Owners of the 135i and 335i vehicles seeking more performance can now choose between two new factory power kits. The kits can be retrofitted at BMW dealers or added via the Port Installation Program. The kits retain the original emission certification, maintain the original fuel efficiency ratings, as well as the vehicle’s original factory limited warranty.

• Version 1 Power Kit :Performance-Optimized Engine Software.  This version of the Power Kit was first introduced on the 335i BMW Performance Edition model (announced in July, 2011).  Available for all Model Year 135i and 335i vehicles.  Also available for X6 vehicles produced up to 04/2010.

• Version 2 Power Kit: Same engine performance software as Version 1, plus an Auxiliary Water Cooler and an Enhanced Radiator Fan to reduce the higher thermal stresses on the engine during extreme driving.  Available for all Model Year 135i and 335i vehicles.

The kits up the horsepower from 300 to 320 and increase torque to 332 lb.-ft. with an automatic transmission and 317 lb.-ft. with either a manual or DCT. Acceleration improves by 0.2 seconds over the standard 335i from 0-60 mph and by 0.5 seconds from 50-75 mph. The automaker didn’t provide figures for the 135i.

BMW is offering introductory pricing until the end of 2011 of $599 for the Version 1 Power Kit and $1,199 for the Version 2 Power Kit. The Version 2′s price doesn’t include the additional air ducts or other components that might be needed for installation. Prices do not include installation, and BMW says the kits should only be installed on vehicles equipped with the increased top speed limiter, which includes an additional oil cooler.

As the price of fuel continues to impact U.S. drivers, BMW continues to develop new vehicles that combine the kind of performance and dynamics that are the expected hallmarks of the Ultimate Driving Machine with unexpectedly impressive fuel efficiency. As just one award-winning example, consider the 2011 BMW 335d—recently named “Diesel Car of the Year” by readers of The Diesel Driver magazine.

The 335d offers the same outstanding ownership experience found in any member of BMW’s iconic 3 Series, boasting a sophisticated and stylish exterior, a driver-oriented interior packed with cutting-edge technologies, a precisely German-engineered suspension and one of BMW’s highly regarded I6 engines. But in the 335d, that engine is a 265-hp diesel with the automaker’s TwinPower Turbo technology, electronic throttle control and third-generation piezo common-rail direct injection, capable of an earthshaking 425 lb.-ft. of torque. When all that power gets routed through a six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission with Adaptive Transmission Control, the result is a car that can dash from 0-60 in just 6 seconds while still achieving EPA fuel-efficiency marks of 23 mpg city/36 mpg highway/27 mpg combined.

So not only is the BMW 335d more economical in all EPA measures than the Toyota Camry, but San Francisco CA BMW also reminds drivers that it also gets just one fewer mpg on the highway than the Honda CR-Z hybrid. Which probably helps explain why sales of the 335d are up 34 percent through the first part of 2011.

“The 335d truly is changing the way Americans feel about diesel,” said Paul Ferraiolo, BMW’s manager for Product Planning and Strategy. “Fans of The Diesel Driver share our passion for the great performance and efficiency of our BMW Advanced Diesels. They are the embodiment of BMW EfficientDynamics.”

The next generation BMW 3 Series is schedule to arrive in 2012. While many details of the next 3 Series and its available powertrains have yet to be announced, it reportedly will receive a Gran Turismo model, similar to the all-new new 5 Series GT.

Built on the automaker’s MSB architecture, which will also be shared by the next-generation 1 Series, the new 3 Series lineup will be available in five different body styles, which is a first for this model.

In addition,  the Gran Turismo hatchback, which isn’t due until March of 2013, will not be identical to the 5 Series’ hatch. Instead of utilizing the multi-latch design of the 5 Series GT, the 3 Series will instead feature a simpler one piece unit. As the 3 Series is already a popular model at San Francisco CA BMW, this new variant is expected to offer even more to potential buyers.

Aside from the 3 Series, details regarding the next M3 are also emerging. In particular, BMW will reportedly not offer the sedan in the next generation. Also, the new model is expected to receive a 450-horsepower 3.0L twin-turbo straight 6-cylinder engine in lieu of the current V8 unit.

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I guess 13 is unlucky for BMW, too. That’s the number of different 3 Series models the Bavarians currently offer, and this is without counting the three different members of BMW’s M3 family, which the automaker considers distinct from the 3 Series proper. You’ve got your coupes, you’ve got your sedans, you’ve got your “xDrive” coupes and sedans, and the list continues.

And now it continues to grow, with the debut of the BMW 3 Series M Sport and 335is. These models will put an exclamation point on the subtly enhanced design language of the refreshed 2011 3 Series, albeit in two different ways.

The M Sport is primarily about aesthetics, adding some of the cues found on the M3 coupe but skipping any real performance enhancers. It gets a slightly lowered suspension, but the rest of the modifications involve things like bumpers, side skirts and steering wheels. On the other hand, the 335is takes the opposite tack, putting M-like power into the same package that surrounds today’s 335i.

Specifically, the 335is will holster a twin-turbo V-6 that’s good for 322 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque—22 more horses and 32 lb-ft more torque than in the 335i—and it will also feature an “overboost” function that can deliver 369 lb-ft of twist for short periods. But certainly long enough to run from 0-60 in about 5 seconds. Drivers will get a choice of either a six-speed manual or BMW’s advanced dual-clutch seven-speed shift-it-yourself automatic. Even the body pieces the 335is does borrow from the M3—likes its rear diffuser—are aimed at increasing performance.

In fact, the biggest concern for BMW could be that the 335is will steal sales from the M3. The M3 coupe starts at $58,400. The 335i is currently the most expensive of the 3 Series fixed-roof coupes, starting at $42,650. Now, the 335is aims to slot between the two, and let’s say it comes in at $50,000. That leaves an awfully big gap between sticker prices and just a half-second gap in 0-60 times between the 335is and the M3.

But knowing BMW, that actually might be enough room in which to wedge yet another 3 Series variant. And I’ll consider that good news for all those who believe the best things in life are 3.

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The 2010 Audi S4 has proved to be quite the competitor to the BMW 335i. The S4 is powered by a 3.0-liter TSFI supercharged V6 engine that produces 333 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft of torque, compared to the current 335i’s 3.0-liter engine that produces only 300 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft of torque. When driving these two side by side, the power advantage over the BMW is easily felt.

BMW has never been known for backing down against Audi, and it appears that in this battle BMW certainly won’t be making it a first. With a revamped 3-Series lineup coming soon, BMW has released detailed of the upcoming 2011 BMW 335is. This new model, available in either a coupe or a cabriolet, will enter production in March.

Powering the new BMW 335is will be an updated 3.0-liter inline six cylinder engine that produces 322 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft of torque. This power will be harnessed with the help of a six-speed manual transmission or an optional seven-speed double clutch automatic transmission.

Demand for the 3 Series among Los Angeles BMW dealers is simply unwavering, and the all-new 335is is expected to give performance BMW enthusiasts even more of what they demand.

Aside from a boost in power, the 2011 335is will feature an updated exhaust system, M sport package, rear diffuser, 18-inch wheels, updated tailpipes, and will benefit from improved engine cooling. Needless to say, BMW is not comfortable being left in anyone’s dust, and that fact remains evident in this latest update.

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