BMW M3 Convertable

BMW wasn’t planning on releasing the just yet. It had its hands full with the production X6 crossover and those new-fangled turbodiesels the company unveiled at the Detroit show. The M3 drop-top wasn’t supposed to debut until March at the Geneva show. But the Bavarian automaker evidently took a decidedly un-German “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” attitude when initial images and details leaked out. Rather than trying to hold the dam together, has decided to join us for a swim and let the floodgates open on its new V8 hard-top convertible.

As exciting and versatile package it is, the real news here is BMW’s new M DCT twin-clutch gearbox that stands in for the previous SMG transmission, which had its fair share of haters. The rest we already know from the and the more plebian 3-Series convertible. Unfortunately, the glorious M-tuned V8 is bogged down by an extra 450 lbs. of folding metal and electric motors, but that’s the price you pay (on top of what promises to be a heart-attack-inducing sticker price) for the option of taking in the sunshine and that delicious exhaust note without sacrificing the security of a tin top. Swapping cogs at lightning speed, though, should help mitigate the half second the convertible loses on the coupe.

Ford Verve Sedan concept

Earlier today we’ve presented the Ford Verve Sedan concept which made its world debut at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China and here’s another B-segment sedan which was introduced here, the Mazda 2 Sedan. The car will be produced in China, where it will enter the market in the first half of 2008 and Mazda has its hopes real high with this model. Here’s what Noriaki Yamada, President and COO of Mazda Motor China said: “By introducing the four-door sedan we will have completed our product launches in the B, C and CD segments, which represent the three major Chinese vehicle classes.” So, what do you think about the Mazda 2? Which one do you think it’ll have more success, this one or the Ford Verve?

The Mazda Furai Concept

The Mazda Furai Concept was unveiled today at the Detroit Auto Show. We’ve already written about this car, Created as a celebration of Mazda’s rotary engine 40 years anniversary, Furai is Japanese for “the sound of wind” and is seen as the future on environmentally-friendly sports cars. The car is built to operate on 100% ethanol, however, Mazda and its partner, BP, are currently researching other fuel alternatives, such as ethanol/gasoline blends like E10.

Powered by the 450 hp RENESIS-based R20B three-rotor rotary engine, the Mazda Furai is based on a Courage C65 chassis and, featuring racing technologies, is able to reach over 180 mph top speed.

“The Mazda design and R&D teams worked closely with Swift Engineering to refine the aerodynamic characteristics, assuring that Furai remains glued to the ground at high speeds. Through its existing relationship with Swift Engineering, forged through development of the Mazda/Cosworth-powered Champ Car Atlantic single-seater chassis, the team used complex Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to tune various Nagare design elements to function at a high degree of efficiency. Drag, downforce, lift and overall aesthetics were all key considerations.”