BMW builds its 2 millionth 1 Series on eve of new model's launch

Hard as it may be to believe, it's been over ten years since BMW launched the first 1 Series, taking the Bavarian automaker into more accessible territory for the first time. Later this month, the first examples of the new model will arrive at dealers, but before it does, the littlest BMW has another reason to celebrate as the 2 millionth unit has rolled off the line. The landmark example is a 120i five-door equipped with the M Sport package and painted in Estoril Blue, bound for a customer in Japan. The achievement is even more noteworthy when you consider that what started out as the 1 Series has since been split into two lines. The three- and five-door hatchbacks remain part of the 1 Series, while the coupe and convertible we get in the US that were once part of the 1 Series as well have since been spun off as the separate 2 Series. Production of the three-door takes place exclusively at BMW's plant in Regensburg, while the five-door is split between Regensburg and a second plant in Leipzig. Buyers are further able to specify between diesel and gasoline engines ranging from three cylinders all the way up to six. Show full PR text Two reasons to celebrate: BMW 1 Series production hits the two-million mark – New edition writes a fresh chapter in the compact model's success story. Munich. 28 March 2015 sees the curtain raised on the market launch of the new BMW 1 Series. Fans of compact driving pleasure can look forward to an even more striking design, a further refined premium ambiance for the interior, engines that are extremely powerful and even more efficient, and innovative equipment features. Ahead of the launch, news filtered through from BMW Plant Regensburg of another reason to smile as the two-millionth BMW 1 Series rolled off the production line. The landmark car was built just a few days after the start of production for the new version of the compact model and is one of the first examples of the new BMW 1 Series range earmarked for export to Asia. The BMW 120i 5-door, painted in Estoril Blue metallic and equipped with an M Sport package, will be delivered to a customer in Japan. This production landmark at BMW Plant Regensburg represents another milestone in the international success story of the BMW 1 Series. In late summer 2014 the company celebrated the model series' tenth birthday.

Toyota-BMW sports car to gain all-wheel drive, supercapacitors?

Sales of salt are skyrocketing following the latest rumor of the planned joint-venture sports car from Toyota and BMW. The whisperings indicate that project will spawn both a replacement for the BMW Z4 and a long-awaited Toyota Supra successor based on the FT-1 Concept shown above. Word is that the new cars will feature front-engine, all-wheel-drive layouts with plug-in hybrid technology. This news would appear to run somewhat counter to earlier reports that BMW and Toyota are teaming for a six-figure hybrid supercar.
According to Autocar, the project will benefit from the experience Toyota gained with the TS030, its hybridized Le Mans prototype. The evidence for this is, of all things, a Toyota Yaris - in particular, the Yaris Hybrid R that was shown at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show last September. That car used a 300-horsepower, 1.6-liter gas engine, while a pair of 60-horsepower electric motors provided all-wheel-drive push (an additional motor also sent additional juice to the front axle). The 414-system-horsepower drivetrain used supercapacitors in place of the traditional lithium-ion batteries of traditional hybrids.
For the production sports cars, Autocar claims that the Yaris Hybrid R's setup will serve as the basis for the new powertrain, although it won't be a direct carryover. Instead, a 2.0-liter BMW engine will be paired with Toyota-designed, BMW-built motors.

This Alpina C1 is a rare bit of BMW 3 Series history

Over its five decades in the business, German tuner-turned-automaker Alpina has established a long history of taking great BMWs and making them just a bit tastier, more luxurious, and well... faster. Of course, they haven't always been the land rockets of modern day, however that's not to say they were exactly tame. Back in the early 1980s, this was one of the cars to have—an Alpina C1 2.3. Based on the original E21 BMW 3-series, the C1 2.3 bridged the performance gap between the standard BMW 323i and Alpina's hard-charging B6 2.8. It summoned up a heady 170 horsepower and disposed of the 60 mph sprint in just seven and a half seconds. Not shabby at all. 33 years later, this '83 Alpina C1 is back up for sale , and it's still quite the head-turner. RELATED: Check Out the Hard-Charging 2016 Alpina B6 xDrive A look back at the C1's contemporary relatives show just how wide Alpina's performance gap had been. Introduced in 1977, the BMW 323i offered up 141 horsepower courtesy of BMW's famed M20 straight-six engine, a big performance improvement over the E21's previous four-cylinders. The Alpina B6 2.8 3-series on the other hand, introduced in 1978, blew its doors off thanks to the bigger 2.8-liter straight-six plucked from the BMW 528i, offering up 200 horsepower. All that, in an early 3-series. With that in mind, a middle-of-the-pack car made sense, so Alpina treated the 323i's straight-six to some of the B6 2.8's goodies, minus the former's Bosch fuel-injection system. Bilstein shocks were part of the diet too, along with oversized disc brakes, sleek alloy wheels, as well as the tell-tale Alpina front splitter, rear spoiler, and racy side-stripes. RELATED: The BMW Isetta is Coming Back, But as an Electric Vehicle! Inside, Alpina added a dose of luxury as well. One could order their C1 2.3 with the gorgeous optional Recaro seats with Alpina stripes, as well as a bespoke leather steering wheel, gear knob, and speedometer. Top speed? About 130 mph. Compared to regular E21 BMW 3-series cars, these are quite rare. How rare is a point of debate, however. Production estimates range from as few as 35 to as many as 400, depending on the source. Regardless, you certainly don't see them everyday, and if this one fits your fancy... it lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Related Video: This article originally appeared on Boldride.com. Aftermarket BMW Auctions Coupe Classics eBay alpina