BMW raises prices on redesigned 3 series by less than 1%

BMW of North America will raise prices by less than 1 percent on its top-selling car, the 3-series sedan, when a redesigned version goes on sale in February.

The 2012 328i sedan will start at $35,795, up $320 from the model it replaces, and the 335i will go up $370 to $43,295, the automaker said today. Both prices include an $895 destination charge.

BMW said the cars will have more equipment than the models they replace, including a 6.5-inch central display with its traditional iDrive controller for audio, climate and other settings. The cars will also have a USB/iPod interface, an eight-speed automatic transmission, a start/stop function and brake-energy regeneration.

The redesigned versions may give the automaker a boost next year in what could be a bid to retain the title of top-selling luxury brand in the United States. Through October, BMW led Mercedes (excluding Sprinter vans) by about 7,000 sales and had more than a 45,000-unit lead over earthquake-hampered Lexus, the perennial No. 1.

Last year BMW sold 100,910 3-series cars in the United States, significantly beating the second-biggest seller in the compact luxury sedan segment, the Mercedes-Benz C class (58,785) and the Infiniti G (58,143). Through October, BMW sold 78,314 3-series cars.

The 328i sedan will have a new 2.0-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder engine, and the 335i will continue to feature BMW's twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder powerplant. Both engines are gasoline; a diesel will be added later.

For the first time, the 3 series will be offered in three trim and equipment levels: sport, luxury and modern.

The 2012 3-series sedan will make its U.S. debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

Suzuki launches arbitration against VW to get its shares back

TOKYO -– Suzuki Motor Corp. is launching arbitration proceedings against Volkswagen AG in an attempt to force the German car maker to relinquish its 19.89 percent stake in Suzuki.

Suzuki said it will initiate the action on Nov. 24 at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in London. Suzuki wants its estranged German partner to sell its stake back to Suzuki or a third party designated by Suzuki.

"The arbitration proceedings follow Suzuki's termination of its alliance with Volkswagen AG on 18 November 2011, and Volkswagen AG's lack of response to Suzuki's requests for the disposition of its shares," Suzuki said in the release.

Volkswagen stepped in as Suzuki's biggest shareholder in 2009. It took the 19.89 percent stake in Suzuki, while Suzuki took a 1.49 percent holding in VW.The partnership was billed as a way for VW to get access to the India market, where Suzuki is strong, and for Suzuki to get advanced technologies from VW that it doesn't have the budget to develop on its own.

But the alliance began unraveling earlier this year, when VW described Suzuki as an "associate" it has sizable management control over. That didn't fly in Suzuki's boardroom.

Since then, VW has accused Suzuki of breaching their agreement by sourcing diesel engines from Fiat. And Suzuki fired back that VW broke it by not sharing advanced drivetrain technologies that Suzuki had its eyes on. Their two-year tie up never yielded a joint project.

On Sept. 12, Suzuki demanded that VW return its 19.89 percent stake in Suzuki. And on Nov. 18, Suzuki announced unilaterally that it was ending the partnership.

"Volkswagen AG did not allow Suzuki access to Volkswagen AG's core technology and it also became clear that there were differences between Suzuki and Volkswagen in the understanding of 'independence,'" Suzuki said at the time. "The cross-shareholding alliance must be dissolved immediately and in so doing the parties will return to their independent status."

Volkswagen has rejected Suzuki's efforts to end the partnership, calling them actions "without foundation," and has said it plans to retain the holding.

CB Unicorn Dazzler now gets more sporty & aggressive.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), the 100% owned 2-wheeler subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Japan has introduced the new Deluxe variant of its popular 150cc motorcycle – CB Unicorn Dazzler.

The new variant of CB Unicorn Dazzler comes in two new dual tone colour options – Pearl Sunbeam White (with Red) and Black (with Grey) along with new age graphics highlighting Honda's marquee.

The new CB Unicorn Dazzler will be available across Honda showrooms to the customers by the end of November, 2011. The technical specifications of both Standard and Deluxe variants shall however remain the same.

Churning out 14 Ps power from its 150cc engine, the new Unicorn is still the stable horse one expects it to be. The new Unicorn Dazzler will retain the same characteristics of the standardized Dazzler along with some cosmetic makeovers and has the same comfortable seating position, smooth and refined engine, better graphics, fuel economy of 60kmpl (estimated), maintenance free battery and a viscous air filter for more convenience.

The Standard variant of CB Unicorn Dazzler will continue to be available in three colours – Armour Gold Metallic, Pearl Nightstar Black and Pearl Siena Red and is priced at Rs. 65,198/- (Ex-showroom, Delhi). While deluxe variant will be available in two colours and priced at Rs. 66198/-, (Ex-showroom, Delhi.).

Ferrari plans new club to help loyal owners buy limited-edition cars

Ferrari plans to create a collector's club to give loyal customers a better chance of owning one of the company's limited edition cars.

The club likely will be open only to people who possess at least five Ferraris. The Italian supercar brand says there are about 300 collectors worldwide who own five or more Prancing Horse models.

"I don't want our faithful collectors to miss the opportunity to buy one of our special series," Ferrari CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said in an interview with Automotive News Europe.

Montezemolo is considering giving club members right of first refusal on special-series Ferrari cars.

The idea for the club comes after the Ferrari SA Aperta, a roadster version of the 599 GTB coupe, caused discord between the carmaker and some Ferrari owners who were unable to buy the model because production was limited to just 80 units.

Unveiled during a customer-only event in August 2010 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the SA Aperta sold for about $545,000 in Italy.

Production was limited to 80 units because it was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Italian design house Pininfarina, which has styled almost all production Ferrari models since 1951.

The collector's club would be more exclusive than the existing owner's clubs. The Ferrari owner's clubs are made up of about 13,000 members in more than 30 nations. The owner's club members are active at events such as track days, concours d'elegance, gala dinners and charity events.

To offer Ferrari owners a better understanding of the cars they drive and the country that builds them, Montezemolo is planning an annual driving and sightseeing event.

The "Ferrari Cavalcade" will take place in a different region of Italy every year, starting next spring. It will be open to 120 Ferrari owners from all over the world, with a limited number of places assigned to the different markets.

Owners will drive their Ferrari car for about 90 miles a day, mainly using secondary public roads, and also on tracks including Ferrari's Fiorano test track at the company's headquarters in Maranello and Ferrari's racetrack of il Mugello, near Florence.

2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco gets $25,995 sticker

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco sedan will start at just $25,995, including destination, General Motors said on Tuesday.

The redesigned Malibu Eco, which we drove in September, will be the first Chevy car to feature GM's new eAssist battery-electric/gas propulsion system. The Buick LaCrosse hybrid also will have the same system. It employs a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor while saving fuel with regenerative braking, electric assist and a stop/start function. Chevy says the new Malibu will return 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.

The Malibu Eco comes in at about $3,000 less than the Ford Fusion hybrid and $2,000 less than the new Volkswagen Passat TDI SE. It lands within $1,000 of the Toyota Camry hybrid and the Hyundai Sonata hybrid.

The Malibu gets a decent roster of standard features in addition to the 182-hp, 2.4-liter engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Some of the highlights include projector headlights, Chevy MyLink, keyless entry, power windows and locks and a few other bits and pieces.

The 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco will hit dealerships in early 2012.

New Mercedes-Benz SL to use aluminum to cut weight

The next Mercedes-Benz SL coupes will get more power, less weight and a few neat tricks, including features named Magic Vision Control and FrontBass. We'll get our first look at the new car at the Detroit auto show in January.

A few journalists were invited to take a sneak peak at the car during the Los Angeles auto show, but pictures and video weren't allowed.

What we do know is that the car will have a shell made almost entirely out of aluminum. This cuts 242 pounds off the body, while total weight savings over the previous year's model will total more than 300 pounds. Magnesium and high-strength steel make up the rest of the shell. The body will stay rigid, according to Mercedes, with components optimized for each specific task. Some parts are made by chill casting, some by die casting, and all are worked to be just strong enough for the application.

A variety of joining techniques are used, including welding, hemming, bonding, bolting and riveting. The result, according to Mercedes, is high rigidity, high safety and low vibration.

Magic Vision Control is a windshield-washer system that sprays water through the wipers just in front of the blade for maximum effect. Drivers won't see a little water splash every time they spray.

The FrontBass system puts speakers in the free space in the front footwell as opposed to the doors. The speakers use the footwell as resonance space. The company says this results in clearer sound whether the top is up or down.

BMW 5-series is in line for the company's new triturbo diesel engine

Details leaked from a dealer conference held in Holland this week suggest that BMW's upcoming 550dX will be the first recipient of the German carmaker's new high-tech triturbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine.

The new engine, which also is destined for the new X5 xDrive50d and X6 xDrive50d models, is claimed to produce 376 hp and more than 516 lb-ft of torque--some 70 hp and more than 74 lb-ft more than the most powerful version of BMW's existing twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder diesel engine, as found in the X5 xDrive40d.

The radical new engine, which is rumored to use two traditional exhaust-blown turbochargers in combination with an electrically driven turbocharger to add low-end response, is planned to be offered exclusively with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive.

The 550dX will slot into the BMW lineup above the 535d, although North American sales have not yet been confirmed. Nothing is official just yet, but Munich insiders hint at 0-to-62-mph acceleration in about five seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph. And, combined-cycle fuel consumption is said to come close to matching the 535d's 38.3 mpg.

Along with the standard version of the 550dX, BMW also is planning a performance-oriented M550dX. While not an official M model, it will get various chassis and styling changes, according to highly placed BMW sources.

Original plans for a full-blown M5 diesel were ditched on the grounds that the 550dX's four-wheel-drive system would have dictated the ride height. "There are specific reasons why we didn't go with four-wheel drive, one of them being the four-wheel-drive system that requires the car to ride higher than existing M models," a source said.

Meanwhile, further information from the BMW dealer conference suggests that engineers are well advanced on a new M135i based on the recently introduced second-generation 1-series hatchback.

The new Audi RS3 rival, tentatively scheduled to go on sale in Europe in mid-2012, is said to run a powered-up version of the 135i's N55 engine. The twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder is rumored to push out 315 hp and about 332 lb-ft of torque.