2004 Bmw M3 Convertible Silver/black Smg Hk Sound Only 29,100 Miles on 2040-cars

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Watch the BMW i8 get wrung out on the Ring

Been wondering where the heck the reviews of the all-new, plug-in-hybrid BMW i8 have been? After all, the car isn't exactly new, having debuted in concept form way back in September of 2009. In August of last year, we even tested a prototype of the new supercar. Despite that, though, we still haven't gotten a crack at the actual vehicle that will be sold to the public.
Well, we're happy to tell you that we're currently testing the i8 and will have a proper review for you soon. If, however, you're just aching for some coverage of the low-slung plug-in, we have a short video of it in action around Germany's famed Nürburgring.
Despite it's three-cylinder, turbocharged gas engine, the i8 sounds pretty angry as it laps the Ring. That is, until it has a little bit of a breakdown. According to the guys that caught the car on video, it appeared the i8 had a minor brake issue, and was parked on the side of the track for a good 15 minutes, with the driver pumping the brakes. We should probably just take this as proof, then, that manufacturers are actually using the Ring for testing, and not just messing about.

BMW raises pricing on many models

Buyers interested in a new BMW will start paying a bit more for their Ultimate Driving Machines, beginning yesterday. The Munich, Germany-based manufacturer has announced price hikes across nearly its entire range, covering model years 2013 and 2014, that will sting higher-end customers in particular.
Price increases are enough to get any consumer riled up, but the incremental nature of BMW's increase makes it a bit easier to swallow. All 1 Series and remaining 3 Series Convertibles (including the M3 Convertible) will see a $300 increase in price. All current-generation F30 3 Series, 5 Series GT and X3 crossovers will get their price bumped by $200. $500 increases are coming for the 6 Series range (not including the M6), while the diminutive X1 gets just a $100 increase.
Cars on the losing end of the price hikes include the newest M cars, the M5 and M6 Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe, which are being bumped $2,000. BMW is adding $1,000 to the sticker of all Z4s and the entire X6 range, including the X6M.

BMW reacquires original factory as classic center

BMW was barely two years old when it started manufacturing airplane engines in a factory on Moosacher Strasse in Munich. Two years after that, it sold the factory to Knorr-Bremse AG, a leading manufacturer of brakes for trains and commercial vehicles, and BMW moved into a new facility on Lerchenauer Strasse. There it expanded into the industrial giant we know today, building engines for cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and planes. It's taken the better part of a century to get that original factory back, but that's exactly what BMW has done, reacquiring the expanded facility from Knorr-Bremse this month.
The factory on Moonsacher Strasse will now serve as the headquarters for BMW Group Classic, the division that handles archives and historical vehicles for BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce. From there, just a stone's throw from corporate headquarters and its main plant (as well as BMW Welt and the BMW Museum), the classic division's operations will include a restoration workshop, vintage parts store, the company's archives, administration as well as a place to hold events. In addition, there will be an exhibition space for historical vehicles from the company's considerable collection.
At the heart of the new/old campus is the gatehouse, which is a protected heritage site and will serve as a gateway into the company's history. Read the full details in the press release below.