BMW M3 News

BMW will top its current high-performing M3 sedan range with the Club Sport (CS) variant priced at $179,900 before on-roads.

Forty years after the original Supra went on sale, Toyota has given us our best look yet at the all-new performance flagship, with the GR racing concept shown at the Geneva motor show today.

BMW has unveiled its bahn-storming M3 CS, the four-door sedan version of the recently launched M4 CS, with the special-edition model limited to be to around 1200 examples.

BMW is considering a ute, but such a model would be unlike the appalling Mercedes-Benz X-Class, according to BMW Group's senior vice-president of Asia-Pacific and South Africa Hendrik von Kuenheim.

BMW’s upcoming roadster, rumoured to be called the Z5, has been caught cold weather testing in the Arctic Circle ahead of its expected 2018 global debut.

BMW marks three decades of M3 with a limited run of special-edition sedans.

Price cuts across BMWs M3 and M4 range amid equipment gains and detail tweaks.

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.

Comparing the contenders has always been a great way to bag a new-car bargain. So you might be looking at a Holden Commodore but, after watching the Bathurst win last weekend by Paul Morris and Chaz Mostert, decide instead a Ford Falcon is more your style.Or you could be convinced you need a new Toyota HiLux, until you check the prices for rivals such as the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. But there is a new twist in the tale.It's all about brands stopping rivals gain ground. And stealing their customers. It's called ambush marketing and it's becoming more common.Earlier this year, on the same day BMW was ripping the covers off its hot rod M3 sedan and M4 coupe, Mercedes-Benz boosted power and cut the price for its belter C63 AMG.As Ford continues the build-up to its FG X, which goes on sale in early December, Holden has just done a 2015 update on its excellent VF Commodore."Ambush marketing is all about stealing someone else's glory," says John Startari, who heads Peugeot and Citroen in Australia. They're challenger brands and he's always looking for a way to lure people from the mainstream. "Remember the Holden blimp? The day it accidentally got blown towards the MCG in a Toyota-sponsored ALF game? Ambush marketing."Even Toyota's AFL sponsorship is a way to one-up companies, like Mazda and Renault and Fiat that support individual teams." There are no boundaries in ambush marketing, with Kia doing a job on half-brother Hyundai in a people-mover stoush this week.As Hyundai previews its updated 2015 seven-seater Santa Fe, Kia has done a value-added package for its rival Sorento. Kia says the "Family Pack" is a $3400 value boost, which is sure to tickle shoppers who put value at the top of their priorities.

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