Courtesy of BMWNA, I had the chance to attend one of the Mission Impossible 4 premieres that took place this week in major cities across the US. 2011 has been an important year for the brand, high volume sales, new model launches, but also the return to the marketing Ivy league. In February, BMW joined other automakers with two ads at the Super Bowl where the company focused on the “EfficientDynamics” message, as well as promoting the redesigned X3. Hollywood was the next big comeback and BMW now returns to the glamorous world of movies with one of the biggest franchise in Hollywood: Paramount’s Mission Impossible.  The full-packed action movie showcases not only BMW’s vision for future products, but also some of the most recently launched products. In In our opinion, and without taking away from Tom Cruise’s performance, the star of the show is the BMW i8, the premium hybrid sportscar that goes on sale in 2014 and will shape the future for the i sub-brand. The i8 gets a few minutes of fast driving in crowded cities, a perfect opportunity for the  brand to showcase some of the innovative technologies that will be available in the car. Think along the line of cool 3D Head-Up displays and safety. The i8 fits the personality of a playboy or high-profile Hollywood star, so don’t be surprised if the first i8 customers will come from that demographic. Since it was an-all BMW-powered movie, the new 6 Series Convertible also joined the high-speed chases and …held its own. One of the best products ever introduced by BMW, the X5 SAV, comes to show that the car remains popular in any part of the world. More surprisingly was the appearance of the new F20 1 Series Hatchback, and even more interesting was the scene selection for its debut, in a way showing why it received 5 stars in the EURO NCAP crash test . Overall, it was an entertaining flick, in-line with the previous installments and for BMW fans, a must see. Feel free to come back after the movie debut and tell us your opinion. View original here:  Mission Impossible 4: Quick Review, no spoilers

Fifth Gear delivers a video review of the new 2012 BMW M5. Fifth Gear’s star Vicki Butler- Henderson shows us why many journalists believe the new M5 is the ultimate luxury sedan. In the UK, the new 2012 BMW M5 is priced at £73,040 or $118,306 when converted to U.S. dollars. Previous generation BMW M5 was priced at t £65,890. The super sporty saloon went on sale on November 19. As a reminder, with the new super sporty sedan, BMW has moved on from from naturally aspirated engines to a TwinPower turbocharged V8. The high-revving 4.4-liter (4395cc) turbocharged uses the BMW M TwinPower Turbo technology, twin-scroll turbochargers, high-precision direct fuel injection, VALVETRONIC variable valve control and a cross-bank exhaust manifold that outputs 560 horsepower from 5,750-7,000 rpm and 680Nm (502 lb-ft) of torque from only 1500rpm. The high-rev unit rockets the M5 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds and under 4 seconds using BMW’s new Launch Control. View original here:  Fifth Gear Video Review: 2012 BMW M5

Fifth Gear delivers a video review of the new 2012 BMW M5. Fifth Gear’s star Vicki Butler- Henderson shows us why many journalists believe the new M5 is the ultimate luxury sedan. In the UK, the new 2012 BMW M5 is priced at £73,040 or $118,306 when converted to U.S. dollars. Previous generation BMW M5 was priced at t £65,890. The super sporty saloon went on sale on November 19. As a reminder, with the new super sporty sedan, BMW has moved on from from naturally aspirated engines to a TwinPower turbocharged V8. The high-revving 4.4-liter (4395cc) turbocharged uses the BMW M TwinPower Turbo technology, twin-scroll turbochargers, high-precision direct fuel injection, VALVETRONIC variable valve control and a cross-bank exhaust manifold that outputs 560 horsepower from 5,750-7,000 rpm and 680Nm (502 lb-ft) of torque from only 1500rpm. The high-rev unit rockets the M5 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds and under 4 seconds using BMW’s new Launch Control. See the original post: Fifth Gear Video Review: 2012 BMW M5

Filed under: Consumer Ah, it’s that magical time of the year – Christmas. And we all know what that means! Yup, just shy of a fortnight trapped with your family begging to get back to the job that you so lamented until 5pm on December 24th. But… fret not, dear reader, because we have a solution: video games. They’ll distract you, so you don’t have to talk to your family. They’ll make you angry, so your siblings don’t. They’ll keep the elderly away, because they don’t understand. So before you head home make sure to pack your console of choice and ensure there’s a telly to commandeer – these will keep you entertained. 10. Mario Kart 7 Despite not being the seventh Mario Kart game (it’s the ninth, if you include the arcade editions), MK 7 comes in glorious 3D. If you like that sort of thing. It features new weapons, power ups and even hang-gliding (and we thought bikes in Mario Kart Wii was a step too far) this time round. Don’t forget the online capability too, so you can play with your mates while you’re apart. Ace. 9. Gran Turismo 5 The game that driving fans the world over waited over six years for has been updated. Yes, it’s over a year old but is still very shiny indeed. It’s the best option for the PS3 as long as you don’t mind the occasional frustrating/tedious/difficult race. You can drive on the Top Gear test track, though. Sadly, only after completing a very dull VW Camper race… 8. WipEout HD You know how lots of people speak very highly of both the ’90s rave scene and the pharmaceuticals that made them so exciting? Well, WipEout HD’s not like that at all. A bassy techno soundtrack accompanies bright visuals and superhero-quick racing. It’s as though you’ve been on a Red Bull binge and can feel time passing around you. Very cool. 7. Need for Speed: The Run Are you tired of the same ‘enter race, win it, move on to the next’ formula of the majority of racing games? If so, NFS: The Run might just be the game for you. You play as Jack – a man with a price on his head. To get his life back, Jack enters a highly illegal coast-to-coast street race to earn the penga to keep himself out of trouble. A rather entertaining...

The Basics: The 2012 Infiniti M35h hybrid serves as the middle trim of the Infiniti M sedans, and the greenest model in the entire Infiniti model line. On the exterior, the M35h doesn’t trade out its Beyoncé like curves in an effort to go green. There are two hybrid badges–one on each front fender. Aside from each of those and the M35h… Original post: 2012 Infiniti M35h Hybrid

Thinking of signing on the dotted line for a new Subaru today—or any other new car, for that matter—and planning to drive away in it this weekend? We suggest you make sure that any recalls applying to the car have already been done. If they haven’t, you might not be allowed to drive off the lot. Subaru, for example, several weeks ago… More: Deliveries Of 2012 Subaru Impreza Slowed By Brake Recall

Back in the second century, Claudius Ptolemy wrote the Almagest , an astronomical (in the literal sense) treatise on the heavenly constellations. In it, he identified 48 constellations, including Andromeda, Aquarius, Cygnus, Orion, Lupus (it’s never Lupus), Ursa Major and Canis Major. He missed one. More » View original here: COTD: Ptolemy’s 49th constellation edition [Comment Of The Day] More here:  COTD: Ptolemy’s 49th constellation edition [Comment Of The Day]

The Basics: Infiniti’s M sedans take aim at the finest sport sedans from Germany, including the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, and Audi A6. And for the most part, they deliver gorgeous looks, excellent handling, and top-notch performance, along with cabin appointments that are plush and distinctive, breaking away from the class norm. Between… The rest is here:  2012 Infiniti M56

It’s shopping season, and getting a parking space at the mall can be a battle. Volkswagen of Argentina’s demonstration of Park Assist suggests that it can also be a Wild West faceoff, complete with a bad guy in black. More » View post: Volkswagen cooks up a quick spaghetti Western [Video] Go here to read the rest: Volkswagen cooks up a quick spaghetti Western [Video]

It’s shopping season, and getting a parking space at the mall can be a battle. Volkswagen of Argentina’s demonstration of Park Assist suggests that it can also be a Wild West faceoff, complete with a bad guy in black. More » View post: Volkswagen cooks up a quick spaghetti Western [Video] Here is the original: Volkswagen cooks up a quick spaghetti Western [Video]

One apparently erroneous digit in an eBay classified listing for an Audi S4 has set off an online feud between a used car dealer in Pennsylvania and the car’s would-be buyer. Both claim the other is being unreasonable and neither side seems willing to yield. Here’s what happened. More » See the original post here: Used car dealership and buyer face off over one accidental keystroke [Cotomer Sevis] Read more here:  Used car dealership and buyer face off over one accidental keystroke [Cotomer Sevis]

One apparently erroneous digit in an eBay classified listing for an Audi S4 has set off an online feud between a used car dealer in Pennsylvania and the car’s would-be buyer. Both claim the other is being unreasonable and neither side seems willing to yield. Here’s what happened. More » See the original post here:  Used car dealership and buyer face off over one accidental keystroke [Cotomer Sevis] Continued here: Used car dealership and buyer face off over one accidental keystroke [Cotomer Sevis]

And so the micro-car wars begin. Here in the States, anyway. They’ve had city cars (as they call them) in Europe for decades, but only recently have they caught on in the States, as we push for cars with higher and higher MPGs. Hybrids have been around for a while, but they’re expensive, boring, and frankly, usually don’t provide much of a benefit in the long run. They’re more of a temporary solution. EVs still have a long way to go, and diesel cars still have a while to catch on over here too (for reasons I don’t understand.) So along comes Smart. A quirky little sub-brand of Mercedes that makes these micro-subcompacts (this segment’s official classification.) Americans seemed to take to them pretty well, filling a small niche sitting below subcompacts like the Toyota Yaris. Italian brand Fiat saw what was going on and brought over their 500 micro-subcompact in 2010, selling a decent amount, judging by how many I see on the road. Seeing room to give Americans another, cooler option, Toyota decides their few-years-old (in Europe) iQ micro-car could be brought over here, but they’ll sell it as a Scion and market it to young urbanites who regularly deal with tight parallel parking and narrow roads. As the new Scion iQ (Scion’s fourth model) launches in the States, Scion invited some of us down to Palm Beach, FL to listen to them talk about it and take one for a spin. After a grueling first day full of delays, spending just under 12 hours either in the airport or plane (meaning from Raleigh, NC I could have driven there faster,) I grabbed a $16 patty melt and $14 martini (it is Palm Beach) for dinner from the hotel restaurant and was out like a light within the hour. After breakfast, we sat through a product presentation, then stepped outside to the 11 iQs they had lined up to see what the car is all about. The iQ is strikingly small (it is a micro-car after all.) Wheelbase and body length are so close it’s scary, with the front and rear fascias ending only a few inches after the tires. Total length of the body: 10.1 ft – shorter than Fiat, but a foot or so longer than the Smart. To make up for some of that, it’s 5.5 ft wide (wider than both,) which shows when viewing the car from the rear: It’s a cool-looking car, fitting...

Encore, Encore – it is something heard at concerts and other entertainment events. Buick wants you to be saying it at the dealer though, as the company is introducing a new crossover at the Detroit Auto Show. The Encore has been in the works for a while as a “Baby Enclave.” The company developed the Encore in response to the Saturn Vue-based “Vuick” controversy. The automotive blog and twitter sphere decided that Buick was better than a rebadged Saturn, and therefore a more unique model was born. Buick’s renaissance began in the 2008 model year with a crossover, the Enclave, and it has continued ever since with models like the LaCrosse and Regal. The next phase is two compact models – the Verano sedan which is arriving at dealers, and the Encore. Both should help boost volume significantly. Buick sales have been rising on the back of just three competitive models – Enclave, LaCrosse and Regal. The Verano and Encore will expand that appeal significantly. This teaser has been released and while we don’t expect the Encore to break any new ground ground breaker, it should do a good job adding new buyers for Buick. The most unique thing about the design appears to be the little vent insert into the front headlight. We’re still deciding if it should be chrome or body colored instead of black though. This definitely isn’t the base model too, so this is how it will look for the rest of the lineup. The light also features Buick’s signature blue projector ring. Buick didn’t release much more information, except to say the Encore will feature QuietTuning like every other Buick. Sources have said the Encore is actually pretty small for a U.S market crossover, as it is Gamma based. Gamma is the platform the underpins the Chevrolet Sonic – a subcompact. Shows you how flexible platforms are, doesn’t it? Given its small size, it’ll be interesting to see if the Encore offers acceptable interior room. Related posts: Buick Shows Off Regal GS Ahead of LA Auto Show Buick Debuts Regal eAssist at Chicago Auto Show Google Is Not Your Partner in Auto-Crimes Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Here is the original:  Buick Teases 2013 Encore

Worst guy. Cops in Florida say a 27-year-old man stole his date’s rental car while they were at the movies. During the movie, the man, Michael Pratt, told the woman he needed to get something in the car, a 2012 Ford Focus. He left, and never came back. More » The rest is here: This ex-con stole his date’s car… while they were at the movies! [Car Crime] Read more here: This ex-con stole his date’s car… while they were at the movies! [Car Crime]