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2015 BMW M3 squares off against Alpina D3 in gas vs. diesel throwdown

There was a time when diesel meant one of two things: This vehicle's owner either wants to save some money at the pump or needs to haul massive loads. It definitely did not mean that the owner of said machine wanted to drive fast, but that perception has slowly but surely been changing over the last several years, with automakers from Volkswagen and Ford to Audi and BMW offering spiced-up versions of their high-compression, turbocharged diesels.
It's that last automaker we mentioned that's the subject of the video you'll see down below. One bright-blue BMW M3 was procured by the Brits at Autocar, and it was lined up against a deep-black Alpina D3 (which we sadly can't buy in the US) in a spate of tests, including acceleration, stopping, sound and lap times on a closed circuit. The results, which we won't spoil for you, were enlightening, and were followed up by personal impressions from the man behind the wheel.
We know you're curious. All it takes to find out which of these 3.0-liter, twin-turbo-powered 3 Series variants came out on top is to scroll down below and watch. You know what to do.

2014 BMW 4 Series convertible spotted

We've seen a few spy shot packages featuring the upcoming BMW 4 Series Convertible already, but never with the car quite so naked as in this latest batch. Nabbed just outside the BMW Nürburgring workshop in Germany, this Melbourne Red 4 Series also shows the M Sport package for the first time.
With all of the cladding removed, we can see that the convertible shares the 4 Series coupe's great-looking nose and front end, though the resolution of that folding hard top into the rear bodywork remains a bit harsh.
With the 4 Series coupe now completely official, we have a pretty good idea of what the powertrain lineup for the 'vert will be. We'll be pretty surprised if a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbo aren't the go-to engines at launch. Production of the droptop is likely to begin at the end of the year, so start bugging your local BMW dealer.

Orlando Bloom gets custom BMW S 1000 R by Deus Ex Machina

Gearheads can meet in the most unlikely of places. Take Orlando Bloom and Michael "Woolie" Woolaway. One was starring in a film where the other was working as a gaffer – we'll let you figure out which was which – and a friendship was kindled over their love for motorcycles. As it turns out, Bloom is a bit of a BMW bike enthusiast, and Woolie is the head of the famous Deus Ex Machina custom shop in Venice. The pair teamed up to create a custom four-cylinder Bimmer bike for Bloom based on the S 1000 R, and took it into the Malibu Hills for its first shakedown. Considering the Hollywood setting where they met, it should come as little surprise that they brought a film crew along to artfully document the experience, which you can watch in the four-minute clip above. BMW Motorrad and Orlando Bloom present the BMW S 1000 R Custom. Michael "Woolie" Woolaway from Deus Ex Machina turns Orlando Bloom's vision of a custom bike into reality. Munich/Los Angeles. Everyone knows Orlando Bloom as a successful actor, but not everyone knows about his passion for motorbikes. As a long-standing fan of BMW motorcycles, Orlando Bloom owns and rides a number of BMW models, including old classics. For his own custom bike project he specifically chose the BMW S 1000 R. He asked his good friend, Michael "Woolie" Woolaway, head of the Deus Ex Machina custom shop in Venice, CA, USA, to work with him to bring his custom S 1000 R vision into reality. The result of the cooperation, is a stunning one-off 4 cylinder bike. The S 1000 R Custom and Orlando Bloom had their first test ride in the Malibu Hills while shooting "4CYL", a production by Arthur de Kersauson and Clement Beauvais in cooperation with BMW Motorrad.