BMW 357Ci: E46 Coupe gets Pontiac GTO 5.7-liter LS1 V8

Two observations: one, there’s nothing cooler than a LS1-engined BMW that is externally indistinguishable from its bread-and-butter cousins and two, the Apple iPhone is probably the worst thing for filming a movie ever. A little less of number two and a little more number one, if you please.

This BMW E46 3-Series coupe, or as its UK owner has appropriately named it, the 357Ci, started its life as a 2001 325Ci with an M Sport Package.

In the hands of its current owner, it received the same 5.7-liter LS1 V8 engine as the rather forlorn looking Porsche 911 we wrote about last week, making this the second American-powered German automobile we’ve featured in as many days.

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Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.

Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

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BMW Takes Leading Car Role in New “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” Film with i8 Concept and 6-Series

Tom Cruise’s return for another impossible mission as Ethan Hunt also marks the BMW Group’s return to Hollywood, as the Bavarian automaker will be the main automotive partner in the fourth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise.

BMW’s product placement in the “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” film comes in the form of the concept version of the upcoming i8 Hybrid Coupe, the Vision EfficientDynamics study while the latest 6-Series Convertible will also play a role in the movie.

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VIDEO: Automobile Mag’s Take on the BMW 1 M Coupe vs M3 Debate

From the moment BMW introduced the new 1 M Coupe, it was more than evident that the smallest member of the Bavarian firm’s M family would be compared with the brand’s most illustrious product, the M3 Coupe.

Automobile Magazine’s West Coast Editor Jason Cammisa voiced his thoughts on the 1 M Coupe versus M3 debate in a rather amusing way during his first drive of the sports car in California.

The skinny? “If you want an M badge, go ahead and buy an M3. If you want what an M3 could be, buy one of these things [the 1 M Coupe]”. Follow the break to watch the full video.

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Fail: BMW 1-Series Driver Mistakes Shop for…Parking Garage

A pair of security cameras mounted inside and outside of a store allegedly located in Mexico (according to the Youtube poster), caught an accident involving a dangerously careless driver of a BMW 1-Series hatchback on film.

The video captured the middle-aged man in the BMW as he slowly entered the parking lot. For some unknown reason, he didn’t come to a stop and continued his way as if there was nothing in front of him.

Once inside the store, the reckless driver (20 seconds into the video) –get this- adjusts his exterior mirror as he puts the car in reverse to exit the shop and almost hits the cashier in the process! Amazingly, no one appears to have been injured. Watch the video footage after the jump.

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New 2012 BMW M5 Sports Saloon Receives its Video Debut

This first official promo of the new F10 BMW M5 attempts to give us a more dynamic view of the Bavarian sports saloon with scenes from the track. For some reason though, BMW has masked most of the video with a dramatic but redundant music soundtrack since most of us are interested in hearing the sounds of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine. Read more »

Video Shows Three Women Trying to Save their BMW M5 from Vancouver Hooligans

Make no mistake; you can find hooligans in every country and in all sports. The colors and language may change, but there’s a common denominator that crosses all cultural lines: idiocy of the utmost degree and the complete lack of compassion towards fellow human beings.

The huge riots in Vancouver, Canada, after the Canucks' loss last week to the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup, are a prime example of this kind of ill mentality.

We saw several people injured, shops looted and properties destroyed, but this particular incident involving three young women and their BMW M5 sedan, stood out for a great number of reasons. The three women were hopelessly trying to fend off an army of male individuals from kicking, jumping, breaking and throwing whatever they could find on the previous-generation M5 saloon.

It’s one thing describing the incident and another watching these men (if you can call them that…) turning into animals just for the fun of it. And what is even more disturbing is the fact that from all these people surrounding the vehicle, not one person tried to intervene to help these women. Unbelievable…

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The BMW 1 Series M Coupé Drifts Through Walls in new Canadian Ad

BMW of Canada has published a new and rather entertaining promotional film on the firm’s new limited production 1-Series M Coupe. The video shows the Bavarian automaker’s sports car pushing its 335-horsepower twin-turbocharged inline-six to the limit and burning plenty of rubber in doing so while passing sideways through set of imaginary walls on the road.

Truth to be said though, BMW’s advertising agency could have skimped on the somewhat farcical CGI (computer-generated images) cement walls and still have an engaging commercial in its hands. Take a look at it in the video after the jump and tell us what you think in the comments section below.

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New 2012 BMW 1-Series Hatch gets its own Short Films

After the unveiling of the 2012 1-Series 5-door hatchback, it is time for BMW’s marketing team to take over and promote the Bavarian automaker’s latest product. The German company created a series of short films around the 1-Series starring two brothers, named Freddy and Adam.

According to the script, Freddy is an actor and a model leaning towards metrosexuality, while Adam dislikes cameras and works with architects, and is the wilder one of the two brothers. The goal here is to show off the double nature of the 1-Series hatchback, and especially the introduction of the two new trim lines, Sport and Urban, both of which gain bespoke interior and exterior design as well as equipment features.

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Hail Fail: BMW 5-Series Owner Tries to Save His Car by Dressing it Up…

Unless you are able drive into to an enclosed garage nearby, there’s not really much you can do to protect your car -or anything else in danger for that matter- if you are caught out in a severe hail storm. However, this doesn’t mean that some people won’t try to prevent the inevitable like this owner of a previous generation BMW 5-Series sedan.

Said to be a Croatian tourist on a visit to Slovenia, the owner of the Bimmer attempted to save the body of his beloved car by covering it up with whatever he could find. In this case, the only available items were some clothes he had in a plastic bag. Somehow, it doesn't seem like such a great idea... Watch the clip right after the break.

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