Car Throttle

With the introduction of the LFA last year, you might think that Lexus would start to make hot versions of their current line-up. So far the only sporty Lexus since the LFA has been the IS-F, but last week Lexus announced you can now order a new range topping version of their compact luxury hybrid called the CT200h F-Sport. The disappointing news is that the new CT F-Sport will not be any faster or more powerful than the standard car since there has been no change to the engine. The F-Sport will have the same 1.8L petrol unit teamed with an electric motor and a CVT gearbox, just like a Prius, that goes from standstill to 62mph in 10.3 seconds, which is not hot

Music - who doesn't love it? Cars are decked out with the latest and greatest sound systems from manufacturers like Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Pioneer, Infinity, THX and a whole host of others. We know, we know...we're sure we missed a whole lot of audio companies in that list, but they were the first that came up off the top of our head. To some, music to their ears is the sound of an exhaust note. To BMW, it is using their new 1-Series to create sounds and stringing them together to form a beat and well....music. Now there isn't any singing involved (they still haven't figured out how to do that yet) but the end result is pretty cool if you ask us. There

Most head-to-head drag races aren't exactly scientific, and they avoid nuances - things like handling prowess and the experience behind the wheel. Still, us enthusiasts love them anyway. A much-discussed and viewed post on CarThrottle has been Ford's drag-race between the Taurus SHO and the Audi A6 4.2 FSI. Audi and BMW have gone head-to-head in more ways than one. Sales, comparison tests, advertising and the like. That couldn't be any more evident in the company's two new compact performance entries the 1-Series M and RS3. The two have very different approaches; one is a two-door and rear-wheel drive, the other a five-door hatchback with all-wheel drive. Their shoppers are likely different, but that doesn't stop the automotive press from comparing them still. Unfortunately, the RS3

Yesterday, some images of the next BMW 1-series leaked out online. It used to be that manufacturers would flip their lid, file a cease and desist, and try to get the toothpaste back into the tube, so to speak.  Thankfully, they're starting to learn this never works, and just going with the flow.  This is what BMW did with the 1-Series. The car that replaces the current E81-chassis 1 Series will be bigger in nearly every dimension, save height.  This is probably a good thing; one of the most frequent criticisms leveled at the current 1'er was that it was a tight fit inside for full sized humans.  Overall length is up 85mm, width increases 17mm, the front and rear track widths grow 51 and 72mm,

The 1-series M Coupe is 15 pounds of awesome in a 10 pound bag. I think so, anyway.  The regular 1-series coupe is already cool; basically an E92 3-series with a few inches hacked out of the wheelbase, the same great suspension, but 400lbs or so less weight to haul around.  The styling is odd, but I'll admit it's grown on me. But the M version... is probably the best car the M division has cranked out in years. This is a testament to both the awesomeness of the 1M, and the general loss-of-plot going on at M, what with them selling us 5,000+lb X5's stuffed with AWD, twin turbos, and automatic gearboxes.  M used to stand for Motorsports, but these days it seems more like

The North American International Auto Show is in full swing, and BMW is debuting the new 1-Series M Coupe and new 650i convertible at the show for the first time. While the Detroit show is the first actual appearance for the two cars in the metal, images and details on the two cars have dropped a while ago. BMW gave full details on the 1-Series M a month ago, and has been teasing it for months prior. One thing that hasn't been known though is pricing information. There has been a lot of speculation as to where BMW would price the 1-Series M. That ends today though, as the 1-Series M has gotten an official price tag of $47,010 in all of it's six-cylinder performance

In the performance car world, times on the Nurburgring are all-important as bragging rights and a measure of a car's chops on one of the toughest tracks in the world. Who can forget the public back and forth between Nissan and Porsche over who held the record at the track? As such, the Nurburgring time for BMW's latest, the 1-Series M, is an important metric. After a whole lot of teasing the car debuted last week. The car represents a return to roots of sorts for BMW and the M division, with a strong resemblance to early M3s. With a V-6 making 335 horsepower, the car was designed to slot in below the M3 in the current lineup. Understandably, BMW has a clearly defined hierachy and wouldn't

Let's be honest, some of the latest M-cars have... lost the plot. The X5M and X6M both weigh on the wrong side of two and a half tons, have gas-guzzling twin turbo V8's, automatic transmissions, four-wheel-drive, a center of gravity closer to the moon than the earth, and no place on a racetrack.  And just when we were beginning to think "M" really did stand for marketing, BMW drops this on our collective laps: The 1-series M Coupe. Now, let's not beat around the bush: they could've called it the 135is Lightweight and it'd be more truthful.  But this hardest of hardcore 1-series coupes will appeal to M customers in a way no BMW has since the much-lamented Z4 M Coupe left us a while ago. 

The 1-Series M is coming, if you haven't noticed. BMW is managing this campaign brilliantly, releasing just enough information and details to keep our interested piqued. The car's official launch is set to come at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The company has released some new details and teaser images of the car. Let's get down to the details. The 1 Series M Coupe has the twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder from the X4 sDrive35is (don't even get us started on that name). It makes 340-horsepower and the car weighs 3,300 pounds, which should make for some nice performance figures. In reality, this car is a true successor to the original BMW M3 that enthusiasts loved so much. As for pricing, it is expected to be slotted in the 135i

Remember the BMW M3 GTS? We sure do. The car was produced by BMW as a special, extreme M3. Unfortunately, it was available only in European markets, where it sold out quickly. The 1-Series is about to get an M performance variant of its own pretty soon, but up until now more performance has had to come from customization. Parkview BMW, a BMW dealer in Ontario, liked the M3 GTS so much that they decided to create their own mini-model based on the 1-Series. The most noticeable similarity would have to be the same stunning Fire Orange paint that really set the M3 GTS apart. It is also paired with similar black alloy rims. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without other modifications as well and Parkview BMW is