BMW has been rivals with Daimler in the automotive industry. But with the effort to reduce production costs and increase profit to compensate for what was lost in the past years, there have been on going talks between BMW and Daimler on how they can build operational alliances. This will allow both companies to to gain synergies without tying up any capital in equity.

BMW and Daimler had already brought large scale bulk components and got better prices. Because of the current cooperation between these two companies, BMW is expected to save approximately US$126 million every year.  BMW’s procurement chief had already confirmed these figures. With both parties satisfied with the foreseen results, the cooperation will continue to grow in the following years.

BMW is also in talks with French PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA for purchasing tie-ups, but no decision has been finalized yet.  Peugeot-Citroen SA already supplies diesel engines for Mini.

Performance Motors Limited, the official distributor of BMW cars and motorcycles in Singapore, is proud to launch the new BMW 120i M Sport.

The new BMW 120i M Sport packs a punch with an M Aerodynamics package and improved performance. It comes with 156hp with a zero to 100km/h sprint of 9.2 seconds, a top speed of 213km/h, and maintains a low fuel consumption of 7.81/100km. See the press release below:

The new BMW 120i M Sport:

Driving Pleasure in the Compact Class returns with improved Performance.

Singapore – Performance Motors Limited, the official distributor of BMW cars and motorcycles in Singapore, is proud to launch the new BMW 120i M Sport.

The new BMW 120i M Sport packs a punch with an M Aerodynamics package and improved performance. It comes with 156hp with a zero to 100km/h sprint of 9.2 seconds, a top speed of 213km/h, and maintains a low fuel consumption of 7.81/100km.

Aerodynamic Exterior with M Sports Package
The BMW 120i M Sport comes standard with the M Aerodynamics Package and M Sport suspension featuring a lower ride height with sportier spring / damper setup for even greater agility. The M Sports package further underlines the dynamic character of the car through its aerodynamically optimized exterior features. Special M 17-inch light-alloy rims in double-spoke 207 design also come standard, emphasizing the ultra-sporty appearance of the BMW 120i M Sport.

Other exterior features include chrome-plated tailpipes, blackline rear lights, Xenon headlights, Shadow Line window recess finishers in high-gloss Black, and a windscreen with grey shade band.

The BMW 120i M Sport comes with a choice of six paintwork colours; Alpine White, Titanium Silver, Le Mans Blue, Black Sapphire, Bluewater and Space Grey.

Sporty Interior with stylish and modern finishing
The interior of the BMW 120i M Sport has also been enhanced. Besides featuring a distinctive M leather steering wheel and door sill finishers with “BMW edition” lettering, the BMW 120i M Sport also comes with interior trim finishers in Aluminium Glacier Silver. The classy Boston leather sports seats in royal blue stitching are further adjustable and powered electrically with memory function. Matching the sports seats are floor mats with leather piping in the same royal blue, and BMW Individual anthracite headliner to create an all-round sporty package.

The BMW 120i M Sport is available at 303 Alexandra Road- Sime Darby Performance Centre.

The BMW 120i M Sport retail price (at press time): $166,800

Warranty: 3 years or 100,000 km, whichever comes earlier

*Price and equipment are accurate at press time. These are subject to change without prior notice.

*Package price includes 1st year road tax & radio licence, number plates, in-vehicle unit (IU), registration fees, GST and Certificate of Entitlement (COE).

Timothy “Tiff” Needell, a British racing driver, former co-presenter of Top Gear, and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear, takes the BMW M3 drifting around the race track. See this exciting video from Fastestlaps:

It looks like the BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe is securing it’s spot as a favorite in the tuning world. Enco Exclusive, a German tuner,  has just unveiled their latest project based on the BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe.

The BMW X6 by Enco Exclusive has a new aero bodykit, a two-tone paint job, a front and rear bumper spoiler, new flared fenders, sills, an exhaust system with quad tailpipes, and the ENCO-JURA 23″ aluminum wheels. The silver and matte black wrap finishes the exclusive look.

Pricing has not been announced yet. See the photos below. Hot or not?

USA Today takes the 2011 BMW 5 Series on a test drive and provides us with an interesting review. The verdict? It is a better looking car at an even better price tag. Here is an excerpt of their review:

BMW does a dandy job of complicating its cars, but there’s a simple summary for the wholly redesigned (”all-new” in breathless auto industry parlance) 2011 5 Series sedan.

Bigger, looks better, priced less, gets better mileage.

Bigger. But not much more room inside where you want it. More headroom in front than the 2010 5 Series had, but otherwise the interior dimensions are comparable, and the 2011 winds up with only about 3% more overall passenger space.

The biggest beneficiary of the 2-inch-longer body on the 3-inch-longer wheelbase seems to be the trunk, leapfrogging from sub-par to among the best, even if compared with larger sedans.

The new size has added several hundred pounds, too, which can hurt agility, though the test car was definitely nimble by any reasonable standard.

Looks better. Reasonable people often disagree on matters of taste. Still, the new appearance eschews the troubling raised-trunk look — BMW apparently is moving away from it just as mainstream brands are adopting it.

The new vehicle has a smoother silhouette than its predecessor, which is the sort of change that pleases most eyes. True, there’s still a lot going on visually, and some details seem gratuitous.

Priced lower. The 535i has a starting price that BMW says is $1,650 less than last year’s 535i. The 550i V-8 version is $900 less than last year’s.

But until last month, there was no less-costly 528i, as was offered in the 2010 line. The lowest 2011 price for a 5 Series since launch last spring had been the 535i’s $50,475 (including $875 in shipping).

Now the 528i has been added to the 2011 model line and starts at $45,425, which BMW says is a price cut of $1,400 vs. the 2010.

The part about using less fuel is uncomplicated. Drive farther, spend less. The 2011 BMW 5 sedans are rated as much as 4 miles per gallon better than their 2010 counterparts.

Source: USA Today