2012 was a busy year for BMW and BimmerFile. Reviews and first drives of cars like the M5, M6, 6 Series Gran Coupe, F30 3 Series and of course the continuation of our longterm 1M test. Here are some of our favorite moments.

BimmerFile Review: The 2013 BMW M5 Manual

We’ve done track time in both the DCT and manual previously so with this week-long test we wanted to throw the real world at the M5. Commuting, child-seats (Recaros of course) and even a road trip thrown in for good measure. Can the new M5 and its six speed manual handle it all? [Read]

BF Garage: One Year in the 1M – The Last Analog M Car?

Every since I could buy used BMWs I’ve been searching for the equivalent of the 2002 or even the E30 M3. After 6,500 miles in a 1M I’m not sure if I’ve found it. The truth is that the 1M isn’t a successor to the 2002 or even the E30 M3. It’s very much its own car. Within the current M range and within the annals of BMW. [Read]

BimmerFile First Drive: MINI JCW GP

We’re going to tip our hat here. It may come as no surprise that the 2013 R56 JCW GP is the fastest MINI of all time. Yet what may be surprising is that it’s the most involving and engaging MINI we’ve ever driven. And it feels closer to an M product than any JCW created yet. [Read]

BimmerFile Review: BMW M550d xDrive

In the 1980’s BMW offered some of their first diesels to US consumers. To say they were not well received is an understatement. To some, diesels still remain dirty, noisy, less refined and offer little in terms of driving fun. However, this is partly based on their living in the past. [Read]

BF First Drive: 2013 BMW M6 Coupe

Over the years we’ve harped on the previous generation M6 a ton here at BimmerFile. From its lackluster chassis dynamics to the questionable “power” button the E63 M6 wasn’t M’s finest moment. But BMW has moved on and so have we with turbo power and a focus on broadening appeal while creating better all-around cars. But does the all new 2013 BMW M6 buck that trend? [Read]

BF First Drive: BMW M135i

There is no spiritual predecessor mumbo jumbo going to be discussed in this review. No, “this car reminds us of that” or anything of the sort. The M135i is the first incarnation of a gasoline fueled BMW M Performance Automobile and it deserves its own time to shine. [Read]

First Drive: 2013 BMW X1

The X1 is BMW’s entry level Sports Activity Vehicle that is small in size and (historically) in huge demand worldwide. Since its launch in 2009, European sales have been so … [Read]

BF Comparison: MINI JCW Coupe vs BMW 1 Series M Coupe

The high end of the MINI JCW line versus the low-end of the M line. It’s a little apples to oranges but in the BMW Group empire, these two aren’t that far apart in positioning and pricing. So what better way to spend a weekend than to take both of these highly coveted cars out to the backroads of the United State midwest and have a face-off. [Read]

BF First Drive: BMW 640i Gran Coupe

The 6 Series Gran Coupe is perhaps the best expression of the concept ever produced by a major auto manufacturer. From almost every angle inside and out, the car wears a confident style that is immediately likable – an elusive trait in more than a few modern BMWs. [Read]

BimmerFile Review: BMW M3 CRT

The practicality of a four door with the brazen attitude of the track prepped M3 GTS sans roll cage. BMW M has created a car that will give four grown adults the roller coaster ride of their lives. [Read]

BimmerFile Review: The New BMW M6 Convertible

There was a moment during my recent time behind the wheel of the M6 that it struck me. I had just enjoyed some opposite lock acrobatics on a twisting mountain road and was turning off it heading to a rather mundane highway. As I did I switched off the hardcore M programming and set the car to comfort. The moment was nothing short of a revelation as the savage beast I was just piloting became the mildest of GT cars. [Read]

BimmerFile Review: 2012 BMW 335i

It was just two months ago that we first drove BMW’s all-new 3 Series on the sun-soaked roads of Spain. Of course, we only got to sample the new four-cylinder 328i back then (along with the not-for-us 320d), and every last one of them was equipped with a sport package and an automatic transmission. Last week, just before the newest 3-series range started rolling into American showrooms, BMW finally turned us loose with the six-cylinder 335i; they also let us do the shifting ourselves as we got reacquainted with the 328i on home turf. [Read]

BimmerFile Review: ActiveHybrid 5 Series

BMW’s ActiveHybrid 5 Series is the first two mode hybrid from the brand. Unlike the X6 and 7 Series Hybrids (one was a learning tool codeveloped with Mercedes Benz and GM , the other is barely a hybrid) the 5 Series Hybrid follows the typical formula of two drivetrains that can work together or separate using a battery pack to supplement engine drive. There are some key additions to this formula that makes this a uniquely BMW solution. [Read]