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BMW E9 3.0L CSL Batmobile is an awesome retro racer

When BMW released pictures of its 3.0 CSL Hommage earlier this year and then brought a period-livery racing example to Pebble Beach, this is the car it was looking at. The BMW E9 New Six CS came before BMW Motorsport and BMW M cars existed, and well before the tagline "The ultimate driving machine," but it paved the way for all of them. Built as a road-going coupe from 1968 to 1975, 1,265 units out of a total production run of 30,546 units were homologated for the European Touring Car Championship. Fitted with the final specification aero package in 1973 and powered by a 3.003-liter inline six-cylinder with a base rating of 200 horsepower, it proved such an able racer that it won the overall ETCC trophy six times - four of those after its road car donor had ceased production, and a bunch of other races like a class win at Le Mans. Clean samples go for huge money. That aero kit earned it the nickname "Batmobile," and Car Throttle drove a left-hand-drive version in the UK (BMW did build 500 right-hand-drive models, though). This is less a car review and more a dream drive, the host letting us know right off that the 3.0 CSL is the one car he's wanted to drive more than any other. He also finds that the Coupe Sport Leicht had a stop/start system... of the temperamental kind. Check it out in the video above. Related Video:

2015 BMW Alpina B6 Gran Coupe challenges the M6 in New York

Despite being a well-respected outfit for decades, Alpina remains something of a mystery to many stateside BMW fans. In Europe, Alpina has established itself as a first-rate source for breathed-upon high-performance Bimmers, and it's looking to continue picking up traction on our shores. The US has received a handful of Alpina models through BMW factory channels, namely the 7-Series-based B7, and now we're getting another fast four-door with the debut of the BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe at today's 2014 New York Auto Show.
The B6 Gran Coupe stands as an interesting sibling to the factory's M6 Grand Coupe. Both are propelled by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but the tunes are quite different. The Alpina produces 540 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of torque, which is 20 hp less than the M6, but with 40 lb-ft more torque. An eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive mean that the B6 is about half a second quicker to 60 miles per hour than BMW's own creation. Plus, the B6 has an unrestricted top speed of 198 mph, making it one seriously rapid 6 Series Gran Coupe.
The sport sedan also wears other Alpina goodies like 20-inch versions of the brand's 21-spoke wheels and exclusive color options. The B6 Gran Coupe goes for $118,225 (including destination), and will be available through BMW dealers immediately after the auto show ends. More info about the B6 is in the release below.

BMW 330e iPerformance brings new name to $44,695 PHEV

BMW is getting almost as much mileage out of the little letter 'i' as Apple does. After rethinking what electric vehicles could be like with the i3 and the i8 - both part of the BMWi brand - the Bavarians announced that the other plug-in vehicles in their line-up would soon get "iPerformance" branding. And so here we have the new BMW 330e iPerformance, which is just a new name for the 330e Plug-In Hybrid. With the name change, we also learn that the PHEV will go on sale in the use this summer starting at $44,695. All that dough will get you a plug-in 3 Series that has an electric range of up to 14 miles thanks to a 7.6-kWh li-ion battery. You can read more details about the 330e iPerformance in the press release below or, for more on how it drives, in our review. Related Video: The all-new BMW 330e iPerformance. 22.03.2016 Press Release Woodcliff Lake, N.J.: March, 2016... The all-new BMW 330e iPerformance adds another highly innovative variant to the BMW 3 Series line-up with its advanced plug-in hybrid drive system. For the first time, cutting-edge BMW i technologies have been integrated into the world's most successful premium model. The BMW 3 Series Sedan has already set standards for sports performance and fuel economy in its segment using conventional combustion engines. Key ingredients are its intelligent lightweight design, outstanding aerodynamics for its class and the extensive use of BMW EfficientDynamics technology fitted as standard. The all new BMW 330e iPerformance will be available in summer 2016 at dealers starting at $44,695 including Destination and Handling. Everyday usability, paired with efficiency and driving dynamics. Featuring technology transferred from BMW i. 14 miles in all electric mode. Woodcliff Lake, N.J.: March , 2016... The all-new BMW 330e iPerformance adds another highly innovative variant to the BMW 3 Series line-up with its advanced plug-in hybrid drive system. For the first time, cutting-edge BMW i technologies have been integrated into the world's most successful premium model. The BMW 3 Series Sedan has already set standards for sports performance and fuel economy in its segment using conventional combustion engines. Key ingredients are its intelligent lightweight design, outstanding aerodynamics for its class and the extensive use of BMW EfficientDynamics technology fitted as standard.