Under the hammer, overseas: Russo and Steele explores classic-car auction in China

It's ambitious, it's unprecedented and it's loaded with pitfalls. But if it can be pulled off, it could serve as a template for international growth for American auction houses. Russo and Steele is expanding into China and has announced plans this fall to form a joint venture with a Chinese company as a foothold.

First look: 2014 BMW M3 and M4

The BMW M3 is back, faster and more powerful than ever before -- but only as a four-door sedan. For its iconic 3-series-based performance model, BMW will dispense with a 26-year tradition of high-revving naturally aspirated engines in lieu of turbocharged six-cylinder power. Revealed here in production-car guise for the first time, the new 425-hp M3 sedan will be joined at the outset by its sister model, the M4 -- a mechanically identical but stylistically sleeker two-door coupe previewed in lightly veiled concept-car form at the Pebble Beach concours in California last August.

New Audi RS4 Avant (2012 / 2013) caught on video

2012 / 2013 Audi RS4 Avant If you want something that’s very quick but still every day practical; a car non petrolheads will just think is another estate, but those in the know realise is something special, you could do a lot worse than the new Audi RS4 Avant. Audi are out playing at the Nurburgring with the new RS4 Avant, which we expect to arrive in Spring 2012 at the Geneva Motor show. It’s clear from the video that the RS4 Avant gets wider front and rear tracks, the de rigueur set of blistered wheel arches, big brakes, big alloys and the trademark oval tail pipes.