The V12 engine outputs 544 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, with maximum torque of 533 lb-ft at 1,500.The engine is matted to an 8-speed automatic transmission and the 760 runs from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

Now, let’s take a look at the Mercedes Benz S63 AMG. The S63 uses a 6.3-liter V8 engine which outputs a hefty 456 lb-ft. of torque on tap and 518-horsepower. The engine is matted to AMG-modified seven-speed automatic.

Who takes the crown? Let’s watch this great video from Top Gear.

Also, at one point in the video, an E46 BMW M3 takes on the electric Datsun at a race track…..the result? See for yourself!

“Watch as John Whelen’s electric car, the White Zombie leaves high powered gas cars in the dust as Portland makes a home for the National Electric Drag Racing Association. John claims that his car is the world’s fastest accelerating street legal electric car. See this 1972 Datsun time and time again take advantage of the electric motor’s full torque in the first instant and continue to break world records.”

Before we jump into the video, allow us to give you some background information on these two models. The BMW E9 3.0 CSL was produced from 1968 to 1975. The 3.0 CSL is considered the first project by the BMW M division. The car was a lightweight, 3003cc sports model of the 3.0 coupe. Special racing models with 3.2-liter (340 hp/253 kW) and 3.5-liter (430 PS) engines and aerodynamic trimmings helped establish BMW as a premier racing team.

At the time Clarkson review the car, he believe the 3.0 CSL would have been priced at 160,000 british pounds…in our money, of course.

BMW E46 M3 CSL was a low production, one-off model based on the E46 M3 using it’s wonderful, screaming 333HP S54 engine as a basis. The CSL (Coupe Sport Light) was truly a car in which less is more. Less in terms of things like weight, less in options, the CSL came with a lighter carbon fiber roof(now seen as standard on the E9X M3’s), only optional radio and air conditioning and only in two colors: SIlver Gray and Sapphire Black. The CSL did buy you paper-thin seats, carbon fiber interior paneling, SMG II Drive logic transmission.

The E46 M3 CSL featured 360 horsepower out of the 3.2L S54 block and a much louder engine note. At the time, the E46 CSL was priced at 60,000 british pounds.

Seeing these two cars in action again, we come to appreciate even more the E46 M3 CSL, a true enthusiasts car and a “rare specie” in the automobile world.

Yesterday, we briefly took a look at the BMW M5 E34 Convertible, the only M5 cabrio ever considered for production, a car that was nixed just days prior to the Geneva Motor Show. Then we moved onto the M5 E39 Touring, another motorsport 5er that came close to being launched on the market.

To top off the event, an one-off model, M5 E60, was revealed for the first time. Dubbed “CSL” by many journalists, the “special” M5 is an upgraded version of the current M5, featuring more horsepower, larger engine capacity and other mechanical/electronic upgrades.

Benny, the editor behind BimmerToday, received a first hand experience the event and drive some cool cars. Along with the multiple official photos, BMW also released a commemorative video. Be aware, no English subtitles in this one, but the footage should make up for the language barrier…for some of us.

Some of you that watched the film had additional questions – equipment, camera used, surroundings – and we decided to reach out to “Mouse” McCoy and his team for a quick look behind the scene. Sumer Friedrichs, producer on the “BMW M3 Living in the Lights” walks us through the production process.

“Mouse (Mike) McCoy, CEO and Director at Bandito, drives a BMW M3. He loves driving the car and the idea of “Living in the Lights” comes from the boost that the car gets with a push of a button. When you have hit that certain RMP, the inner dashboard lights up – such a rush.

Starting with that, he came up with this concept, along with the love of new technology. The execution of the job was all done “in camera” using a mix between the Cannon 50D and the Nikon D3. We went out on a weekend to Long Beach, California, and LAX airport. We pulled permits for LAX and Long Beach, aka Terminal Island. We did play it safe and followed process.

Our team pushed the envelope to a new approach in filming. The images are all print/billboard/theater ready, the resolution is like no other.

We rigged the still camera to a pursuit arm camera car for the drifting scenes, the rest are pretty much rig shots on the M3. The car is so pretty in itself, it just took a little street lighting to show off its sexy side.
In a nutshell, the whole things was done out of Mouse’s passion for his M3 as well as the extreme passion he has for filming and creating media….whichever medium is shall be.

All of us at the Garage are tied to the automotive/racing industry in more than one way. Between Mouse’s successful racing career, Greg Tracy’s racing and stunt acknowledgments, Vic Huber’s automotive print photography, my history as a producer for CART series and INDY Lights, as well as being a producer in Detroit – Motor City. We formed The Garage to offer up a scale of solutions to any automotive outlet. From video, print, theatrical, social media, content and brand integration to which we parcel out our experiences and resources that best fits the task at hand.

We all loved the BMW film series, we would love to see a comeback. It was an inspiration, a familiar channel for Mouse to express his love for the car. We would love to do more BMW-related content. We are talking about it.”

There it is, we hope some of your questions have been answered and we are already looking forward to the next episode.

Now of course I feel like certain brands carry a certain, snobiety if you will (yes, I made that word up and yes you can use it), or reputation with them. Those brands are only defined by the people who buy them. So are we really to blame!?! Are we really the culprits?!?! I digress, what I think the entire mix up here is lies within the fact that those who do not own said “snobiety-esque” brands simple do not understand them. My example comes strictly from experience. Up until I purchased my E92, I had always LOVED Bimmers. I’ve loved them for countless reasons, reasons I simply do not have the time to list out.  Although I was a fan, I never really truly knew what they were about. Sure I knew they were fast, thought they were gorgeous,  knew they had great handling, superb brakes etc. But until you’ve owned one and until you’ve had the time to actually put one through the ringer and really drive the car, you have NO idea what it is about.

We still can’t tell if the video above is “real” or not

After the long break-in period, I really started to open her up on open roads. Felt the punch at highway speeds, noticed how the car really hunkered down and got settled once I passed a certain speed and stayed controllable. It had lived up to everything I had expected and more. But, there was one more test I needed to conduct….. how direct and predictable the steering was and how this thing handled in traffic! I always say it takes about a year to two years to really and truly learn your car. Essentially what I mean by that is it takes that long for you to really feel comfortable in your vehicle and anything that is thrown your way is handled with ease. The more I experimented and the more time I had spent in the car, it became more apparent to me…. BMW drivers really are &*#@’s!

Now wait a minute, don’t get all hot and bothered I’m making a point here. BMW owners love to DRIVE their cars. We drive often and we drive hard. We only do this for two reasons, because they are tons of fun and are capable of doing so. Plain and simple: BMWs are capable cars! They are able to be driven long and hard without missing a step and they consistently please their driver with outstanding performance and agility. BMWs may not be the fastest cars on the road, but they certainly are some of best all around cars on the road. They do everything well and we pay handsomely to own one,  so why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy and exploit those abilities!?!

Some of us, more than others, are that GUY in regards to the typical BMW driver. Young male, techno music, spikey hair and driving the car like we stole it. I don’t think that is such a bad thing to be honest. Sure it’s dangerous at times, but driving is one of the most dangerous things we do everyday. We are just a group of enthusiasts that know a good product when we see one and we enjoy it to the fullest extend we can. Do you think that we are just a group of crazies that know how to drive and know how to enjoy our fully capable cars? Or do you think that no matter what, a BMW will always carry a certain weighted moniker amongst society?

Share your story, what have people said when they’ve seen the emblem on your keys?

Rumors of a street version GT4 surfaced weeks ago and more recently, the rumormill churns around a surprising unveiling next month unrelated to the 5 Series preview photos.

Could it be the M3 GT4 or a CSL replica? We don’t know, but for now, let’s focus on the amazing footage provided below.

The plots of each of the films differ, but one constant remains: Clive Owen plays “The Driver”, a man who goes from place to place (in presumably rented BMW automobiles), getting hired by various people to be a sort of transport for their vital needs.

Well, if you like the series, then you will definitely enjoy this new video produced by Bandito’s Garage, a media company that creates, produces, manages and distributes audio-visual content.

BMW “Living in the Lights” video was produced by Creator/Director, “Mouse” McCoy, the Driver is Greg Tracy and the beautiful lady, Niki Huey. Their website is quite mysterious, the Garage page, gives a sneak preview of the video and what it seems to be more upcoming content. We have reached to the company for more information and we’ll share it with you when available.

Sure, some early reports based on spy photos came afloat in July 2008, but since then, the allegedly M3 CSL prototype disappear of the radar.

As seen in the previous spy shots released earlier in the week, this M3 sports some racing elements: front bumper with larger air intakes, new wheels and a huge rear spoiler.

Now to make things even more confusing, judging by the license plate, similar to the thousands of them seen on other test mules, this M3 seems to be registered by BMW. There is also a report on M3post from the person responsible for this video, stating that the M3 was spotted during a manufacturer testing session at Nurburgring.

Confused much? Yes, we are also, but if indeed this M3 is a GT4 or CSL prototype, we’ll hear more about in the next months.

[Source: M3post ]

In 1977 and 1978, BMW found themselves between a rock and a hard place with trying to meet Group 4 and 5’s homologation requirements to allow the M1 racers to compete. Due to the issues the with Lamborghini (BMW contracted Lamborghini to build the car before Lambo went belly-up and filed bankruptcy) and changing requirements for Groups 4 and 5, BMW’s M1 had no series in which to compete.

Jochen Neerpasch, the founder and then head of M Division, with help of Max Mosley, got smart and decided to build a home for his M1 project if they couldn’t adapt to the Group 4/5 requirements – thus the Procar Series was born for the 1979 season.

The Procar Series was a one-make series for the M1 that preceded each of the Formula One races and included Formula One drivers coupled with drivers from a wide array of other racing series. BMW had also set up a specific deal with Formula One drivers allowing the top 5 fastest drivers to compete in the Procar series each Saturday before a Sunday Formula One race.

The series was a moderate success, attracting the attention of classic drivers such as Niki Lauda, who won the inaugural race, accomplished BMW driver Hans Stuck, and then the list of other drivers that more or less summed up some of the best of the 1970’s Formula One drivers with the likes of Emo Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Nelson Piquet and Mario Andretti, just to name a few.

The Procar series sadly only lasted for two seasons and drew to a close at the end of the 1980 Formula One season.

The video shown below is not really new, but it just came to our attention and decided to share it with you. We’re positive some of you might have already seen it.

[Source: AutomotiveAddicts ]

First, we have the immense torque at very low RPMs, with minimal turbo lag. Second, fuel economy is an important factor these days and another advantage of a turbo unit. Last, but not least, several professional tuners have praised the tuning potential that comes with these new engines and that gives them more room to experiment and improve their kits.

What we don’t know at this point is the power outcome from these V8 twin-turbo engines. Is the new M5 going to output the 555 horsepower we’ve seen in the X5M/X6M or is it going to reconfirm its status in the segment by upping the power numbers?

But for now, let’s recap some of the things we learned in the past about the 2012 BMW M5. The drivetrain of the F10 BMW M5 will feature a similar KERS system as the one found in the Formula 1 monoposts which will offer fuel savings technologies as well the ability to shut down cylinders while city driving. The KERS will also feature a boost button imported from the F1 cars that will allow the driver to unleash all the energy stored up.

Two gearboxes are being considered, an updated 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DCT) or a more advanced 8-speed SMG.

With the “regular” 5 Series launching early next year, the M5 F10 won’t be seen until a year later, most likely again at the Geneva Motor Show.

The BMW M5 is powered by a naturally aspirated V10 that has 500 horsepower at 7750 rpm and 383 lb-ft of torque at 6100 rpm. The M5 weighs in at just 4,012 lbs.

Cadillac CTS-V has a far more powerful engine under the hood, a 6.2L Supercharged V8, packing 556 horsepower at 6100 rpm and 551 lb-ft of torque at 3800 rpm. Keep these figures fresh in your mind… The CTS-V only weighs 4200/4300lbs, in manual and automatic trim.

Previously released official numbers show that the M5 runs from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds while the CTS-V is a tad faster, stopping the clock at 4.2 seconds. But let’s see how these two cars compete each other on 1/4 mile and 0-100 mph. What about at 140-150mph?

[Photo by MotorTrend | Tip by Carversation ]

The official BMW Youtube Channel and BMW.tv have released a new video of the BMW Ring-Taxi doing some laps at Nurburgring. A nice teaser and at the same time, a cool race circuit that everyone should look forward to it. We were there a few weeks ago, but unfortunately the track closed right before our arrival due to a severe accident.

Bad luck, no doubt, but there is always next time….

P.S. Now only if Sabine Schmitz (Video) would have driven this M5 Ring-Taxi….

Photo gallery after the jump

[Source: Photos & Videos courtesy of BMW ]

While the first Jump for Joy video focuses only on BMW and its customers, the second viral goes a bit further and takes fun poke at Audi, a continuation of the “Billboard War” started earlier this year by a California based BMW dealership and reported first by us.

The first minute or so of this video is identical to the first one, but it builds up to the point where……well, we won’t spoil the surprise….

Thanks for the tip Markus!

But before you jump into the four minutes long video, here is a quick history on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7. It uses a different electric drive setup from the X6 Hybrid and it’s being considered a mild hybrid. The system was developed in collaboration with Mercedes Benz. The upgraded V8 twin-turbo with High Precision Direct Injection runs together, at the same time, with a 3-phase synchronous electric motor which is positioned between the engine and the torque converter. The electric motor generates approximately 20 hp and peak torque of 155 lb-ft.

The “pumped up” V8 twin-turbo engine produces 40 horsepower more than the engine found in the 750i/Li models to a total of 400 horsepower. The overall combined output is being advertised at 455 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 accelerates to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds (preliminary), while delivering fuel economy approximately 15% better than the 750i.The 7 Series Hybrid has the drive power transmitted via an 8-Speed automatic transmission, while the X6 Hybrid uses a 7-Speed automatic transmission.

The ActiveHybrid 7 uses a lithium-ion battery pack supplying 120 volts. A nickel-metal hydrid technology (NiMH) battery pack is featured in the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 with a total capacity of 2.4 kWh. Liquid cooling is used for even greater performance on the NiMH battery.

A little bit of both, but we mostly support the “Joy” theme because it’s different, viral and shows that BMW is quickly adapting to the new online media tools, embracing popular platforms like Youtube, Twitter or Facebook.

It shows that BMW has learned how to connect with the new digital generation as well, taking advantage of videos and tweets to spread content and reach a broader audience. TV ads still work, same with print, but online advertising is where things happen these days. Results can be measure, interaction with consumers and fans can be created within minutes, and most important, it creates a more personal connection between the brand and its advocates. The formal communication slowly fades out while informal, spontaneous talks arise, but still keeping the professional level at high standards.

Looking at the latest viral video released on BMW’s Youtube Channel, we can see some inspiration from the MINI campaigns and once again, that feeling of openness that comes with Joy.

So, we will continue to support the campaign without jumping into a debate whether the new BMW vehicles  “inspire” Joy or simply are more relevant to slogans like Ultimate Driving Machine, Sheer Pleasure and others. In the end, we all know that BMW stands for joy to drive or pleasure to ride, and that’s something that we think it will never change.

But the original Joy theme goes as back as the launch of the 1 Series Hatchback and the “Principle of Joy” campaign. At the Frankfurt Auto Show, the “Joy” theme played an important role and supporting marketing materials were in plain sight.

Now some of you might remember one of the videos we’ve posted a few months back giving you a glance at BMW’s Story of Joy, several videos have followed hosted by the new BMW.tv website, but today, we’re going to give you much more than that: a chance to see some insights of the production of The Story of Joy.

Have you ever wanted to look behind the curtain of a professional commercial production? Are you interested in art, film or marketing? Even if you’re not, you would not want to miss the six minutes of this video, from the valuable insight to the great cast and background music, this video will fill you with Joy.

For those of you that are not familiar with Chris Pfeiffer, he is well known in Europe as the four-time World and European stunt champion.

In honor of the new stunt replica released by BMW, Chris decided to take his special F 800 R to the top of the 22-story BMW Tower and do some freestyling. While this might not look so special on the ground, taking the bike all the way to the top, is something we don’t see every day.

During the two-minutes or so video, Chris shows us why he’s been crowned four times as a champion.

This special F 800 R has a 798cc twin engine with 4 valves per cylinder and is rated at 86 hp at 8,000 rpm and 63 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm.

The F800R stunt replica also includes an Akrapovic exhaust, heated grips, the BMW road computer, a cover for the passenger section of the seat and LED turn signal lights.

BMW has confirmed a limited edition F800R Chris Pfeiffer stunt replica motorcycle will be available for sale.

[Source: Autoblog ]

Their latest creative video has more of a teaser flavor and it is meant to spark interest and build anxiety prior to the Frankfurt Auto Show which debuts next week; a motor show where BMW and MINI will lead with an impressive line of new and existing vehicles.

MINI will unveil the “twins”, as some journalists are already calling them: Coupe Concept and Speedster.

While the Coupe Concept has been already unveiled, the attention will mostly be on the Speedster Concept, a two seater vehicle conceived from the current MINI Cabrio (R57) platform with a wider track for a compact , squat look with equally massaged wheel arches.

Since we’re just days away from the IAA, we expect to see more teasers coming out, maybe even more revealing.

Update: Here is the second part of this teaser series

MediaIte has a simple definition for it: “augmented reality is any technology that overlays virtual information on top of the real world.  You look through some sort of device (to date, mobile phones have turned out to have the most traction) with a camera on it, it shows you a view of what it sees, and, combining that view with it’s positional awareness, adds in meaningful information about what you are seeing.”

A bit more clear now? We certainly hope so since in the next few months and years, the buzz word will just get bigger and bigger with many new applications being developed. So how does it interact with our BMW cars?

Well, in early 2008, a Youtube video released by BMW made the headlines of many websites. Using augmented reality, a BMW mechanic receives additional three-dimensional information on the engine he is repairing, for example, to help him in diagnosing and solving the fault. Apart from the real environment, he sees virtually animated components, the tools to be used and hears instruction on each of the working steps through headphones integrated inside the goggles.

As you can see in this video, BMW Augmented Reality guides the mechanic through the entire repair procedure. The advantages of this technology are immense, from the higher quality level of service to reducing costs or improving repair times.

While BMW suggested last year that Augmented Reality will be made available in the future, we’re unclear if it has been already deployed internally, but we’re making the proper calls to find out more. Stay tuned!

Thanks for the video Kash!

Jalopnik also posted a piece on BMW Augmented Reality