2010 Bmw M3 Gts

Over 400 pounds lighter, a whole lot less concerned about comfort and far, far more aggressive in its performance, the 2010 BMW M3 GTS is one of the most intriguing vehicles to come out of BMW for some time.
It's no secret that BMW has a strong record in motorsport, or that its cars are definitely one of the top drivers' choices among the luxury ranks. But building truly track-focused, hardcore cars is something typically left to the enthusiast marques.
The M Division might be taken as exactly that, but with recent developments, including the X6 M and X5 M it looked as if BMW had decided to take that sub-brand further toward luxury than performance, too. But the introduction of the M3 GTS brings back a much-needed--though certainly not mass-market--edge to the brand.
These two videos show off the car's intense, no-frills approach to street-legal but track-fun motoring. It's Monday afternoon (or evening) so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

On Nov 11, 10:23*pm, md.relwan >
wrote:
> Unlike the mainstream market where hybrid technology is used to maximize
> fuel efficiency, luxury automakers have employed hybrid systems as a way
> to maintain or improve performance while making concessions to
> efficiency.
> The upcoming 2010 ActiveHybrid X6 and 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 from BMW are
> prime examples of this philosophy, combining already powerful V-8
> engines with electric motors for added performance and superior fuel
> economy to comparable non-hybrid models.
>
> The 2010 ActiveHybrid X6, for example, is no wimp when it comes to
> performance, sprinting to 60 mph from rest in just 5.6 seconds and on
> to an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. And it does it all
> while returning a fuel economy of 22.8 mpg in the combined cycle, about
> 20% better than the standard V-8's ratings.
>
> This raises questions such as why a luxury automaker like BMW is
> focusing so much on the eco-friendly technology and what kind of hybrid
> vehicles can we expect in the near future?
>
> Speaking with Autocar, the project leader of the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid
> X6, Peter Tuennermann, explained that electrification will play an ever
> increasing role in personal mobility in the future--especially in the
> face of tougher emission regulations--and that hybrid vehicles are just
> a stepping stone towards this electrified automotive future.
>
> Tuennermann went on to reveal that volume models like the 3-, 5- and
> 7-series were more suited to mild hybrid systems like the one in the
> ActiveHybrid 7 where the electric motor only aids the internal
> combustion engine and cannot actually power the vehicle by itself, and
> that larger and heavier models like the X3, X5 and X6 were better
> suited to a full hybrid solution.
>
> The BMW exec wasn’t willing to reveal what model will be BMW’s next
> hybrid but he did mention that it would be launched within the next 12
> months. He also confirmed that research on diesel-electric hybrid
> powertrains was taking place and that such a design would most likely
> be in the form of a range-extending plug-in hybrid vehicle.
>
> --
> md.relwan

I agree. I recall reading in Roundel that BMW, MB and Porsche are not
all that thrill about hybrids and don't see much sale advantages (10%
increase? less?), especially in Europe. The reason is diesel. Diesel
engines are big in Europe, infrastructure is more supportive than here
in the US, and the gas advantages of hybrids over diesel is very
small, if any.

As you stated in your last line, the mfrs think there's advantages in
diesel/hybrid, i.e., see 2009/10 BMW "Vision" concept car. That
vehicle has like 3 electric hybrid motors to supplement a very small
turbo diesel engine. Range is like 400 miles @ 60-65mph, with
performance # around 4.8 seconds for 0-60. Although MB has its Gull-
Wing/now called Swing-Wing all electric hybrid super car coming, it
and Porsche are also working the diesel-hybrid angle too. Good Luck!