Champion, 4 Pack, Copper Plus, Spark Plugs # 320 Rn11yc Noc on 2040-parts.com

New BMW M3 and M4 engine secrets laid bare

BMW's M division has lifted the veil of secrecy on the inline six-cylinder engine bound for its upcoming M3 sedan and new-to-the-range M4 coupe and convertible, revealing a potent twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter direct injection gasoline unit that produces an official 424 hp at 7,500 rpm and what officials describe as "significantly more than 369 lb-ft" of torque. The newly developed engine, known under the internal codename S55 B30, shares its 84.0 mm bore and 89.6 mm stroke with BMW's standard turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder direct-injection gasoline mill, the M55 used across the German car maker's lineup, endowing the aluminum block unit with an overall swept volume of 2,979 cc. This represents a sizeable 990 cc reduction on the engine BMW's M division's new unit replaces, the S65.

BMW X5 trio spied testing near Spartanburg

Autoweek reader J. Monroe spotted a camouflaged BMW X5 convoy somewhere on Interstate 26, which just so happens to run near the German automaker's Spartanburg, S.C., plant (one of the X5's production sites). Despite a strategic application of BMW's dazzling, swirly vinyl wrap, the lines of these X5s were identical to those on the models available now.

Aston Martin Virage

Aston Martin is set to revive the defunct Virage moniker at Geneva. The new Virage is not touted as a replacement for the DB9, but a new model that will sit between the DB9 and range-topping DBS. The Virage sports clear Aston Martin DNA, looking decidedly like the two models it slides between.