BMW

BMW Overview:

Known for its lineup of vehicles that seamlessly blends luxury and high-performance, BMW looks forward to 2013 with plenty of exciting developments including some brand new models like the X1 and ActiveHybrid 3.

The 1-Series of sporty coupes/convertibles are the smallest cars in BMW’s lineup and include the 128 and 135. The 128 is the entry level BMW and comes with a 230-hp I-6, while the 135 gets a more powerful 300-hp engine under the hood. For 2013, BMW has added a sporty 135is variant that gets 20 extra horsepower and a few other mechanical improvements.

BMW's bread and butter 3-series adds a hybrid for 2013, the ActiveHybrid 3 and redesigned coupe/convertibles will arrive during the 2013 calendar year (the sedan was redesigned first). Both the 328 and 335 are available as a coupe, sedan, or convertible, and the 328 even adds a sport wagon to the mix. Rear-wheel drive is standard, while an xDrive all-wheel drive system is newly offered on the sedan.

The 5-series of sedans are the next step up from the 3-series. There are now four versions of the 5-series: the 528, 535, 550, and M5, each with its own engine. The 528 gets a 240-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder and the xDrive system as an option. Both the 535 and 550 are also available in “hatchback” form as the 535 Gran Turismo and 550 Gran Turismo. The 550 Gran Turismo's twin-turbo V-8 gets a bump up to 445-hp for 2013.

The sporty 6-series coupes and convertibles got a full makeover for 2012 and for this year they add a pair of four-door variants in the 640 Gran Coupe and 650 Gran Coupe. The 640 and 640 Gran Coupe share a 315-hp, turbocharged inline-six while the 650 and 650 Gran Coupe have the same 445-hp twin-turbo V-8 found in the 550. BMW’s iDrive infotainment system comes standard, as is a backup camera.

Topping out BMW’s lineup of passenger cars is the 7-series of flagship sedans. Representing the pinnacle of BMW luxury while still maintaining a performance edge, the 7-series offers four variants to choose from: the 740, 750, 760, and the green ActiveHybrid 740. The different variations again refer to the different available engines, a V-6 for the 740, a V-8 for the 750, and an enormous V-12 for the 760. For 2013, the 7-series gets a few cosmetic changes inside and out.

BMW also makes a roadster in the form of the Z4 convertible and its standard folding hardtop.

Also offered is a quarter of crossovers, each with different sizes and aims. All of them, save the new X1, come with xDrive all-wheel drive standard. The X1 slots in below to the X3 becoming the smallest crossover that BMW offers. It features RWD standard, and your choice of turbocharged four- or six-cylinder engines.

The X3 compact crossover is now two years out from its redesign in 2011, where it got a bit larger and also acquired an eight-speed automatic transmission. Moving up, the midsize X5 crossover was the first crossover offered by BMW. For 2013, it drops the X5 xDrive35d diesel trim. The X6 combines the styling and performance of a coupe in the body of a crossover and is one of the most uniquely styled cars on the road today and BMW actually refers to the X6 as a “sport activity coupe.” Two available engines output 300- and 400-hp respectively, while for those who want a greener alternative the ActiveHybrid X6 is also available.

There are even M-versions of two of BMW’s crossovers – the X5 M and the X6 M.