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BMW M3 coupe stripped down to go club racing

BMW's M division is back in the business of building specialty street-legal race cars with a new lightweight version of the M3 called the GTS. The lightweight coupe, set to go on sale in early 2010 at a yet-undisclosed price, was conceived as a limited-edition model primarily for club-based racing in much the same way that Porsche builds the 911 GT3 Clubsport. But in a clear effort to link its track-based activities with the production-car side of its business, BMW's M division is offering the new car with a homologation package that will allow customers to register the M3 GTS for street use.

BMW M5 comes alive with all-wheel drive

The 2012 BMW M5 will come with a handful of firsts for the sedan. It will be the first time the car houses a turbocharged powerplant, the first time a dual-clutch gearbox is used and, most importantly, the first time the M5 gets all-wheel drive. That's the word from BMW brass in Shanghai, where Albert Biermann, head of BMW M's research and development, confirmed the powertrain, Autocar reports.

Infiniti JX crossover revealed at Pebble Beach

After a month of teasers and tidbits, the Infiniti JX Concept was finally revealed in its entirety on Thursday in California, ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The seven-passenger, three-row crossover concept is expected to appear largely intact as the production 2012 Infiniti JX next spring. Styling cues were obviously borrowed from the Essence concept, but the JX also seems to have a bit of Volvo XC90 in the greenhouse and even a touch of Mitsubishi Lancer in the front grille aperture.