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In the latest release of its BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, market researchers Milward Brown have given BMW the highest ranking of any carmaker, according to Automotive News. Toyota – last year’s winner – finished second, followed by Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Nissan, according to the report.

BMW had last finished atop the rankings in 2010, according to the report, with Toyota taking the crown from 2006-2009. The highest-ranked American brand was Ford at seventh, trailing sixth-place Volkswagen. The top ten was filled out by Audi, Hyundai and Lexus. Toyota’s drop was attributed to its production interruptions due to the natural disasters that affected all of the Japanese automakers last year, according to AN.

BMW’s win among auto manufacturers was only enough to place it 23rd in the overall brand ranking, with an estimated brand value of $24.6 billion. Apple, the overall winner, according to the report, had a $182.9 billion valuation, ahead of IBM ($116 billion) and Google ($107.9 billion). Toyota’s valuation was $21.8 billion, with Mercedes-Benz and Honda far behind at $16.1 billion and $12.7 billion respectively. No other carmaker had a valuation over $10 billion.

BMW named most valuable car brand

Okay, so maybe this isn’t much in the way of confirmation, but BMW M division president Friedrich Nitschke told Car and Driver that the company was “considering” building an M Performance version of the 7-Series. While that’s not quite an M7, it’s close.

Remember, M Performance is the new quasi-M car line that BMW has created to offer a higher performance version of its vehicles to slot between the standard models and the full-blown M cars. M Performance will also allow BMW to create performance diesel and all-wheel-drive models without sullying the M badge.

Of course, enthusiasts looking for a full-size BMW performance sedan can already have an Alpina B7 like the one pictured above, but there’s something alluring about a real M-badged 7-Series. Given that BMW has already M-ed the X6, it only seems fair that the 7-Series gets some love too, even if it’s just in M Performance form.

Nitschke’s interview revealed a few more interesting details about BMW’s product plans, namely that turbocharged engines are here to stay. He said BMW has no plans to use superchargers for its M products, and it sounds like naturally aspirated M engines are a thing of the past as well. Manual transmissions will continue to be offered, as according to Nitschke, new models will be equipped with transmissions that use software and electronics to “protect” the tranny from mismatched shifts. We won’t be seeing a hatchback M135i here in the U.S., however, nor are any of the diesel M Performance models headed towards our shores.

BMW considering possibly, maybe making an M7, sort of

Do you love the notion of the 507-horsepower, twin-tubocharged Alpina B5 Touring, but just can’t get behind a high-performance family wagon? Alpina has good news for you. The company has officially pulled back the curtain on the new B5 Sedan, and the vehicle boasts the same wicked driveline as its long-roof twin. That means there’s a dizzying 516 pound-feet of torque pouring out of the same forced-induction 4.4-liter V8. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission takes care of gear-swapping duties while a range of subtle aesthetic tweaks set this bruiser apart from its more mundane counterparts.

There is no mistaking the flashy, 20-inch Alpina wheels, however. According to the company, the combined kit allows the B5 Sedan to clip off a 0-62 dash in just 4.5 seconds. That’s plenty quick by our estimation and about on par with the new 2012 BMW M5. Which would you rather have? Hit the jump for the brief press release while you mull it over.

Continue reading Alpina B5 Biturbo sedan looks the M5 square in the eyes

Alpina B5 Biturbo sedan looks the M5 square in the eyes

Seventy-five. That’s how many vehicles we managed to cover from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. And we’re completely spent. Our men on the scene have boarded their jumbo jets and are finally on their way home.

While we take a short break from auto show coverage – at least until November, when SEMA, the LA Auto Show and the Tokyo Motor Show are all vying for space on our calendar – we suggest you revel in all that Frankfurt had to offer by reliving it all in our table of concepts and production cars below.

Maserati GranCabrio Fendi	Radical SR3 SL	Aston Martin DBS Carbon
Techart GTStreet RS	2012 Fiat Punto	Hamann BMW M6 conv’t
Rimac Concept One	Bentley Interior Concept	Audi A8L W12 Exclusive
VW Polo R WRC	MB Viano Vision Pearl	2012 Opel Zafira Tourer
2012 Fiat Panda	BMW Motorrad Concept E	MB C-Class Coupe DTM
Peugeot 508 RXH	Audi A5 DTM	2012 Seat Exeo
VW Buggy Up! Concept	Alfa Romeo 4C Concept	2012 Suzuki Swift Sport
Brabus E-Class Electric	Seat IBL Concept	2012 Opel Astra GTC
2012 Ferrari 458 Spyder	2012 Toyota Avensis	Toyota FT-86 II Concept
Volvo Concept You	Ssangyong XIV-1	2012 Audi S6
2012 Audi S8	2012 Lexus GS 450h	Lancia Flavia Cabrio
Mercedes SLK55 AMG	2012 Toyota Prius PHEV	2013 Mazda CX-5
Brabus Rocket 800	Eterniti Hemera	Wiesmann MF3 Final
2012 Mercedes B-Class	Audi e-tron prototype	Alpina B6 Biturbo Conv’t
Abarth 695 Competizione	Ford Evos Concept	2012 Ford Focus ST
Jaguar C-X16 Concept	2012 911 Carerra S	Peugeot HX1 Concept
Kia GT Concept	2012 Subaru XV	VW Beetle R Concept
2012 Audi S7	Citroen Tubik Concept	2012 Hyundai i30
Fisker Surf Concept	Audi Urban Spyder	Gallardo Super Trofeo
Infiniti FX Vettel edition	2012 Honda Civic (Euro)	Yo-Auto Concept
2012 Lotus Exige S	Skoda MissionL Concept	Maserati Kubang
Volkswagen Nils Concept	Ducati Diavel AMG	Land Rover DC100
2012 Volkswagen Up!	Ford Focus ST-R	Mercedes-Benz F-125!
2012 Porsche 911	2012 Honda Insight	Ford Fiesta ST Concept
Aston Martin V12 Zagato	Lotus Exige R-GT	Audi A2 Concept

We obsessively covered the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

Wow. Our coverage of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show isn’t even over yet (though we’re getting pretty close with just a few more posts coming your way throughout the day tomorrow) and we’ve already managed to feature 60 individual vehicles on these pages. Obsessively covering the auto industry can get a little crazy every now and again…

We’ve gone ahead and sorted through the concepts and production cars shown off up to this point and arranged them in a handy-dandy table below. Got any favorites?

2012 Continental GTC	Audi Urban Sportback	Lotus Evora GTE
VW Buggy Up! Concept	Alfa Romeo 4C Concept	2012 Suzuki Swift Sport
Brabus E-Class Electric	Seat IBL Concept	2012 Opel Astra GTC
2012 Ferrari 458 Spyder	2012 Toyota Avensis	Toyota FT-86 II Concept
Volvo Concept You	Ssangyong XIV-1	2012 Audi S6
2012 Audi S8	2012 Lexus GS 450h	Lancia Flavia Cabrio
Mercedes SLK55 AMG	2012 Toyota Prius PHEV	2013 Mazda CX-5
Brabus Rocket 800	Eterniti Hemera	Wiesmann MF3 Final
2012 Mercedes B-Class	Audi e-tron prototype	Alpina B6 Biturbo Conv’t
Abarth 695 Competizione	Ford Evos Concept	2012 Ford Focus ST
Jaguar C-X16 Concept	2012 911 Carerra S	Peugeot HX1 Concept
Kia GT Concept	2012 Subaru XV	VW Beetle R Concept
2012 Audi S7	Citroen Tubik Concept	2012 Hyundai i30
Fisker Surf Concept	Audi Urban Spyder	Gallardo Super Trofeo
Infiniti FX Vettel edition	2012 Honda Civic (Euro)	Yo-Auto Concept
2012 Lotus Exige S	Skoda MissionL Concept	Maserati Kubang
Volkswagen Nils Concept	Ducati Diavel AMG	Land Rover DC100
2012 Volkswagen Up!	Ford Focus ST-R	Mercedes-Benz F-125!
2012 Porsche 911	2012 Honda Insight	Ford Fiesta ST Concept
Aston Martin V12 Zagato	Lotus Exige R-GT	Audi A2 Concept

Day Two of the Frankfurt Motor Show (obsessively covered)

Nice as it may be, the BMW 6 Series convertible doesn’t really make our heart beat any faster. It’s a soft, plush open-top tourer, and though the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 underhood certainly doesn’t skimp on the power, it doesn’t really make for an enthusiastic driving experience.

Enter Alpina, the BMW tuning house that has given us the 7 Series-based B7 here in the United States, not to mention creations like the B5 abroad. Like the rest of its work, the appropriately named B6 Biturbo Cabriolet adds more power to the 650i engine – 507 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, compared to 400 hp and 450 lb-ft in the standard car. What’s more, the suspension geometry gets tweaked slightly, and the car features new styling touches like a more aggressive front fascia, Alpina’s iconic blue paint, and – of course – the tuner’s signature 20-spoke wheels.

Nice, yes, but we think we’ll stick to the B5 wagon that bowed in Geneva back in March. Still, see the B6 for yourself in our attached high-res image gallery.

Alpina unveils 507-hp B6 Biturbo Convertible

Alpina is adding a ragtop BMW 6-Series to its lineup of muscle-bound Bavarians. Set to debut in Frankfurt, the 2012 BMW Alpina B6 Biturbo Convertible should have enough muscle to hustle to 60 in just 4.8 seconds. The big droptop packs 507 hp and 516 lb. ft. of torque thanks to a twin-turbo V8.

Alpina also says the car is capable of running north of 190 mph, but has limited the production version to the de rigeur 155 mph.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but expect the number to be well clear of the standard 650i convertible’s $90,500 starting point.

BMW Alpina B6 Biturbo Convertible to breeze into Frankfurt

Are you bored with the recent rash of LED headlights, tailights and daytime running lamps? BMW might just have something for you, then, because it’s working on a new way to illuminate your commute. We’re talking about lasers here people… the future is (almost) now!

BMW believes that, just as halogen beget LED, LED begets laser lights. If true, laser technology will allow its cars to utilize lighting systems that are more efficient than current setups while also allowing for light patterns that are more consistent and brighter. In addition to the greater illumination possibilities, the diodes used would be significantly smaller than LED units.

The first vehicle to wear laser eyes? The new BMW i8 concept vehicle.

Click past the jump to read the full press release and learn a bit more about BMW and it’s plan for laser lighting.

Continue reading BMW working on frickin’ laser beams for headlights

BMW working on frickin’ laser beams for headlights

The Legends of the Autobahn has returned for its third year and the BMW-centric event has opened up its lawn to both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche for the first time here in Monterey.

The German-car-only concours, born out of 2007’s rather disastrous event at a local airport, has swollen to over 400 cars and doubled in attendance since 2008.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the E30 BMW M3 was the featured model and over 30 examples littered the grounds of the Rancho Cañada golf course outside Carmel, CA. But as good as the E30s were, the collection of pristine 328s, Isettas, 2002 Turbos and an immaculate 1982 Alpina B7S Turbo, one of only 10 remaining of the 30 produced, did the Roundel proud.

The Mercedes and Porsche contingent was out in force as well, with a handful of 300SL coupes and roadsters, 356s, dozens of 911s from every era, and our personal best-in-show, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz Renntransporter hauling a 1952 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing prototype.

Unfortunately, Legends was lacking in NSU love, although according to Frank Pateck, one of the lead organizers through the BMW CCA, while Audi hasn’t officially hopped on board with the show, local clubs could bring the four rings to the links next year.

We’ve assembled 80 pics from yesterday’s concours, complete with year, make and model information embedded with each image. Check it out in the gallery above.

2011 Legends of the Autobahn

There’s a lot of changes going on in the world of sports car racing, the bulk of them resulting from the rekindled friendship between the ACO (which organizes Le Mans and its related series) and the FIA (which until now governed just about every other form of motorsport). However, the FIA’s own GT racing championships have also had their own fluctuations over the past few years.

What started out as the FIA GT Championship then split into the GT1 World Championship, GT3 European Championship and GT4 European Cup. The classes are set to rejoin next year, though, as the SRO which organizes them on the FIA’s behalf has announced the formation of the new FIA GT World Championship.

Rather than have a variety of cars competing in different classes, SRO and the FIA are working to equalize the performance of existing cars to have them all fighting for the same prize. As a result, organizers are expecting a bigger grid. Teams representing Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini and Nissan are all expected to return from the current GT1 series, while talks are also underway to bring Mercedes-Benz, Alpina and Chevrolet teams to the grid. With all these challengers lining up, we’d be surprised not to see any Porsches jumping in, too.

The series is expected to return to circuits across Europe, Asia and South America next season, however discussions are underway to expand to such locations as Australia, Russia and even North America in the near future.

So what’s the difference between the reformatted FIA GT Championship and the new FIA World Endurance Championship also starting next year? In two words, race length. While the latter will go with the ACO’s format of round-the-clock racing, the former will stick with the current series’ one-hour sprint-race format.

Teams lining up for new FIA GT World Championship

Tire barriers at race tracks are there for a reason. Namely, safety. But they can’t protect against every scenario. Say, going airborne over said tire barrier and hitting a hapless porta-potty. That’s exactly what happened at the Nürburgring this weekend during the fourth round of this year’s ADAC GT Masters championship.

Towards the start of the race, one Alex Plenagl (22, of Ebergberg, Bavaria) crashed his Alpina B6 GT over the barrier, sending it careening straight into a BMW sign and a trackside porta-potty. Fortunately, no one was in the johnny-on-the-spot at the time of the impact, and Plenagl himself reportedly escaped serious injury.

Sir Jackie Stewart once dubbed the Nürburgring as “The Green Hell” due to the frequency and severity of the accidents that occurred around the infamously difficult road course, and the name has stuck ever since. We dare not ask what sort of nicknames the track might get from this incident, but you can watch the video after the jump and see for yourself.

Continue reading GT Masters series BMW Alpina B6 racer flies over barrier, takes out porta-potty at ‘Ring

GT Masters series BMW Alpina B6 racer flies over barrier, takes out porta-potty at ‘Ring

Volvo is known for many things. Well, safety technology, mostly, but not so much performance. Sure, the Swedish automaker has tricked out the occasional sport wagon, but muscle is not really its forte. So where did the extra 25 horsepower and 29 pound-feet of torque come from when Volvo upgraded the latest R-Design S60 and XC60 models? Polestar, if the latest reports are to be believed.

The Volvo tuner, as you may recall, is responsible for Volvo’s works touring car racing effort, and also gave us that rip-roarin’ baby-blue C30 concept last year. Pretty Swede stuff, if you ask us. And according to Swedespeed.com, it was to Polestar that Volvo turned for those modest, but notable performance upgrades on its R-Design models.

What’s more is that Volvo is reportedly looking into ways to offer Polestar performance upgrades to existing customers – say, owners of the pre-boosted S60 and XC60 R-Design, for example – and potentially offering more upgrades on future models. We wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that Polestar is becoming to Volvo what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz or the M division is to BMW, but Brabus and Alpina – that is to say, quasi-works-endorsed tuning houses – could be models to look to here.

Volvo turned to Polestar for S60 and XC60 R-Design performance upgrades

You may recall that earlier this month, BMW revealed a unique M3 Sedan that had been stripped of weight and toughened up, packing the same sort of approach applied to the hard-core M3 GTS coupe, albeit with a couple of extra doors. The one-off was made for the M Festival set to take place during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring this coming June, but naturally, speculation on its production potential has ensued.

The good folks over at M3Post pinned down Matt Russell, the guy who handles the M range (along with Alpina) for BMW North America, and asked him about the lightweight M3 sedan’s future, and according to him, there are no plans to market such a vehicle in the United States. Naturally, Russell didn’t comment on markets outside his purview, neatly avoiding comment on whether the hardcore sedan will be available somewhere. But given the short time remaining in the current M3’s lifespan and the stringencies of U.S. regulations, any such vehicle apparently isn’t fated for these shores.

Elsewhere in the interview, Russell professed his admiration for the all-wheel drive system developed by Ferrari for the new FF. Could BMW incorporate AWD into future M products? Potentially, but as with the lightweight M3 sedan, the extra heft would be an issue.

[Source: M3Post via Motor Authority]

Report: BMW won’t market an M3 GTS sedan… at least, not in the U.S.

And… we’re spent. Over the past three days we’ve tried to make you feel as if you were at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show with us, and in doing so showed you 76 production and concept vehicles that were unveiled or on display here. For those counting, that’s a new record for the number of vehicles that Autoblog has covered at one auto show, and you can find every single one below.

But now we’re done. Most of us are power napping right now so that tomorrow we can return to the normal business of Autoblog. It’s been fun and we hope you enjoyed the coverage. See you next month in the Big Apple for the 2011 New York Auto Show.

Lamborghini Aventador	2012 Ferrari FF	Pagani Huayra
2012 Jaguar XKR-S	2012 MB C-Class Coupe	Porsche Panamera S Hybrid
MB C63 AMG Estate	Saab 9-5 SportCombi	Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring
Koenigsegg Agera R	Aston Martin Virage	Gumpert Tornante
Toyota Prius+	Chevy Cruze Hatchback	Lancia Ypsilon
De Tomaso Deauville	Morgan Threewheeler	Porsche Boxster S Black
Maserati GranCabrio Sport	Ford B-Max	Ford Ranger Wildtrak
VW Golf Cabriolet	VW Tiguan	Hyundai i40 Wagon
Opel Ampera	Mansory Cormeum	Fab Design SLS AMG
ABT R8 GTS	MTM R8 Biturbo	Lexus LFA Nurburgring
Audi RS3 Sportback	GTA Spano	Bentley Supersports ICR
2012 Kia Rio	Fiat 500 by Gucci	2012 Kia Picanto
Koenigsegg Agera	Range Rover Ultimate	BMW ActiveE
Volvo V60 PHEV	Ruf Rt 12 R	Novitec Ross Ferrari 458
Carlsson C25 Royale	Brabus 700 Biturbo	AC Schnitzer 99d

Toyota FT-86 II	Alfa Romeo 4C	Volkswagen Bulli
Audi A3 Sedan	Wiesmann Spyder	Fiat 500 Zagato Coupe
Saab PhoeniX	Volkswagen Giugiaro Go	Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex
Mitsubishi Global Small	BMW Vision ConnectedDrive	Mazda Minagi
Nissan Esflow	Renault R-Space	Smart ForSpeed
Rinspeed BamBoo	Infiniti Etherea	Mini Rocketman
Renault Captur	RR Sport diesel PHEV	Rolls-Royce 102EX
Bertone Jaguar B99	Suzuki Swift S-Concept	Tata Pixel
IED Abarth Scorp-ion	Ssangyong SUT-1	SEAT IBX

Peugeot 908 Hybrid4	1908 Fiat “Mephistoles”	Lotus F1 & Evora GT4
Pirelli F1 tires

2011 Geneva Motor Show: The 76-Car Ultimate Wrap Up

We’re up to 62. That’s 62 cars we’ve covered at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. And no, we’re not done. Our all time record is 72 vehicles covered in one auto show, thanks to a bountiful Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. Will we beat our record tomorrow? Um… absolutely, because we’ve still got a lot more cool cars from Switzerland to show you. See you tomorrow morning when the fun continues. Until then, check out our updated batch of Geneva cars below.

Lamborghini Aventador	2012 Ferrari FF	Pagani Huayra
2012 Jaguar XKR-S	2012 MB C-Class Coupe	Porsche Panamera S Hybrid
MB C63 AMG Estate	Saab 9-5 SportCombi	Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring
Koenigsegg Agera R	Aston Martin Virage	Gumpert Tornante
Toyota Prius+	Chevy Cruze Hatchback	Lancia Ypsilon
De Tomaso Deauville	Morgan Threewheeler	Porsche Boxster S Black
Maserati GranCabrio Sport	Ford B-Max	Ford Ranger Wildtrak
VW Golf Cabriolet	VW Tiguan	Hyundai i40 Wagon
Opel Ampera	Mansory Cormeum	Fab Design SLS AMG
ABT R8 GTS	MTM R8 Biturbo	Lexus LFA Nurburgring
Audi RS3 Sportback	GTA Spano	Bentley Supersports ICR
2012 Kia Rio	Fiat 500 by Gucci

Toyota FT-86 II	Alfa Romeo 4C	Volkswagen Bulli
Audi A3 Sedan	Wiesmann Spyder	Fiat 500 Zagato Coupe
Saab PhoeniX	Volkswagen Giugiaro Go	Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex
Mitsubishi Global Small	BMW Vision ConnectedDrive	Mazda Minagi
Nissan Esflow	Renault R-Space	Smart ForSpeed
Rinspeed BamBoo	Infiniti Etherea	Mini Rocketman
Renault Captur	RR Sport diesel PHEV	Rolls-Royce 102EX
Bertone Jaguar B99	Suzuki Swift S-Concept	Tata Pixel
IED Abarth Scorp-ion	Ssangyong SUT-1	SEAT IBX

Peugeot 908 Hyrbrid4

2011 Geneva Motor Show: Day 2 – 62 cars and counting

While you were tucked in last night dreaming of Geneva’s finest, we were still awake, still working to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show possible. But don’t feel bad for us, that’s what we do.

We’ve updated our group of production and concept cars below with 17 more vehicles, all worth your time to check out. And no, we’re still not done, so stay tuned throughout the day to see the last batch of vehicles that are worth seeing in Geneva.

Lamborghini Aventador	2012 Ferrari FF	Pagani Huayra
2012 Jaguar XKR-S	2012 MB C-Class Coupe	Porsche Panamera S Hybrid
MB C63 AMG Estate	Saab 9-5 SportCombi	Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring
Koenigsegg Agera R	Aston Martin Virage	Gumpert Tornante
Toyota Prius+	Chevy Cruze Hatchback	Lancia Ypsilon
De Tomaso Deauville	Morgan Threewheeler	Porsche Boxster S Black
Maserati GranCabrio Sport	Ford B-Max	Ford Ranger Wildtrak
VW Golf Cabriolet	VW Tiguan	Hyundai i40 Wagon
Opel Ampera	Mansory Cormeum	Fab Design SLS AMG
ABT R8 GTS

Toyota FT-86 II	Alfa Romeo 4C	Volkswagen Bulli
Audi A3 Sedan	Wiesmann Spyder	Fiat 500 Zagato Coupe
Saab PhoeniX	Volkswagen Giugiaro Go	Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex
Mitsubishi Global Small	BMW Vision ConnectedDrive	Mazda Minagi
Nissan Esflow	Renault R-Space	Smart ForSpeed
Rinspeed BamBoo	Infiniti Etherea	Mini Rocketman
Renault Captur	RR Sport diesel PHEV	Rolls-Royce 102EX

2011 Geneva Motor Show: Day 2, while you were sleeping

Day 1 of the Geneva Motor Show is done. Below you’ll find every production and concept car that we could bring you from Day 1, but thankfully there’s a Day 2. Tomorrow we’ll show you what we didn’t have time for today, as well as roam the show floor for those extra special vehicles that only the Europeans can come up with. Stay tuned because we’re nowhere near done with Geneva.

Lamborghini Aventador	2012 Ferrari FF	Pagani Huayra
2012 Jaguar XKR-S	2012 MB C-Class Coupe	Porsche Panamera S Hybrid
MB C63 AMG Estate	Saab 9-5 SportCombi	Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring
Koenigsegg Agera R	Aston Martin Virage	Gumpert Tornante
Toyota Prius+	Chevy Cruze Hatchback	Lancia Ypsilon
De Tomaso Deauville

Toyota FT-86 II	Alfa Romeo 4C	Volksagen Bulli
Audi A3 Sedan	Wiesmann Spyder	Fiat 500 Zagato Coupe
Saab PhoeniX	Volkswagen Giugiaro Go	Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex
Mitsubishi Global Small	BMW Vision ConnectedDrive	Mazda Minagi
Nissan Esflow	Renault R-Space	Smart ForSpeed
Rinspeed BamBoo

2011 Geneva Motor Show: Day 1 is done

Sure, the BMW Alpina B7 is nice, but if we had the choice, we’d much rather have the new B5 BiTurbo Touring. After all, what’s not to love about an Alpina-tuned station wagon that puts down 507 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque? All that grunt comes courtesy of BMW twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, running through a sport-tuned ZF eight-speed automatic.

There’s far more to love about the B5 BiTurbo Touring aside from its sheer power. The already-attractive BMW 5 Series wagon gets a host of aero enhancements, as well as the Alpina-standard 20-spoke wheels. It’s always nice to see a BMW painted in the tuning company’s signature blue hue, too.

Unfortunately, the Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring isn’t slated for consumption here in the United States (much like the standard 5 Series wagon). At least we still get our kicks with the B7.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Geneva 2011: BMW Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring is the one we want

Set to debut at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, the fine folks at Alpina have given the B5 BiTurbo treatment to the new 5 Series Touring.

Powered by the same twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 as the sedan, the B5 Touring produces 507 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, running to the rear wheels via an eight-speed sport automatic transmission provided by ZF. 0-60 is handled in just under five seconds, and flat out the Touring will do 187 miles per hour.

Of course, all of this power comes wrapped in the usual Alpina trimmings, including a steroid-enhanced exterior aero kit and the company’s signature 20-spoke wheels. It’s quite a looker, and we’d love to see how it stacks up to Cadillac’s own CTS-V Sport Wagon. Get your fix in our high-res gallery below.

[Source: Alpina]

Alpina B5 BiTurbo Touring coming to Geneva Motor Show

Motor Trend may prefer the Chevrolet Volt, but the well-heeled readers of the Robb Report have a considerably different set of priorities when it comes to picking the best of the best. That’s why the luxury magazine has decided to name the Ferrari 458 Italia as its Car of the Year.

The 458 scores high marks for its exterior design, interior materials and overall performance, and the Prancing Horse beat out thirteen other vehicles for the award. Says the magazine:

The stunning Italian sports car topped (in order of finish) the Audi R8 V10 Spyder, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, Bentley Mulsanne, Maserati GranTurismo Convertible, Audi A8L, Aston Martin Rapide, BMW Alpina B7, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XJ Supersport, Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, and Lotus Evora.

Click past the break for the complete press release.

[Source: Robb Report]

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Italia named 2011 Robb Report Car of the Year

Ferrari 458 Italia named 2011 Robb Report Car of the Year