Canadian Joy Rider Takes BMW for a Spin, gets Caught going 240km/h - 150mph

*BMW X6 Press Photo

An unnamed 20-year old man in a BMW (reportedly an SUV model) was arrested by police in Montreal on Saturday for driving 240 km/h or 150 mph on the A-720 highway in a 70 km/h or 44 mph speed zone. And here's where the story gets a bit more interesting as not only is this one of the worst cases of speeding in the country's history, but according to the police, the BMW did not belong to the young man. Some Canadian newspapers are even suggesting the man may have been a hotel valet that took the car for a late night spin on the highway.

The Montreal Gazette said local police "would neither confirm nor deny reports" he was a valet at a downtown Montreal hotel, and that he was taking out a guest's BMW for a joyride

Sgt. Guy Lapointe of the Quebec provincial police told The Star, "The only thing that I can tell you is that there have been no reports of a theft of the vehicle that was pulled over". CBC reported that the police said "the car has now been returned to its owner".

Hotel valet or not, the joy rider's "need for speed" earned him a hefty CA$2,598 (equal to about US$2,623 or €1,932) fine and 42 demerit points, which means he loses his license for at least six months.

Sources: Montrealgazzete , Thestar & CBC

Classic Find: BMW 2002 Turbo with Only 20k Miles

As well as bringing you the latest auto news from around the world, we also like to take a break from time to time to share with you some classic finds like this extremely rare 1975 BMW 2002 Turbo that we discovered on a Japanese dealer site. Built essentially as homologation special, the 2002 Turbo was launched at the 1973 Frankfurt Motor Show with production lasting a little over a year.

Overall, just 1,672 examples of the 2002 Turbo rolled off BMW's production line between 1973 and 1975 making the specific model one of most sought after bimmers by collectors and fans of the marque alike. This particular 2002 Turbo is listed as having only 33,000km or about 20,000 miles on the odo.

The crown-jewel of the 2002 Series was not only BMW's first road-going model fitted with a turbo, but it was also the first production car in Europe to feature a turbocharged engine. The 2.0-liter forced-induction four cranked out 170 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 240Nm or 177 lb-ft of torque.

Equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox, the rear-wheel drive Bavarian coupe could reach 60mph (96km/h) from standstill in around 7.5 seconds and go on to a maximum speed of 210km/h or 131mph.

If you're getting a bit of that '2002' nostalgia feeling, just click here to check out our special post on the forefather of the modern day 3-Series Coupe.

Link: Bingo

Hartge Presents New Tuning Program for the BMW 116d

If you're looking for a bit more oomph for your new BMW 116d, you may want to check out Hartge's latest tuning program for the entry-level diesel version of the three- and five-door 1-Series hatchback. The specific package consists of performance improvements that come in the form of an upgraded ECU that boosts the 2.0-liter turbo diesel's output from 115HP and 260Nm of torque to 143HP and 315Nm (232 lb-ft).

There's also a sport suspension kit that adds new springs which lower the 116d's ride height by 25mm as well as a sport exhaust system. And if you're still not content, Hartge will have no problem upgrading your bimmer with a numerous aero parts and a new set of alloy wheels and tires.

BMW M Car Sales Increase by More than 14 Percent in 2010

Sales of BMW's M car series continue to sprout as the Bavarian company's performance division concluded the 2010 business year with a 14.2 percent increase to 16,967 units, despite the phase out of the V10-powered M5 and M6 models.

The M brand's most popular model remained the M3 with 5,729 units of the coupe, 2,544 units of the Convertible and 1,843 Saloons. Worldwide sales of the newly introduced all-wheel drive X5 M and X6 M totaled 2,778 and 3,082 respectively.

The USA was once again the most important single market in 2010 for the performance brand with overall BMW M car sales up by more than 6 percent to 6,821 units. As before, the number two sales region was the German domestic market with sales of 1,716 cars, followed by Britain and Northern Ireland with 1,264 units.

BMW M's division saw its most dynamic growth in China where sales rose by 355 percent to 1,088 units, making the country the fourth-strongest market for the brand. Significant gains were also registered in Brazil (+ 237 percent) and Russia (+ 104 percent).

The German company said that it also recorded a 1 percent increase in sales of the M Sport packages, with 138,800 units in 2010. The main market for M Sport packages was Britain and Northern Ireland, followed by Germany and the USA. The was also a significant jump in the demand for the firm's Individual program, with 24,155 options being ordered in 2010, an increase of 47 percent over 2009.

BMW DesignworksUSA Pens Metro Inspiro for Siemens

In the summer of 2010, German industrial conglomerate Siemens commissioned BMW Group subsidiary DesignworksUSA, to develop the design of its new Metro Inspiro, and this here is the result of their work. BMW's design division said it focused on combining the demands of the Siemens company, potential operators, passengers as well as the environment, while also offering additional possibilities for individualization.

Among other features, the Metro Inspiro boasts large entrances, optionally with slide and swing or outside sliding doors, and wide passageways that according to the company, "offer a generous feeling of space". The sense of space is further enhanced by the absence of any electrical or appliance cabinets in the passenger area.

Siemens has already began using the new design to participate in open competitive bidding for inner-city passenger train fleets around the globe, with the German company estimating that the global growth potential for this sector to be around four percent.

The Metro Inspiro will make its production debut in Poland's capital city of Warsaw. The city's metro operator, Metro Warszawskie, has placed a €272 million (US$375 million at today’s exchange rates) order for 35 six-car metro trains, with delivery due to start in autumn 2012.

Warsaw already has one underground line, which is approximately 23 kilometers or 14 miles long and serves 21 stations, but the city has already began constructing a second line. According to official figures, between 1998 and 2008, ridership tripled annually to a figure well over 126 million passengers. A total of 15 trains will be used on the first metro line and 20 trains are ordered for the new constructed line. An option for the further extension of Line 2 will allow 17 more trains of the same type to be added within the next three years.

BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën Form Joint Venture to Produce Hybrid Components

Already partners in developing 4-cylinder petrol engines, BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën have decided to set up 50-50 equity joint venture named the BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification, which will primarily focus on developing hybrid components. Sharing the cost of research and development as well as production and component purchasing, the two companies expect to achieve significant economies of scale.

The hybrid components in question include battery packs, E-machines, generators, power electronics and chargers, alongside the necessary software to operate them that will also be jointly developed. The new technologies will be used by the two automakers for their upcoming electric vehicles and could be sold to other companies as well.

The joint venture is expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2011 and it’s estimated that the first series production hybrid components will arrive in 2014.

“This cooperative venture will enable us to achieve significant economies of scale in the field of electrification. It also represents an important step on the road to sustainable mobility”, said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

“With this joint venture, we are sure to develop and expand our expertise and to build a European leader in the field of automotive hybrid innovation”, noted Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Video Spoof of Hitler Criticizing BMW 1 M Coupe's N54 Turbo Engine

We've lost track of how many times we've seen crazy edits to the English subtitles of a scene from the 2004 German-language movie titled “Downfall" in the United States, in which Adolf Hitler explodes with anger. This four-minute-long video spoofs BMW and the company's decision to make use of the N54 twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine on the 1-Series M Coupe. Enjoy some laughs in the video after the jump.

GM, Mercedes, BMW and other Automakers Close Down Factories in Egypt

The continuing crisis in Egypt has prompted several automakers including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW to shut down their factories in the country, while other companies like Volkswagen, have been forced to completely stop vehicle deliveries as it was uncertain if the cars would reach their destinations, according to a company spokesman.

“We decided to close our assembly plant in Egypt due to the unstable political situation,” Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa told Bloomberg News on Monday.

GM international operations spokesman, Johan Willems, told Autonews Europe: "All of our employees in Egypt as well as our plant property is safe and secure. Our local team in Cairo is assessing the situation and will decide to commence normal operations once the conditions permit."

As well as bringing production to a stop to ensure the safety of their workers, certain carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes are also evacuating expatriate employees and their families.

At the time being, it remains unclear when automakers will resume production in Egypt.

VIDEO: BMW X6M 555HP V8 Turbo on the Race Track

Here's some new video footage of BMW's M-badged X6 SAV on the race track. Like its X5M twin, the X6M comes with a new 4.4-liter twin - turbo V8 engine delivering a maximum output of 555 horsepower and a peak torque of 680Nm or 501-lbs/ft. Power is distributed to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission with the Bavarian firm claiming that it's high-performance crossover accelerates from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in just 4.7 seconds. Hit the jump to watch the video or click here to read more about the X5M and X6M.

BMW to Celebrate X5's Tenth Anniversary with Limited Edition Model

It's been ten years since BMW rolled out its first ever SUV model, the first generation X5 and to commemorate the occasion, the Bavarian firm will be releasing a special edition version of its second-gen X5.

Highlights of the limited production 'X5 Edition 10' will include a unique gray metallic finish, newly styled 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in beefier rubber, specific trim and upholstery options as well as a panoramic sunroof and of course, an array of commemorative badges inside and out.

More details and photos (the X5 pictured above is the Security model) are expected to be released closer to the special edition model's launch date this fall.

G-Power Supercharges the BMW M3 E46 and Z4M to 450HP

This time, BMW 'super tuner' G-Power has turned its attention on two previous generation 'M' sports cars, the M3 E46 and the Z4M with the presentation of a somewhat tamer performance package than what we're used to from the German company. At the heart of the tuning program is a new large ASA TM I 20 centrifugal supercharger that boosts the M3 and Z4M 3.2-liter straight-six engine's output from 343HP and 365Nm to 450HP and 450Nm or 331.9 lb-ft of torque.

The 107 horsepower boost helps improve acceleration from standstill to 200km/h or 124mph from the standard M3 E46 Coupe's 18,1 seconds to 14,7 seconds, making it even faster than the current 420HP-strong M3 V8 that needs 15.8 seconds for the same sprint.

To improve road handling, the performance package for both the M3 E46 and Z4M include a continuously height-adjustable G-Power coil-over suspension RS with nine selectable settings each for bound and rebound.

The M division sports cars ride on lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport tires (245/30 ZR 20 at the front and 285/25 ZR 20 at the back) that allow a top speed of more than 300km/h or 187mph.

Though not included in the basic package, G-Power also offers a sports rear muffler that produces a deeper and more sonorous tone.