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New BMW 4-Series shows its sporty side with M Performance add-ons

The BMW 4 Series M Performance Parts have been revealed (pictured) The new BMW 4-Series Coupe may not have arrived in BMW showrooms yet, but that hasn’t stopped BMW showcasing how you can spend extra money on your new 4-Series with a range of M Performance accessories. So when you do go and spec up your new 4-Series you’ll also be able to tick some of the boxes on the M Performance Accessories list for your dealer to fit when your car arrives for delivery and (almost) turn it in to an imitation M4 Coupe if you wish. Probably the biggest seller will be the showy stuff, like the M-Performance body kit which adds a lower front bumper with carbon fibre splitter and bigger air intakes, bigger sills, new back bumper with diffuser and ducts, carbon fibre spoiler at the back, dark chrome trim and carbon fibre door mirror caps.

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

Marc Girard appointed head of Interior Design at BMW Cars

Marc Girard starts his new job as head of the Interior Design department at BMW Automobiles today, taking over the post previously held by Michael Ninic who died unexpectedly last year. His appointment also alleviates some of the pressure put on Adrian van Hooydonk, who has effectively been managing both exterior and interior design departments for BMW Cars as well as acclimatizing to his new role as design director of the BMW Group following Chris Bangle's departure last month. A BMW Group designer for the last 15 years, French-born Girard was most recently team leader for Interior Design at BMW Automobiles, having been promoted from the position of head of interior design at MINI - a role he filled from 2004 to 2006.