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BMW confirms new Mexican plant

After over a year of speculation, BMW is finally officially announcing that it's building a factory in Mexico. The new plant will cost the German automaker roughly $1 billion US and will have a capacity of about 150,000 vehicles a year when complete. However, production won't begin there until 2019.
The new factory is being built near the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with plans to employ about 1,500 people. Unfortunately, BMW is still mum about which models it's producing south of the border. Earlier rumors indicated the possibility of the 3 Series, 1 Series and maybe even Mini models there.
BMW says Mexico's multiple free trade agreements are a major factor in the choice of location of the plant. They make it possible for the automaker to ship models more cheaply to North America, parts of South America and the European Union. "The Americas are among the most important growth markets for the BMW Group. We are continuing our strategy of 'production follows the market,'" said Harald Krueger, the board's head of production, in the company's official announcement.

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe gets Bang & Olufsen Individual edition [w/video]

Not content with a bit part on the options sheet, high-end sound gets a starring role on the BMW Individual 6 Series Gran Coupe Bang & Olufsen Edition. There's no technical difference between the 1,200-watt, 16-speaker High End Surround Sound System in this run of 6 Series Gran Coupes and the $3,700 system you can order as an option on the standard Gran Coupe, but the special edition gets brushed black aluminum finish speaker grilles, a first for the range.
The packages and colors are what set these apart, exteriors available in either Brilliant White Metallic or Dark Graphite II Metallic, interiors possible in either black or Opal White and black. You'll also get upgrades like the Cold Weather, M Sport Edition Packages on the non-M car, the Competition Package and Executive Package on the M, plus piano black wood trim, special floor mats and lots of B&O badging.
This isn't just a special edition, it's a limited edition, with BMW saying only 100 will be produced. Prices start at $116,240 for the 650i B&O Edition and top out at $152,423 for the M6 B&O Edition. There's a press release below with more details, and we've included a video on the stereo itself to help understand why it might deserve a car named after it.

2014 BMW 328d rated at 32/45 mpg

BMW still hasn't released official fuel economy numbers for its diesel-powered 2014 328d, but now, those mileage ratings have been posted on the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov website. As expected, the 328d is quite an efficient little machine, with the rear-wheel-drive sedan good for 32 miles per gallon in the city and 45 mpg highway. That even bests the 30/42 mpg of the smaller Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
The last time BMW offered a diesel 3 Series in our market, it was the six-cylinder 335d, which - while mighty quick and excellent to drive - was only offered as a rear-wheel-drive sedan and was rated at 23 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. For 2014, BMW will offer the 328d with optional xDrive all-wheel drive, though that reduces the fuel economy numbers to 31/43 mpg. Beyond that, the BMW will even sell you a 328d xDrive wagon, which nets the same 31/43 mpg rating, according to FuelEconomy.gov.
Look for the 2014 BMW 328d to hit dealerships this fall, and when it launches, it will be the only diesel offering in its class (until the next Mercedes-Benz C-Class arrives, anyway). Lexus and Infiniti will offer hybrid versions of the IS and Q50, respectively, but we've always had a taste for torque, and the 328d's 2.0-liter engine with 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of twist shouldn't disappoint.