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—Ypsilanti, Michigan

If a nonsensical vehicle like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S tickles your fancy, you may want to leave space on your bedroom wall for another drool-worthy pinup. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the BMW X5M. It has 555 horsepower, it runs a tuned version of BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, and it costs $85,400—that’s a whopping $40,900 less than the starting price of Madam Cayenne. And if you immediately think to yourself, “Well, clearly this is because the Porsche is a superior vehicle,” you’ll want to think again. The X5M is as good to drive as it is hard to comprehend.

When BMW introduced its latest M-badged creations—in both X5 and X6 guises—we weren’t sure what to think. And while we’ve now driven both of the beastly crossovers, they still don’t make a whole lot of sense to us (just like the turbocharged Cayennes). But while the Porsche is only minimally impressive, what with its somewhat disconnected driving experience, the X5M (and X6M, alike) is really honed in as a true driver’s car. The Ultimate Driving Crossover, if you will.

CLICK HERE to continue reading this review.

Ze German luxury sedan wars are in full swing, with the latest Audi A8 being unveiled on Monday, BMW's new-for-2009 7-Series doing very well, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class getting some substantial updates for 2010.

All three cars offer the same overall experience, but they go about it in different ways. The Audi has unique headlights and Quattro all-wheel drive, the BMW stands proud with its twin-turbocharged V-8, and the Merc is the only one currently available as a hybrid. (BMW's ActiveHybrid 7 is coming early next year, with Audi's to follow shortly thereafter.)

So, we want to know which of these big luxury boats you, our readers, would have in your personal garages? Head over to our forum thread and sound off.

+ NextAutos Forums: Audi A8 vs. BMW 7-Series vs. Mercedes-Benz S-Class  

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Our spy photographer has sent us shots of the new BMW M3 Coupe, giving us a good look at its updated rear end. The photos show us new taillights, complete with LEDs. A new interior is also in the works.

See the new M3 Coupe in the gallery above, or scroll down for the photographer’s own words.

http://www.sub5zero.com/auto-news/essen-motor-show-2009-ac-schnitzer-bmw-123d-po...

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Words like "absurd," "unnecessary," and "ridiculous" come to mind when we ponder the new BMW X5M. It's a 5300-pound, twin-turbocharged, 555-horsepower machine -- and while it's a bit nonsensical, it's immensely fun to shove around.

We'll be testing the X5M for the next week, so head over to our Ask It forum post and let us know what questions you have about this big beast. We'll do our best to respond, as well as post driving impressions and other thoughts throughout the week.

+ NextAutos Forums: Ask It: 2010 BMW X5M

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BMW unveiled its all new, sixth-generation 5-Series today in Munich, Germany, bringing to an end a lengthy wait to have a first look at the new car, and instantly offering a stern competitor for the recently launched Mercedes-Benz E-Class line.

The new 5 seems to be following along with the new BMW design aesthetic, showing cleaner, simpler body surfacing, and strong, athletic character lines. The automaker also references the often-invoked  “coupe-like” roofline.

5-Series will be the recipient of three familiar, and pretty fantastic powerplants. At launch, look for the 550i to rock the same 400 horsepower, bi-turbo V-8 as is found in the X6, the 7-Series, and the 5-Series GT. A 535i will also be available, getting 300 horsepower from BMW’s 3.0-liter turbo six, and some (unspecified) time in the future will see a 528i join the range with the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter six.

All of the new 5-Series models will be available with a buyer’s choice of either a six-speed manual transmission, or the company’s new eight-speed autobox. The automatic is said to offer significant gains in fuel economy compared with the outgoing six-speed affair. We’re still likely to want to option the old-school cog-swapper though—an early guess.

Based on our first driving impressions of the 5GT, we have reason to believe that the new 5er will be a sweet drive, as well. Stay tuned for our first driving report of the car in the near future. Until then, you’ll find a full gallery of images above, and BMW’s lengthy full press release below.

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BMW's polarizing new 5-Series Gran Turismo hits U.S. dealerships on December 5th, with the 550i GT model being the only variant initially offered. The base price? $64,725. Look for an xDrive variant to come early next year, as well as the 535i GT, featuring an all-new turbocharged inline-six (not the twin-turbo six that we've grown oh so fond of in recent years).

This MSRP slots the 550i GT between the V-8-powered X6 and 750i, but things can start to get rather pricey when options are tacked on. We highly recommend the sport package ($4200) and the optional twenty-inch wheels ($1000), as they vastly improve the 5GT's overall appearance and driving dynamics. Be sure to grab the luxury rear seating package, too ($3950) as it's one of the nicest BMW rear setups we've ever sat in. Seriously -- it's more luxurious than a long-wheelbase 7-Series.

For the full press release and options list, click through the post. And in the meantime, be sure to read our review of the 550i Gran Turismo in the latest issue of Winding Road.

+ First Drive: 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

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Lately, we’ve seen many examples of updated BMWs coming through the espionage pipeline. These latest spy shots, though, aren’t just another appearance update.

Take a close look at the sticker on the window and under the license plate. It reads, in plain English, “Hybrid Test Vehicle.” Caught in Munich, the 1-series appears to be following in the tire tracks of the 7-Series and X6 ActiveHybrid models we have already seen.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted with any more news on the 1-Series hybrid.

Click through the gallery above to see the BMW 1-Series hybrid prototype, or scroll down for the shooter’s comments.

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Not long ago, we sampled a tuned-up version of the BMW 335i in the form of the Dinan S1, and in our non-track test, we actually preferred the hot S1 to that of BMW's already good M3 Coupe.

Tuner ATT Autotechnik has put its spin on the BMW 335i Convertible and the simple modifications are enough to give it a different sort of edge over the stock droptop M3. For starters, power has been boosted to 356 horsepower and 388 pound-feet of torque. And while that may be 58 less horsepower than an M3, the ATT example produces 93 more pound-feet of torque out of the twin-turbocharged inline-six engine. We've discussed the joys of turbo thrust and torque power before, and in some cases actually prefer it to larger-displacement, naturally aspirated mills (though the M3's V-8 is one hell of a good engine), so it looks like this steroid-enhanced 335i cabrio might offer more interesting dynamics for everyday driving.

Other changes include a sharp set of twenty-inch wheels and stainless steel exhaust, giving it a more subdued overall appearance than a comparable M3. Like the Dinan, we can easily see the Doppelturbo-Cabriolet being a more interesting steer than the M-badged Bimmer on the street, but as a track performer, it's hard to say. Click through the post for ATT Autotechnik's press release.

+ Autoblog: ATT Autotechnik drops BMW 335i Doppelturbo-Cabriolet

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As we’ve been seeing lately through spy photos, BMW has been refreshing the looks of their lineup. The BMW X5 is the latest to be caught in our crosshairs.

We see here that the air intakes are on the front are different, as well as foglight placement. The rear bumper has been reshaped, too, as we can see from the side-by-side photo in this gallery. The exhaust tips also have a new shape.

See the new look of the BMW X5 in the gallery above.