Oer Impala Rear Seat Speaker Grille 4476574 on 2040-parts.com

BMW set to go front-wheel drive

BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the German carmaker will introduce a new front-wheel-drive entry-level model positioned and priced below the existing 1-series as part of plans to help increase part sharing and to bolster the potential for production savings between the BMW and Mini brands, thus bringing an end to the era of rear- and four-wheel-drive-only BMW models. Speaking to AutoWeek at the Geneva motor show, Reithofer said internal BMW studies revealed that despite the downturn in the world's economy, there was continued demand for what he described as "premium vehicles" in the small-car class, before officially acknowledging plans that will see BMW produce a rival to the recently unveiled Audi A1 and a new Smart Forfour presently under development at Mercedes-Benz. "We will be extending the BMW and Mini brands into the small-car segment with new models and variants," he said.

Video: Exploring the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class

To coincide with the announcement that its new C-Class has entered production, Mercedes-Benz has released a video exploring its design. Featuring design chief Gordon Wagener and other key members of the team, the video explains where their inspiration came from and how they experimented with proportions during its development. While the dropping bodyside feature line is a key element of the exterior, it's also found inside the C-Class, where the typical Mercedes sports car interior is combined with the floating, vertical center console.

BMW's M Sport 7-series (2009): first official pictures

By James Popsys First Official Pictures 26 June 2009 00:01 BMW has revealed its first ever M Sport 7-series, engine revisions for its best-selling 730d, and a new 740d that will become the most powerful ever Seven diesel when in goes on sale in September 2009.  There's an M Aerodynamic bodykit with bigger front and rear bumpers, questionable chrome highlights, and some rather tasty 19-inch twin-spoke alloys. On the inside brushed aluminium trim, an anthracite headlining, sport seats, an M Sport steering wheel and M Sport sill inlays complete the package.  Afraid not - the 740d is equipped with a 306bhp/443lb ft 3.0-litre twin-turbo engine. The result is a 0-62 sprint completed in just 6.3 seconds, a limited top speed of 155mph top speed, 40.9mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of just 181g/km.