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2015 BMW M4 Coupe ditches some doors, gains some grunt

If you saw our earlier post about the hot new BMW M3 Sedan and were about to call blasphemy for no coupe version, just settle down, silly. Remember: BMW now badges its two-door 3 Series models with the number four, and thus, meet the 2015 M4 Coupe. Looks hot, right?
So yeah, it's pretty much just the M3 with two less doors, but that doesn't make it any less important - or potent. Power comes from a turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, sending 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. You know, the usual.
Not only is the M4 more powerful than the M3 Coupe it replaces, it's a good deal lighter, too. BMW has managed to cut 176 pounds of weight out of the M4, and that means, with the increased output numbers, that the M4 will scoot to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds with the DCT or 4.1 seconds with the do-it-yourself tranny. Either way, that's not what we'd call slow.

Auto execs surveyed say VW, BMW most likely to grow

A new survey of top global automotive executives indicates both Volkswagen and BMW are the most likely to grow their market share over the next five years.
Tax advisory firm KPMG LLP has released its 14th annual Global Automotive Executive Survey, which includes responses from over 200 executives. A total of 81 percent of respondents said they expect to see Volkswagen make gains, compared to 70 percent last year. BMW, meanwhile, saw 70 percent of those surveyed say they believe the company will increase its market share. That's a jump of 7 percentage points over last year. This is the first time in the history of the survey that BMW has claimed the second-place spot.
Meanwhile, Hyundai has seen its perceived market share potential slacken for the third year in a row. Around 61 percent of those surveyed predicted gains for Hyundai, down from 63 in 2012. Toyota also has a surprising year, but for just the opposite reason. While the manufacturer had slipped in ranking since 2011, it enjoyed the largest increase of any company in the 2013 survey, jumping to 68 percent from 44 percent last year.

Next BMW X1 moving to smaller, lighter FWD-biased platform

BMW's decision to make the upcoming 2-Series Active Tourer front-wheel drive has been polarizing to say the least, but like it or not, that is the direction the company will go in the near future - one rumor put the number as high as 23 front-wheel-drive models for Mini and BMW combined. The next-generation X1 won't send all its power to the front wheels, though, when it launches in early 2016. While it will use the same platform as the Active Tourer, rumors suggest all models will use all-wheel drive - at least at launch.
A "high-ranking," unnamed BMW manager confirmed to AutoWeek that the new model will switch to transversely-mounted three- and four-cylinder engines and the same six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions as the Active Tourer. The new, smaller platform will allow for more efficient packaging, and despite the smaller size, interior space will remain comparable. All the changes should make it significantly lighter too.
Don't start wailing just yet because BMW surely won't be entirely abandoning sporty models. AutoWeek claims that the Bavarians are working on a higher-output version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with power closer to 300 horsepower, about a 72-hp boost. It's also rumored to offer a sporty version of the X1 that may be called the X2.