BMW M Models 2014 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Ford, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Audi, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini affected.

The new car market may not be performing but sports cars are.The latest VFACTS figures show Australians are racing to performance vehicles in record numbers and are happy to spend more than $100,000 to drive their dream car.The $80,000-$200,000 sports car segment is up more than 20 per cent so far this year and dedicated sports vehicles overall account for about one in 20 new cars sold.That doesn’t include go-fast versions of regular models, an area where the Germans continue to dominate.The move isn’t limited to prestige European brands: HSV is on track to eclipse 3000 sales in 2014. HSV marking boss Damon Paul says there’s still strong momentum forthe Gen-F range.Range Rover Sport sales have doubled this year to 2200, while Jaguar sales are up 15 per cent.Iconic sports car maker Porsche has had 44 per cent growth, with 2224 vehicles.The German trio — Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz — are all posting records.Audi’s S and RS models are the fastest movers and are likely to rival HSV in terms of overall sales this year.More than 2400 buyers have chosen Audi performance models, against about 800 sales at the same time last year. That number should surge over the next couple of months with the introduction of the S1 Sportback, which at $49,900 is the cheapest quattro model in the four-ringed line-up.Benz has shifted more than 2200 of its AMG-badged cars and can likewise expect a surge in sales after last month’s GLA45 AMG compact SUV launch.It is a similar story at BMW, despite a gap between the run-out of its old M3 and the launch of the new M3 sedan and M4 coupe/convertible.BMW has sold 1142 M-badged cars to October’s end, a 75 per cent increase on 2013.

Drop-top BMW M4 arrives in Australian showrooms with boosted performance and value over M3 predecessor. The folding hardtop version of BMW's new M4 performance model is now on sale in Australia.The M4 Convertible replaces the old E93 M3 Convertible and is priced from $178,430, representing a $2320 saving over the equivalent previous model. The dual-clutch auto was a pricey $7300 option on the old V8-powered M3 Convertible, but is now a no-cost option across the entire M3 and M4 range – including the new drop-top.Also like the existing M3 and M4 models, the M4 Convertible is powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six engine that pumps out 317kW and 550Nm. Despite carrying around an extra 250kg over the coupe, the open-top M4 can still crack 100km/h in a spritely 4.4 seconds – three tenths slower than the coupe.The BMW's only direct rival is the Audi RS5 Convertible, which has 331kW but 120Nm less torque from its naturally aspirated V8 and is half a second slower to 100km/h. The Audi is slightly cheaper at $176,400, but is thirstier and has an expensive list of options, including $4700 for adaptive suspension (standard on the M4) and $4900 for sports bucket seats.The M4 Convertible is lower, wider and altogether more aggressive looking than a standard 4 Series drop-top. It features deeper and more aggressive air intakes, pumped up wheel arches, aerodynamically optimized door mirrors, four exhaust tips around the back and wider wheels and tyres.Beneath the sheetmetal there's all new suspension hardware with standard adaptive dampers and larger brakes with carbon ceramic discs available as an option. An electronically controlled Active M Differential also features and can vary the amount of power sent to each wheel or lock the rear wheels together completely for controlled drifts.Inside the M4 convertible gains sports seats which are unique to the drop-top and feature illuminated 'M' badges and 'Air Collar' functionality. Sports steering wheel, leather-covered dashboard and carbon fiber trim pieces also feature.BMW claim the new model offers more than $10,800 worth of extra value over the old M3 Convertible with standard features including, seats with integrated air-con vents, rear-view camera, surround-view camera, M-DCT dual clutch auto transmission, iDrive touch controller and DAB digital radio.The M4's electrically operated metal folding hardtop takes 20 seconds to open or close, which can be activated at speeds of up to 18km/h. With the roof closed the boot offers 370-litres of luggage space, which shrinks to 220-litres with the hardtop folded away.

The BMW M4 Coupe almost enters uncharted waters in new video.

No plans for a smaller M6 Gran Coupe sibling on the BMW M GmbH horizon.

German prestige brand's tuning arm will concentrate on power-to-weight ratio. The boffins at BMW's motorsport-inspired M Division have turned out some of the best performance cars any keen driver could want, and the M badge has become a byword for great handling and high power.But it seems the power part of the equation may have hit a plateau, with BMW saying that future developments will focus on trimming weight from the cars rather than uprating the engines.“We want to be in a different league for power-to-weight, but we prefer to have a car that weighs 1000kg rather than one with 1000 horsepower,” M-Division’s head of product management, Carsten Pries said.It's true that the M cars could stand to lose a few kilos -- as they've grown in size and increasingly added new cabin technology and safety equipment over the years, they've also stacked on extra weight. And the new strategy will not only produce cars that handle better, but are also more fuel-efficient -- not that many M buyers care about the fuel bill, but efficiency is the latest Holy Grail for the European car industry, with the favoured answers being lighter cars with smaller turbocharged engines.As Carlist points out, the new strategy can already seen in the new 2014 BMW M3 and M4, which are trimmer and carry a smaller turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine compared to the V8-powered E92 it replaced. And who wouldn't applaud a move that could leads to more lightweight, driver-focused and agile cars like the E30 M3.

The convertible will be the third 'M' car BMW has unveiled this year, following the new M3 sedan and M4 Coupe unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show back in January. The three models share the same basic chassis architecture, engine and gearboxes.The M4's engine is a brand new 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six, which seems similar on paper to the unit found in lesser 435i models, but uses all new internals and a different turbo setup which allows it to produce some serious grunt. Peak power is 317kW and torque is a substantial 550Nm.Compared to the 4.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 of the old M3 Convertible power is up 8kW but torque has swelled by 150Nm which should equate to more accessible performance. The new model is also more fuel-efficient than its predecessor with 9.1L/100km possible in the manual car or 8.7L/100km with the automatic gearbox.While lighter than the old V8 M3 Convertible by around 60kg, the new M4 Convertible still isn't a lightweight. The new car weighs 1750kg or around 250kg more than its coupe sibling. Still, BMW claims the M4's suspension has been tuned for maximum precision and response, and in terms of straight-line acceleration this convertible is more than brisk.Zero to 100km/h takes 4.6 seconds with the DIY manual gearbox – that can automatically blip the throttle on downshifts - or 4.4 seconds if you option the quick-shifting seven-speed dual clutch transmission – around 0.8 seconds quicker than the old M3 Convertible.In terms of styling the M4 Convertible is noticeably more sporting than lesser 4 drop-tops. The 'M' car receives an aggressive front bumper with some big gaping air intakes, a heavily contoured bonnet, wider front and rear fenders, the former featuring aerodynamic gills, and the rear bumper houses quad exhaust tips. You'll also spot new wheels, colored brake calipers and new mirror caps.Inside the upgrades include sports seats with special 'M' badging and an M-specific steering wheel. There is also some leather-look material placed over the dashboard and center console, though we suspect this will feature on the updated 3 Series which is due to be released later this year.The electrically operated metal folding hardtop takes 20 seconds to lower, and this can be done at speeds of up to 18km/h. With the roof stowed away, boot space shrinks from 370-litres to 220.The M4 Convertible will make its public debut in New York later this month before heading our way late this year or early 2015. 

The Hoff's KITT for saleBased on a 1982 Pontiac Firebird, KITT was the car sidekick everybody wanted to roll with. And somebody will get a chance to do just that with the one owned by The Hoff.Holden Commodore sales surge puts it in fourth positionThe Holden Commodore has made a surprising recovery in the March sales race with a staggering 85 per cent sales increase compared with the same month the prior year -- narrowly missing a place on the podium as the nation's fourth most popular car. Preliminary figures show it was the Commodore's third-best monthly sales tally since the new VF model went on sale 10 months ago, as the Holden brand overall posted a 19 per cent sales surge.BMW M3 and M4 | videoBMW shows off the coming M3 sedan and M4 convertible -- arriving in Australia in June -- with some action footage.Mazda joins the demo derby, moving masses of 'dealer demonstrator' carsThe Mazda3 may be Australia's top-selling car so far this year according to official sales data -- but a special investigation by Carsguide has unearthed the industry secret that is driving its sales. A staggering one-third of Mazda3s sold in January and February were so-called “dealer demonstrator” models -- more than four times the industry average for “demo” vehicle sales, which is 7 per cent.Road safety expert slams 'revenue raising' speed finesA leading road safety expert has called for all revenue from speeding fines to go directly into building safer roads -- and warned the government's constant focus on speed is blinding us to other causes of car crashes. The national road toll fell to its lowest level in 89 years in 2013 but more than 200,000 people are expected to be injured on Australian roads between now and 2020. Injury rates are not falling as dramatically and are a bigger financial burden on the community because of the ongoing medical treatment.PlusRenault Kangoo stands up to crash test 2014 Toyota HiAce | new car sales price2014 Nissan X-Trail pricing and specifications 

Watch the BMW M3 and M4 video on our desktop site.

All the German prestige brands will tell you there is no power war between them. But if not outright war, there are at least some continual skirmishes -- not least between the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and its Bavarian counterpart, the BMW M5.When the Mercedes lifted its power to 430kW, BMW responded by upping the then-412kW to 423kW, with the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 also delivering a whamming 680Nm of torque (still outgunned by the E63's 800Nm), and a 0-100km/h time of 4.2 seconds, just 0.1 behind the Merc.Overseas BMW markets get those figures as an optional 'Competition Pack' upgrade. Lucky Australia gets them as standard, along with a host of suspension and steering enhancements that the carmakers says give it the handling edge.So what can you do with all that power, performance and dynamic ability? Let it off the chain in a bullring, according to this BMW footage. We see the M5 trucked into a remote location and locked into the ring to snort and blaze its way through a few doughnuts -- oddly with just a couple of security guards as the target audience.Of course, you can't keep a wild animal caged, so the M5 busts out and assumes its more mild-mannered executive conveyance disguise, cruising off most likely heading back to its natural habitat of leafy suburbs and cafe strips.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincottWatch the BMW M5 video on our desktop site.