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BMW rethinks all-wheel-drive M cars

BMW M hasn't been able to decide whether it wants to jump on the all-wheel-drive bandwagon or not (with the exceptions of the X5 M and the X6 M, which are based on AWD architecture). That might be changing though, since M's president Friedrich Nitschke recently realized that 70 to 80 percent of Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs are ordered with all-wheel drive. Earlier this year, Nitschke said that there were no new AWD M models planned, so this comes as somewhat of a surprise.
"On our cars we are thinking of all-wheel drive, but it won't come before we get the successor of the M5 and M6," Nitschke said in a Motoring report. "That's the timing and it's not practical to react in the current life cycles."
"On our cars we are thinking of all-wheel drive." - Friedrich Nitschke, BMW

BMW offers M Performance Power Kit for 2012 335i sedan

BMW has let loose a new M Performance Power Kit for its F30-generation 335i and 335i xDrive sedans. Starting at $1,100 for the kit - installation is extra - your car will be fitted with a new ECU and air intake on the functional side and an M Performance engine cover and rocker panel stickers on the decorative side. The Power Kit raises the 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder's horsepower rating from 300 to 320, and on automatic models, torque gets a boost from 300 pound-feet to 332 lb-ft - manual transmission models get a smaller bump to 317 lb-ft.
According to the Bavarian automaker, you'll be able to hear the change in the overrun exhaust note, and 0-60 mile-per-hour times drop by 0.2 seconds. The package is available now at all BMW Centers in the US, and if you get it installed when you purchase the car new, it will get the same four-year, 50,000-mile warranty as the vehicle. Have it done after the fact and the kit will be warranted for two years and unlimited miles. There's a press release below with some more details.

The Bilenkin Vintage is a retro-Russian coachbuilt BMW

If you want to add some retro Russian style to your E92 BMW 3 Series, the coachbuilt Vintage by Bilenkin Classic Cars is probably your best (and only) option. The coupe's shape takes inspiration from vehicles of the Communist era, but this bespoke machine's design gets even crazier on the inside. The company's website shows that Bilenkin already has experience restoring classic cars, but this design. That experience is on display here. The stylists do a masterful job of hiding the BMW donor at the front, and the two big headlights and low-mounted, chrome bumper seem to take inspiration from old Volgas. In a fantastic touch, lengths of chrome also run through the door handles down the side to accentuate the rear. The back might be the styling's best angle because of the way the fins step down over two tiers to create the taillights. While the exterior focuses on mixing vintage looks with modern underpinnings, the interior cossets the occupants in opulent trim that features gold and diamonds. Bilenkin upholsters one example in its photos (above right) with paisley fabric, teal trim, and a frosted gearshift. The company also has one with a more traditional look that combines brown leather, wood, and crimson carpets. The Vintage recently debuted at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show, but Bilenkin doesn't go into much detail about the vehicle's mechanical specs. According to the company's site, "it is intended to embody elegance and style along with the principle 'Sheer Driving Pleasure.'" The retro design certainly achieves the first part of that goal, while the BMW bones probably deliver the latter as well.