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BMW 335iS (2011) prices +video

The BMW 335iS Convertible - starts at $59K Normally we would have made the headline ‘BMW 355iS US prices’, but as BMW has decided that the new 335iS is going to be a North America car only we guess that anyone looking for a price will know it’s going to be a dollar price. As we reported last week, BMW are releasing the 335iS to bridge a gap they perceive exists between the 335i and the M3. Which seems more like the sort of think Audi would do rather than BMW, but perhaps they’ve learnt a trick or two from their four-ringed neighbours about filling every possible niche?

BMW Alpina D3 BiTurbo – a great diesel

The BMW Alpina D3 BiTurbo - a brilliant, quick and economical everyday drive Alpina has turned out some stunning versions of the BMW range over the years (and some not so stunning – their 8 Series springs to mind) and they fill a gap that is either not profitable in small volume for BMW or, in some cases, a hole that BMW hasn’t plugged. And this one is a good hole to fill with the BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo, a 3 Series diesel with the heart of a hot hatch. Alpina has taken the engine out of the 1 Series 123d and given it a boost to 240bhp, in the process dropping the 0-60 time to a very creditable 6.9 seconds But it’s not the sprint that count,  but the way this peppy diesel unit delivers it.

U.S. new car sales surge at fastest pace in nearly 7 years

U.S. sales of cars and light trucks surged 9 percent in November 1.24 million units and rolled off dealership lots at the fastest pace in almost seven years. The industry's annualized sales rate, adjusted for seasonal factors, rose to 16.4 million last month, up from 15.3 million a year earlier and easily topping analysts' forecasts in the 15.8 million range.