BMW planning M5 with diesel, all-wheel drive?

It wasn't that long ago that a BMW with all-wheel drive – or really, anything other than rear-wheel drive – would have seemed downright apocryphal. But these days the Bavarian automaker offers traction at all four corners on a growing variety of vehicles... including the X5 M and X6 M crossovers. But an M5? If you shudder at the thought, you may want to stop reading here, because word on the street is that BMW is not only planning to place an extra driveshaft in the M5, but also give it – gasp! – a diesel.The rumors are sparked by an apparently official document that includes a model designated M550dX. The first letter and number we all know and love. The 50 reportedly refers to a new triple-turbo diesel inline-six set to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The D, of course, refers to the diesel fuel it will burn, and the X for all-wheel drive.Although most M cars these days carry simpler names like M3 and M5, enthusiasts will note that one of the division's first products was the M535i of 1979, which came along long before the first M5 in 1984. Could BMW be planning on returning to this nomenclature for its first diesel, all-wheel-drive performance sedan? We'll have to wait and see.

Spy Shots: 2014 BMW M3 caught packing new turbocharged inline six

As we reported earlier this year, the current E90/E92 BMW M3 will be the last of the naturally aspirated M cars, and if recent rumors are to be believed, BMW will adapt the single-turbo N55 inline-six for duty in our favorite 3 Series. But how many turbos?Some reports indicate two, while others say three (two traditional snails and an electric turbo). But no matter the configuration, expect output to be up over 450 horsepower and torque to swell to nearly 400 pound-feet.Regardless of what's under the hood, development of the next M3 is well underway in Germany as BMW gears up for the release of the standard 3 Series successor.This first batch of M3 spy shots don't show much aside from blacked-out 19-inch wheels, a widened body sans hood bulge and quartet of exhaust pipes. Stylistically, the next 3er is set to take cues from the recently revealed i brand, including new "angle eye" LED daytime running lamps that are flat on the top and bottom, and fitted to a more upright, angular fascia.The fully redesigned 3 is set to debut later this year, with sales beginning in early 2012. As for the M3, don't expect it to hit until 2013 and 2014 model.

Subaru teases XV crossover ahead of Frankfurt

If you were smitten by the Subaru XV concept, Fuji Heavy Industries is ready to make your dreams a reality at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show. Influenced by the concept that debuted in Shanghai this April, the production version of Subaru's next generation crossover is set to land in European showrooms later this year. For those of us in the States, you'll know the XV as the Impreza Outback, although it's unclear if the Euro-XV will form the basis of the next Outback wagon or another variant of the Impreza. We'll know soon enough once we hit the floor in Germany.

BMW 3 Series Touring drops some camo

BMW builds a great wagon. You would be forgiven for forgetting that, what with the recent product lineup featuring the ugly duckling, hunchback-shaped 5 Series GT and physics-defying X6. Over yonder Atlantic pond, the European market gets to play with the 5 Series Touring while we're left to wait for an updated 3 Series Touring. Looks like our wait is nearly over.Our spy photographers snapped a camo-clad 3 Series wagon undergoing testing. We assume that involves cramming it with groceries, puppies, hockey equipment and golf clubs. The 3 Series is due for its update, and we're excited to see what it looks like under all of that Starry Night-inspired camouflage. Now, if we could convince BMW to give us back the 5 Series Touring, we'd cut off our ear to show our gratitude. - Autoblog

BMW i3 Electric City Car

BMW claims that its new $35,000 Chevy Volt-beater will have 99 miles of range from its rear-mounted electric motor and floor-mounted batteries. BMW (being BMW) is also claiming 100 mph for the car's top speed, and the i3 could bring the equivalent of 150 horsepower. Cargo will be divided between the rear seats and in the front trunk (a la the original, rear-engine VW Beetle). Much of the body will be made of carbon-reinforced plastic. Wireless charging is one intriguing concepts we hope makes it to market. In conjunction with industrial giant Siemens, BMW is working on a magnetic field charging system, like those used in wireless laptop and cell phone charging pads, where a car would parked above a charging station. At that point, a coil in both the ground and the vehicle would recognize each other and begin the charge. This beats having your Volt or Prius PHV plugged in via wire at a garage or mall for a few hours, where vandalism or other hazards exist.

Long-wheelbase BMW 3 Series spotted testing

The Chinese like long-wheelbase versions of sedans, because execs like to be able to stretch out while the drivers ferry them about – and the country, if you didn't know, has a whole lot of executives. Audi sells a stretched A4 there, and BMW evidently feels the market looks robust enough for a long-wheelbase 3 Series Li. Why not just get a 5 Series, you ask? Because the man says he wants a longer 3 Series, and he's got cash...Reports indicate this is a China-only model that will bow at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. Its platform, though, is also expected to underpin the 3 Series GT. That car might come to America, and if so it will offer some extra rear legroom for us and certainly be just as interesting to look at as this long-wheelbase model.

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: July 2011

If the Volkswagen Jetta TDI featured in our Battle Of The Eco Compact Cars comparison test looked familiar, that's because it's our long-term tester. In fact, you might say that the arrival of our Jetta TDI is what sparked the idea for the comparison test, especially after Editor-in-Chief John Neff took the car on a few long highway trips and recorded well over 50 miles per gallon. And while the Jetta – spoiler alert! – may not have won our eco-warrior comparison, its 2.0-liter diesel engine continues to impress us with its effortless efficiency.Just how effortless? We enthusiasts tend not to be the most efficient drivers, and yet our recorded average fuel economy over the past 8,500 miles is 43.4 miles per gallon. That's right, our average combined number is 1.4 mpg higher than the EPA's highway rating for the Jetta TDI. In fact, we've recorded as high as 53.5 mpg on the highway, and even under the most spirited driving, the lowest number recorded in our logbook so far is just 36.7 mpg. - Autoblog