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M-fographic breaks down the history of BMW performance machinery

Few characters carry the kind of clout among performance enthusiasts as the letter M. For 35 years now, that one letter has adorned over 300,000 BMWs, each tuned to deliver a higher degree of performance than the stock models on which they're based.
The M division has worked up nearly 100 different models over the past third of a century, which can leave even the most expert among Bimmer fanatics bewildered. Fortunately British auto loan service Carfinance247 has commissioned this handy infographic to make sense of it all, and you can check it out below to see what the letter M really stands for.

BMW X4 slantback is nearly here

Another day, another new BMW spied. Sometimes it feels like Bimmer is developing so many new models that in the future, every buyer will get their own unique car. The latest one spied is the upcoming BMW X4 that was launched as a concept nearly a year ago. The Bavarians still see a need to camouflage the rear end of its prototypes, though.
As you can see, the production version is hewing very closely to the concept. If you peer around the camo, the headlights have the same shape, but the foglights are a new addition. The rear roofline seems quite similar to concept, too, but the back end is still somewhat more mysterious because the masking and dirt hide a lot. Still, it doesn't seem like the production model is going to be radically different from the concept based on the previous test cars we spied in the past. It also strikes us as very similar in size and form to the already available 3 Series Gran Turismo, with which it is expected to share a great deal.
Our wait might not be very long to see the midsize German CUV undisguised, because the X4's debut is rumored for the New York Auto Show on April 16 with a reveal as early as March 14.

2015 BMW X4 gets its small-screen debut

It's easy to dismiss the 2015 BMW X4. On one hand, the high-style crossover seems more like a boardroom decision than a practical one. In a world with the 3 Series, 4 Series, X3, 3 Series GT and 4 Series Gran Coupe, is BMW really being inundated with requests for a baby X6? Of course, when we finally got behind the wheel of the CUV for our First Drive, it proved rather entertaining, and certainly the X6's global sales success suggests that it's worth the relatively low-cost risk for the Bavarian automaker.
Now, it's the general public's chance to weigh in on the latest crossover Bimmer and vote with their dollars. The X4 is just hitting showrooms in the US, and BMW is beginning its marketing campaign for it with the slogan "Embrace the Unknown." The first TV ad shows off the CUV driving through the world's major cities as they undulate like the rolling ocean. A woman flatly says phrases starting with "Go," while a synth-heavy score plays underneath that wouldn't be out of place over the end credits in an '80s sci-fi movie.
Visually, it's actually kind of a cool ad and evokes some of the special effects from Inception. Focusing on an urban atmosphere is probably a good idea, too, because the percentage of X4s going offroad is likely to be in the low single digits, if that. Now, let's see if BMW buyers are willing to embrace the unknown of the X4. Scroll down to watch it for yourself.